• FITNESS
  • Food
  • Beauty
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • Athleisure Studio
  • Athleisure List
  • Athleisure TV
  • THIS ISSUE
  • The Latest
  • ARCHIVE
  • About
  • Press
  • Connect
Menu

Athleisure Mag™ | Athleisure Culture

ATHLEISURE MAG™ | Athleisure Culture
  • FITNESS
  • Food
  • Beauty
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • Athleisure Studio
  • Athleisure List
  • Athleisure TV
  • THIS ISSUE
  • The Latest
  • ARCHIVE
  • About
  • Press
  • Connect

AWARD WINNING SIPS | CHARLES JOLY

February 25, 2024

We're in the thick of Awards Season and whether you enjoy this time of year for the red carpet looks, hearing behind the scenes information on your favorite shows and artists, or the atmosphere of predicting wins, we all love how we celebrate these shows whether solo or with friends and family.

During Awards Season the days leading up to the ceremonies as well as the big night is filled with big moments and there's nothing like the perfect sip. We caught up with Charles Joly, DIAGEO Reserve World Class Award Winning Mixologist who poured Johnnie Walker Blue Label as the Official Spirits Partner of the 75th Emmy® Awards.

We talked about how he got into the industry, being a mixologist, being a leader in the industry, how he prepares to create cocktails at one of the largest events, and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What was the cocktail that made you realize that you wanted to know more about this industry?

CHARLES JOLY: I can remember the cocktail that gave me my “a-ha!” moment. The one that made me question everything and wonder what I’d been drinking before then.

It was a simple, freshly made whiskey sour. Nothing fancy - just a solid bourbon, fresh

citrus, simple syrup, egg white & bitters; perfectly balanced. I never looked back.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a mixologist?

CJ: When I began to meet people like my dear friend and mentor Bridget Albert, Tony Abou-Ganim, and Francesco Lafranconi, my eyes were opened to a new realm of possibilities in hospitality.

I’d already been in the industry for years running several successful bars. When I was introduced to the craft cocktail side of things, it all clicked. I already loved the hospitality aspect of the business. Hosting a party every night was a dream job. Adding in the history, flavors and creativity of craft bartending brought it all together. The bar is a stage, no matter what type of venue you work in. The mixology world gave me something I could be really excited about sharing with my guests.

AM: You're known as a leader in the international craft cocktail and the spirits movement. What are you looking for when it comes to a well-crafted cocktail?

CJ: It’s of the utmost importance to me that every ingredient plays an integral role. It all boils down to being intentional and having an understanding of how and why you may be using a particular spirit, modifier, technique, glass etc.

It’s this intentionality that can make even the most simple classic cocktail shine from one bartender, while another falls short. This is the difference between a perfectly acceptable, good cocktail and one that makes your eyes light up.

AM: You have created cocktail pairings with Dominique Crenn, Stephanie Izard, and Jose Andrés. What is the synergy between an amazing dish and a cocktail that you're looking for?

CJ: Food and cocktail pairing is one of my favorite exercises.

At the time I opened my first craft cocktail bar, The Drawing Room in Chicago circa 2007, the best palates in the building were in the kitchen. We were just figuring things out behind the bar, so I got very close with the chefs and spent as much time as they’d allow in the kitchen. The head chef, Nick Lacasse, and I would often go to the Green City Farmer’s Market together and begin to talk about pairing ideas as we made our way through.

When I look at cocktails to pair with food, I prefer to let the chef create their dish first. I can more easily adjust a cocktail than they can rebalance an entire plate. From there, I think about complementary & contrasting flavors, textures, colors, temperatures, regionality, season, theme etc.

AM: As a bartender, you were on the judging panel with Andrew Zimmern and Emeril at Eric Ripert's Cayman Cookout. What did you enjoy about being part of this event?

CJ: It’s a massive honor to continue to be part of Cayman Cookout for so many years. They just celebrated their 15th anniversary. It’s one of the best around. Cayman Cookout is much more intimate than other festivals, so you can really interact with all of guests and talent.

Many food and wine events are dominated by chefs and sommeliers, so it’s important to have cocktail and spirit representation along the way. Our guests are certainly on board and excited about expanding the diversity of beverage offerings, so it makes sense.

I’ve always had a focus on the culinary side of cocktails and enjoyed working with chefs, whether at the Drawing Room, The Aviary or hosted dinners. It makes me so happy to see bartenders standing side-by-side with top culinary talent.

AM: You are the only American to ever win World Class by Diageo, you have been James Beard Awards Nominated and you're known for doing a number of signature events at Awards Season, the Kentucky Derby, celebrity parties, weddings, and more. What do you love about being someone who is involved in the process and bringing these moments together with a great sip!

CJ: I absolutely LOVE creating cocktails for events, dinners and special occasions. Designing a signature menu with such a specific occasion in mind is so much fun. You get to really unleash your creativity while taking into account the theme, event, attendees etc.

It also comes with challenges that I enjoy embracing. How do you create a striking cocktail worthy of the Emmys or Oscars, while making the flavor profile accessible to a couple thousand guests and then recreate that several thousand times over the course of an evening? It’s always a thrill to go through the process.

AM: You're in your 5th year of creating and serving signature cocktails at the Oscars and Emmys. When you're thinking of serving at these key red carpet moments, where do you start in terms of inspiration and creation?

CJ: I absolutely love working on both of these events and am so appreciative of the opportunity. We work with amazing teams on the brand side, like Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

We really look at the occasion. These are major award shows - the artists being nominated have worked their entire lives on their respective crafts and are being honored at the highest level. We want the drinks to match the occasion.

We talk to the Academy members to get insights into any particular themes, color schemes etc that they are focusing on and take that into account. Of course we look to the amazing lead spirits and all the ways we can showcase them. The final menu needs to have a diverse array of cocktail flavors, styles, glassware and profiles. In the 4-5 drinks we offer, I want to be able to find a favorite for every guest that comes up to the bar.

AM: In looking at the Emmys, Johnnie Walker Blue Label had a curated selection of cocktails as they were the Official Spirits Partner of the 75th Emmy® Awards. What do you enjoy about Johnnie Walker and for those that may not be familiar with Johnnie Walker Blue Label, can you tell us some tasting notes or what makes it different?

CJ: To say that Johnnie Walker Blue label is an iconic and revered spirit is an understatement. People were so excited to see those bottles gracing the bar and at the lead of our cocktails. I mean, what better way to celebrate?

We really worked hard to present this flagship Whisky in unexpected ways. You can make bright, refreshing drinks with scotch whisky, you can make Tiki cocktails with it and you can showcase it with progressive serve styles. Scotch can be for everyone.

The Johnnie Walker team, headed up by Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker, has access to over 10 million casks of whisky in Scotland. These whiskies cover a massive breadth of flavor and aroma profiles. Upon tasting the final product, especially with something as nuanced as Johnnie Walker Blue Label, you’ll find everything from fruity tropical notes, to spices and dried herbs, to woody-earthy-smoky tones and beyond. When we design a cocktail, we can focus in on any one or more of these notes and use that as a springboard for inspiration. The possibilities are literally endless.

AM: The drinks that you served show the versatility of scotch. What were the 3 drinks that were served and what was the inspiration behind them?

CJ: The three core cocktails each represented a unique style.

