On Jun 10th to Jun 11th, the Athleisure Mag team had the pleasure of spending 2 days in Brooklyn to enjoy Bar Convent Brooklyn which included hitting the tradeshow floor of this industry event in order to our tried and true brands as well as new brands. It's also an amazing time to meet up with others from the spirit and hospitality industries whether you're onsite or a number of events that took place during the day and night. Although it would be impossible to give you a play-by-play of all of the things that we took part in, we did want to highlight moments and brands that we engaged with during this show in addition to what you may have seen on our IG @AthleisureMag. If you want to know more about the backstory of this show, why it was created, its aims and more, we suggest that you revisit our interview in the MAY ISSUE #101 with Jackie Williams the VP of Events at BCB!
The night before the official kickoff event, we headed to Hawksmoor, a noted steakhouse to take part in the Martini (Fords Gin) X Manhattan (Woodford Reserve) event which allowed guests to enjoy drinks that were created by mixologists from the restaurant as well as noted guest bartenders Holly Graham of Tokyo Confidential and Ramsey Musk of Accomplice Bar. In the battle between gin and bourbon, everyone wins and there were great oysters to keep the vibe going and to prepare us for the next 2 days of drinks!
On the first day of the show, it was all about learning the lay of the land as this show was at Industry City and takes up a number of buildings as well as courtyards which allows you to have a lot of options whether you're sitting and taking a break or just want to have a moment. It's always fun to see how brands like Hendrick's Gin and Campari create amazing spaces that really show you their brand while also having the ability to meet new brands that are navigating the space. We enjoyed Juliette Peach Liqueur which was a refreshing sip that could be enjoyed alone, but was even better when it was paired with champagne to give it a bubbly feel. On a hot day, this is something that is simple to make and easy to drink while looking elegant!
This year, there were a number of Mezcals and Tequilas to enjoy! We spent some time with the team at Cierto and sampled their range of tequilas. We were initially drawn into their faceted shaped bottles which reminded us of a diamond, but their Blanco was incredibly smooth and one that we will enjoy sipping for quite some time (along with their full line of tequilas). It's always worth trying something completely new and realizing that it must have a place on your bar cart!
We were feeling the speakeasy vibes of Templeton Midnight Rye Whiskey as we loved hearing about its history and in addition to sampling it, we were excited to have our bottle engraved which is another flex that you can enjoy as you build your bar cart or bar top depending on how you store your favorites.
We spent a large part of the day at the show and our list could go on when it comes to what we sampled, but this show is also great as there are additional events that take place throughout Brooklyn as well as in Manhattan. We made 2 stops, the first was iichiko's Summer Party at Bar Goto Niban. This event allowed us to head to this super cute and intimate bar and to enjoy shochu cocktails that were paried with Japanese bites! In addition, there was shaved ice (literally looked like cotton candy) that also had shochu in it from Kuramoto Ice. This was offered at their booth at the show; however, we hadn't seen it and made a note to swing by the next day, but were pleased to be able to try it in this setting.
We walked about 10mins away and found ourselves at Leyenda bar which had Diplomático Rum being served as well as tacos and other tasty bites. We enjoyed hanging out here at this James Beard nominated bar which is co-owned by Julie Reiner and Ivy Mix. It was a fun night and although we could have stayed awhile longer, we wanted to make our way back into the city for Industry Icons at Great Jones Distilling Co which is the first distillery since Prohibition. With guest bartenders making phenomenal drinks, the ability to see this beautiful space with a stunning bar as well as great bites, it was a mix between a low key meets vibrant night to prepare us for the next day of events that we would participate in.
It's worth noting that for this year's show we liked the food trucks that were available which was definitely a great way to keep your energy up and STUF'D had the perfect combo of fries and a rib eye sandwhich which was much needed and enjoyed in the courtyard.
On the second and last day of this show, the goal was to continue to sample brands throughout the space as well as to connect with those that we had made appointments with. Our appointment and Guided Tasting with Silent Pool Gin was an immersive experience to learn about the English town that makes the gin; why its location makes the gin; what it is; and being able to learn how the different components come together for a well balanced drink!
One of the our favorite parts of the day was to step into a session with Jaime Salas Proximo Spirits Head of Advocacy Agave. We had a deep dive into Cristalino Tequilas (one of them being a Mezcal which was an added treat). This sampling seminar was a great opportunity to be able to get to know more about each of the 8 tequilas that were being shared from the portfolio, to learn more about the terroir, and to train our paletes so that we could identify what tasting notes were involved. We have had the pleasure of talking tequila with Jaime so we knew it would be a great and thoughtful session. We also had the opportunity to swing by their booth prior to this tasting in order to get a preview of what we would be enjoying at the Liquid Lounge!
Overall, the 2 days, the booths, and the parties/events really allowed you to connect next with this diverse community through sips whether you were focused on vodka, gin, mezcal, whiskeys, rum, canned spirits, innovations in non-alcoholic offerings and more!
The ability to learn and sip at your own pace and to be able to share your passion and knowledge with other enthusiasts across the industry is always a good time! With our last sips on the way out, it was everything that we expected it to be and of course, we're already excited for getting ready for next year as you know it'll involve a number of our favorite brands that may or may not be presenting a new product; the opportunity to try various cocktails and to chat with those brands about the beverages; and of course seeing things that are new to you or are completely brand new to the market!
PHOTO CREDITS | Bar Convent Brooklyn
Read the JUN ISSUE #102 of Athleisure Mag and see BCB 2024 in mag.
