Inside Baking Under the Influence, April Melendez's Spirit-Infused Bake Shop
April Melendez is the founder, Head Baker and Owner of BUI & Co., better known as Baking Under the Influence, a small-batch Texas business that makes alcohol-infused jams, desserts, syrups and…
April Melendez is the founder, Head Baker and Owner of BUI & Co., better known as Baking Under the Influence, a small-batch Texas business that makes alcohol-infused jams, desserts, syrups and extracts. The venture's own site traces the idea back to April's last year of college, with the business becoming official in 2023.
What began with boozy cakes has grown into a broader line of spirit-infused pantry staples. Baking Under the Influence now offers products such as rum-soaked cake and whiskey-cooked apple butter alongside jams that pair fruit with specific spirits, including Amaretto Apricot, Bourbon Blackberry and Zinfandel Cherry. The result is a catalogue built around flavour pairings rather than a single signature item.
That focus on flavour is something April connects to her own history. She says she has been experimenting with taste since she was doctoring boxed cake mix with peanut butter and jelly in middle school, a habit that reads clearly in the inventive combinations the shop now sells. Her approach to the product is matched by an emphasis on process. April is certified in Food Handler Safety, and the business operates as a home-based kitchen under Texas Cottage Food Laws.
The shop is also clear about how its products are meant to be enjoyed. According to the business, the alcohol content per dessert is minimal and not enough to cause intoxication, though the products are recommended for adult consumption only. It's a straightforward note that sits alongside the playful branding and signals the care behind the small-batch model.
From a middle-school kitchen experiment to a 2023 launch and a growing line of spirit-infused bakes, April has built Baking Under the Influence around a simple premise. Familiar baked goods and pantry staples, reimagined through careful flavour pairing, with room to keep expanding the range.