Vive Gullah Cultural Brunch
Last month, we had the absolute pleasure of hosting a cultural event with a major brand at Republic Garden and Lounge . It was a Geechee Gullah Brunch with Grey Goose and it was epic!
On the last day of the Charleston Wine and Food Festival, we decided to do something for the culture. Our culture. We partnered with Earlicia Gibb of Grey Goose and Chef Charlotte Jenkins of the late Gullah Cuisine restaurant that closed in 2014. We paired 3 small plates and cocktails for this celebration of Charleston and affectionately named it “Vive Gullah”
The welcome cocktail, “Le Fizz Locale” was made with Grey Goose, St. Germaine, and O and O Hooch. (Hooch for short.) Hooch is a local product made here in Charleston that’s also featured in our book. Holy Spirits: Charleston’s Culture through Cocktails.
Once everyone arrived, Chef Charlotte, began to talk about her menu and her history. She used to own and operate the restaurant, Gullah Cuisine with her husband for 17 years before it closed. She also wrote a cookbook book, with the same title. After she finished, her daughter and sister brought out the first dish, fish head soup. Fish head soup is an old Charlestonian staple and it was paired with a Grey Goose martini, garnished with pickled okra. The dryness of the martini along with with salinity of the pickled okra worked perfectly with the spiciness of the seafood soup. It was great.
The second pairing was Shrimp and Grits. Chef Charlotte emphasized how she made the BEST Charleston shrimp and grits and she did not disappoint. The shrimp were locally caught, the grits were very creamy and the gravy… man the gravy was EVERYTHING! We decided to pair this dish with our Hibiscus Chucktown Mule; a recipe that is also included in our book. Hibiscus is native to west Africa, South Asia and India. It’s a natural coolant and works well with spices and umami flavors. We also garnished the cocktail with a candied Hibiscus flower that came from our friends at Wild Hibiscus Co. We thought that this was the perfect cocktail to pair with this dish!
The final pairing was equally as amazing as the other two. We had sweet potato tartlets. These tartlets were AMAZINGLY paired with a Grey Goose espresso cocktail. The bitterness from the coffee cocktail was magical with the sweet potato. Many of our guests were not coffee drinkers, but they loved this pairing. We even had a few ask for seconds.
We enjoyed the experience because each pairing represented an era in Charleston. The Fish Head soup represented ‘Old Charleston’, the Charleston Shrimp and Grits represented ‘Current Charleston’, and the sweet potato tartlets represents ‘New/Modern Charleston’. We also want to emphasize that 4 women of color put on this event in downtown Charleston.
Following the event, Grey Goose purchased signed copies of our book for all of the attendees so they can make Charleston cocktails at home! This gesture definitely put everyone in the “Holy Spirit!”
Later that day, I was overwhelmed with a sense of honor and pride. Charleston is the home to some of the best cuisine in the US. It was the stomping ground of a lot of our ancestors and it’s a privilege to celebrate and empower one another through the history of our food. We would like to thank Earlicia and Grey Goose again for partnering with us on this event. We will never forget it. More cultural events to come! Cheers to Charleston!
Tiki Techy Talk 2
Sip on delicious craft Tiki cocktails while learning new techniques to step up your social media presence. Learn about Tiki culture and brief history of Rum and its connection to Charleston. Live cocktail demonstration and Rum tasting. Each guest will enjoy one signature Rum cocktail and snacks during the session.
This session will focus on collaborating with corporations and big brands.
Purchase tickets using the link below:
Tiki Techy Talks
Social media can be tricky. It seems like the rules on Facebook and Instagram change everyday. While navigating social platforms can seem daunting, it is absolutely necessary. We, as a business and a brand, can speak to the benefits of an active presence on sites like Twitter and Instagram.
Tiki Techy Talks gives us an opportunity to share our social media successes and challenges. We also compiled a few tips and tricks that have benefited us over the years. Small consistent changes can have a tremendous impact on building brand awareness and business growth.
In true Cocktail Bandit fashion, we infused a little cocktail education during the talk. Tiki cocktails and culture is very popular but few actually understand what Tiki really means. We introduced a few players in the Tiki movement while shaking up and serving our version of a Charleston Tiki cocktail.
Our conversation and appetites were aided by an assortment of cheeses, jams, meats and spreads from Hamby Catering.
The rich flavors of the charcuterie complimented the spicy notes of our ‘Charleston Daiquiri’ cocktail – recipe below:
Charleston Daiquiri
1.5 oz of Bacardi Superior Rum
Hooch Limeade Soda
Fill Collins glass with ice. Add Bacardi Rum then top with Hooch until glass is full. Lovingly add garnish. Take #GentleLadySips
Expect all this and more at our next Tiki Techy Talk II focused on collaborating with corporations and big brands. Meet us at the Lowcountry Local First office (1630 Meeting Street Road) on May 21st at 6:30PM. Discount ticket pricing for Lowcountry Local First members. #SupportLocal
Bacardilimited.com Lowcountrylocalfirst.org Hambycatering.com Hoochitup.com