First up was the Rhapsody in Gold. This was playful and approachable. It turned what one may expect from a scotch cocktail on its head. A pour of Johnnie Walker Blue Label was accompanied by a splash of Zacapa No. 23 Rum. We pulled in seasonal citrus by way of lemon juice, a much more interesting, aromatic way to add acidity to the cocktail. Next, we layered in a golden spice syrup; introducing a hint of turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom and other spices. All of this was served in a hammered, gold aluminum cup over crushed ice. We topped this off with mint and an inverted 50ml bottle of Johhnie Walker Blue Label filled with Sidral soda. The result was a little bit Tiki and very celebratory.

Next we had The 75th, a cocktail directly inspired by the exceedingly popular Espresso Martini. Let me tell you, once you have this classic cocktail with scotch at the lead, you may never go back. It was of course named in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Emmy® Awards. I was designing the drinks heading into the holidays and must have had seasonal cookies on my mind, because this cocktail draws inspiration directly from a traditional ginger-snap cookie. We did a soft infusion of ginger and cinnamon to play on the inherent spice notes in Johnnie Walker Blue Label. A key part was using pure blackstrap molasses to balance the cocktail. This is much less sweet than typical sugar, has a mineral quality and heaps of complexity. The flavor bridge between the espresso, spices, molasses and scotch are perfect.

Last but not least was the Sleight of Hand. This one was a lot of fun, as it was meant to trick the mind a bit. The presentation looked like a classic, spirit-forward, stirred scotch cocktail (think Rob Roy, Old Fashioned etc), but the flavor ended up being crisp and relatively refreshing. I combined Johnnie Walker Blue Label with sweet vermouth, Pedro

Ximénez Sherry and Ume (plum) extract. This was brightened with a bit of lemon juice so the cocktail remained translucent but tasted like a whisky sour. We poured the cocktail over a perfect large-format cube from Abstract Ice in northern California, etched with the Johnnie Walker monogram. Finally, it was garnished with a bubble filled with bergamot orange vapor and released the aroma when the bubble would burst.

AM: The 75th Emmys was a great show to watch as we navigate a super-packed Award Season this year. What was it like to be there on that big night?

CJ: We love to be an oasis for guests at these events. I think a lot of attendees now expect us to be there and seek out our specialty bar. They know we’ll have something special waiting for them and give them a spot to hang out for a bit. The bar was absolutely hopping this year, but we have an amazing team with the expert crew from Liquid Productions and myself.

AM: What was it like for you to prepare for the Emmys and how long was the bar open for everyone to enjoy your creations?

CJ: It takes many months of planning and coordination to pull an event like this together. I can’t begin to tell you how many moving parts there are and the countless hours people put into it. From brand teams, to marketing and PR, the event staff, sound, lighting, catering, floral, photographers etc...there are a lot of unsung heroes. Being part of the team that makes it all happen is part of the fun.

We served our cocktails over the course of several events. While only one night of the awards is televised, there are several evenings of presentations, winners and parties. A typical event may have the bar open for around 6 hours. We are prepping on-site many days in advance and off-site for months prior.

AM: You've had a busy season from Awards Season to the Sundance Film Festival, how do you take some time for yourself?

CJ: 2024 certainly came strong out of the gates! It’s been such an exciting start to the year. I’m definitely aware of work-life balance, although it’s certainly not always perfect. I make sure to carve out quality time to see friends. I’ll often get up early and go for a run to clear my mind while traveling. The second I get home from a trip, I pretty much tackle my dog and we have a good snuggle session

IG @charlesjoly

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 74 + 81 Rich Polk/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Image | PG 77 + 78 DIAGEO

Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see AWARD WINNING SIPS | Charles Joly in mag.

Featured
MAR ISSUE OS CHARLES JOLY (1).png
Apr 8, 2024
CRAFT COCKTAILS WITH THE STARS | CHARLES JOLY
Apr 8, 2024
Apr 8, 2024
Screenshot-2023-12-21-at-2.17.30 PM.png
Mar 10, 2024
AWARDS SEASON | OSCARS WINNERS
Mar 10, 2024
Mar 10, 2024
AM JAN ISSUE OS CHARLES JOLY.png
Feb 25, 2024
AWARD WINNING SIPS | CHARLES JOLY
Feb 25, 2024
Feb 25, 2024
In AM, Food, Jan 2024, Awards Season, Awards Season 2023-2024 Tags Johnnie Walker, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Charles Joly, Diageo, Mixologist, Emmys, Oscars, Awards Season, Dominique Crenn, Stephanie Izard, Jose Andrés, Eric Ripert, The Drawing Room, Andrew Zimmern, Emeril, Eric Ripert's Cayman Cookout, James Beard Awards, Kentucky Derby
Comment

POWER OF THE SIP | LYNNETTE MARRERO

January 26, 2024

We always like talking about culinary history as we have shared over the course of our 96 issues, and cocktail/nightlife history is also interesting as the two go hand in hand! We sat down with Lynette Marrero, a mixologist and educator who shares more about the industry with us, and sets the scene for craft cocktails and what it was like in the early 2000's when we were just getting to know some of the city's favorite bartenders and restaurants. In addition, we talk about where she worked as well as being a Partner/Chief Mixologist at Delola, Jennifer Lopez's ready to drink brand. We talk about creating it during the pandemic along with launching the brand to an array of markets as well as how we can truly enjoy it. We also talk about her background as an educator and how she is using her knowledge and passion in order to create a community of bartenders.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you wanted to be a mixologist?

LYNETTE MARRERO: Well, I mean that started, I think during that transitional period for everyone. I was very reluctant to even get into hospitality initially. Mostly, because I didn’t want to be the cliché actor/waiter, because I was pursuing Broadway and all of that and I just thought, I can’t do that. I can’t be that person. It was definitely at the beginning of the cocktail boom where this wasn’t realized as a real industry yet! People were like, “what else do you do?” That was always the question. I was very reluctant to get in. I had been working at offices, I had been temping with everyone that I had went to college with and things like that.

Then, 9/11 happened and I thought, “well, I’m never going to go into an office again.” So I realized that I should figure out what this hospitality thing is. I was actually away doing a pre-Broadway show in California, and I came back to NY and I went to this wine bar on Clinton St. I talked my way in with just some basic answers I said, “I think that I can figure this out,” fudged my resume, got my job, and luckily in that space, I met some really incredible people who now would ultimately be big hospitality folks!

Michael Chernow of Seamore’s Group, he was one of the bartenders there, my friend Noel Cruz who was part of the Maharlika and Jeepney as well as Ichicoro Ramen. These are all of the people that I met and these were just the people that were doing our thing and Wylie Dufresne was opening the first WD-50 on the block and him and his dad Dewey would come in all of the time. So I started meeting all of these incredible people who were doing interesting things.

Then I switched into doing classic cocktails. There was a cocktail bar across town that was like a cigar lounge and so still, all the drinks that we were making were like Lime Key Lime Pie Martinis and the Godiva Chocolate, Black Chocolate Martinis or the White Chocolate Martini like 50/50. So it was such a moment and a time, but again, what I loved about it was, it was a predominantly women staff and there was a lot of camaraderie with the women that I was working with. We had really great regulars. It was about building community which is what I was really attracted to. So my friend Amber who was there, who was one of the bartenders, she started teaching me every so often, because I was a cocktail server, she would say, “let’s learn some drinks.” She started teaching me all of the classic dive bar drinks. Alabama Slammer and all of those different ones and I thought, “ok I will learn all of these things.” We would close Thursday nights and we went across town and there was a new bar that opened and that was the Flatiron Lounge and I remember walking in and at that time, it was Julie Reiner, herself bartending, her wife Susan Federoff who is still her business partner, and another woman, Michelle Connolly. I was like, “who are these women that are owning this space and owning this bar?” Walking into that bar that was very much of that time, that was a very 1920’s art deco space and then getting cocktails that were really made with fresh juice. And if they were a special color, it was because it was a fresh passion fruit juice and I was really intrigued by that and it really brought me to this place where I knew that there was a quality shift in the change. So I stalked them for about a year for a job, I went off and did a show, did a couple more shows, got married, and then a year later, I came back and I finally got a job there working for Julia. I started again as a cocktail server and this was another place where I started working with people who would be the super stars of today.

