Soul Food Sessions Recap
Change happens by breaking the rules.
A pop-up dinner series created in partnership with Coca-Cola, Soul Food Sessions aims to uncover opportunities to increase diversity throughout the food industry. Soul Food Sessions encourages guests to tackle complex conversations on race and privilege. Chefs encouraged a general feeling of honesty and vulnerability as they shared their personal experiences growing up with Soul Food and creating their unique dishes.
Soul Food is varied and deeply personal.
Soul Food Sessions Chefs skillfully displayed the range and versatility of classic southern flavors. It was special to be a part of a plated Soul Food dinner that featured such rich seafood dishes. Highlighting their own range and versatility, The Cocktail Bandits created unique craft cocktails for the event using all Coca-Cola products. During Hors D’Oeuvres, the Cocktail Bandits served a light and refreshing mocktail featuring fresh juices and herbs. The drinks were perfectly balanced complements to a delightful evening.
The 7 course dinner featured
Hors D’Oeuvres
Chef Greg Collier
Mushroom Duxelles with marinated pulled chicken on toasted crostini with orange coulis
Chef Jaime Barnes
Blue Corn Cake and Green Tomato Marmalade with okra and tasso ham streusel
Chef Jason Sherrill
Blue Crab-stuffed Carolina Shrimp with spicy tomato jam, collard greens and pickled vegetables
Cold Appetizer
Chef Elaina Ruth
Smoked Trout Pontchartrain and Crab Salad with pickled mushrooms, black pepper tuile and Creole hollandaise
Hot Appetizer
Chef Michael Bowling
Rabbit Rillette Cake with potato and golden beet pave, crispy greens and smoked rabbit jus
Vegetable Course
Chef Mike Sheats
Tuskegee Soup with crab, sweet potato, scarlet queen turnip and benne seeds
Seafood Course
Chef B.J. Dennis
Creek Fish with Shrimp Purloo croquette and she-crab gravy
Fowl Course
Chef Kevin Mitchell
Pan-seared Duck and Sweet Potato Confit with bourbon-braised dinosaur kale and sorghum reduction
Featured Dish
Chef Greg Collier
Grillades over Cornmeal Waffle with green strawberry relish and smoked peanut dried okra crumble. Paired with a Coca-Cola
Dessert
Chef Jamie Turner
Poached Pear Napoleon and Goat Cheese Chiboust with cashew crumble and red wine gastrique
African-American Tourism Conference
The Annual African- American Tourism Conference is designed to show local residents how to engage with the Tourism industry.
It is also designed to show tourism Industry leaders how this niche can grow the overall industry by attracting millions of additional visitors interested in the African- American history and culture of our state. The event drew a diverse crowd that was curious about the impact social media could have on their business.
This year, the Cocktail Bandits were honored for their voice in advocating for African-American Tourism.
During the conference, they led a panel in which they discussed the valuable role that African Americans play in creating Charleston’s rich cultural identity.
The conference aims to connect entrepreneurs with the movers and shakers in the Charleston Tourism industry.
Get inside the room and hear key insights by listening to the Podcast!
Get more information at: https://scaat.us/
Lip Sync for Lungs
The American Lung Association in South Carolina is hosting its 3rd annual Lip Sync for Lungs Live Battle, presented by Motley Rice Law Firm, on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at Charleston Music Hall (37 John St, Charleston, SC 29403). This unique, action-packed event features five local celebrities in a wildly entertaining live performance that raises funds to provide lung health programs and advocacy in coastal South Carolina.
This year’s Lip Sync for Lungs Live Battle III performers include: Lauren Fox (President, Fox Events), Heather Holmquest (President, Maritime Association of South Carolina), Mike Lata (James Beard Award Winning Chef/Owner of FIG and The Ordinary), Buffie Bell Lilly (Owner, Charleston Wine Pairings-Exclusive Matchmaking) and Susan Pearlstine (Susan Pearlstine Sarcoidosis Center of Excellence and Owner of The Bend).
September Trappy Hour Recap
The latest installment of Trappy Hour was something special.
Trappy Hour is the only downtown event that plays your favorite hip-hop hits all night. DJ T.O curates the mix and makes sure to play music from local Charleston artists. Check out the clip below to see footage from the performances by Jax$ and Chubbz.
Espolon Tequila is a huge sponsor of Trappy Hour.
Taneka served some expertly made Espolon tequila sour shots and handed out free gear.
You can always count on Trappy Hour if you’re looking for a place to dance.
There was a little bit of everything from twerking to bachata. I even saw a few mean shoulder leans.
The Royal American is such a perfect place to hold an event like this.
The bar is laid-back and eclectic (much like the party-goers). Inside by the bar, there is plenty of room to dance and watch the live performances. Out on the balcony, it’s a bit quieter with room to talk, chill, flirt, take pictures, and have a great time. The bartenders serve great drinks all night.
Why we do it.
