August 2020

Six finalists in the Tio Pepe Challenge will be competing for cash prizes Monday, Aug 17th at 3 PM EST.

The FACEBOOK Live Broadcast will be held August 17th at 3 PM EST. Please join and see which bartenders will take home the cash on Chilled’s facebook page.

Watch the six finalists including Abigail Gullo, Lance Bowman, Ricardo Acevedo, Trinh Quan Huy Philip, Sam Treadway, and Damian Langarica show off their skill with a venencia, with points for both style and accuracy, and also present their original sherry cocktail creation live.

The cash prizes include: 1^st prize $2000, 2^nd prize $1000, and 3^rd prize $500!!!

The judges are Jeff Greif, Chilled Magazine Publisher, Daniele dalla Pola, Esotico Miami, Valentino Longo, Four Seasons Miami and Tio Pepe Challenge finalist 2018, and Alvaro Plata Franco, Tio Pepe Brand Ambassador.

The post The Countdown Begins: 6 Bartenders Compete for Cash in the Tio Pepe Challenge on Facebook Live this Monday, August 17 at 3 pm! appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Casa Dragones Tequila turned up the heat this summer by supporting the bartending community with its #CocktailsatHome program. 

Pulling from over 100 accounts in key markets, tequila tastemakers showcased their mixology mastery with Casa Dragones Blanco cocktails created to impress but cause no stress for the home bartender. All participants received a grant from Casa Dragones.

Tequila Casa Dragones

From west coast LA to northern London and downtown New York to beachfront Tulum, entries poured in and tequila drinks were blended, shaken and stirred in full motion.

The competition was fierce but friendly with over 100 unique submissions, all videos of course as Casa Dragones knows that bartenders belong front and center where they can engage and enthrall while making a damn good drink and called for entries in the form of how-to videos for the at-home bartender.

Finalists were selected based on how well and how much they engaged with the online Casa Dragones community because when it comes to social media more is better. Instagram followers watched and listened as the Blanco flowed freely and filled glasses from coast to coast, selecting eight (8) finalists from Mexico and the US for the final vote.

From Mexico, the four mixologists with moxie are:

• Alvaro Ascencion from Cantina La Veinte, @CantinaVeinte
• Simon Alberti of Dodo Café, @SimonAlberti_
• Pablo Pasti from Limantour, @LimantourMX
• William Hetzel from Tokyo Music Bar, @WilliamHetzel

Álvaro Ascención

Simon Albertu

Pablo Pasti

William Heztel

The United States final four mixologists are:

• Daniel Kocsis from Beaker and Gray, @BeakerandGray
• Jorge Cuenca of the Welton Room, @Jocuenca
• Chelsea Caplin from the Palms Casino Resort, @MSDagger
• Ben Potts from Beaker & Gray and The Sylvester Bar, @BenPottsBenPotts

Daniel Kocsis

Jorge Cuenca

Chelsea Caplin

Ben Potts

Whether you like your Blanco with fresh juices in a daydream inducing glass or you prefer a more somber smokey sip on a long summer evening the #CocktailsatHome program shows the versatility of Casa Dragones Blanco tequila.

Casa Dragones – Bartender Program

Join Casa Dragones followers in a vote on who of these eight talented tequila lovers is the fan favorite and winner of the Cocktails at Home Bartender Program.

Casa Dragones – Bartender Program

All entries will be up for your vote through Sunday, August 14^th on the @CasaDragones IGTV channel. You can also visit the @CasaDragones FB page to view the submissions and pick up a few tequila tips of your own.

Winners will be announced next week on Tuesday, the 18^th and will receive a bonus grant to help support them in their quest for cocktail perfection during these unprecedented times.

The post Vote Now: Bartenders Impress with Casa Dragones Tequila #CocktailsatHome Program appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

As I started talking to people for this article, particularly bartenders and servers, two things stood out: COVID-19 shutdowns prompted hospitality industry workers to take a long, hard look at their personal finances.

And many bartenders and servers are better situated for the future than they ever have been. Here’s how:

Bartenders are saving more money now

Bartenders are getting smarter with money.