Phil Ward was working behind the bar. Katie Stipe creator of The Siesta, Toby Maloney – these were the people that I was able to work with and I could see that everyone has such a beautiful pride for what they were making. I started learning the drinks because we would have a flight of the day and it would all be based on classic cocktails in a theme. So, every day, I had to learn something new. I would ask questions. I knew I wanted to sell this and I needed to know all of the answers, I wanted to know what was going on, why they're were built that way, and so after some time, Toby and Phil thought that I would be a good bartender and that they should start training me. I finally got behind the bar and I loved it. I never turned back and I really loved how I felt that it was a show behind the bar. You were able to have this wonderful moment of connecting with people and giving them something that they’re asking for, a dealer’s choice and just talking through the menu and offering them a new experience. It was so much about really foraging a path where we would say all the time that, we’d tell them that if they didn’t like it, they can have something else. That was a really wonderful way of being able to create that trust in folks.

From there, I started working in restaurant bars so I worked at Freeman’s an iconic gastropub bar. Toby was also working there and he suggested that I should come there too! It was high volume, but it was cocktails. I started working there and I loved it! For me, it was an interesting place of finding where cocktails and food meet. It was really about understanding that dynamic which was what would propel me to where most of my career would be at. After that, I did some brand ambassador jobs for 2 years, I went back to consulting, but I was doing cocktail bars, and then I really found my footing around restaurant bar scene which was really where I felt that I had the most impact because we have a lot of new people coming in that go into restaurants, for different reasons. So it was a different recruitment of folks to the craft cocktail scene. But it was also about thinking about how the food it and I learned a lot from chefs on how to develop flavors, to extract flavors, different combinations – so I think that that whole path really brought me to where I was going to be going and have this crazy career that is fun, dynamic, and interesting.

AM: I remember when Freeman’s first opened! I want to say that I was there the second or the third week. The merge of food and beverage was really the first place that I truly learned about this dance that happens between the interplay of the two! Even though in the beginning it was incredibly difficult to get in there, I was there at least once a month. Just the play on the flavors.

So in prep for this interview and hearing about your background, the brands that you have worked with, which have been amazing, as a mixologist, you have also held the role as an educator, can you tell us what this is in the world of mixology?

LM: Absolutely! I think that what’s great to your point, is that we were all kind of figuring this out together. We were finding all of the old dusty books and people like Dave Wondrich were decoding it for us and Gary "Gaz" Regan (1001 Mixed Drinks and Everything You Need to Know, The Book of Bourbon and Other Fine American Whiskeys, The Joy of Mixology) and Dale would be showing us these techniques. There was a lot of nuance that you had to think about. So not just where these cocktails started, where they began, and the interpretation with the ingredients that we have now. Like Claret wine is not something that we typically use, so if you’re going to do a NY Sour, you’re going to have to think about what that wine style is and that education started by going down to Tales of the Cocktail and doing a lot of classes that were based on technique or history of drinks. So I think it can really run the range from that. I think that that was the ground – how do we get everyone to want to adapt and care about these little ingredients, mixers, and fresh juice and why? So a lot of that education then was technique driven.

As the years have evolved, I get into specific categories of spirits and the ranges. So I spend a lot of time with Rum education and doing a lot of that and training with Lorena Vásquez from Zacapa Rum who is the Master Blender. Getting those details, asking questions, learning about the fermentation and all of that. That process is so important when you’re talking about ingredients, beverages, and knowing where they come from as well as knowing why they are the way they are.

And you know, leaning into where Speed Rack grew, it was more so about getting into conversations about really the culture of hospitality. Educating on DEI and how to make an inclusive environment and if you are someone out there who is trying to recruit more women in your space, why are they not coming to you? Here are the key markers, here’s how you support and sustain diversity, and not just tokenism. That’s where a lot of the conversations are right now, I think.

Of course, I love doing classes on pairing drinks with food as there is so much indepth conversation on that! I read books like Zero: A New Approach To Non-Alcoholic Drinks from Chef Grant Achatz and it really changes my framing and mind when I’m doing cocktails with spirit, low-proof, or no-proof, there’s just this thought process about how flavors and beverages pair. I really enjoy getting more deeply involved with that.

AM: Tell me about your brand, Drinks at 6.

LM: So Drinks at 6 is the company that I call my consulting company. I don’t know if you ever saw Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

AM: Of course!

LM: So, the card that she sends the gentleman caller says, “Drinks at 6.” So to me, it’s like that wild party in that house is like the ultimate house party. It’s wacky and crazy and everyone is having martinis. For me, it was the epitome of what having fun is. Taking the seriousness out of craft cocktails and making it more approachable and fun. Initially, I started that company to elevate things like catering at different weddings and things that now are way more common. I was really thinking about how do we change what this thing is. We don’t want it to be stodgy, it doesn’t have to be an old 1880’s replica bar, but it’s something like being able to invite your friends so that they can come over. So I think that that turned me into this person. I love entertaining. That’s why when I look at something like developing Delola, it’s another way of being able to democratize cocktails. It’s about putting it in that bottle and making it delicious and there’s a way to do that right. We don’t have to be all pretentious about it, like how dare we? But there is a way to bring people in with a beautiful package and a great thought process that I think is where we want to be and it’s about that simplicity of having that, a great party, entertainment and making it hospitable for everybody.

AM: Who have been some of the brands that you have worked with under that umbrella?

LM: I mean, I did a ton of work under Diageo for a long period of time, working with Zacapa Rum, but also brands would bring me on to develop some strategy for them. But I really took it on with my restaurant bar consulting so you know, the Mama Group I was there for about 6.5 years working with Chef Eric – it’s run the list of folks that I’ve worked with. I think that a lot of that exposure and access led to things like being recruited for MasterClass.com. Having that opportunity to again be let into people’s houses and rooms via an online medium. It's great to teach people how to break down and demystify building cocktails and building drinks and making it approachable even if you’re making them super fancy – there’s a way to talk about them.

AM: Tell me about Delola and how this came about. I had heard about it for about a year or so and I had actually seen it in person and the Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival that happened a few weeks ago here in NY.

LM: Yup!

AM: We didn’t have a chance to get over there because we were in the thick of interviews. But you are a partner of this company, you’re the Chief Mixologist along with Jennifer Lopez. Tell us more about it.

LM: Yeah I mean, it’s pretty wild and it’s so great! I was just reflecting upon this with our team and to have an opportunity to be recognized and to have someone of such a caliber who says, “you’re an expert in your field and I want to recruit you to work with me on something and to actually give you credit for it!” I think that that’s what I love about it! It’s a building up of talent and a true respect for what I do and what my job and role is.

