Euphoria Greenville 2016
Greenville, SC is quickly becoming a top tourist destination in South Carolina. With a growing food and beverage scene in addition to breweries like Thomas Creek Brewing, a food could have a field day. Euphoria Greenville is a four-day Fall festival that celebrates food, wine and music. Attendees have an assortment of curated seminars, music events and a lively culinary stage.
The tasting tents are full of local and regional chefs offering samples from their menus.
Taneka and I performed on the culinary stage on day 3 of Euphoria. We told the thirsty audience a bit about our business, the cocktail we created and gave a few tips for the home bartender.
We also co-hosted a craft cocktail class with the head bartender at American Grocery, Kirk Ingram. We prepared four custom cocktails as Kirk gave a brief history on mixology culture and the inspiration behind his craft cocktails. Our sold-out class had several questions and beaming feedback on the drinks.
My favorite event of Euphoria has to be the VIP party at Aloft. The open bar featured surprisingly yummy signature cocktails and there was wall-to-wall buffet including a build-your-own-taco bar!
The band was rocking and guest danced until the last song ended. Events like this give us the opportunity to meet others in the industry. We bumped into a Remy Martin representative, a regional sales manager for a major hotel chain and award-winning journalist.
Euphoria had a feel like no other festival we’ve attended. All the organizers were relaxed and professional. There easygoing attitude helped us enjoyed the festivities and Lexus Greenville made sure we arrived to all the events safely. Not to mention, our media bags were packed to the top with swag including a full-sized apron, a gourmet salt rack, and chocolate macaroons! Our calendars are already marked for Euphoria Greenville 2017.
BevCon 2016
The Cocktail Bandits, were so excited to attend the first ever BevCon!! It took place at the Hyatt Place on August 21st through August 23 in Charleston, South Carolina. BevCon is a 3 day conference for beverage professionals by beverage professionals focusing on ALL THINGS DRINKABLE: coffee, soda, juice, beer, wine and spirits. It’s more intimate than most food and wine festivals, and is only for people in the beverage industry. This meant that classes were more in depth and business focused. Each day we learned about something or someone new in the industry, which is what this conference was all about.
Day 1.
The first day of BevCon, we took a morning Rum excursion around Charleston Harbor. It was incredible. Paul Yellin, from Cane’s Rhum bar curated some tasty bites to pair with our cocktails as Rum author, Robert Moss, gave us rum knowledge. It was a perfect way to start off the conference.
The opening event happened at High Wire Distllery, is where Angel Postell, the founder of BevCon spoke about the mission of this event. After the greetings and salutations, we were able to sample different foods and drinks, all while listening to live music. It was a hot day, but everyone managed to have a good time.
Day 2
Day two was the beginning of the seminars.
The very first seminar was about the definition of “craft”. This was an interesting panel that was comprised of 5 different business owners, all talking about what craft meant to them. A few of them wanted to get rid of the word, but the others appreciated the term because they felt their product is indeed craft. It was an interesting discussion.
The next seminar was called “Getting Inked”, which was a panel of influential media people such as Kat Kinsmen, F&B writer for Extra Crispy and Hanna Raskin, the F&B writer for Post and Courier. They were educating us bar professionals about different ways to get published. Some of their tips were; ‘to NOT overload Media inboxes with random press releases and to make sure whatever you want published has some relevance to the author or editor writing topic.’ What we found most interesting about this panel, was that there were NO social media influencers involved. It will be interesting to hear from the SOCIAL MEDIA perspective next year. Since that such a huge outlet for the Food and Beverage industry now.
The final seminar we attended on day 2, was a class called, “How Far You Can Twist a Classic?” This class discussed how a classic cocktail, the French 75, can be modernized, but still remain a French 75. Kat Kinsmen led this session, she has been on the hunt for French 75’s for the last 5 years! She has tried numerous renditions of this classic beverage and wanted show us two very different ways that 1 cocktail can be created.