In a time of unchecked uncertainty, there’s one thing I have no doubt about: COVID-19 not only rocked the hospitality industry, it triggered what I hope will be lasting change.

In talking to bartenders and servers they, almost to a person, rolled off personal finance 101 basics when discussing how they’re handling their money amid the pandemic. As someone who has written about personal finance and investing for more than a decade, that’s refreshing. But it also highlights truth—being smart with money isn’t rocket science. It’s common sense. You just have to have the will, often triggered by a crisis, to take prudent fiscal action.

Quick Tip:

In light of not “going out” as much and cooking at home, bartenders are saving money.

Practically speaking, that looks like this. If I wasn’t at work, where would I be on, say, Wednesday night? If the answer is spending $50 on dinner and drinks wherever, in that moment transfer $50 from your checking to savings account. Do this once or more a week. It adds up fast.

Tips to Saving Money for Bartenders

Bartenders are opening savings accounts.

Hospitality workers have a reputation of not being savers, of living from paycheck to paycheck. Quite a few have run with only a checking account for most of their lives. Here’s the lowdown on savings accounts:

• Opt for a high-yield savings account. These accounts pay a much higher interest rate than what a big-name bank provides. That difference—right now more than 1.0% adds up over time.
• Use the savings account “sink” method. Most banks will allow you to open multiple savings accounts. They’ll usually let you nickname each one. Use different savings accounts for different purposes and regularly direct money to these accounts.
  

“I Got Over A Thousand Dollars in The Bank and I’m Alright”

That’s one of my favorite Tom Petty lyrics from a song called Room At The Top. It ties together the personal finance themes COVID-19 has brought to the forefront in the hospitality industry.

I feel slightly unsettled (only slightly) about something else I realized when constructing this story. Lots of bartenders have used unemployment compensation—particularly the extra $600 a week they saw—to their advantage. They’re either not going back to work because it doesn’t make financial sense or they’re afraid of getting sick (both perfectly reasonable, in my opinion) or they’re working a side hustle under the table and collecting unemployment (questionable, but perfectly reasonable, in my opinion).

I say “unsettled” because I’m the product of a working-class culture that doesn’t care much for social safety nets. What they might call “handouts.” That culture values an idealistic notion of “hard work” above all else. But I think many of us know better. Life, especially now, is less about traditional conceptions of working hard and more about doing the work, particularly on yourself.

I know of bartenders who are doing things outside of the hospitality industry while collecting unemployment and using the extra money they’re making to do what they should have been doing all along—establish savings, otherwise known as an emergency fund.

Your first “sink” account should always be an emergency fund, typically a savings account with three- to six-months of living expenses. Ideally, you’re debt-free. From there, you get to that three-to-six-month goal. Establishing an emergency fund feels great. It proves that, yes you can save, and gives you confidence to take the next step.

That next step can include creating additional “sinks.” These are goals you’re saving for. While they can be anything you want them to be (and it makes sense to include fun and rewarding goals), take care to make them meaningful. Maybe you label one sink “travel” and another “new apartment.” Whatever. The point is, even if it’s psychological, the money seems to add up faster and in more orderly fashion when you take the aforementioned steps and use the “sink” method.

The post Ask A Bartender: Bartenders, Get Smart with Your Money – Here’s How appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Santa Teresa 1796 Rum, the Venezuelan super-premium brand, launched its Crafted Together limited-edition bottle program in the face of adversity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Global brand ambassador Geoff Robinson explains, “We believe that, no matter the situation, we are always stronger together. In March, when lockdown began, many of our bartending colleagues were out of work. We wanted to give back to the community that has always stood by us. We created the Crafted Together program as an opportunity to both support and honor the industry and conceive a new label.”

Santa Teresa has strived to turn crisis into opportunity for more than 220 years and continues its commitment to making a positive impact in its community through Crafted Together, which provides union, opportunity, and direct assistance to the trade in the face of this adversity.

Chief executive officer of Santa Teresa, Alberto Vollmer, adds, “Through the Crafted Together initiative, not only did we want Santa Teresa 1796 to support the trade community directly, but we also wanted to inspire bartenders to support one another.”

