Miller Lite Seeks to Create Safe Spaces at Bars for LBGTQ

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

The program includes the development and implementation of inclusivity training materials for bar owners and employees at the 55,000 bars and nightclubs where Miller Lite is sold. These training materials will be informed by intersectional LGBTQ experiences shared at town halls across the country.

The brand said, “Everyone deserves to be their authentic selves at any bar, but this isn’t always the case for members of the LGBTQ community. There are countless reports of LGBTQ folks feeling unwelcome at restaurants and bars and of LGBTQ people of color and transgender and gender-nonconforming folks being discriminated against at LGBTQ bars.

“As the beer that believes everyone should be able to be themselves all the time, Miller Lite partnered with Equality Federation to address this key concern in the community and take an impactful step toward ensuring all LGBTQ individuals feel accepted and welcomed.”

The “Open & Proud” program is composed of:

  • Town hall events across the country for LGBTQ individuals to attend and share their candid, open experiences and thoughts on how bars can be made more inclusive.
  • The development of training materials for bars and restaurants across the country, informed by the insights shared at the town hall events.
  • $250,000 donation to Equality Federation to help advance workplace fairness and equality for LGBTQ individuals at national and local levels.

Markets where events will take place and the state-based members hosting them include Chicago (Equality Illinois), Atlanta (Georgia Equality), and New Jersey (Garden State Equality). Miller Lite will also conduct an LGBTQ Workplace Inclusion Workshop for New York-based bar and restaurant workers in partnership with The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of New York.

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New Seagram’s 7 Crown Campaign Backs Small Business, Including Dive Bars

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Seagram’s 7 Crown American Blended Whiskey (Diageo) is raising a glass to small businesses, including dive bars, across the country by teaming up with actor and comedian, Iliza Shlesinger, to launch the brand’s new “Keep the Dive Alive” campaign.

As part of the platform, Seagram’s 7 will release a series of tongue-in-cheek ‘training materials’ featuring Iliza that support the reopening of small businesses, including local dive bars, that bring moments of cohesion and celebration to our communities.

The video element of the brand’s “Keep the Dive Alive” campaign will be released on the Seagram’s 7 Instagram (@Seagrams7) and cover everything from reminding patrons how to order a 7&7 cocktail, to suggesting what to do with the sweatpants we’ve been wearing all year, to sharing tips on how to ultimately be better patrons. Ahead of the full series of videos launching on July 7 in celebration of National Dive Bar Day, Seagram’s 7 released a teaser video to help give consumers a preview of what’s to come.

 

 

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Sorel Liqueur to Relaunch After Uncle Nearest Investment

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Sorel Liqueur, a modern twist on a Caribbean classic, announces its relaunch following an investment from the $50 million Uncle Nearest Venture Fund. The recently established Uncle Nearest fund is intended to help Black-owned companies achieve their goals in the competitive spirits market.

Based on a centuries-old elixir, the hibiscus-based liqueur is expertly hand crafted in small batches using Moroccan hibiscus, Brazilian clove, Indonesian cassia, Nigerian ginger, Indonesian nutmeg, pure cane sugar, and organic grain alcohol.

“Across the African diaspora, there’s an ancestral memory of ‘The Red Drink'” says Sorel creator, Jackie Summers. “As part of the Transatlantic slave trade, the knowledge of this drink and its medicinal properties traveled alongside enslaved Africans to the Americas. This infusion of capital will help us tell a story of perseverance that’s over 500 years old.”

Sorel Liqueur’s official relaunch will take place on June 24, a date that holds personal significance for Summers, who failed 623 times at creating a shelf-stable version of this centuries-old beverage. 624 represents the batch number that became the final recipe for what would become Sorel Liqueur.

“I’m not a food scientist. In 500 years, no one had ever made a version of sorrel drink that lasted more than two weeks. Hibiscus is notoriously difficult to work with. It’s got more acidity than most citrus fruits,” says Summers. “Most people try to compensate for the acidity by adding sugar until it’s cloying and syrupy. Sorel solves this by balancing hibiscus with other powerful botanicals: clove, ginger, nutmeg, and cassia. Each of them wants to dominate, but instead of competing, in Sorel they dance together.” SRP: $32.99.

SorelOfficial.com will launch as part of Reserve Bar‘s Spirited Exchange Initiative, a program committed to highlighting every minority owned brand that is part of the Uncle Nearest Venture Fund. Exactly 624 boxes of Sorel signed by Jackie Summers will be immediately available as part of a pre-sales on the site.

Summers is the founder of JackFromBrooklyn, Inc., the first known Black-owned distillery in America when it received its federal license in 2012. JackFromBrooklyn is producing the liqueur, and with support from the Uncle Nearest Venture Fund the brand will expand to markets outside of New York (both on- and off-premise) this summer including California, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Washington D.C.

Sorel Liqueur will be distributed through several notable distributors and will be available in and/or shipping to more than 40 states before the end of the year.