The Cocktail Bandits started Trappy Hour to provide a platform for up and coming hip-hop artists. Trappy Hour strives to ensure that the homegrown Hip-Hop we enjoy is widely considered a part of Charleston’s cultural identity.
Make sure you join us for the next Trappy Hour so you can see for yourself how the Cocktail Bandits throw a party.
Black Ink Book Festival Recap
Black Ink is Charleston’s African American Book Festival.
The festival aims to support emerging artists by immersing them in a rich literary environment surrounded by Black authors from all walks of life.
The theme for this year’s festival was Wakanda from the movie “Black Panther”.
Wakanda provided a refreshing look at the diversity and creativity present within the black community and Black Ink succeeded in doing the same. There were over fifty authors present, each with a unique story to share. Their books covered a variety of genres including romance, science-fiction, and history. Speaking with the authors, their passion for their work was contagious.
The Cocktail Bandits spoke on the Empowerment panel.
Other Empowerment Panelists included authors Kimberly Bowman and Gaynelle Whittle-Ship. Each author on the panel took a different path to authorship, but found writing their story to be a source of strength. The Cocktail Bandits view their book as a statement of the progress they’ve made within an industry that has not always been kind or welcoming to women of color.
Black Ink also hosted a series of poetry Readings. Regina Duggins delivered a powerful reading of her poem, “Black Magic”. Participants also included local writers Sybil Nelson, Marcus Amaker, and Synithia Williams who shared their own stories and experiences of self-discovery through writing.
Terry McMillan was the keynote speaker for the event.
McMillan is the #1 best-selling author of “Waiting to Exhale” and “How Stella Got Her Groove Back”. Her story of perseverance and determination is an inspiration.
Black Ink was organized by Charleston Friends of the Library. Friends of the Library is a non-profit organization that raises money to support the Charleston County Library programs and events.
Fried Chicken Challenge Judges
Charleston is known for it’s delicious southern cuisine. The Cocktail Bandits lend their refined palette as featured judges at the 2nd Annual Southern Fried Chicken Challenge. Local and Regional chefs will compete to see who has the best fried chicken. Culinary students from Charleston County School District will also compete.
In addition to the fried chicken samples, attendees will spend the day listening to live music from Quentin Ravenel and The Dubplates.
Purchase tickets here: https://tickets.postandcourier.com/e/southern-fried-chicken-challenge/
A Night For New Beginnings Gala 2018
LowCountry Orphan Relief (LOR) presents the 218 Annual Gala- A Night for New Beginnings. LOR works to provide aid and services to Lowcountry children identified as at-risk of suffering from abuse and/or neglect. This Black Tie event attracts over 300 guests with a live 7 piece band, silent & live auctions, decadent dinner, and dancing.
2018 sponsors include SC Federal, Equiscript, KB Kitchen & Bath Concepts, Keller Interiors, and Gentry Law Firm.
Purchase tickets for this event here: https://lowcountryorphanrelief.charityproud.org/EventRegistration/Index/826
PechaKucha- Talks for Creatives
The Cocktail Bandits join the Charleston Music Hall and Charleston Arts Festival as featured presenters for PechaKucha. PechaKucha got it’s name from the Japanese word for “chit chat” and aims to deliver powerful, concise presentations that are less than 7 minutes each. This event will feature talks from a diverse array of artistic, creative, and entrepreneurial speakers that represent the Charleston creative community.
Tickets are $14.00 at the door.
Buy advance tickets here: https://www.ticketfly.com/event/1725306-pechakucha-31-charleston/
Booze & Books Recap!
There was a packed house at Itinerant Literant
The Cocktail Bandits hosted the Inaugural Booze and Books Happy Hour: for the inebriated reader.
The Cocktail Bandits served samples of their signature cocktail, Peninsula Tea.
Peninsula tea is a perfectly balanced cocktail featuring Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. You can learn more about the origins of the Peninsula Tea recipe in their book, Holy Spirits! Charleston Culture Through Cocktails
Fun fact: Firefly was one of the first brands that the Cocktail Bandits built a relationship with!
Guests were impressed and inspired as they flipped through Holy Spirits! and sipped their craft cocktails.
Itinerant Literate was the perfect place to host an event like this. The little independent bookstore was packed with unique, thought-provoking titles and diverse authors. The store features several cozy reading nooks, inspiring quotes, and interesting trinkets. We are so appreciative of the support we get from the Charleston community. Can’t wait for our next book signing event!
Ladies Wine & Design- Confidence
The Cocktail Bandits will be taking over Wine and Design at SDCO Partners. We will sip on some custom cocktails as we discuss the Confidence Gap. This event will be held outside.
If you’re a female student or creative and would like to join, please RSVP. It’s free and reservations are first come, first serve. We welcome creatives beyond traditional designers – the more varied the better!
Reservation details will be sent prior to the event. If you need to cancel, please release your ticket to allow attendees to join from the waiting list.
This event is currently sold out.
Join the waiting list: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ladies-wine-design-confidence-tickets-48177501203