I had been doing some work with Ken Austin and Jenna Fagnan they do Teremana and have The Rock and during the pandemic, I had been doing some work with them to basically do Zoom Happy Hours and I was all over that!

They had been talking to Jennifer for quite some time about what kind of a product that she wanted to do and she told them that she wasn’t going to make a tequila, she wasn’t going to make a rum, she’s not a high proof spirits person and it’s not the style of the way that she likes to drink. She likes for everything to be balanced, she likes colorful, delicious, and fresh drinks. It’s the kinds of things that she sees when she's in Capri during the summer. She really wanted to create something that when she tells her trainer that she had it, it wouldn’t be an issue! So, there was nothing really in the market that satisfied that right? I mean, there's things in the market like hard seltzers that don’t have a ton of calories, but then they don’t have a full flavor right? It was about accomplishing a few tasks. I want to have the diet cake, but it still needs to taste like cake.

AM: True!

LM: Yeah, so that was kind of the idea and they kind of briefed me on the project. I made up a few prototypes at first. So it was about what the style of the drink was, the flavors that she wanted, and then they were sent so this was all during the pandemic, they went to Jennifer. She was really great. So it was like, here are 5 ideas and she’d come back saying what she liked, what she didn’t resonate with – she let me know that they were all delicious, but it didn’t fit with her. So that was great, the ultimate dealer’s choice. So I’d edit it back and refine it, she let me know what she liked, that she wanted to incorporate elderflower and I thought that was great and would be perfect for the Paloma. It was that great back and forth of that perfect moment of the best dealer’s choice. She’s so good at communicating what that vision is – which is incredible. The last thing that you want is for someone to come up to your bar and to tell you that they want something like this but not too sweet – but there’s zero direction. I mean it’s like please give me a direction that you want to go into. I mean there’s a whole range! With some people you have to ask 20,000 questions.

I love that her direction is always very clear and when I would her things and she landed on what she liked, it was about going to the process of taking that and working with our team to find the right botanicals and to replicate it. It’s very hard because you’re batching a drink in a bottle. It’s something that I do all the time in bars and restaurants, but it’s a lot more complicated when you want it to be on a shelf, in a store. Because we had such strict personal goals that were set by our founder, having those organic botanicals, making sure that we can get into places where wellness is really respected like Whole Foods – we knew we were not going to use artificial coloring and all of those different things. So it makes it a lot harder to make it stabilized. That was a really wonderful process to go through and to learn so much about building a beverage like this. Then of course, seeing it born into the world.

AM: The packaging is beautiful. I love the fact that it’s a beautiful bottle and I also love the ease of opening it with a twist off cap, but that it is presented in an elegant way. There has been a lot of care that has been brought together with something that is a ready to drink product, but it’s the confluence of those nice elements that come together. Just that alone must have been something that everyone on that team went back and forth on many times.

LM: I mean, listen, you can see that Jennifer has done some really beautiful entertainment things. She has a beautiful spread, she loves spending time with family, she has these beautiful tablescapes and it was really important that that was a bottle that sits on a table that looks presentational and that you can give it as a gift to somebody. To me, that is that democratization of craft cocktails. You can bring this bottle and it still has an elevated look that you can feel. It’s not a can that you open and that you have to finish. When you screw the top back on, it will stay bubbly for a few days and you can enjoy it that way. I find that all of those details are so important and Jennifer really wanted to put so much of her personal life into it. The colors are obviously inspired by Capri, but with our designers she made an homage to The Bronx Crest which is at the top of the bottle to always remember where her roots are. A lion and a lioness on the bottle because she's a Leo and so is Ben.

She wanted to have these little things so that when she held the bottle, she knew it was her and not anyone else. I think that that’s really great about standing up and putting your stamp on something.

There’s a real and true passion for what we’re doing as well as the company with those pillars and what we’re here to do. It’s about that presentational piece and it’s why we’re in glass and not in a can. We have the 375ml and the 750ml – it would be a lot easier with a can as there would be different shelving needs. I love that she is behind the vision and she is going to make it work and we will get everyone to understand what we are doing. I think that with her integrity and the way that she pushes through, you go boldly and you do what you feel. We’re making a strong statement on what Delola is and what we want it to be. We’re not backing down from that and it’s really great to have that kind of support and mission. It makes it a lot more clear.

AM: As a fashion stylist, I’m always about the aesthetics and my big thing is accessories, so when I’m looking at this bottle. A beauty product that has vanity appeal, this product has bar cart appeal. You don’t want to have an amazing beverage, but then have to hide the bottle because you know it looks janky.

LM: Yup!

AM: This one has a nice heft to it and so hearing all of the elements from it, I can see that there was a lot of care that was brought to what we have now. Then the fact that you can just pop it over ice and be done with it, that’s nice. I do love a nice cocktail and making one, but sometimes you just want to pour and sit after a long day.

LM: Absolutely! That’s why when you go to someone’s house to get together for a party, it’s just easy to bring the easy thing. We should have other choices as opposed to reverting to a wine. We should be able to have cocktails at any time.

I also love where the proof lies with the first range that we have. I think that’s a very comfortable range for bringing a lot of people in. It’s very mindful and it’s lower than a lot of wines, full flavored, that’s nice because of the occasions that you’re having it – with a full meal, an aperitivo hour, brunch – it really fits into a lot of different lifestyle moments.

AM: I enjoyed the L’Orange the other night while having Truffle Popcorn.

LM: Oh yeah! We’ve been doing a ton of charcuterie with it too. So it’s really great when you have all of those cheeses. I love moving into Paloma when you have seafood. It’s fresh and then having guacamole which is really beautiful. We have a really great recipe that Chef Grace Ramirez made for us which she actually put in some sliced apples and pomegranate seeds – really yummy! I think that with Bella Berry, she’s sort of a surprise. She’s the little punch. It doesn’t have a proxy cocktail. It’s its own cocktail. It has hibiscus, there’s berry, but a lot of it can lean towards – if you put fruit in it, a berry punch. Add cinnamon sticks and some of those flavors pop and it leans more to a sangria style cocktail or a full flavor punch cocktail. So I love playing with each one and I love that they are all so unique. The range stands as something where people are going to have their favorites, but we are going to have something for a range of folks.

AM: It’s great that it is in that better for you category. Can we delve into that a little bit more as our readers will want to know more about that. We enjoy covering hard seltzers and it sits where it sits. We know that as great as many of them tastes, some do have significant sugars which also sits where it sits. Where does Delola sit?

LM: So we’re very low sugar. A traditional cocktail of this style can have up to 16g of sugar per pour. We are under 5g. That’s huge right? That alone, you can feel it. You take a sip of it you’re not feeling your mouth –

AM: Granulated!

LM: Exactly it’s not coated with sugar and it’s very clean and very fresh. Even the ones that are fruity like Bella Berry, you smell it and you get that really fruity scent where you expect to have this very sweet taste and it’s dry because of the hibiscus. So that was super important to us to work on that and that’s who we’re able with proof and with sugar to be able to keep those calories down too. How many cocktails have derailed and ruined all the hard work you’ve done? So it’s nice that you can say you know where you can fit this in my planning for what you’re doing. It’s great during the holidays because it’s so hard with all the parties that you’re going to here and there. You want to enjoy everything, but there are so many calories and you try not to obsess. So, it’s something that you don’t have to think about.

AM: Couldn’t agree more!

Because it is the holiday season, let’s get into some food pairings with these drinks! What would you pair with each one of them?

