Chicks dig booze. Duh. Otherwise Skinny Girl cocktails and Smirnoff Ice probably wouldn't exist. But for today's women, sweet, cloying cocktail concoctions are becoming a tired cliche. Instead, they're taking up the consumption of serious spirits in record numbers.
One local group is all about education and empowerment on the boozy frontier, and on Monday, June 3, Spirited Sirens is hosting their second event, Mexican Maidens. It's devoted to schooling women on tequila and mezcal -- all while noshing on tasty bites from the kitchen of Michael's Genuine.
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The group was founded by wine industry-vet Jennifer Massolo after she began to recognize a need for female-focused spirits training. While men tend to be collectors, she says, she found that women seemed more intrigued by the educational component.
"They are interested in being empowered when sitting at a good cocktail bar where they'd like to order something off the menu," she says. So, she launched Spirited Sirens as a series of events (and accompanying blog) to help shed some light on the subject.
The first installment of the her endeavor focused on craft brews. This time, she's moving on to Mexico's intoxicating siblings, tequila and mezcal.
"Tequila is an indigenous spirit made in Mexico and it has even greater charm to me because it's localized," she added of theme choice.
"I find more and more women are enjoying tequila as their spirit of choice. They drink it maybe neat or on the rocks with a piece of lime because it's low cal and a little more interesting than vodka. It has some more character and gives you a nice buzz," she says.
With mezcal, she wanted to end some misconceptions and bring a little recognition to the little-known spirit.
"It can be polarizing. It has this reputation about the worm and eating the worm ... it's ill-founded information that I want to dispel. Mezcal has some really amazing character, but it's not for everyone."
The two-hour event will include a welcome cocktail and a five-tier tasting. Massolo hasn't established the full lineup yet, but she does plan to include Three Amigos Tequila and Sombra Mezcal.
She told Short Order she worked with the chef at Michael's Genuine to pick and choose some light bites that would complement the libations, so expect some impressive edibles. And, the night will end with a sweet treat from Michael's dessert chef extraordinaire, Hedy Goldsmith.
Tickets run $35 apiece and can be purchased online. The event kicks off with a welcome cocktail at 6 p.m., and the tastings start at 6:30 and run through 8. Cheers to girl power.
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