Santa Teresa brought over 25 bartenders from parts of the world, including Los Angeles, London, Miami, and Madrid, and New York to conceive a new label for the Crafted Together 1796 limited-edition bottle.

Erin Koral New York, Bar Goto

“The Santa Teresa Crafted Together project set up the perfect opportunity for me to connect with other artists in the hospitality industry around the world,” says Erin Koral, participating New York bartender of Bar Goto. “We were given the space to share our experiences with each other through art, which allowed us to work in tandem to create something encouraging and positive. It has been a strengthening experience to see my peers across the globe showcase all the creative ways they’re tackling these challenges.”

The label for the limited-edition bottle symbolizes the sheer resilience and creative talent of the bartending community. Note that all bartenders were compensated for their time and creative input. Describing the label’s unique process, Katie Redlien, Santa Teresa 1796 brand manager, elaborates, “Each bartender participant submitted an individual design, with styles ranging from photography to charcoal drawings to paintings, which was then compiled into a mosaic that graces our Santa Teresa 1796 Crafted Together limited-edition bottle. Just as the different designs come together to make a whole, the trade is comprised of incredible individuals, who create a truly spectacular community when they work together.”

Carley Gaskin, Chicago, Hospitality 201

Carley Gaskin, participating Chicago bartender of Hospitality 201 adds, “During such uncertain times, we’re taking the time to better ourselves, our lives, and the lives of others around us, within our community.” Kevin Diedric of San Francisco’s PCH continues, “We submitted artwork of our bar’s logo for the limited-edition label. It’s all about taking a negative situation and turning them into positive outcomes.”

Kevin Diedric, San Francisco, PCH

Delving deeper into what makes the bartending community so remarkable, in the United States specifically, Redlien emphasizes, “I work with American bartenders all the time and find that one of their greatest assets is a talent for taking care of others. Though our country is vast and different from coast to coast, the bartending community is a tight-knit group. When the impact of COVID-19 began to take root and bars shuttered throughout the country, bartenders rose to the occasion to support one another and find a whole new kind of inner strength. They’re extremely creative with a ‘can-do’ attitude, which reflects American values such as entrepreneurship and independence.”

Leah Hendle, LA, Wabi Sabi

Participating bartender from LA’s Wabi Sabi, Leah Hendle, who has been working within her Venice community donating food and cocktails to people who lost their jobs and worked on the frontlines, says, “We all make a positive impact by setting intentions to better our community and bring everyone together.” As well, N.Y. bartender Liana Oster of Nomad concludes, “There’s been a sort of resilience and change amongst bartenders. There’s been so much to overcome.”

Liana Oster, Nomad, NY

To further support and solidify its devotion to the bartending community’s well-being, Santa Teresa will donate $10,000 to the USBG Bartender Emergency Assistance Program. The Crafted Together limited-edition bottle will be available for purchase during National Rum Month this August.

The liquid inside this spirited collaboration bottle is Santa Teresa 1796, a bold and elegant rum with blends of up to 35 years of aging in bourbon oak barrels then further aged through the artisanal Spanish solera method resulting in a rum that is rich, refined, yet unexpectedly dry. The sugar cane and water used to make Santa Teresa 1796 come from the brand’s estate and local farms in the Aragua Valley.

This terroir consists of ideal environmental conditions for aging rum, from its rich soil to its temperate climate. From fermentation through distillation, aging and blending, it goes down at their Hacienda. The result is the perfect spirit for a whisky drinker looking to discover new flavors, with notes of wood, dark chocolate, leather, and nuts.

The post 13 U.S. Bartenders Craft Together the Limited-Edition Santa Teresa 1796 Rum Label appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

If you eat it, drink it, visit it, view it, or read it, there’s a good chance it’s connected somehow to the mega-trend setter, Ali Ghanbarian.

Blue Angel Vodka

The art aficionado, restaurateur, promoter, and founder of the influential SOMA Magazine, has launched numerous careers and supported creative people for decades. One of his latest ventures is to take charge of the highly acclaimed ultra-premium Blue Angel Vodka, created by the legendary Maurice Kanbar, of the SKYY vodka fame.