She invited two Atlanta bartenders, Tiffanie Barriere, and Jenique Keyatta Holder-Mincey to create their versions of the French 75. Tiffanie created her CLASSIC cocktail with Cognac, lemon juice, and simple syrup, then topped with champagne. Jenique’ created her French 75 with a twist. She used gin, lemon juice, guava, and then topped it with champagne. Both were delicious and it proved that it is more than one way to create the same drink.
BAR TAKEOVERS
After the classes ended on Day 2 and 3, there were about 10 bar takeovers each night. We couldn’t make it to all of them, for obvious reasons, but we did go to Canes Rhum Bar, McCrady’s Tavern, Bar Mash, The Ordinary, The Grocery and Proof. Our favorite bar takeover was at The Rarebit with Tiffanie and Jenique. We had a great time with them, their cocktails were amazing, they played awesome music and the bar was packed! We danced there until they closed the spot!
Day 3
Day three was packed with seminars just like the other two days. What we enjoyed about the last day was the tasting room at the end of the day. This was not a conventional tasting session. There were over 30 different beverages to sample; and most of the special sips came from small companies. We were honored to sample some of the most exclusive brands.
FINALE
The final Bev Con event took place at the Windjammer on IOP. There was good food, cocktails and music ALL NIGHT! Angel Postell and her crew did an amazing job putting on the FIRST BevCon event in Charleston. We appreciated being around some of the best and brightest in the industry.
If you missed out on this fantastic event it will be back August 20-22, 2017. We will be back. We hope to see you there!
NABHOOD Conference 2016
NABHOOD first fell on our radar due to a tweet. @HeadHotelier suggested that the conference in Miami may be of interest to us. He was right! After visiting the website, we learned that entertainment mogul Shelia C. Johnson of Salamander Hospitality and other heavy hitters in the tourism industry were members of this organization, we decided to take the trip to Florida.
It was like walking into a Caribbean Festival. The NABHOOD luncheon was preceded by a fair where tourism agencies and hotel owners invited attendees to visit their location to enjoy all their unique amenities. Many of the vendors had accents and were very interested in the connections that social media provides. Small islands like Monsarrat don’t have the assistance or budget available in major cities and rely on these events to network and market their destination locations.
At lunch, we were served a delicious and healthy meal that included mango salsa, sliced avocado and jasmine rice; very eclectic for a conference. The keynote speaker, Mr. Andy Ingram, spoke of the lack of diversity in hotel and resort ownership and even offered tips to get more minorities involved in the industry. He also spoke of the advantages that social media provides for those looking to recruit minority talent.
NABHOOD host conferences and tourism diversity summits all over the country to educate the community on the opportunities within the hospitality industry. For more information, visit
www.nabhood.net
Shake with love!
It may surprise you to learn that neither Taneka nor Johnny have any formal bartender training. Taneka has work experience in several bars and restaurants in Charleston but no one bothered to “teach” either of us how to shake a cocktail. It wasn’t until we started the Cocktail Bandits’ blog that we bought a book of cocktail recipes and most importantly, a cocktail shaker.
This basic bartender’s kit contained a shaker and other bar tools, most of which broke shortly thereafter but our home bar would never be the same. We noticed the difference a proper shake and strain can have the enjoyment of a cocktail.
As of late, our SILVERgrade shaker has been the go-to for events and home cocktail creation. The slender body aids in its handling during the “shake” and the top can be removed without a fight (a stubborn top can ruin a live demonstration or kill your flow during mass cocktail production). Our stainless steel shaker arrived with a double jigger, 2 pourers, cleaning cloth and a red velvet pouch. All the pieces can be placed inside the shaker and carried in the red bag to a pop-up event or a friends’ home.