LM: So, I love that I’m thinking of starting with that beautiful cheese board and tablescape. Everyone loves having a beautiful cheese plate and right now, using apples instead of sliced bread. So L’Orange and Bella Berry slot right into that space. There’s so many kinds of cheeses where I think they work so if you’re going to go with Blue Cheese and something rich that usually has a fruited jam, then I would probably have Bella Berry with that one. A Gorgonzola and a Bella Berry would be a beautiful contrast between the two. L’Orange I like with things like a Monchengo, a really good cheddar too. Orange goes well with that with that rind and that juiciness. I would also go with some maybe gouda and things like that that are sharp and really clean. Brie can maybe go with a couple of them either Berry or Orange depending on which way you want to go. A baked Brie is awesome with this.

After moving from the cheese and charcuterie plate, I’d like to go into a shrimp cocktail and simple little foods that you’re going to have like stuffed mushrooms and things like that that are going to go around a party. I would have that with Orange or Paloma. It really goes into that vibrant zestiness. There’s a bunch of delicious recipes that I saw that really looks at this time of year. The pomegranate seeds show up, Brussel Sprouts and sauteed bacon – that’s awesome with Berry because that will amplify that flavor. There’s so many ways and of course Bella Berry with roasted meats. If you’re having a gorgeous steak, beautiful lamb roast, these are classic pairings. Berries and those things go together. You can have lingonberries which also goes really well.

Then at the end, I would have some delicious truffles and things like that because chocolate and orange are a natural combination. Then, if you want to go with the super dark chocolate, you can then do grapefruit and Bella Berry with that so you have a lot of different ways.

We did a great event in Nashville that was a full on pairing that had this beautiful fried chicken that came out and we had that paired with the Orange. We had the seafood tower paired with the Paloma and then we had the cheese and the charcuterie to start with the Bella Berry.

AM: Amazing!

Which one is your favorite?

LM: Ugh, always the hardest question. I love them all for different reasons right? The Orange for me is that perfect one that I love best at brunch. It’s the lightest in flavor right? My palette is still waking up so having that first is nice. I also enjoy it during the Aperitivo hour right? I’m not quite ready so I want to pique my appetite and that's a perfect time.

For me, Paloma – it has that hint of sea salt in there. On a hot day, I just want to crush a Paloma. It’s refreshing and when we were in Miami in July, that was what was saving me because it has that bright freshness.

For me, that Bella Berry is for when I’m relaxing with it and getting into more of that fruited wine moment. It allows me to sit and sip with it.

AM: As we look ahead to 2024, what are things that we can expect with the brand whether it be products being added to the assortment, sponsoring more events, where will we see you?

LM: We will definitely be working on new cocktails. That’s always the excitement when you’re working with a range like this. We’re learning a lot from year 1 where we started with the Spritz cocktails as the first launch and then we will see where else we want to innovate because that is always exciting. What do we want, where else can we solve, and what else goes with our mission here? What are more options that you can enjoy with food that are better than their traditional proxy? This year, I’m really loving this entertaining moment that we have had for this holiday. It was really exciting to see how much people resonated with that and the setups that we have had and we did a huge Parachute market in LA. Just setting it up with the little cart, people thought that it was amazing because when you don’t have time and you’re running around, they appreciate our message and how we can be in their moments. I’d love to see us get involved with Galentines Day, Women’s History Month which is big for us because we believe in shaking things up in the industry and having women’s founders is huge in this space that doesn’t normally have as many. We want to highlight and support different events and communities that are celebrating on women’s history month. Spring and Summer is going to be wild because that is the season where everyone is thinking light and fresh. It’s a more natural time where people are thinking about trimming down and getting ready for beach season. It’s nice when we have these moments to flow through that we can work with in different seasons for different reasons.

AM: I’ve been at a lot of private events and editor events so you’re constantly trying various foods and beverages and in many cases you have them quite a lot! I have to say that I was really interested in trying L’Orange as I know its proxy is the Aperol Spritz which is actually not one of my favorites – and I have had it a lot. I do like bitter beverages, but that one is one that never really speaks to me; however, I like the L’Orange and I was surprised.

LM: To your point, a lot of people are still hearing and learning about that cocktail and so they just want to try it. But there are so many elements that can go wrong. If it’s a cheap prosecco, it amplifies the bitter, if the proportions are off – then it’s not going to be good. Some people are more sensitive to bitter so we just wanted to have a balance to make sure that the bitterness was there, but not to overpower it. We wanted to pair the orange with passion fruit to bring a different tanginess to it and there’s some herbal chamomile.

AM: Which I love that.

LM: Yeah, those are the aromas that you want without being overbearing.

AM: Stepping away from Delola, in prep for this interview I was looking through your LinkedIn as your resume is impressive! So you worked with Nestle Water as a mixologist. I know that they have Perrier – which I’m a huge fan of so what was your role there as I never thought of a mixologist working with a water brand!

LM: I mean, my whole goal and strategy in working with them was – I mean it’s funny because I have been through their water training – Perrier is a moment, San Pellegrino is another moment. Why? It’s because of their different salinity. Pellegrino is actually a smaller bubble which I like and I say that Deloa is more like a San Pellegrino bubble because it's not like it has that big feeling it cleans your palette which is why it goes so well with food.

It was just really fun because I would come up with a lot of ideas for them. Some of them would be that we would take buyers to Art Basel and I would create these different infusions with Perrier and I would make my own tisanes. There’s be a glass jar and we’d pour the Perrier over it and the bubbles would extract the peat and then they’d have these things like revive and relax. We would change the different botanicals for those modes.

It was also about using water in a lot of different sparkling cocktails. Thinking about depending on the kind of water you’re using, the cocktails change right? You should think about your ingredients and if you’re thinking about everything else, why wouldn’t you think about the sparkling water that you are putting into a cocktail? They’re all so different and they all bring different things to it.

Having that education, it was pretty fun to be able to stretch your brain on such a nerdy topic!

AM: I love it! I love using Perrier Cucumber in a lot of my cocktails so I get it. But when I saw it, I knew I was going to ask you!

LM: It’s a whole different thing! I did an event for Spindrift this past fall where they set up at the corner of West Broadway and they had a full on tropical truck and I made full on cocktails. It’s a stretch. When you’re thinking outside of the box – you just have to go for it. I did one cocktail with their new Mint Tea one and I did a Matcha Cocktail with Coconut Water and they thought it was so wild, but it all worked! It’s green on green but you're stretching your brain and you just think about it and get inspired, look at cookbooks, and you get the ideas of how to flavor build - you get to try different combinations and again, that led me to putting orange, chamomile and passion fruit together. L’Orange is a different way in thinking about beverages and so anytime that I have the opportunity to learn about something else, that’s helpful when I take that knowledge with me to cocktails.

AM: You’re the Co-Founder of Speed Rack, tell me why it was created, about the event, and what does it do?

LM: Before I started Speed Rack, I kind of started another group before. It was called LUPEC Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails. I started the NY chapter after meeting the women in Boston who had a chapter. They were getting together, they had produced a little cocktail book, it was really cute and we met at Tales of the Cocktail and they were doing events with cocktails in their community to raise money for women’s based charities. So everything from women’s shelters to women’s professional development programs like Dress For Success. I thought it was a great idea! It helps you build a great community together and to your point, I knew that there were more women in the bar scene but I didn’t know where they were hiding.