Ghanbarian’s creative journey started in San Francisco, during the 1980s which transformed him from a bored engineer to the visionary who transformed the rundown neighborhood called South of Market, to what it is now, home to multimillion-dollar luxury apartments, a base to the biggest technology giants as well as the area for some of the best restaurants in the world.

Blue Angel Martini

He opened some of the most innovative restaurants and clubs in that area by recruiting artists, musicians, and chefs. His pioneering restaurants and clubs such as the BILLBOARD Café, CLUB 9, FOTO 579, and the iconic BYTE bar and grill, transformed the entire area and attracted the yuppies, and the disco goers which helped gentrify the area.

Ghanbarian being a lifelong art lover and passionate about all the great cultural happening in SOHO and the VILLAGE in New York, decided to launch a magazine to support the creative community by creating SOHO West. That is how the iconic SOMA magazine was born 30 years ago.

Trendsetter Ali Ghanbarian

SOMA is the longest-running independent arts, culture, design, and fashion magazine in the country and is known for helping discover and launching the careers of thousands of iconic designers, architects, musicians, filmmakers, writers, models, photographers, chefs, and mixologists.

The spectacular success of his bars, restaurants, and highly praised magazine, offered Ghanbarian a unique ability and credibility to take on some of the best consumer brands and connect them to the desirable demographics, the influencers, and the trendsetters, a good many of whom are SOMA’s brand captive audience worldwide.

As a result, the majority of premium wine and spirits brands, as well as fashion and beauty producers, reach out to SOMA magazine and AKA marketing to connect them to the influencers. SOMA Magazine and the sister company AKA Marketing have become the go-to platforms for hundreds of brands. They are credited with launching, branding, placing, and positioning some of the most successful brands ever.

In essence, AKA Marketing and, SOMA Magazine, provide a social and innovative platform worldwide for creative people to be discovered, showcase their talent, and share their visions. “It was a simple leap to incorporate some of these incredibly creative and talented folks in the ‘fabric’ of SOMA and what AKA Marketing is all about.” The core demographic of both companies are the ultimate influencers. They are at the forefront of cultural evolution, brand awareness, and creation.

Even though the magazine serves all types of artists from all over the world, Ghanbarian has always remained closely tied to the service industry. Hence, spirits brands continue to approach Ghanbarian for assistance because of his influence and talent, to help connect their brands to his vast network of the influencers.

Part of the excitement of the journey for Ghanbarian is encountering extraordinary visionaries, a few of whom he idealizes. Currently, he is working with the Blue Angel ultra-premium vodka, created by the legendary Maurice Kanbar of the SKYY fame. Blue Angel is a result of Maurice’s long-running passion and desire to create an Ultra-premium vodka for the perfect martini.

“Being a vodka drinker myself, I agree with the result,” stated Ali. “A few years back, when I helped launch Soli Elit for Allied Domecq, I was responsible for placing them in hundreds of prestige accounts, as soon as I would step in, the bartenders would have my Elit-up ready, so they nicknamed me the Elitist. I guess my nickname now a days is Mr. BAM.” … for the Blue Angel Martini.

As for a name for the vodka itself, Maurice stated that he wanted something “up.” Then he saw the Blue Angels flying around and thought, why not Blue Angel? It turned out he could register “Blue Angel,” and that was that. Again, the blue bottle is self-explanatory.

“The product itself offers robust aromatics and a lush mouthfeel,“ explained Ghanbarian. “Blue Angel is vibrant, crafted with a proprietary six-time distillation and four-step filtration, using only American grains, creating an exceptional spirit from the San Francisco Bay Area.”

For lovers of classic vodka cocktails, Ghanbarian has good news for you: “I genuinely believe Blue Angel exceeds the expectations at all levels for the perfect Martini.”

You can find Blue Angel in all your favorite restaurants, bars, lounges, boutique liquor stores, social events, arts, and cultural venues, and coming soon; you can also order the Blue Angel Martini from your favorite home spirits delivering service.

Between his magazine, marketing company, and boundless energy, you will find his fingerprints in most successful premium brands.

