Written by: Lauren Wolverton
Savannah-based cocktail infusion company Fete now has a storefront in the Starland District. Fete opened its doors in late February at 108 E 40th Street, offering cocktail infusions and drink needs, with the goal of bringing people together.
We sat down with owner Marguerite Seckman to get the scoop on the new space and her tasty drinks.
First, Fete is the French word for “a celebration or festive party.” It’s pronounced “Feyt or fet” not “feet or fet-ay.” Seckman and I joked about how many people a day ask what it means, so here y’all go.
Second, what exactly is a cocktail infusion? Seckman explained that a cocktail infusion is the process of infusing a spirit with a mix of ingredients like dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds and more to create a unique flavor profile.
Fete has a lineup of six infusions, all inspired by classic cocktails we know and love. They include: Figgy Old Fashioned, Chili Mango Margarita, Turmeric Ginger Mule, Raspberry Cosmopolitan, Green Tea Mojito, and Mocha Espresso Martini.
When you purchase a Fete infusion, you purchase a bottle with ingredients already in it, take it home and add your favorite spirit, let it sit for at least two days, and boom! You have a cocktail ready to go.
I went home with a Chili Mango Margarita infusion, added Espolon Blanco, let it sit for a few days and have been sipping on it straight over ice on my balcony. It’s wonderful.
Seckman said all infusions can be served over ice, and some are delicious with a little tonic, a splash of bubbles, or a squeeze of orange. They’re totally customizable once you get them home and infused.
The cocktail infusions don’t expire and can continuously be topped off.
“Once you’re about a third of the way down, pour more liquor on top,” Seckman said. “Keep that infusion going, and it’s going to keep absorbing all those flavors.”
One bottle gives you 15 drinks, making an evening with Fete much more budget friendly than a night on the town.
Budgeting aside, bringing people together at home is in the soul of Fete as a company.
Seckman explained that when COVID-19 hit Savannah back in 2020, Fete was a bachelorette planning service and a mobile bartending service with a full year booked ahead of them.
Once events were canceled and postponed for the foreseeable future, Seckman pivoted. She thought to herself “How can people enjoy the cocktail experience at home?”
Seckman said her kitchen quickly turned into a chemistry lab, where she experimented creating different cocktail infusions.
“My husband would be sitting on the couch, and I would come over to him and be like, ‘try this, try this, try this!’” she said. Sounds like my dream job.
Eventually, Seckman opened a production space outside of her kitchen, Fete cocktail infusions made their way to the shelves of Starland Strange and markets around the country, and COVID-19 regulations were slowly lifted. However, Seckman’s desire to bring people together at home never wavered.
“I want Fete to be something you have at a dinner party, or you have when you invite your friends over for a game night,” Seckman said. “That random coworker you haven’t gotten to know yet, I want you to enjoy a drink with them. Kind of like that nostalgic feeling of not being on your phones, enjoying the moment, having a drink.”
She went on to say, “When you walk past a table, and there’s six people scrolling through their phones, I just think ‘why?’ I just think we’re all so dependent on social media, on our phones, checking in on what else is happening. I just want to encourage people to enjoy the current moment we’re in, with the people we love, who care about us, who are right there in front of us.”
Fete’s new storefront is in the same building as their production space. It’s inviting, colorful, and has an up close view of the infusions being handmade. Fete has every cocktail accessory you could dream of, from glassware and cocktail books to margarita-shaped earrings and drink-inspired candles.
In addition to my margarita infusion, I left with a small, decorative sign that reads, “Alcohol may be man’s worst enemy, but the Bible says love your enemy.” This Frank Sinatra quote now lives front and center on my bar cart.
The store also sells merchandise from local artists, including Lofire Ceramics, Small Creative, Love & MOXiE and more. Some of the infusions themselves are also made with ingredients from local partners Hale Tea Company and PERC Coffee Roasters.
“We just want to be a one stop shop for all of your cocktail needs and gift needs, whether you’re going to a housewarming party or dinner gathering,” Seckman said.
Locals can look forward to cocktail infusion workshop classes coming soon to Fete. Seckman said during the class, people will make their own infusion to take home, while enjoying some libations. This sounds like a super fun date night, or a cool way to mix up my usual weekend plans. I can’t wait.
Seckman has two new infusions in mind for the near future: pina colada and strawberry daiquiri. I have a feeling those will be a hit.
The final thing I want to share about Fete is that each bottle contains a little bit of faith, trust and pixie dust. Let me explain.
When I asked Seckman how all of the ingredients fit into that tiny bottle neck- seriously, there are huge orange slices in there- she replied, “People ask me this all the time, and I tell them it’s part of the magic of it. It’s like building a ship in a bottle. All part of the magic!”
She didn’t even tell me how it works off the record. So, if you need me, I’ll be sipping my Chili Mango Margarita, thinking about how the heck those bottles work. Cheers!
Fête 108 East 40th Street Savannah, GA drinkfete.com Open Friday-Sunday 11a-6p
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