To purchase your own SILVERgrade shaker set, visit
www.SILVERGRADE.com
Photography by Dinwiddie Photography
Nails by Jada Sanders Nails
Good Business Summit 2016
A day of business talk that felt more like a community discussion – Good Business Summit 2016. Local business owners converged at the Sottile Theater to learn, network and share ideas. Topics discussed included: diversity in the workplace, creating a corporate culture and community change.
We shared a panel with Brothers & Craft on storytelling through social media. The squad of fashionable and actual brothers, know a thing or two about marketing and brand building. They explained how their brand has collaborated with major agencies Ford Motors and hit reality show ‘Duck Dynasty’. Taneka and I shared our top tips for engaging with followers and creating unique content.
As we and other guest speakers revealed, there is no ‘secret’ to success other than hard work and a willingness to learn. The team at Lowcountry Local First should be proud of their 3rd annual conference that grows yearly and attracts keynote speakers like Matt Stinchcomb from Esty.com and Dave Dawson with The Urban Electric. Co. Next year is bound to be more informative and interactive.
Photography by Foxworthy Studios Photography
Top Ten Charleston Cocktails
What is a Charleston Cocktail?
When we asked bartenders, as well as Charleston cocktail lovers to define a “Charleston Cocktail” – we got very similar responses from almost everyone. They stated that the most popular cocktails in Charleston are “porch pounders”.
Porch Pounders are crisp, refreshing beverages made with a few simple ingredients. Perfect for a hot summer day on the porch or at the beach.
Here are our top 10 Charleston Porch Poundin’ cocktails.
1. Peninsula Tea- (Cocktail Bandits Original)
- Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka
- Tippleman’s Ginger Honey Syrup
- Topped with Blenhim Ginger
- lemon
This is one of the first cocktails we curated for a public event. This cocktail is made with all local SC products and is extremely light and refreshing. Anything made with Charleston tea is perfect anyway. Learn more about Peninsula Tea in our book, Holy Spirits! Charleston Culture Through Cocktails
2. Green Gimlet- (Feathertop)
- Gin
- Genepy
- Cucumber
- Lime
- Matcha Tea
- Thyme
This beautiful, green gin cocktail is so smooth. The crisp, cool flavor of the cucumber is perfect for any warm occasion. Bartender Ryan Jones, of Feathertop says that it has been a hit since they have opened and we have to agree!
3. Charleston Daiquiri- (Rarebit)
- Dark rum
- Banana liquor
- Local honey
- Lemon
Rarebit’s bartender, Ramon Caraballo, came up with this super simple, yet bright and beautiful cocktail. The rum and banana liquor pair perfectly together and are the perfect suggestion for any hot, humid day in Charleston.
4. Double Standard- (Cocktail Club)
- Gin
- Jalapeno
- Lemon
- Honey Simple Syrup
This gin cocktail, made by Ryan Welliver of Cocktail Club, is a great balance of sweet and spice, its the beverage to order on a nice Charleston summer eve.
5. Shoulder Monkey- (Darling Oyster Bar)
- Monkey Shoulder Scotch Whiskey
- grilled pineapple & sage syrup
- Orgeat
- Lemon
- Grilled Pineapple
Its rare to find a scotch cocktail in Charleston and even more difficult to find one that is palatable in this heat. This beautiful scotch and sage cocktail from The Darling is extremely easy on the eyes and taste buds.
6. Instant Vacation – (Canes Rhum Bar)
- Mt. Gay Rum
- Ginger
- Felernum
- Orange Juice
- Lemon Juice
This drink should be called an “Instant Staycation” because that is how it feels when you take one sip of this fabulous cocktail. Rum was the first liquor that was drank in Charleston and this cocktail explains why people love it!
7. Arnold Palmero – (492) – vodka
- Vodka
- Ramozzotti
- Yerba Mate’
- Strawberry
- Lemon
The Arnold Palmero is a play on the classic sweet Tea and lemonade drink called the Arnold Palmer but this cocktail has a bit of a kick. Bartender, Megan Deschaine, says the Yerba Mate’ gives you a burst of enegy and the strawberry purée creates the beautiful color.
