🥒Cucumber Breeze❄️ Handcrafted Salts by TBD Liquids

Description

When embarking on the "relaunch" of our Handcrafted Salts, I decided to kick things off by reworking a couple of our early favorites, Blueberry Muffin and Monkey Juice, which hadn't received the best feedback. After perfecting those, I realized we needed something more exciting—new flavors for everyone to try! So, I set out to craft a few new offerings that would enable us to compete head-to-head with JUUL, the company that had nearly driven us out of business. For my own personal interest, I had already been experimenting with a tantalizing new mango flavor. Then, inspiration struck: why not try to recreate JUUL's popular Cucumber flavor? Well, that summer in 2019 turned into a whirlwind of flavor exploration! I dove deep into the offerings from Vape Train and Wonder Flavours, and before I knew it, we had a whole lineup of 10 new flavors ready to go (with the exception of Cinnamon Red Hots—RIP ☠️). And just like that, we launched them all at once, bringing a burst of excitement and variety to our brand-new Handcrafted Salts collection! https://i.imgur.com/4n7T16q.png As you can see, I was quite busy with everything I was working on around that time, so I asked my best friend Tom to help by working on a cucumber-based flavor. He wanted to be creative with it, just as I was with my various recipes, and wasn't initially keen on my vision of making something simple to compete with JUUL’s straightforward cucumber flavor. I shared with him that we needed to develop flavors that could _"fade into the background of your life"_—not too sweet or flavorful, just on the edge so that you always wanted a little bit more. Tom took my idea and added his own creative twist, turning it into something that could compete with my Mango flavor. It was a stressful time at our small shop, with just the three of us working there. I was trying to push us in a new direction to stay competitive, while Tom was concerned about maintaining the loyalty of our long-time customers and preserving our unique identity. I believed that in 2019, we had a unique opportunity to create a product that was better than JUUL’s at a much better price. **Tom’s vision transformed our simple cucumber flavor into "Cucumber Melongo"**—**a delightful blend of cucumber, melon, and mango that could rival my Mango flavor.** It even incorporated elements from my Mango, Melon Smoothie, and Sprite recipes that I was experimenting with at the time. ## Cucumber Melongo Recipe - Cucumber [(FA)](https://www.bullcityflavors.com/concentrated-flavoring/flavor-by-type/fruit-flavors/cucumber/cucumber-flavor-fa/): 5.0% - African Horned Cucumber [(WF)](https://www.diy-ejuice.com/African-Horned-Cucumber-SC-by-Wonder-Flavours-p/wf-africancucumbersc.htm): 4.0% - Wild Melon [(FLV)](https://www.bullcityflavors.com/concentrated-flavoring/flavor-by-type/fruit-flavors/cantaloupe/wild-melon-flavor-flv/): 1.5% - Mango [(FLV)](https://www.bullcityflavors.com/concentrated-flavoring/flavor-by-type/fruit-flavors/mango/mango-flavor-flv/): 2.0% - Lemon Lime Soda [(WF)](https://www.bullcityflavors.com/concentrated-flavoring/flavor-by-type/food-and-beverage-flavors/soda/lemon-lime-soda-flavor-sc-wf/): 1.5% - WS-23 [(Any 30% Dilution)](https://www.bullcityflavors.com/concentrated-flavoring/flavor-by-type/mint-spices-and-flavor-enhancers/cooling/ws-23-flavor/): 0.5% I have to say, this is actually a really good recipe. It tasted great, but I was conflicted. We were using Wild Melon as the star of Melon Smoothie, and FLV Mango was a big part of TBD Mango. I didn't want us to release a flavor that would overshadow our other offerings, so I asked Tom to bring it back to the initial vision of a "Cucumber Water"—something simple that could directly compete with JUUL's Cucumber. He wasn’t thrilled with this idea, as I was now playing the role of the overseer, directing him on what to do and how to do it. However, Tom always trusted me, which was a big part of why we worked so well together for ten years. We collaborated to bring it back to basics and worked on it together to create Cucumber Breeze, a crisp and refreshing Cucumber Water. Not too fruity, just simple enough to fade into the background of your life. # Cucumber Breeze - A Handcrafted Salt Recipe by TBD Liquids - Cucumber [(FA)](https://www.bullcityflavors.com/concentrated-flavoring/flavor-by-type/fruit-flavors/cucumber/cucumber-flavor-fa/): 5.5% - Ripe Pear [(WF)](https://www.bullcityflavors.com/concentrated-flavoring/flavor-by-type/fruit-flavors/pear/ripe-pear-flavor-sc-wf/): 3.5% - WS-23 [(Any 30% Dilution)](https://www.bullcityflavors.com/concentrated-flavoring/flavor-by-type/mint-spices-and-flavor-enhancers/cooling/ws-23-flavor/): 0.5% - Polar Blast [(FA)](https://www.bullcityflavors.com/concentrated-flavoring/flavor-by-type/mint-spices-and-flavor-enhancers/cooling/polar-blast-flavor-fa/): 0.25% ### After we finished perfecting the recipe, I started working on the labels. Being big fans of Rick and Morty, I thought it would be really fun to use "Pickle Rick" as the artwork for the labels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_gRnvDRFYN4 https://i.imgur.com/VpdDclc.jpeg Tom overruled me on that idea, and looking back, I’m really glad he did because it would have been a supremely silly idea 😂. This experience shows that well-functioning partnerships are all about give and take. https://i.imgur.com/zK7JKtE.jpeg --- ## After being forced by the FDA to close my small business last year, I now share my recipes openly, relying on the kindness of supporters to sustain my craft. [If you've enjoyed my creations, consider buying me a $3 coffee](https://buymeacoffee.com/tbdliquids/rainbow-candy-taste-rainbow). Your generosity enables me to continue sharing recipes freely for all to enjoy.

Recipe

FA Cucumber     5.5%FA Polar Blast     0.25%OTHR WS-23     0.5%WF Ripe Pear SC     3.5%

Total Flavor: 9.75%