Community Cookbook: White Cranberry Margarita, by Keller Ford from Cape Girardeau

Keller Ford says he got the “best of both worlds” during his childhood: During the school year, he lived with his mother in Phoenix and throughout parts of Orange County, Calif.; during Christmas and summer, he visited his father in Cape Girardeau.

“It was living out there [in the West with] beautiful sunshine, then coming back here to snow,” Ford says.

He moved to Cape Girardeau for eighth grade and graduated from Cape Central High School. He attended Southeast Missouri State University for a few years, but soon realized his true passion was for the restaurant and beverage industry, which he started working in at the age of 18 years old, waiting tables and cooking meals.

He started bartending when he turned 21 years old and worked at establishments across the city, including Broussard’s Cajun Cuisine, Garfield’s, Rude Dog Pub, and Mollie’s Cafe & Bar, among others. Ford says it wasn’t until he worked at Mollie’s — which was located where Ebb & Flow currently is — that he fell in love with wine.

“I think it was just the complexities [that drew me to wine]. The flavors, the different grape varieties. … Wine was this whole new, endless opportunity to try new things. There was so much innovation and things I hadn’t been exposed to,” Ford says. “There was so much to learn.”

Eager to learn more, Ford used tip money from his job at Mollie’s to purchase and collect bottles of wine at cost from his boss. He stored some of the red wine bottles for years, allowing them to age, and signed up for a subscription to Wine Spectator magazine.

“Wine is such a social thing. It’s amazing the amount of conversation that comes out of sharing a bottle of wine with someone or a group of people. It just kind of brings everybody together,” Ford says.

Ford also worked at River Ridge Winery in Commerce, Mo., as general manager for seven years. He says he loved working in the vineyards, being by himself and tending to the vines. He also loved the seasonality of the work and how the workload changed from spring to summer. There, he witnessed and participated in every step of the winemaking process, from picking and crushing grapes, to aging, fermenting and bottling the finished product.

“You’re creating something, so it was great,” Ford says. “You have to have a passion for it, you have to love it. The hours aren’t great, the work is hard, the money can be great or not great, so if you don’t love those [food and drink] businesses, there are other things you could do to make more money. You find something you love and have a passion for, and you just work at it.”

Ford has visited Napa Valley in California, famous for its wine. He also recommends Sonoma Valley in California and Willamette Valley in Oregon as vacation destinations for wine lovers.

Between his travels, restaurant experience and hour spent researching the wine and liquor industry every day, Ford says he felt prepared to take the next step: opening his own shop.

In 2010, Ford opened Primo Vino, a specialty wine, beer and liquor shop in Cape Girardeau. Later, he expanded this shop to include Cask Spirits and Beer Lounge. Ford was also instrumental in envisioning and establishing Top of the Marq restaurant and bar in the Marquette Tower on Broadway.

Outside of running his businesses, Ford enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and two daughters. He says they recently went to New York City for the first time and did “all the touristy stuff.”

“We went to all the main pizza places, like literally, we’d go have a meal, and then I’d say, ‘Let’s go have a slice of pizza for dessert,’” Ford says. “So, we’d have pizza, and then we’d have pizza for dessert down the road.”

Ford is also a big fan of music. He says he used to play the drums quite a bit, and he goes to concerts every chance he gets. A couple of times a year, he goes trout fishing “just to get out.”

He says he started trout fishing with three guys, and now their group is made up of almost 20 individuals. They go to White River in Arkansas every February — despite the cold — to fish together.

It’s pretty simple: Ford enjoys trying new things. Whether it’s a new fishing spot, bottle of wine or destination, he is always down for an adventure.

Keller Ford's white cranberry margarita is displayed on a table. Ford says he loves how cocktails and wine provide an opportunity for socializing and trying new things. Photo by Jasmine Jones

__White Cranberry Margarita__

Recipe by Keller Ford

1½ ounces silver tequila

1 ounce orange liqueur

1½ ounces white cranberry juice

½ ounce lime juice (freshly squeezed)

½ ounce cream of coconut

Nonalcoholic version:

2 ounces white cranberry juice

1 ounce orange blossom water or orange juice

½ ounce lime juice (freshly squeezed)

½ ounce cream of coconut

Dash of orange bitters (optional)

Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously to ensure all ingredients and cream of coconut are incorporated. Strain drink into a glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with rosemary, orange or fresh cranberries.

See Keller make this recipe at The Best Years Facebook page.