Summer Soiree at The Tiny Tassel
The Cocktail Bandits link up with Mimi Striplin, fellow College of Charleston Alum and founder of The Tiny Tassel. The Tiny Tassel is an accessory boutique that offers fun, colorful accessories and gifts. Join us for cocktails and extended hours Wednesday 8/15/2018 from 5-7 PM. Plus 50% off Turkish Towels and 20% off Straw Clutches and Totes!
We look forward to seeing you there!
Gin+Watermelon Dinner Recap
We had the pleasure of doing a collaborative dinner at The Asbury with Chefs Matt Krenz and Scott Crawford of Crawford and Son. The theme was ‘Gin and Watermelon’.
Our task was to pair a delicious cocktail with each course the chefs prepared.
First Course: We wanted to keep the first beverage light and refreshing.
We used Owl’s Brew Wicked Watermelon Radler (a tea beer), and topped it with prosecco and a splash of lime juice to pair with Chef Scott Crawford’s, Watermelon Carpaccio.
Second Course: We made a cocktail featured in our book called “Porgy and Bess”
We replaced the tequila in the original cocktail with Doc Porter’s Gin. We also topped this cocktail with Cannonborough honey basil soda. We paired this cocktail with Chef Scott Crawford’s spicy watermelon Gazpacho.
Third Course: Fried foods, Watermelon, and tea are perfect summer staples.
When we noticed that Chef Matt Krenz made Grilled Watermelon with fried green tomatoes and crawfish salad, we had to pair this dish with our signature cocktail, the Peninsula Tea featuring Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka.
Fourth Course: We paired the “Charleston Single” with the Snapper, Watermelon, and Crispy Ham
Learn more about the Charleston Single in our book, Holy Spirits! . We used local Conniption Gin, cucumber syrup, grapefruit juice, and tonic from Jack Rudy and co.
For the last course, we decided to go with a Matcha Mint mocktail.
We wanted to provide the guests with a non alcoholic option to pair with the salted ganache, Matcha meringue, pickled and compressed watermelon. The flavors worked perfectly, together.
After dinner we were able to sit and chat with the guests; everyone was happy and excited to be there. We were excited to hear that people enjoyed the food and drink pairings as well! I mean, who doesn’t love gin and watermelon?!
Pictured: Matt Krenz, Taneka Reaves, Jonathan Cooper (photographer), Scott Crawford, Johnny Caldwell
We HAVE to thank ‘NC’s Chef of the Year’ Matt Krenz and his staff at the Asbury for hosting us. They were phenomenal and such a pleasure to work with. Chef Scott Crawford visiting from his restaurant, Crawford and Sons was amazing as well! We can’t wait to visit his restaurant when we make it back to North Carolina. We also want to thank all of the guests for their enthusiasm… although it was a rainy evening, people came out, showed love, and purchased a book! We are forever thankful!
Special shout out to Jonathan Cooper. Who did a FANTASTIC job with these photos!! THANK YOU!!
Get another perspective on this event+ more pictures from our guest blogger NomKnowledge
Black Girl Magic: Divas of Hospitality
Female chefs face unique challenges in the male-dominated hospitality industry.
Divas of Hospitality is a celebration hosted by Chef Natashnym Meggett that exists to shine a spotlight on black women Chefs in Charleston and the surrounding area. The Cocktail Bandits were behind the bar serving up delicious craft cocktails.
The drink menu included favorites such as Cocktail Bandits’ Peninsula Tea featuring Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and Gentle Lady Gimlet featuring Bristow Gin. You can find recipes for these drinks in our book, Holy Spirits!
The Cocktail Bandits also mixed up some fresh Margaritas made with Goza Tequila and garnished with a sprig of mint to surprise and delight the palette.
Featured Chefs, Vendors, and Organizers
Natashnym Meggett– Johnson & Wales alumni, Founder of Divas of Hospitality and owner of Southern Gal Catering. Follow her on Facebook @southerngalcatering or Instagram @iam_southerngal
Follow her on FB @islandgirlsweets
Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans
Look out New Orleans! The Curly Ladies Who Talk Cocktails Daily are coming to NOLA for Tales of the Cocktail – 
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🍸We are bringing Charleston culture and cocktails to the biggest beverage festival in the country!
We are hosting two book signing for Holy Spirits by Cocktail Bandits (Wednesday & Thursday), speaking on a panel about diversifying the bar scene (Tuesday) and maybe a little pop-up bar action 
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Hope to see you in the BIG EASY
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Read about last year at TALES!
The phrase, ‘It’s a marathon not a sprint’ takes on new meaning at this five day beverage celebration. Industry professionals descend on New Orleans to educate themselves in all that is trendy and new in the beverage market. Tales of the Cocktail started in 2002 and has since dominated the industry as a premiere beverage festival.
The French Quarter provides the perfect setting for this event.
Pedestrians are permitted to walk all public streets, cocktail in hand. We took full advantage of this, never feeling the need to ‘finish’ our current drink before leaving the bar or restaurant.
Our first taste of the Tales experience, was the Bacardi Party.
