Da Cocktail Poet LLC

Get inspired for #NationalPoetryMonth by celebrating these 5 Black poets and writers (Da Cocktail Poet LLC Amanda Gorman Dr. Maya Angelou) and remembering the legacy of Dudley Randall. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3nVtd3N. #nationalpoetrymonth2023 #poetry #poetrycommunity #poetrylovers #culturalarts #writing #writers #writerscommunity #blackartists #detroit #detroitcommunity #detroitisit"

I'mma be honest, January was ruff. I got fired on my daughter's birthday and caught the Rona bad. The work wasn't done. I busted my ass over the past two years to lay a foundation that I wasn't fully sure would ever come into fruition. But I took a leap of faith for myself and dove headfirst into building a solid foundation for my career.

I worked 4 jobs at 4 different bars. I created my own business. (Da Cocktail Poet LLC) I gave support and love out as if it was candy. I built my brand from silent tears and longer nights that often turned into week long, hard work. I'm lucky to have a family that intermingles blood with shared sweat. I love all y'all! (Y'all know who y'all are)

Now, all that hard work is starting to blossom into fruition. But the work isn't done yet, it's no where near done. I still have so much to give, so much to prove, so much to achieve, and so much to teach. I'll never stop. I put that on my daughter. Stay tuned. 🙏🏿

–DCP

Soooooo there's this y'all. This is WILD to me, but there's still so much work to be done. Much love to Emily who interviewed me and most importantly, the staff at that continues to grow and excell beyond expectations. Keep ya eye out and come visit us soon! We outchea! 🙏🏿
•
•
•

Tonight was my last night behind the rail at I feel incredibly blessed to work with such wonderful people and to learn from them as well. We often think of endings as sad occasions. I don't. I see it as a way to pay the knowledge I've gained forward to new adventures and different endings. I'm ready for them and so grateful to be apart of Chef Jared's dream. Make sure y'all go visit and get some of the best seafood you'll every have! Now it's onward to new adventures and stepping into them unafraid.
•
•
•

For me, the ultimate drink that shows a bartender's moxy is the old fashioned. The classic of classics. King of the rock. It is deceptively simple, yet incredibly hard to master. I spent years perfecting my technique before trying to create riffs and playing with it.

At it's core, it's sugar, bitters, spirit, and dilution, but the soul of it is often forgotten. It's the bartender's job to ease the shyness from the cocktail and give it a place to shine.

"Island Tings"
1.25oz small batch75oz blackstrap 25oz vanilla pineapple syrup
2D blackstrap bitters
2D bitters

Dehydrated pineapple garnish

What I love about the cocktail and it's build is that everything is a stepping stone to harmonize with each other. Elijah craig SB is a sweet bourbon with notes of vanilla, dark brown sugar, and raisin. This pairs extremely well with blackstrap rum to reinforce the raisin and molasses notes. Which in turn, allows the syrup to enhance and give complexity to the spirits without making the cocktail too sweet. The bitters then layer more complexity to bring the breath of the Caribbean to your tongue. Enjoy!
•
•
•