“I probably have helped create numerous iconic brands,” laughs the gregarious Ghanbarian!

The post Being Ali Ghanbarian: The Ultimate Influencer appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Six finalists in the Tio Pepe Challenge will be competing for cash prizes Monday, Aug 17th at 3 PM EST.

Unfortunately due to COVID-19 and in the interest of safety, the Tio Pepe Finals in Miami and the Global Finals in Jerez were cancelled. Instead, the six (6) finalists chosen from the United States will be competing virtually via Facebook Live Broadcast on Aug 17th at 3 PM.

The six finalists include Abigail Gullo, Lance Bowman, Ricardo Acevedo, Trinh Quan Huy Philip, Sam Treadway, and Damian Langarica. Each are challenged to show off their skill with a venencia, with points for both style and accuracy, and also present their original sherry cocktail creation live.

The judges including Jeff Greif, Chilled Magazine Publisher, Daniele dalla Pola, Esotico Miami, Valentino Longo, Four Seasons Miami and Tio Pepe Challenge finalist 2018, and Alvaro Plata Franco, Tio Pepe Brand Ambassador will award cash prizes for the top three finalists: 1st Prize $2000, 2nd Prize $1000, and 3rd Prize $500.

The FACEBOOK Live Broadcast will be held August 17th at 3 PM EST. Please join and see which bartenders will take home the cash on Chilled’s Facebook page.

The post 6 U.S. Finalists Compete Virtually for Cash from Tio Pepe appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

RumChata has reached the 50 million bottles-shipped milestone this summer. 

RumChata Original + RumChata Limón

The achievement comes during the highly successful introduction of the spirit’s first-ever brand extension, RumChata Limón.

“Fifty million bottles of RumChata, it’s so hard to believe” says Tom Maas, RumChata founder and master blender. “When I started this company with my father a decade ago using a recipe developed in my kitchen, we never could have imagined this. I’m so grateful to each and every person who has picked up a RumChata bottle over the years.”

RumChata Limón started rolling out in February to prepare for the spring and summer cocktail season and is experiencing a tremendous response from both the consumer and trade. RumChata Limón blends Caribbean rum with real dairy cream, vanilla, and lemon in a sweet, smooth cream liqueur with a fresh lemon finish. It is packaged in a bright yellow version of the iconic RumChata bottle, complete with the familiar gold cap.

In its first five months since the retail launch, RumChata Limón has shipped more than 45,000 9L cases.Already in 48 states, each of those states have reordered since initial shipments, representing a 100% reorder rate. The early success of RumChata Limón in the U.S. has led to the recent expansion in select Provinces of Canada. Based on these numbers, RumChata Limón will be one of the best new product introductions in the spirits business in 2020. Experts agree, as RumChata Limón was recently selected as Best American Cream at the 2020 World Drinks Awards.

“We pride ourselves on the quality of our products; it’s quality you can taste,” continues Maas. “And I personally guarantee everyone will enjoy drinking Limón. If you try it and don’t like it, send it to me and I’ll drink it–that’s my guarantee.”

RumChata and RumChata Limón have an average retail price of $21.99 for a 750ml bottle. More about RumChata including food and drink recipes and where it is available can be found at RumChata.com and on the RumChata Facebook page.

The post RumChata Reaches 50 Millionth Bottle Milestone appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Covid-19 and the era it manifested are responsible for catalyzing a total alteration of how drinkers are choosing to imbibe across America this summer.

Bacardi Rum x Berber

According to the latest survey by Bacardi, the world’s largest privately-held spirits company, 90% of respondents (out of 2000+ people) who drink cocktails have absolutely changed how and what they drink after restrictions imposed by the pandemic.

The ambition to become a virus-free society laid the foundation for recent trends among drinkers. For example, 43% of Americans claim they plan to spend more time socializing and sipping drinks outside this summer compared to last year. Also, it seems they will be enjoying the great outdoors relatively closer to home.

Despite trends showing that Americans were traveling internationally more than ever before prior to lockdown, 40% will now be staying within their home state, and only 5% say they’ll go abroad once permitted.