The international brand brought more than just rum to the party. Grey Goose Vodka, Bombay Sapphire Gin and Cazadores Tequila served cocktails and provided interactive entertainment. The ladies of St. Germain place flowers in our hair and mini bottles in our pockets. Guest were encouraged to add their mark on an active mural in the center on the party. Inside, the venue was transformed into in a jungle where trees moved and rum was sipped from coconuts. Silent Addy from Miami played a blend of reggae dancehall and New Orleans bounce music that kept the dance floor rocking.
Over the weekend, we visited smaller more curated events.
Absolut Elyx brought the tropic to Tales. The space was covered in bright palm leaves that matched the clothing worn by the servers. Every corner of the ballroom featured specialty vodka cocktails expertly prepared and presented.
The main bar required a reservation for which we waited 45 minutes before being seated. We were given twenty minutes to enjoy one cocktail based on a menu made of emojis. The world renowned mixologist crafted beautifully complex cocktails full of whimsy and imagination.
Suze, a gentian liqueur hosted a reception around the corner that was packed with French influence. We enjoyed mini croque monsieurs and baby quiches feeling transported to the French countryside.
The Monteleone acted as headquarters for Tales tastings.
We visited the tasting rooms to sample the variety of new spirits.
Pasote Tequila and Bazel Mezcal served in mini cocktails in the lobby that embraced the smoky spirit without any bitter aftertaste.
We also tried some very clean gin from North Carolina
Disaronno, the Italian liqueur brought their global ambassadors together for a very unique tasting session. Each bartender served a cocktail that reflected their respective cocktail market. Super dope!
Festival Favorites
- Seeing/Meeting Industry Friends
We were able to meet beverage professional who we respect and admire in person.
- Local cuisine
We are local everyday, tasting NOLA. We dined at Borgne, Bombay Club, Ruby Slipper and Nosh. Each serving a different part of NO culture.
- So much swag
We love our brand apparel and the sponsors of Tales spared no expense with their product marketing. Suze gave attendees Parisian walking shoes while Absolut Elyx provided portable fans to beat the heat. So necessary.
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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Make + Shake Cocktail Class
Learn how to mix up drinks like the pros with this two hour, hands-on introduction to cocktail basics. Attendees will learn how to measure, shake, stir and pour proper drinks. Each attendee will have the opportunity to make and enjoy two cocktails, all while learning a brief history of the drinks being made. Certified experts and recipe book authors, Taneka & Johnny, Cocktail Bandits will teach you to shake your own original craft cocktail using recipes from their newly released book, ‘Holy Spirits!’ Guaranteed to surprise and delight every palate!
Holy Spirits! Book Launch
Holy Spirits! Charleston Culture Through Cocktails is our debut publication. In the book we take readers on a journey through the City of Charleston, exploring its culture from our unique, urban perspective. We worked so hard to bring this idea to life and we are so excited to share it with all of you.
To celebrate this monumental occasion, we mixed up craft cocktails directly from our book, Holy Spirits! We also signed copies of our book as a special thank you to our supporters.
Pancito & Lefty provided a great setting and delicious food for people to mingle and enjoy the craft cocktails.
Attendees had a great time playing with our special ring light for awesome social media photos.
The most popular cocktails of the night were:
Gentle Lady Gimlet with Bristow Gin, fresh lime juice, and Alley 26 Tonic
Peninsula Tea with Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, fresh lemon juice, ginger honey syrup, and ginger ale
Blacker the Berry with Milagro Tequila, Montelobos Mezcal, blackberry puree, and lime juice
Learn to make these cocktails and more in our book! We appreciate everyone who came out to celebrate with us and kick off our book tour.
Vodka Tasting with Dale DeGroff
A Comparative Tasting of Vodka and its Legendary Mystique.
Join James Beard award-winning mixologist and author, Dale DeGroff, for a tasting seminar on Vodka. Learn to identify a variety of flavor profiles that distinguish some of the more popular vodkas in today’s marketplace, and discover the origins and history of a spirit that was introduced to the American public through clever advertising and the iconic cocktails we still enjoy to this day. Following the presentation, guests will enjoy a cocktail and light snacks at the bar.
Tickets $20 at http://www.citypapertickets.com/events/55006929/iced-bloody-screwed
Artisan Global Benefit Night
Join us at Meyer Vogl for a night of creative empowerment benefitting Artisan Global. Artisan Global is a creative agency established to provide resources, mentorship, and business training to increase job creation for international artisan businesses.
There will be awesome live music and a Silent Auction.
Sip on specialty cocktails carefully crafted by the Cocktail Bandits, Johnny and Neka, two of Charleston’s most bold, inspiring, and ambitious women. The cocktails will feature One Love Kombucha.
Tickets include appetizers by the Charleston Hospitality Group, a specialty cocktail, and one raffle ticket.
There will also be a pop up shop with Artisan Apparel + Wonderfully Made Apparel.
Be a part of the Charleston community making a global impact!
USBG Happy Hour with Plantation Rum
Enjoy some Plantation Rums at South Seas Oasis next Thursday 6/21 5-7pm!
Maison Ferrand Vice President, Guillaume Lamy will be present. This event is hosted by USBG’s Charleston Chapter.
USBG is a national network of beverage service professionals dedicated to the continued refinement of original, hand crafted cocktails. If you’re interested in meeting other talented bartenders Toki Tuesday is a great time to sign up to become a member!
