Italian Inspiration with Toschi Fragoli

We were first introduced to Toschi Fragoli during Southern Regional Conference for the United States Bartenders Guild. The 4-day program included sessions on professionalism in the bar community, training on the latest bar gadgets and, of course, spirits tastings.

Tad Carducci partnered with the Italian Trade Commission to educate our group of over 50 food and beverage veterans on Italian Amari. With ease, Tad delivered a brief history on each liqueur followed by a tasting of a craft cocktail using an Amaro. The herbal liqueurs were once used to stimulate ones appetite before a meal. Now, the bitter modifiers are a popular addition to craft cocktails. #ItalianSpirits

We fell in love with Toschi Fragoli. The strawberry liqueur is deliciously sweet without a medicinal aftertaste. The bottle is uniquely shaped and actually contains a couple handfuls of small strawberries. Very cute! We added a botanical Gin and dry Vermouth to balance the bright flavor and rounded out the cocktail with lime juice.

Infrared
1 oz of Toschi Fragoli
1.25 oz of Hendricks Gin
.75 oz of Dry Vermouth
.50 oz of Lime Juice

Garnish: Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil)

Add ingredients to mixing tin. Fill tin with ice. Shake passionately. Strain mixture into chilled coupe glass. Take #GentleLadySips

We named the cocktail ‘Infrared’ after the Pusha T song of the same name. The smooth beat of the song over poignant lyrics parallel the flavors of the cocktail.

 

http://italianspirits.ice.it/
www.usbg.org
Photos by Kim Craven Photography
MUA – John Mikal Artistry

Cocktail Bandits Host: Trappy Hour

Highlighting up-and-coming Charleston artists, Trappy Hour is truly a unique experience.

The energy in the room was magnetic and it was so special to hear live hip-hop performances in a downtown Charleston venue.

We had great live performances by Matt Monday and Salis.

Matt Monday has opened shows for artists like J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa. He brought that same energy to his intimate live performance at The Royal American

Salis’ first EP, Cadillac Chronicles was inspired by artists like UGK, Outkast, and Big Krit. He did an awesome job opening up the show.

The Cocktail Bandits shared their love of Tequila with rounds of Espolon Tequila shots and delicious Tequila sours.

 

The Royal American kept the crowd hydrated with their 32 oz Royal American Whiskey Punch featuring William Wolf Whiskey. The Royal American always has great drink specials.

 

DJ T.O. kept the crowd moving all night. We love to work with women making their mark on male-dominated industries.

 

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Negroni Week Bike Ride

Negroni Week Charity Bike Ride

Negroni is a classic Italian drink that begs to be celebrated.

Campari & Imbibe Magazine host Negroni Week anually to raise money for charities around the world.

This year the Cocktail Bandits participated in Negroni Week by hosting the Negroni Week Charity Bike Ride as a part of the Charleston US Bartenders Guild.

We rode from Saltwater Cowboys on Shem Creek to Mex 1 on Sullivan’s Island to benefit the Lowcountry Food Bank!

1 out of 5 children in Charleston rely on food banks for their meals. Lowcountry Food Bank is committed to serving those that need it.

A Negroni is a classic cocktail that uses only three simple ingredients. To make your own, combine

1 part Gin

1 part Campari

1 part Vermouth

Garnish with an orange peel and serve in a cocktail glass on the rocks.

 

The beautiful Tegroni featured above (Negroni with a twist) was served as our reward for successfully completing our four mile ride through Charleston. Mex 1 added a fun coffee infusion to the cocktail that really showed off the classic cocktail’s versatility.

We also enjoyed delicious Negroni spiked push pops and pie

Are you celebrating Negroni week? Upload your pictures below!

 

 

Dinner at the Navigator’s Table

An enjoyable dining experience is comprised of delicious food, exceptional cocktail, timely service and good company. This summer, we shared an eclectic meal among an even more diverse dinner group; all with a mutual love of Charleston. Renaissance Hotel brand ambassador and world renown Chef, Andrew Zimmern, hosted dinner at the hotel’s downtown Charleston location featuring cuisine prepared by local favorites including dishes from a few of the dinner guests and Andrew Zimmern himself.

Speaking of guests, we were joined by songstress Elise Testone, Chef and restaurant owners: Mike Lata and Kevin Johnson and magazine editor, David DiBenedetto. 

Watch – Enjoy – Comment – Share

Part 1

https://youtu.be/7xu-lAV2KFM

 

Part 2

 

https://youtu.be/UmddAFx8NWg

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/rencharleston
https://www.instagram.com/1kept/
https://instagram.com/chefaz
https://www.instagram.com/thegrocerychs/
https://www.instagram.com/elisetestone/
https://www.instagram.com/davedibenedetto/
https://www.instagram.com/mikelata/

Masquiat

Masquiat: An Art Infused Halloween Event
Art has always provided a space for expression. Join us on October 28th as we play homage to culture changing artist while celebrating the season.

