What’s in Your Cup? Black-Owned Spirit-Based Cocktails for Your Summer Cookout

We're midway through 2024 and well, our motto hasn't changed. Pushing Black forward will always be the way here at EBONY, even down to the libations in our red solo cups. This summer as we continue to kick back with friends and loved ones, we're also putting them on to some of our favorite Black-owned spirit brands.

While some just love the idea of collecting the bottles for show, being able to actually enjoy your spirit in delicious cocktails makes the reward that much sweeter. Below, we've rounded-up the perfect list of summer cocktails and yes, they're all made with Black-owned brands.

Frisky Whiskey

Frisky Whiskey is the first female, Black-owned flavored whiskey brand on the market. CEO and founder Nicole Young is proud to have co-created such a highly decorated beverage in arguably the fastest-growing category in the spirits industry. Check out the brand's Frisky Mule cocktail below.

Fior Scotch

The only U.S. veteran-owned & Black owned Scotch available in the market. Founded by Marine Major Eric Dominijanni, his journey from military service to crafting this exceptional Scotch is truly inspiring. With each bottle purchased, a donation is made to veterans' causes, including Operation Gratitude.

Bayab Gin

This Pan-African gin is handcrafted using eight botanicals all grown on the African continent that are steeped for 14 days to release their flavor into the spirit. The revered Baobab fruit is sourced from Ghana and Zambia, the juniper from Kenya, the coarse salt from Botswana, while the orange peel, cinnamon, coriander, rosemary and pineapple all come from South Africa.

Sorel

In a time when written records were denied to African and Indigenous peoples, the recipe for sorrel, known as the "red drink," endured through generations via oral tradition. Jackie Summers, the first Black American to receive a distiller’s license in the United States post-Prohibition, was inspired to honor the 500-year-old legacy of this hibiscus creation. His creation, Sorel , is the first shelf stable liqueur iteration of the drink.

John Basíl Tequila

Founded in 2018, in Chicago, this Black Millennial–owned and self-funded tequila company, is taking the industry by storm. A child of immigrant parents from Ghana, Uduimoh Umolo developed a passion for spirits early on and recognized immediately that there is a lack of Black representation in the spirits industry.