When I started working for Zacapa, you get your brand list of places to go and it pushed me out of my comfort zone. Normally, I would go to where all of my friends were. Most of those were male bartenders. So it brought me to other spaces and I started meeting these incredible bartenders. One of them was Eryn Reece who was our 2nd year Speed Rack winner and has been our coach for the last few years. Her competitors have won twice in the last few years and I realized that there were all of these women, but I didn’t know them and that was a shame. So if we all get together and work together, we’ll amplify. We’d make Death & Co give us their bar, we’d take it over from 5-7 for a charity event. The guys at Tao would give us their basement and we’d do a whole event and that's how it started. I met my partner in Speed Rack one night working when Phil Ward asked me to fill in one night. I agreed that I would put the cocktail tray back in my hand for 1 night to help him out. He had triplets working for him that were his servers and one of them was getting married so that’s 3 of your staff that has to be some place! I was the only sever available and I didn’t know her. She told me that she was trying to get into bartending and I told her about the group and that she could do some of the events with us. That’s when she said it was a really interesting idea and that maybe we could do something else like a kind of competition. It’s a way that people could do it together and I love food and TV – so let’s do Chopped meets a beverage competition. So we do classic cocktails and you really just show what they would be doing on a Fri/Sat night. Half of them were working in the server bars cranking out rounds of drinks and no one saw them. So they were hidden, but in doing these events, they were being brought to the forefront. We literally created a pedestal where they could stand there and show everyone how incredibly talented they are.

That’s how Speed Rack started – here we are 12 years later we have a cocktail book coming out April 30th – it’s 80 wom en all over the world who have competed in Speed Rack and we raise money for Breast Cancer Research and Education. We’ve really worked with some incredible partners, the Pink Agenda is one of our biggest partners. This year was amazing to have Delola sponsor our cocktail bar with the pink Paloma and it was really great and it’s a great organization that tackles breast cancer from a lot of different angles. It’s about research, women supporting women and granting a wish to Giuliana Rancic’s charity so if someone is going through Breast Cancer treatment, they get some sort of wish granted and it’s just a really beautiful moment. The folks in the room are really committed to eradicating this disease and it’s really great to be able to see that and what we can do for our community.

AM: Absolutely!

Are there events coming up for next year that we can know about?

LM: Yes, we’ll be putting out a schedule for 2024 around the book so we have NY, Chicago and we culminate at Tales of the Cocktail with the National Finals. One thing that took place during the pandemic is that we realized that we could reach more bartenders so we actually have a very big portion of our finalists that come – we pick them through online applications and we film their videos and we have our coaches who do this mentorship of bringing back past winners. They help make a team and then that team trains together for the National Finals. They come in with 6 friends and they all train as a group and it’s really great to see how they all help each other and that’s the beauty of it and what we talk about in general on how we all work together in this industry. We have to lift each other up and to stick together. It’s not a competition, I’m in competition with myself not with you!

AM: Well when it comes back through to NY, we have to check it out!

I’m a huge fan of Bar Convent Brooklyn and have been to it a few times. You’re the Head of Education for this tell me for this tell me about your role here and for those who don’t know about this event, can you tell us about it although we have covered it in years past in our issues.

LM: I’m the Head of Education for Bar Convent Brooklyn. The first Bar Convent I went to was many years ago in Berlin. It’s a conference and the difference between Bar Convent Berlin and Bar Convent Brooklyn is that in Brooklyn, it’s more of an elevated tradeshow so what’s great about it is that for 2 days, you have everyone bringing everything in from countries of spirits together to being able to taste Italy and all of the Amaro spirits together.

You can also try emerging types of spirit brands together. There’s breaking boundaries in new spirits, new agave, and things like that. Then you can see really great activations from brands that are bringing you into their world. There’s always great things happening with the Shochu and the Japanese area which is so fun because there is always something new. Then team Peru which I have helped run their booth for the last couple of years, they always have a big llama but they are showing you the beauty of Pisco and the range like 20 folks – 20 suppliers and you’re tasting it. So that’s really great to enjoy those nuances. Then there are educational stages that are led by brands which they may bring in an expert like Don Lee and they have a whole seminar of the types and then there’s Park Street which are seminars that are focused on business. It’s a track focusing on new brands learning about distribution. Then there’s the Main Stage which I’m the Head of Education on – I have a wonderful team of experts that are all over the country and they weigh in on the 8 or 10 picks that are 5 per day for the sessions that are a range of topics. We feel as a group that these are the emerging and trending conversations that you want to have. In the past, we have had the reinvention of the no and low conversation, a full on alternative agave conversation – not just tequila, last year we had discussions on hospitality with Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Mr Lyan where he talked about some of his failures and how they led to success. It led to this conversation of what does hospitality mean. It’s a really great process because we all get to sit together, rate the topics and ideas, and sometimes we match make too. So the team weighs in with me to see what I like and then I get to task to communicate directly with the people that submitted and see how we can restructure their discussions or pair them up if 2 people have the same idea. Maybe by doing it together they can share their differing perspectives. It’s really great to have that viewpoint for education.

I spent a few years on the Tales of the Cocktail education. I did 3 years there so I was very specifically at that time on the business track so I worked with them on that and now I work on culture, business, and other topics!

AM: That’s amazing!

What do you have coming out next year that we should keep an eye out for?

LM: I don’t know yet what the year is going to bring! I know for sure that year 2 of Delola, it will be our first full year because we launched in April of last year. So I’m really excited to see what a Jan – Dec year looks like. It’s kind of nice to see and to go back in markets where people will have already tried us and it will be a part two! It will be fun to see where that relationship will grow and develop.

The book is coming out and as I said, I’m really excited for the book tour! Being able to collaborate in the markets with the contributors will be amazing. We’re going to finalize where our tour will be and just getting out there and being there! The book is unapologetically pink! This is just the sample!

AM: Oh I love the metallic pink!

LM: We’re bold! If you’re intimidated by how pink this book is, then you’re not our audience!

IG @drinksat6

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Delola

Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see POWER OF THE SIP | Lynnette Marrero in mag.

Featured
AM APR ISSUE #112 TRRR 130.png
May 18, 2025
ATHLEISURE LIST | THE RA RA ROOM
May 18, 2025
May 18, 2025
c0398758-f670-485f-85fd-6391ff2918de-retina-large.jpg
May 17, 2025
ATHLEISURE LIST | TACOMBI
May 17, 2025
May 17, 2025
9M APR 25 XY.png
May 14, 2025
THE 9LIST 9M3NU
May 14, 2025
May 14, 2025
In AM, Dec 2023, Food Tags Delola, Lynnette Marrero, Bar Convent Brooklyn, Ready-To-Drink, Better-For-You, Drinks at 6, Jennifer Lopez, Mixologist, Head Educator, Michael Chernow, Seamore's Group, Wylie Dufresne, WD-50, Julie Reiner, Phil Ward, Katie Stipe, The Siesta, Toby Maloney, Freeman's, Dave Wondrich, Gary "Gaz" Regan, Tales of the Cocktail, Lorena Vasquez, Zacapa Rum, Speed Rack, Chef Grant Achatz, Breakfast at Tiffany's, MasterClass, Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival, Chief Mixologist, Ken Austin, Jenna Fagnan, Teremana, The Rock, Zoom, Happy Hour, Whole Foods, Aperol Spritz, Nestle Water, Perrier, San Pellegrino, Dress for Success, Chopped, Giuliana Rancic's, Ryan Chetiyawardana, Mr Lyan
Comment

PHOTO CREDIT | Jose Cuervo

NATIONAL MARGARITA DAY

February 21, 2023

We’ve been a fan of tequila as it’s so versatile whether you’re sipping it straight or making a dynamic cocktail. We wanted to know more about this spirit and took some time with Jaime Salas, Tequila Expert and Head of Agave Advocacy at Jose Cuervo to talk about National Margarita Day which is Feb 22nd, how we can pair this beverage and what he looks for when it comes to tequila.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What is a Mixologist?