Attire:
As expression, colorful and loud as possible!
Wear your favorite Masquerade mask or craft a custom mask with us during the event.

October 28, 2017 – from 7pm – 11pm

Enjoying bites from Chef Marcus Middleton and a custom knife display and craving station hosted by Quinton Middleton of Middleton Made Knives

Craft and seasonal cocktail served by Cocktail Bandits featuring Virgil Kaine, Cathead Vodka, Bristow Gin and many others!

Games, painting stations, photo booth and so much more!

Redux Contemporary Art Center is a non-profit art center located in downtown Charleston.

Support local art.

Spark Charleston

Mink Blink

The life of a Cocktail Bandit has its privileges. Our evenings are often filled with live music from local bars, lively conversation with foodie friends and glasses overflowing with craft cocktails. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for pampering and priming. We take time to exercise (almost daily), moisture our natural curls and try to eat a balanced meal. We typically partner with talented local makeup artist to prepare us for photo shoots or black-tie events. But more than likely, you will catch us bare faced and smiling.

In an effort to add a little razzle dazzle to our appearance, we researched eyelash extension. The process takes two hours but our technician had a gentle touch and soothing voice that made the experience virtually painless. This subtle change adds definition and a certain brightness to the face. People notice a difference but can’t quite pinpoint what it is.

I prefer this method over the one-time use eyelash strips. The look is more ‘natural’ and you don’t risk ripping out your own lashes trying to remove the temporary extensions.

La Roc Beauty sent us home with our own lash maintenance and cleanser kit. Our lashes remained intact for 4 weeks with minimal shedding and no irritation.

www.larocbeauty.com

Diner en Blanc Charleston – 2017

Just a picnic with a few hundred of your favorite friends. You bring all the fixings and the organizers of this secret dining event bring all the fun… 

The concept is simple:

1. Assemble your dining party.

2. Assign tasks. (someone needs to bring the table, the chairs, flatware and of course, food.)

3. Wear white.

4.  Meet at Unknown location. 

 

Attendees are challenged to curate a meal and table-scape that lends itself to the ‘All White’ theme. Guest are required to wear all white, even their shoes. Outfits range from elaborate ball gowns to casual seersucker suits, very Charleston.

Some fashionable ladies used unique white headpieces to stand out in the crowd. We saw flower crowns, white beads, and even full masks. The creativity was impressive. 

We danced until the last song; drinking One Hope wine and celebrating with new and old friends.

Top 3 Faves

1. Amazing Black Diamond Band 
2. Couple coordinated outfits, so cute!
3. Unexpected location in the heart of Charleston

 

 

www.dinerenblanc.com

http://charleston.dinerenblanc.com/

www.onehopewine.com

www.moet.com

Vita Images

Artfields SC 2017

Small towns seem to harbor some of the most wholesome people. The railway town to Lake City, SC mostly known for its tobacco and bean harvesting is slowly making its mark on the national art scene. For 10 days the city of 6700 residents transforms its bars, restaurants, salons, banks, barber shop, and parks into modern art galleries.

Middle students and adults are encouraged to submit pieces for a chance at one of the cash prizes totaling over $120,000. Attendees register and vote for the favorite piece online.

 

Business owners choose which art is placed in their shop. Some submissions were small portraits, while others were mixed medium installations that consumed entire buildings. Some pieces made us smile and others initiated conversations on race, religion and gender roles. Not only is the Artfields project a great tourism vehicle but also an important outlet for emerging artists.

 

The grand prize went to Atlanta, GA artist Alexi Torres with a moving oil on canvas piece entitled ‘Spiritual Security – Safe in Prayer’.

www.artfieldsSC.org
www.touchptcom.com
www.lakecitysc.com
www.discoversc.com

Summer’s Corner

Rarely do we leave the peninsula, even more rarely do we venture as far as Summerville but when we were invited by our girls at Touchpoint Communication to a new development community with on-premise community garden and full cafe, we had to check it out.

Moreover, our good friend, JA Moore is head chef and creator of several menu items. We were elated to sample JA’s dishes as he was trained at the acclaimed Johnson & Wales before the institution left Charleston.

Chef Moore served elevated cafe options including warm sweet potato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches with lavender jam.  The savory, creamy and sweet combination was a southern twist on traditional lunch fare. And to whet our whistle, Chef prepared us Riesling wine cocktails dipped in honey and garnished with mint!

Co-hosting our afternoon was JA’s charming wife, writer and Charleston PR girl, Victoria.

She shared some of her favorite things about Summer’s Corner including the on-location farmer’s market and resident garden full of okra and herbs.

 

It great to seeing growth in area’s outside of downtown. Summerville is vastly becoming a viable alternative to Charleston living.