Don’t Knox it! 2020
While work trips can seem a lot like, well, work, our visit to Knoxville included a little culture and cuisine. We stayed at The Tennessean Hotel which was in walking distance of the popular Gay Street entertainment district. There was some intermittent rain that stopped some of our strolls through the city, so we took advantage of The Tennessean’s complimentary valet service.
We did manage to make it to Knoxville’s only speakeasy complete with its own secret entrance. Decorated in vintage motifs and using old books to house their cocktail menu, Peter Kern Library lives up to the mystique. The cocktails were delish and the bartenders incredibly knowledgeable and friendly.
The day of our departure we arose early to take in some local attractions. Taneka visited The Sunsphere, while I visited the Knoxville Museum of Art. Located on Worlds Fair Drive, Knox Art was featuring a special exhibit on the art of Beauford Delaney.
This prolific artist was a native to Knoxville but had a heavy influence on the international art scene. KMA has the largest collection of Delaney’s work and used this particular show to examine the 38 year-long friendship between Beaufort Delaney and writer James Baldwin.
This Ying Yang relationship influenced the artistic expression and community awareness present in Baldwin’s writings and Delaney’s paintings. The two cared for each other deeply; this love can be felt through their craft.
Make sure to follow @knoxart to see the museum’s continued efforts to showcase and spread awareness of Delaney’s art. Every art lover should add Knox Art to their list of Southern art museums to visit.
www.chivotaqueria.com www.tennesseanhotel.com www.knoxart.org www.oliverroyale.com www.tombras.com
American Craft Spirit Competition 2019
For the third year in a row, we have been honored to serve on the American Craft Spirits Association judging panel. Every fall we gather with other beverage professionals to taste and rank craft spirits. Each year the location changes but the mission stays the same, impart honest and constructive feedback on the quality and use of the spirit.
2019 brought us to Bloomington Indiana, home of the Hoosiers and Cardinal Spirits. Co-owned by Jeff Wuslich and Erica Sagon, Cardinal Spirits offers a variety of products including Rum, Vodka and Terra Botanical Gin, along with an assortment of ready-to-drink cocktails in a can.
My personal favorite, The Bramble Mule. We would meet in their tasting room for three days to evaluate the craft spirits. Luckily, the distillery is equipped with a full bar serving delicious cocktails crafted with their booze, of course.
This year, I was again assigned to the specialty spirits category and Taneka was a member of the Gin judging panel. My flights ranged from 3 – 6 samples of Amaro, Shochu and Aquavits. Daily, our group would taste in silence before we shared our thoughts and scores on each sample.
While we disagreed on some aspects, we ultimately wanted to encourage makers of quality spirits and inspire those whose product needs a little more work.
As for the 2020 judging, there’s no telling where we will be or what we will taste. But our flights will be booked and our palettes will be ready!
https://americancraftspirits.org/ https://www.cardinalspirits.com/ https://www.visitbloomington.com/ Jackie Summers: @theliquortarian Kara Newman: @newman_kara Andi Ferman: @boozer_n_shaker Maggie Campbell: @halfpintmaggie @CraftSpiritsUS https://privateerrum.com/
Restaurant Week, DMV style
The craft cocktail community is small. Long before we met Andra Johnson we knew of her innovations in the beverage community. So we jumped at the opportunity to participate in DMV Black Restaurant Week 2019.
The week-long celebration encourages patrons and spirits brands to support restaurants owned by black and brown people. A list of participating establishments was distributed in major brands like Campari and Founding Spirits, which supported their efforts.
We were invited to host the signature cocktail competition honoring African-American beverage pioneers. We were all over that. Competitors one by one created their inspired cocktails in front of a live audience and a panel of esteemed judges. The winner of the $500 cash prize was Jacquie Sharpe. Her cocktail was as delicious as her performance was entertaining.
The week-long initiative to support business was concluded by a day of education. A full day of panels was held at Georgetown University. The conversations were led by professionals in academia, finance, restaurant development and marketing. Discussions included inter-generational wealth, the power of ownership and Black people in the beer industry.
I was most captivated by the keynote speaker, Warren Thompson of Thompson Hospitality Group. He shared his journey of owning over 100 restaurants and how he infiltrated the airport dining market, an industry I gave little thought to despite being a frequent flyer.
A perfect intersection of culture education and good food, DMV Black Restaurant Week should be added to every foodie’s calendar.
@dmvbrw #DMVbrw #TastetheCulture https://www.thompsonhospitality.com/ @whiteplatesblackfaces www.camparigroup.com https://www.foundingspirits.com/ @arcipelagobardc @crownsandhops @hanksoysterbar @bensnextdoor @pearldivedc