JAIME SALAS: A Mixologist is someone who concocts cocktails and they don’t necessarily have to have had come from bartending if that explains it a bit more. You have a bartender that can be equally as good, but a Mixologist is someone who plays with flavors, liquid form like a cook would, but not necessarily having had that backdrop. So you could be both, but you can be a Mixologist that hasn’t been a bartender.

AM: So you’re the Tequila Expert and the Head of Agave Advocacy at Jose Cuervo, what does that role entail and why do you enjoy it?

JS: Wow, that role entails in short form, me advocating and talking to people – anyone who will listen to information about Tequila and agave. It’s about the culture, the provenance, the heritage – all of those things especially as you can imagine, working with Jose Cuervo which has had over 250 years of Tequila making, experience and know-how. It’s an opportunity for me to be able to spread the joy that is Tequila if you will. More importantly, it’s about engaging in training, bartenders, consumers alike on the benefits of how to mix a drink to your point earlier. Or even looking at the cultural significance behind the production and what and how we do what we do. So advocacy for me is really about spreading the word and getting people to talk and getting people to better understand our products and more importantly, the category that they belong to.

PHOTO CREDIT | Jaime Salas’ IG @jthetequilaguy

AM: That’s fantastic!

What do you look for when you are trying a tequila?

JS: Well the first thing that you mentioned is what I love about it – that’s my favorite part about it by the way. It’s the ability to be able to explore flavors – not just Tequila ha ha. Of course, I love Tequila! But it’s about trying flavors in a cocktail and also the Tequila itself. So when it comes to Tequila as a base spirit for example, in a Margarita or what have you. I want something citrus, something that’s bright and has a lot of agave presence. Something that speaks to me and says that it is clearly Tequila. Something that has a bit of terroir – that salinity, that grittiness, and that sort of Earthiness. Tequila is a very unique spirit that comes from the Asparagaceae (formerly Agavaceae) succulent. There is nothing quite like it. I think that I look for all of those flavors that speak to that.

AM: We love Tequila. Here at Athleisure Mag, we’re always talking about why it’s a great beverage to drink. National Margarita Day is Feb 22nd. As a Tequila fan, what is a great go-to classic that we can enjoy.

JS: Well that’s just it. Part of what we’re doing today is showing folks how they can enjoy National Margarita Day at home or out and about in a ready to drink fashion. One that’s easy to level up, one that’s easy to enjoy when you’re entertaining guests and you want to enjoy the cocktail.

What I have here is Jose Cuervo Authentic Margaritas. We have the world’s #1 Margarita lineup in 3 delectable flavors. I wanted to showcase 3 different ways that you can level up!

We have the authentic Mango Marg, clearly very tropical and if you have ever had a slice of mango with a little chili sauce, so we have this Mango Marg with a chili salt rim over the rocks and it’s a pairing made in heaven. You have the brightness, the citric quality and the tropical note from the mango. It’s comingled with that heat so think of sweet and heat when you think of the Mango Marg with that chili lime rim. Then we have that authentic Lime Margarita. Here it’s more of a sensorial play so we have it with that highball glass. So think of it with a seltzer, but don’t fear, you can use different seltzer flavors if you like. You can use something more tropical if you like. You can add another level of flavor to your classic authentic Lime Margarita and it’s going to make it a sparkly Margarita. Then we have our authentic Pink Lemonade and here we thought that we would showcase how easy it is to pour into a large vessel or a punch bowl and layer in some contrasting lemon wheels which accentuate further that citric note and have your guests serve themselves. That’s more time to celebrate and less time for prepping.

AM: Obviously, you can have Margaritas alone, but they’re better with friends and food pairings. It’s so tasty with chili, tacos and steaks. What would you do in terms of pairings?

JS: You hit it spot on! For me, it’s all about flavor profiles. I think that Mexican in general works really well right? It’s a great cultural pairing. These 2 things were brought up together if you will. That savoriness that we look for in Mexican cooking – there’s a little bit of zestiness, brightness depending on the dish, fattiness depending on the type of taco - for example you get the meat that you fill it with. Clearly, avocado and guacamole can be done in 50 million different ways. So the idea is, getting something that is equally as bright or rich or savory so that the Margarita can be either a contrast or a compliment. But you want an ice-cold Margarita in hand, perhaps a Mango one that is going to go really great with a Brisket Taco or a taco that is on the fattier side. Those are all very complimentary flavors. My general rule of thumb would be, get something bright and zesty. Mexican is a great go-to, but always along the lines of something that is either going to contrast or compliment the very thing that you are sipping alongside that.

AM: With National Margarita Day coming up, what are you guys doing?

JS: You can visit us at Cuervo Margarita Shake-Up and you’ll learn more about our authentic Margarita flavors, you’ll learn more about how to host with them and clearly how to celebrate National Margarita Day. More interestingly, you’ll have the opportunity to submit your own recipe and flavor profile for a chance to win up to $100,000 in cash and prizes. The idea is that here we have our Tropical Paradise Margarita which launched last year. You or I next year could be celebrating one of our friend’s submissions assuming that they win. That I think is a point of pride that I think that anybody would be happy to be able to share!

AM: So fun! As an aside, if we were able to go home with you, how many Tequila bottles do you have in terms of items that you have samples? I’m assuming you have something that is the equivalent of a wine room.

JS: Yeah, more then I care to really admit to! Probably too many that should really be cohabitating with me right now. I think that I’m upwards right now of about 600 bottles –

AM: Oh wow!

JS: As an enthusiast you know, I love to play around with cocktails and more importantly, I like to collect and share those Tequilas with my friends.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

Featured
AM APR ISSUE #112 TRRR 130.png
AM, Apr 2025, Athleisure List, Food, Travel
ATHLEISURE LIST | THE RA RA ROOM
AM, Apr 2025, Athleisure List, Food, Travel
AM, Apr 2025, Athleisure List, Food, Travel
c0398758-f670-485f-85fd-6391ff2918de-retina-large.jpg
AM, Apr 2025, Athleisure List, Food
ATHLEISURE LIST | TACOMBI
AM, Apr 2025, Athleisure List, Food
AM, Apr 2025, Athleisure List, Food
9M APR 25 XY.png
AM, Apr 2025, Food, THE 9LIST 9M3NU
THE 9LIST 9M3NU
AM, Apr 2025, Food, THE 9LIST 9M3NU
AM, Apr 2025, Food, THE 9LIST 9M3NU
In AM, Food Tags Jose Cuervo, Food, Margarita, Mixologist, Mango Marg, Lime Margarita, Pink Lemonade, Mexican, Tequila, Agave, Cuervo Margarita Shake-Up, Tropical Paradise Margarita, National Margarita Day, Jaime Salas, Tequila Expert, Head of Agave Advocacy, Cocktails
Comment
AM MAR #TRIBEGOALS.jpg

#TRIBEGOALS

March 28, 2020

Read the March Issue of Athleisure Mag and see #TRIBEGOALS in mag.