Bacardi Rum x Berber

As online shopping continues to grow, 35% of Americans say they look forward to purchasing ingredients and creating cocktails for their own outdoor drinking experiences with friends and family.

BACARDÍ Rum – Piña Colada

As far as cocktails go, the Margarita serves as the one retaining its spot above them all, with 36% of respondents claiming it as their top preference. Rum cocktails like the Piña Colada (27.5%) and the Mojito (23%) finished in second and third place.

BACARDÍ Rum – Mojito

Bacardi has teamed up with Drizly and Instacart to get these trendy summer cocktails to your door! Although the beach may not be as accessible this season, seaside-friendly frozen cocktails continue to be a popular choice. 41.7% of U.S. respondents are anticipating the indulgence of a frozen cocktail this summer, whether it is a frozen BACARDÍ Piña Colada or the MARTINI & ROSSI Frosé and Frosecco frozen cocktails.

Martini – Non-Alcoholic Vibrante Spritz

Another top trend acknowledged by Bacardi is the “cocktail in a can,” a great option for when the weather heats up. Popular already for their convenience and portability, close to 30% claimed they plan to purchase ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails or canned spirit and mixers for their socially-distanced summer get-togethers, with their portability, ease to keep cold, and their convenience cited as key reasons for stocking up on a pre-made cocktail.

Martini Fiero

“Cocktails in a can have been a hot trend this past year and the current lockdown appears to have increased their popularity as a safe and portable drink option. In addition, cocktails-to-go have really taken off with bars and consumers embracing the trend at a much faster rate as a viable choice for summer social occasions,” says Brenda Fiala, Global VP Strategy Insights and Analytics for Bacardi.

The post The Pandemic is Changing How We Drink – Here’s How appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

A drag legend injects comedy into a year desperate for it.

“Back in March, I sat down and wrote a ton of COVID-19 jokes to get them out there because I thought we wouldn’t be needing them in six months from then,” says the bumptiously bouffanted Lady Bunny when the coronavirus pandemic first began making headlines.

“I thought ‘let’s all have a laugh now, release the tension about it, and get it out of the way.’ Now I’m not so sure we will not be needing the COVID-19 jokes…”

With her 60’s-on-shrooms gowns, out-the-door eyelashes, and wigs big enough to snare the occasional satellite, Lady Bunny reigns as the most venerable drag queens in American history and a veritable celebrity in LGBTQ+ circles. More, she holds the rare distinction of achieving a level of fame outside of a gay club on her own terms. First conquering the Atlanta bar scene (alongside her roommate, a fellow up-and-comer named RuPaul), she moved to New York in 1984 and enmeshed herself into the Club Kids, a flamboyant group of hard-partying personalities that became the body-glittered lifeforce of the city’s night culture.

That same year she created Wigstock, an outdoor festival celebrating all things drag going strong to this day. There were roles in Sex and the City, the movies Party Girl and To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar, and she was one of the burners in the Comedy Central roast of Pamela Anderson. Lady Bunny even circled back to her former partner in crime and starred in RuPaul’s Drag U.

“But you are never going to catch me on tape saying I’m influential!” she declares. “It’s not what I set out to do, but it’s flattering if I am.”

Moreover, Bunny admits her professional persona is itself an amalgamation of influences. Drag is more than putting on a dress, wig, and makeup. Conscientious drag queens know it is a meticulous study of idiosyncrasies from stage and screen that others may miss, and then blending it all into a whole new presentation bigger than the sum of its parts so that the dress, wig, and makeup “werk.”

“First it was drag performers with stage presence as I was coming of age in Tennessee and then Atlanta, but I love Carol Channing, Charo, and Nell Carter. It may be taking a little thing like a hand movement or a silhouette,” she explains. Even now, with an established look, “I still take little bits and pieces from stars I like. No one would look at me and think, ‘obviously influenced by Patti LaBelle.’ But I am!”

And then there’s the comedy. While Bunny, now 57, notes that while drag is increasingly sanitized for a wider TV audience, even the tamest live show is not for the easily-triggered.