8. Bubbly Bliss – (Cocktail Bandits original)
- Striped Pig Gin
- Strawberry puree
- Lemon juice
- Agave
- One Hope Bubbly Wine
Created for a fun photoshoot with @charlestonweekender, this champagne drink is a simple, fun and fruity DIY cocktail that can be made for a girls day at the pool. Find more Cocktail Bandits recipes in our book!
9. The Barn Raiser- (S.N.O.B)
- Honey-Infused Bourbon
- Orange bitters
- Blenheim’s Ginger Ale
- Orange bitters
This cocktail embodies everything about Charleston in the summer. This cocktail is simple, effective, and full of bourbon! Oh and we love anything with Blenheim’s Spicy Ginger Ale.
10. Foraged French- (The Westendorff)
- Sorrel Infused Hat Trick Gin
- St. Germain
- Cava
- Mint
- Lime
- Basil
The Westendorff was extremely creative with this cocktail. The Sorrel infused Gin combined with the St. Germain liqueur gave this cocktail delicious floral notes. It felt like sipping spring/summer.
We had a great time visiting and listing our top Charleston cocktails for the summer! Now, go try one of these “Porch Pounders” for yourself and enjoy this amazing city! CHEERS!
This article was originally published in the Post and Courier
www.postandcourier.com/article/20160926/PC12/160929556
The Teal Drop Cocktail on LCL
The Bandits had a great time on Lowcountry Live this morning. We had the honor of partnering with the Center for Women and creating a Teal cocktail in honor of #wearteal day for GYN health and awareness. Encourage women in your life to learn more about her body.
For our craft cocktail, we came up with a simple, pretty cocktail called the “Teal Drop.”
THE TEAL DROP
1.5 oz vodka
.5 oz pineapple juice
.5 oz Blue Curaçao
Shaken and poured into glass
Topped with O and O Hooch
Garnished with lime
Use the link below to watch the full clip!
http://abcnews4.com/lowcountry-live/c4w-cocktail-bandits
Feature Blog: by Palms In Atl
Acecily Alexander of Palms in
ATL attended our first #CharlestonTea Read about how she felt fancy with her finger out using the link below!
Miss Naturally Crowned Charleston
Miss Naturally Crowned
On June 24th, History was made in Charleston, South Carolina. “Miss Naturally Crowned” was the First Natural Hair beauty pageant to come to the American Theater. Nine beautiful, black, natural women walked across the stage that night. We were so thankful to be in attendance, and happy to be a part of it.
Jessica and Maureen, have been putting on this event in Columbia for the last three years. They decided to create a pageant to fund a natural hair beauty supply store that they want to open in Columbia. They started the “Miss Naturally Crowned” franchise in December of 2013 and received an overwhelming response. It’s become one of the most creative, unique events to happen in the natural hair community. These besties/co-owners created a platform where women of color could be celebrated for naturally being themselves; that’s pretty rare and amazing to us. They also empowered women of color to be proud of who they are. We love that and were so thankful that they decided to bring this concept of Charleston, and allowed us to be proud judges of this special pageant.
This pageant, was about more than just being beautiful. Being a natural woman was very difficult for a lot of us in the beginning. It’s so empowering to see young women embracing who they are and the curls that grow out of their head; is simply beautiful. All the contestants were professional, educated and highly motivated. All nine have serious goals, hopes and dreams but don’t want to be judged by their hair. One great thing about this pageant is that the winner was able to take the prize money and apply it to their business. Quite the incentive considering most of the women who participated are entrepreneurs.
This year’s winner is Miss Paige Green. Paige is a social worker at her day job and the owner and operator of Paige’s Sweet Treats as well. She received $1000 to invest in her personal business. We were so inspired by this event and can’t wait to attend Miss Naturally Crowned Charleston, 2017.
www.naturallycrownedcharleston.com
The Hacienda Patrón Experience (Part 2)
The Patron Tequila making process has several steps.
