Point business receives marketplace award
For the City Times
STEVENS POINT – A Stevens Point-based beverage company has been honored for its innovative work in using ingredients sourced from Wisconsin farmers in the creation of the product it sells to consumers.
Siren Shrub Company LLC, of Stevens Point, received the award for “Innovative Local Sourcing” at the Sixth Annual Feast Local Foods Marketplace, in Rochester, MN.
Siren Shrubs are flavorful concentrates made from organic apple cider, vinegar, fresh fruits, roots, and herbs, and sweetened with organic cane sugar or maple syrup.
“Shrubs are a versatile and inclusive syrup with practically endless uses that can be enjoyed by everyone,” according to Layne Cozzolino, a company co-founder.
Mindy McCord is the company’s other co-founder. The women started the company in 2018, after Cozzolino found a recipe for a shrub that she used as an alternative to alcoholic drinks during her pregnancy.
“Mindy began concocting shrubs with all sorts of unique flavor combinations that we took to parties, Farmshed’s Local Food Fair, and the Stevens Points Area Winter Farmers market; the community’s response encouraged us to start Siren Shrub Company,” Cozzolino explained.
“The nexus of local food and community building in Central Wisconsin is what inspired us. In 2020, we plan to release a ready-to-drink sparkling shrub product line to complement our shrub concentrates,” McCord explained. McCord, a 2009 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, is experienced in food and restaurant management and special event catering. Cozzolino, of Amherst Junction, served as an executive director of Central Rivers Farmshed, 2011-19, when she began full time with Siren Shrub Company. She has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. For more information, visit sirenshrubs.com or find the company on Facebook.