USBG Toki Tuesday Happy Hour
Calling all USBG members! Tuesday 6/20 come enjoy a Happy Hour with us at Edmund’s Oast Brewing Company. We’re teaming up with Short Grain and they’ll be serving up delicious Japanese inspired dishes all day long.
The 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!
See you there!
Holy Spokes! Anniversary Bike Ride
One of the best ways to experience downtown Charleston is on a bike.
The City of Charleston has made great strides to improve the roads and access to sustainable biking solutions. This month the City of Charleston and the Gotcha Group celebrate Holy Spokes‘ successful first year of providing a useful and affordable Charleston bike share.
To celebrate this milestone, Local Works helped to organize a bike scavenger hunt. The goal was to get the community out on bikes while incorporating other great local businesses.
We started our scavenger hunt on the East Route. We had 6 clues to guide us to local businesses on our way to Edmund’s Oast for free beer and snacks.
Follow along on our journey around the Peninsula.
Let’s get rolling, it’s time to head east. We’ll start at the place for the eyes to feast. Just which place to go, our lips are sealed. But your favorite artform just might be revealed.
This was the toughest clue of the hunt. We rode around in circles racking our brains as to which local business the clue was referring to. With a little prompting, we found our way to the Revealed Art Gallery. Revealed is a contemporary art gallery tucked away on Church Street. It is a bright, open space that features many beautiful, varied pieces. We could have spent hours appreciating every detail, but we were on the HUNT! We made sure to snap a few pictures for the road.
Keep your eyes sparkling and wide. Head to a corridor where the tourists can’t hide. We’ll browse the market for gold. And create memories that only a sweetgrass basket can hold.
For this hint we knew to go straight to the Charleston City Market. We parked our bikes and navigated through the hordes of tourists straight to Gold Creations fine jewelry. Gold Creations has been a crux of the Market for over 40 years. The store’s warmth and energy likely comes from being family owned and operated.
Just as pure and rich as gold. Stop number three is where the olive oil is sold. The Lowcountry’s foodies swear by it. And it’ll be a sure fit for your kitchen cabinet.
Our next stop was none other than Lowcountry Olive Oil. They carry a huge selection of over 60 olive oils and vinegars. Being able to stop and sample these delicious oils was such a treat. It also gave us some much needed energy as we continued our trek through the city.
Steer your bicycle north for the next stop. Books adorn the narrow aisles of this shop. Browse for your next summer beach read. It’s local shops like this every community needs.
This was such an important stop for us. Local bookstores like Blue Bicycle Books are vital to the success of our new book, Holy Spirits! Charleston Culture Through Cocktails. There is so much local talent in Charleston and Blue Bicycle Books does a great job of showcasing that.
You can find the next shop up a flight of stairs. A place to explore one-of-a-kind gifts and wares. Plenty of grit hides behind delicate lace. But the owner is full of love and grace.
This hint sent us right to Grit & Grace, a charming gift shop that captures the essence of the Southern woman. Amazingly, Grit & Grace works with SCDNR’s oyster restoration and enhancement program to recycle and replant 10 oyster shells for each one sold.
The end of your hunt is near. Can’t you almost taste that cold beer? Kick it into high gear to this distillery first. No Hat Tricks here- just quench your thirst.
What we needed more that beer at this point in our 4 mile bike ride was a tall glass of water. That’s just what we got at Highwire Distilling. This is a place we know all too well. We recently hosted the soft launch of our book here because of the space’s character and hospitality. It was a great last stop for the scavenger hunt.
Finally, we made our way to the Edmund’s Oast patio where we were treated to delicious free beer and expertly-made Charcuterie boards.
This was a great opportunity to appreciate the gains that Holy Spokes, Gotcha, and the City of Charleston have made to make the Holy City a great place to bike. We’re also so appreciative of great organizations like Local Works that bring attention to the amazingly unique local businesses all over Charleston. This is exactly why Locals Prefer Two Wheels!
Surfing Lessons with Isla Surf School
Charleston beaches are great for new surfers. The water is warm and the waves are mild.
Isla Surf School on Folly Beach invited the Cocktail Bandits to come out and ride the waves. It was a new and exciting experience for the both of us. We’ve never surfed before, but the instructors Peter, Trip, and Tommy did a great job making us feel comfortable.
We started with a land lesson where we went over the different parts of the board, safety tips, positioning, and the “pop up”. The “pop up” refers to when you stand up on the board while riding the wave. Mastering the pop up was pretty easy on land, but it was a totally different experience out on the water. It was all about timing and making smooth, balanced movements.
Once we completed the land lesson, we headed into the water. The instructors guided us to the optimal spot and helped us get positioned. When the right wave came, they told us when to paddle and when to start the pop up. Then, it was up to us to ride the wave back to shore. Riding the waves was such a unique experience. It was a weightless glide towards the shore.. unless you fell (which we did often). According to the instructors, “If you’re not falling then you’re not surfing”. We really took that to heart.
Isla Surf School hosts a variety of activities and events including Yoga out on the water and summer camp for the kids. It’s also a great activity for groups looking to learn a fun new skill. Surfing was a great experience and we look forward to our next opportunity to get back out on the water! Find more information about Isla Surf School or register for a lesson on their website
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!
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