Named two of Charleston’s 50 Most Progressive in 2016, Johnny Caldwell and Taneka Reaves are the dynamic duo known as the Cocktail Bandits. The two met at the College of Charleston, and now, with their booming hospitality business and self-titled Cocktail Bandits blog, promote female empowerment through advocacy for the food and beverage community from a feminine, urban perspective.
They’ve been long-time CreativeMornings Charleston attendees, so we’re thrilled to have them take the stage for this month’s talk on Context. Grab a libation (whether coffee or a mimosa…) and get a sneak peek at what goes on in the wonderful world of the Cocktail Bandits here:
What do you love most about what you do? Working with new people.
How did you get into your field of work? We saw the growth of bars and restaurants in Charleston and wanted to be apart of the booming tourism industry. Did you always know you were going to be a blogger? No, we were asked by one of our followers to start a blog.
How do you start your day? We both like to perform mental exercises in the morning, workout, refuel, and then start work.
Tell us about your proudest moment or accomplishment. Successful collaborations with other liked minded creatives; local and international. It was incredible to have two of our cocktails featured in ESSENCE magazine, and we also had the opportunity to work with Andrew Zimmern of the Food Network show ‘Bizarre Food.’
Do you have a hidden talent? Taneka plays instruments. Johnny is a seamstress.
Who or what gives you creative inspiration? Taneka is inspired by other creatives. Johnny is inspired by high-end luxury brands.
What’s your go-to coffee order? Taneka - non-caffeinated latte, Johnny - Americano with brown sugar and almond milk.
What is your favorite place in Charleston? Taneka loves Hampton Park. Johnny - any Charleston marsh
How do you unwind or de-stress? Taneka de-stresses with bike riding and/or dancing, and Johnny unwinds with gardening.
Rapid fire:
- Morning people or night owls? Night owls
- Summer or winter? Summer
- Mountains or beach? Beaches
- Pancakes or waffles? Waffles
- Fiction or non-fiction? Non-fiction
Learn more about the Cocktail Bandits and their journey in the hospitality business on December 15, 8:00am at Charleston Distilling Co.!
