women's beverage takeover

regine rousseau on toni morrison:

"Toni Morrison was one of our greatest American writers. She created complex Black female characters. Pilate Dead from Song of Solomon is unforgettable. Despite Pilate’s hardships she remains loyal, tender, and a fierce protector of her family. Each ingredient represents a part of who Pilate was. The port wine because she was a bootlegger and fermented wine, I imagine that the wines she made were sweet. The bourbon for her strength. The all-spice dram for the drama of her life and the maraschino cherry for the wild cherry jam from her childhood that Pilate longed for."

tia barrett on ella fitzgerald:

"This cocktail represents Ella Fitzgerald in the memories and feelings her music evokes. To me, something fun, lively, and effervescent is the same as the highs and lows of her jazz music."

alexis brown on josephine baker:

"Josephine Baker was one of the first Hennessy ambassadors as she migrated and found refuge in France in 1925 as a celebrated entertainer. Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilege is used in this cocktail to mimic the heavy spice the Black Venus used from within to heat every stage she graced. The Banana liqueur is reminiscent of her daring banana skirt performance and how free she was to be herself. The sweet vanilla notes in the Cocchi Vermouth silken the cocktail just as the notes her voice conveyed to the ear. The Black Walnut bitters highlight her durability and resilience as she doubled as a WWII spy during the French resistance. The Apricot stone fruit spritz lends a soft floral aroma and essence as we remember such a remarkable and honorable black woman."