Featured #TRIBEGOALS
_TRIBEGOALS.png
May 5, 2025
#TRIBEGOALS
May 5, 2025
May 5, 2025
_TRIBEGOALS.png
Apr 2, 2025
#TRIBEGOALS
Apr 2, 2025
Apr 2, 2025
_TRIBEGOALS.png
Mar 3, 2025
#TRIBEGOALS
Mar 3, 2025
Mar 3, 2025
_TRIBEGOALS.png
Feb 3, 2025
#TRIBEGOALS
Feb 3, 2025
Feb 3, 2025
_TRIBEGOALS.png
Jan 2, 2025
#TRIBEGOALS
Jan 2, 2025
Jan 2, 2025
_TRIBEGOALS.png
Dec 2, 2024
#TRIBEGOALS
Dec 2, 2024
Dec 2, 2024
_TRIBEGOALS.png
Nov 4, 2024
#TRIBEGOALS
Nov 4, 2024
Nov 4, 2024
_TRIBEGOALS.png
Oct 2, 2024
#TRIBEGOALS
Oct 2, 2024
Oct 2, 2024
_TRIBEGOALS.png
Sep 7, 2024
#TRIBEGOALS
Sep 7, 2024
Sep 7, 2024
_TRIBEGOALS.png
Aug 3, 2024
#TRIBEGOALS
Aug 3, 2024
Aug 3, 2024
In #TribeGoals, Mar 2020 Tags Saffron Road, NOCCO, Old Trapper, Monkey Shoulder, Cupcake Vineyards, Elouan, Casillero Del Diablo, Reyka Vodka, Mixologist
Comment

GET ATH MAG

Read the APR ISSUE #112.

GET YOUR COPY OF APR ISSUE #112

Personal trainers
Personal Trainer Jobs

Sign up for our newsletter!

Sign up for our newsletter!


PODCAST NETWORK

ATHLEISURE STUDIO SLATE.jpg
LISTEN TO ALL OF #TRIBEGOALS’ EPISODES ON SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCAST, GOOGLE PODCAST AND MORE

LISTEN TO ALL OF #TRIBEGOALS’ EPISODES ON SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCAST, GOOGLE PODCAST AND MORE

LISTEN TO ALL OF ATHLEISURE KITCHEN’S EPISODES ON iHEARTRADIO, SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCAST, GOOGLE PODCAST AND MORE

LISTEN TO ALL OF ATHLEISURE KITCHEN’S EPISODES ON iHEARTRADIO, SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCAST, GOOGLE PODCAST AND MORE

LISTEN TO ALL OF BUNGALOW SK’S EPISODES ON iHEARTRADIO, SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCAST, GOOGLE PODCAST AND MORE

LISTEN TO ALL OF BUNGALOW SK’S EPISODES ON iHEARTRADIO, SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCAST, GOOGLE PODCAST AND MORE

LISTEN TO ALL OF THE 9LIST’S EPISODES ON iHEARTRADIO, SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCAST, GOOGLE PODCAST AND MORE

LISTEN TO ALL OF THE VOT3D IO’S EPISODES ON iHEARTRADIO, SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCAST, GOOGLE PODCAST AND MORE


TRENDING

Featured
ATHLEISURE MAG #112 | CHEF MASAHARU MORIMOTO
AM, Apr 2025, Ath Mag Issues, Editor Picks
ATHLEISURE MAG #112 | CHEF MASAHARU MORIMOTO
AM, Apr 2025, Ath Mag Issues, Editor Picks
AM, Apr 2025, Ath Mag Issues, Editor Picks
SPRINGING AHEAD | KELLY OLMSTEAD CMO ALLBIRDS
AM, Fashion, Lifestyle, Mar 2025, Editor Picks
SPRINGING AHEAD | KELLY OLMSTEAD CMO ALLBIRDS
AM, Fashion, Lifestyle, Mar 2025, Editor Picks
AM, Fashion, Lifestyle, Mar 2025, Editor Picks
THE SPICE OF LIFE | CHEF MANEET CHAUHAN
AM, Food, Mar 2025, TV Show, Editor Picks
THE SPICE OF LIFE | CHEF MANEET CHAUHAN
AM, Food, Mar 2025, TV Show, Editor Picks
AM, Food, Mar 2025, TV Show, Editor Picks
AM MAR COVER I p.png
AM, Ath Mag Issues, Editor Picks, Mar 2025
ATHLEISURE MAG #111 | RASHEE RICE
AM, Ath Mag Issues, Editor Picks, Mar 2025
AM, Ath Mag Issues, Editor Picks, Mar 2025
DIGGING INTO THE DYNASTY | HBO'S CELTICS CITY DIRECTOR LAUREN STOWELL + PRODUCER GABE HONIG
AM, Athletes, Feb 2025, Sports, Streaming, HBO, HBO Max, Max Original, Bingely Streaming, Bingely TV/Streaming, Editor Picks
DIGGING INTO THE DYNASTY | HBO'S CELTICS CITY DIRECTOR LAUREN STOWELL + PRODUCER GABE HONIG
AM, Athletes, Feb 2025, Sports, Streaming, HBO, HBO Max, Max Original, Bingely Streaming, Bingely TV/Streaming, Editor Picks
AM, Athletes, Feb 2025, Sports, Streaming, HBO, HBO Max, Max Original, Bingely Streaming, Bingely TV/Streaming, Editor Picks
ON THE COUNTRYSIDE | CHEF VINCENT CREPEL
AM, Feb 2025, Food, Editor Picks
ON THE COUNTRYSIDE | CHEF VINCENT CREPEL
AM, Feb 2025, Food, Editor Picks
AM, Feb 2025, Food, Editor Picks
ATHLEISURE MAG #110 | FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.
AM, Athletes, Sports, Olympics, Olympian, Celebrity, Fitness, Ath Mag Issues, Editor Picks, Feb 2025, Martial Arts, Boxing
ATHLEISURE MAG #110 | FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.
AM, Athletes, Sports, Olympics, Olympian, Celebrity, Fitness, Ath Mag Issues, Editor Picks, Feb 2025, Martial Arts, Boxing
AM, Athletes, Sports, Olympics, Olympian, Celebrity, Fitness, Ath Mag Issues, Editor Picks, Feb 2025, Martial Arts, Boxing
SWEET SUCCESS | CHEF DOMINIQUE ANSEL
AM, Editor Picks, Food, Jan 2025
SWEET SUCCESS | CHEF DOMINIQUE ANSEL
AM, Editor Picks, Food, Jan 2025
AM, Editor Picks, Food, Jan 2025
ON THE COURT | SHAKIRA AUSTIN + WSF DANETTE LEIGHTON
AM, Athletes, Jan 2025, Sports, Wellness, Wellness Editor Picks, Editor Picks
ON THE COURT | SHAKIRA AUSTIN + WSF DANETTE LEIGHTON
AM, Athletes, Jan 2025, Sports, Wellness, Wellness Editor Picks, Editor Picks
AM, Athletes, Jan 2025, Sports, Wellness, Wellness Editor Picks, Editor Picks
ATHLEISURE MAG #109 | CARISSA MOORE
AM, Ath Mag Issues, Jan 2025, Editor Picks
ATHLEISURE MAG #109 | CARISSA MOORE
AM, Ath Mag Issues, Jan 2025, Editor Picks
AM, Ath Mag Issues, Jan 2025, Editor Picks