1. AGAVE SELECTION: Patron has a long relationship with growers in Mexico. They always make sure they’re provided with the best agave available. Once agave is selected, a jimador (Mexican farmer who harvests agave) will strip the leaves, leaving the pina. (Core or center of agave.)
2. AGAVE COOKING: the pina is cut into smaller pieces and placed in small brick ovens to provide a balanced, more consistent, cooking process. It takes 79 hours per oven. In this process, agave turns to deep red color, and is ready to be crushed.
3. CRUSHING THE AGAVE: once the agave is cooked the tequila is crushed in two ways. 
- Roller Mill machines squeeze the the cooked agave. This process separates the mosto (agave syrup) from the bagasse (agave fiber).
- Tahona Process crushes the agave plant by using a heavy volcanic stone Tahona wheel and stone mill. This process keeps the mosto with the bagasse. Patron is the largest Tahona tequila producer in the world. They have 10 tahonas working CONTINUOUSLY.
4. FERMENTATION: The agave juice is fermented for several days on wooden vats. The temperature of the juice rises as the yeast is converts the sugars into alcohol. Patron has their own proprietary yeast that they use. In the Roller Mill process, the mosto is fermented with the bagasse. In the Tahona process, the mosto and bagasse are fermented together.
5. DISTILLATION: in the roller mill process, the mosto is distilled in large custom copper pot stills. It goes through 2 distillations. Because it’s not distilled with the bagasse, it’s has a fruitier flavor. In the Tahona process, the bagasse is distilled with the mosto in the first distillation, but not the second. This creates a more herbaceous flavor. These custom made copper pot stills, produce unique distillates that become Patron Tequila.
Patron Silver is created by blending the second distillations for the roller mill process, and the Tahona process.
6. AGING: There are 5 categories for age in the tequila process.
- Silver/Young – has not been aged.
- Gold – can be aged or unaged, or a blend. PATRON does not produce gold.
- Reposado – (rested) means it has been aged 2-11 months.
- Añejo – (aged) means it has been rested for 1-3 years.
- Extra Añejo – means it’s aged for a minimum of 3 years.
- BLENDING: Patron Silver is aged in 5 different barrels to produce Patron Reposado, and Anejo: French Limousine Oak, Hungarian Oak, American Oak, French Allier Oak, and American Bourbon barrels.
It was so cool to see all of the barrels aging. You could smell the sweetness of the tequila!
8. BOTTLING: Bottles are inspected by hand before being shipped to the distillery. Each bottle is individually numbered, wrapped in tissue, and hand boxed. It’s was interesting to see the ladies working inside the bottling room.
When we exited the bottling room, Jose took us to their waste management building where they have a customized, reverse osmosis system to clean all of the contaminated water. The discarded agave fiber from the tequila production process is also transformed into usable compost that Patron donates to their agave farming partners. They use it in their own farm on the plantation as well. Patron has been recognized in Mexico for their great work in reducing waste.
We concluded our amazing day by having dinner at the Hacienda. Don’t know if it’s a “thing” in Mexico to serve 6-8 course meals, but they sure knew how to feed us. They had bartenders make us delicious cocktails, gave us Cuban cigars to smoke, and even gave the whole crew some parting gifts. It was one of the best experiences we have ever had.
WHAT WE LEARNED:
We learned that the Patron Company is about more than just tequila and money; it was about a community and growth. The Hacienda employed a good percentage of the town of . Jose told us that husbands, wives, kids, some entire families worked at Hacienda Patron. We learned that they have educational opportunities while working for the company as well. We were able to see their beautiful garden and some of that food goes to the employees too. It was comforting to see a brand, like Patron, take care of their employees, bartenders, and even people like the Bandits: imbibers of tequila! We had an amazing experience, and if you ever have the chance to go to Hacienda Patron…. DO IT! Cheers!