“I’m raunchy and tasteless,” she says without a hint of apology. “I cut my drag teeth in gay bars and late-night performances; we were encouraged to say outrageous, dirty stuff because that was our culture then. Off-color jokes about anal sex gone wrong was what we dealt in. And that was what our audiences liked! Sometimes performers in that mode are criticized by the PC Police now, but I live in what was/still is the epicenter of this pandemic and I am in a high-risk group. I’m going to do what I want because I may die! And I don’t want to spend my ‘last years’ doing what somebody else thinks I should be doing.”

All hail the queen, long may she profane!

Chillin’ with Lady Bunny

Tell us what projects you are working on right now.

Well, today I deal with contracts. Or I get into drag to do a Zoom meeting with some porn stars. Sometimes I am in the studio recording something for a new comedy download; if you are not performing online these days, you’re not performing! I created a special that launched in early June called “CUNTagious,” and I have my own comedy special that is available for download on VOSSevents.com. Thirty minutes for $10. That is my work. The downside is that you can’t workshop your material in front of an audience, but the upside is that you can perform for people anywhere; they can be in a different country. But Lord, I miss audiences.

What do you do in your downtime?

I’m a bit of a news junkie, and I spend a lot of time on social media because it’s the only way I can connect with friends. A lot of talking on the phone. I go for walks, and I cook more. Day to day stuff.

Where do you like to dine?

Not fast food, but places where I can grab a bite quickly. I was never into the “full dining experience” that takes two hours and has aperitifs. That was never my style.

Chillin’ with Lady Bunny

What are your favorite cuisines?

I love all Thai food, all Mexican food. I wish I liked less food! Chinese, Japanese, American. I’m not picky.

Which are your favorite bars?

I was always more of a club person than a bar person, but I like the Monster in the West Village where I used to DJ on Sundays. One of my favorites is Twist in Miami Beach; there’s never a cover and it’s full of extremely sexy guys! There is a pub in London, the Vauxhall Tavern. And there’s Julius, the oldest gay bar in New York. They have a grill and the best hamburgers in the city! It used to be a seedy hustler bar, but [actor] John Cameron Mitchell started monthly parties there, which attracted a hipper crowd and younger promoters followed suit. It was always fun to see the mingling of the real old-time West Village gay men and the younger set.

What are your favorite drinks?

I was always a beer drinker, and I never needed anything fancy or expensive. Whatever they had, from Miller Lite to Budweiser. It’s a real gag to see me in an evening gown guzzling a beer. Sometimes I’ll make it more ladylike with a straw.

Chillin’ with Lady Bunny

Do you prepare drinks at home?

Nope.

What is in your home bar?

I have red wine for cooking.

Have you ever been a bartender?

They tried to get me to bartend at a club called the Pyramid when somebody missed their shift. But I drank a lot, so I don’t remember much…

The post Chillin’ with Lady Bunny appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Make it a Masterpiece, bartenders!

Van Gogh Vodka teams up with Chilled Magazine to create a virtual competition for professional and home bartenders. Van Gogh challenges you to connect artful skills with artfully crafted cocktails.

Double Espresso Martini

Each week submit your masterpiece cocktail online and have a chance to win cash prizes. Three professional bartenders and three at home bartenders will be selected to compete in virtual finals, streamed live on Facebook. The home bartender winner will receive a grand prize of $1500. The professional bartender winner will receive a grand prize of $2500 alongside a $1000 donation to the charity of their choice.

Make it a Masterpiece

Each week for six weeks leading up to the finals, Van Gogh Vodka will randomly choose TWO professional bartender entries per week to win a Bar Tool Kit and Van Gogh Dessert Sampler.

Van Gogh Vodka Challenge

The contest runs from August 1, 2020, through to September 15, 2020. The Grand Finals will be virtually held on October 25, 2020. The judges include The Cocktail Guru, Jonathan Pogash, and Chilled Media Publisher, Jeff Greif. Judging the home bartenders is Frank Russen, Principle Gallery, Charleston, SC.

Mint Fizz

For rules and more information, please visit ChilledMagazine.com/VanGogh-Cocktail-Art

The post Bartenders Challenged to Make it a Masterpiece for Van Gogh Vodka Cash Prizes appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News