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Delicato Acquisition of Coppola Winery Creates 5th Largest Supplier of Above-$11 Wines in U.S.

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

The combined entity will also be the fifth-largest supplier by volume across all price points and the No. 3 exporter of California wines.  Terms weren’t disclosed. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Francis Ford Coppola wine portfolio and two facilities anchored in Sonoma County, the Francis Ford Coppola Winery and the Virginia Dare Winery located in Geyserville, including the Archimedes Vineyard, will join Delicato.

As a long-time leader in the wine industry, Francis Coppola will have an equity stake in Delicato Family Wines and join Delicato’s Board of Directors. His renowned innovation and influence in fine wine will be pivotal in guiding the continued growth of Delicato for years to come. The company will continue to be
managed by President and Chief Executive Officer, Chris Indelicato, and Corey Beck will join Delicato’s executive leadership team as EVP, Production and Chief Winemaker.

The brand portfolio will join strong brands such as 1924, Three Finger Jack, Z. Alexander Brown and will be led by Delicato’s Bota Box, the fastest-growing brand in any wine segment, and Coppola Diamond, the No. 3 brand in the domestic super-premium category. These “must-have” brands will enable Delicato to further grow its portfolio, as well as to compete forcefully in new segments.

“Over my lifetime, Coppola has become a household name across America,” Francis Ford Coppola said.  “What started as a dream to buy a family cottage in Napa Valley turned into a million+ case business producing iconic award-winning wines. I am proud to announce that I have found the perfect fit to take our Family winery to even greater heights. Delicato is also family-owned and shares similar core values as both companies are anchored by long-term sustainable focus and a foundation built on family values: Integrity,
Respect, Quality, Accountability, Partnership, Excellence, and Community.”

Chris Indelicato, CEO of Delicato, concurred:  “There is a strong cultural fit between our two companies, and by combining two highly complementary
portfolios, we create a more diversified winery.”

Inglenook and Domaine de Broglie Winery and vineyard will remain separately owned and run by Francis and the Coppola Family.

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Chateau Ste. Michelle Sponsors Seattle Kraken, Climate Pledge Arena

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Climate Pledge Arena and the Seattle Kraken have named Chateau Ste. Michelle as the official wine partner of both the team and the arena. Ste. Michelle will showcase wines from its Chateau Ste. Michelle and 14 Hands wineries through new consumer experiences both inside and outside the arena.

Climate Pledge Arena will feature a Chateau Ste. Michelle branded wine bar named The Chateau in the arena’s Mount Baker Hall for club level season ticket members. The arena will also feature a branded 14 Hands Marketplace near the main entrance. Renderings of these two arena spaces can be found here.

Ste. Michelle has also produced several wines dedicated to this partnership.

14 Hands Winery will release two new limited-edition Seattle Kraken branded wines that will be available in the 14 Hands Marketplace and selected retailers in the Pacific Northwest beginning in September. The cans will feature a web-based augmented reality experience accessible from a QR code on the back of the can, bringing both the history of 14 Hands Winery and the story of the Seattle Kraken to life for fans.

Chateau Ste. Michelle will release a 2017 Collector’s Edition Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from premier vineyards in the Columbia Valley, including the winery’s own Canoe Ridge Estate vineyard, a certified sustainable vineyard known for its complex yet elegant style. With only 39 barrels produced, this limited-edition wine will be offered first exclusively to Seattle Kraken season ticket members and VIPs and to Chateau Ste. Michelle Vintage Reserve Club members and will be available for purchase at Chateau Ste. Michelle this fall.

In celebration of the partnership and in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the 1917 Stanley Cup champion Seattle Metropolitans, Chateau Ste. Michelle has also produced two etched nine-liter bottles of 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from renowned vineyards in Columbia Valley. One of these custom bottles will be cellared at Climate Pledge Arena, to be opened when the Seattle Kraken win their first Stanley Cup. The other nine-liter bottle will be auctioned off at this year’s Auction of Washington Wines, as part of a package including a suite at a Seattle Kraken game and a private dinner with Seattle Kraken and Ste. Michelle principals.

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Seagram’s Escapes to Host Virtual Chat with Leading African-American Entertainers

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Seagram’s Escapes, in partnership with Rolling Out, is hosting a free virtual discussion June 26 at 7 p.m. EST with Black women influencers in comedy and entertainment with the fourth installment of their 2021 Empowerment Tour. During the discussion, the featured ladies will share how they climbed the ladder of success in the entertainment industry, personal branding tips and how they conquered challenges.

The panel includes B. Simone, the rapper, singer, comedian, actress, beautician and social media personality; Claudia Jordan, a talk show host (Cocktails with the Queens), actress, model, businesswoman, former reality television personality (Real Housewives of Atlanta), radio personality (The Rickey Smiley Morning Show) and host of VH1’s Love and Hip-Hop reunions; LaLa Milan, the actress, comedian, and podcast host known for her roles on the BET hit series, Boomerang.  The panel will be moderated by Nina Parker, news correspondent, clothing designer and producer.

 

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