Catch the WORLD PREMIERE screening of SPIRITED LADIES: A NEAT HISTORY:

When: Sunday, October 18, 2026 · 3:30 PM

Where: AMC 19th Street, Theater 5 · NYC Micro-drama & Vertical Storytelling Festival

Screening + live Q&A + COCKTAIL tasting inspired by the film!

Did you know? Long before “mixologist” was a job title, women were fermenting, distilling, and stirring up the spirits world. We can basically call them the Founding Mothers of cocktail culture. 🥃

And for this reason, cocktail educator, bartender extraordinaire and filmmaker Jena Ellenwood (@jena.lane) serves up sips of their ‘missing history’ stories in Spirited Ladies: A Neat History, an eight-minute vertical short made to savor on your phone screen. And guess what? The world premiere takes place TODAY at the first-ever NYC Micro-drama & Vertical Storytelling Festival, where the screen is tall and the stories are short. Like a Collins glass, but for cinema. 🍸

And guess WHO’s featured in this liquidy lineup? Yup — yours truly (moi!), can be caught on-screen spilling the tea (or should I say the hooch!) on my great-grandmother who ran her own speakeasy in Camden, NJ, way back in the days from the Prohibition era into the Great Depression, and beyond….

For a few more swigs of this oh so sip-able family story and then some — get your tix, grab a seat, stay for the Q&A, then toast to it all at the cocktail tasting part of the program! Tickets

Can’t make it today? Well then I suggest you follow Jena for other ways you can watch it down the line + for a ton of interesting cocktail culture content she creates on the regular — AND (drumroll…) she has a whole menu of Neat History episodes ready to research and film for the longer Spirited Ladies series she’s planned. I also encourage you to support her GoFundMe aimed at keeping this important and fascinating work going — and so she can pay all the people on her creative team who help her to make the magic happen. Your support can help turn today’s eight magical minutes into a whole series!:

→ Support the GoFundMe — think of it as tipping an amazingly talented bartender who brings you much more than just delicious drinks (she does that too —throughout NYC on the regular)
→ Follow @jena.lane for updates, where to watch, and ways you can experience her award-winning mixology IRL!

Speaking of Award-Winning - be sure to click here to find out where I’ll be facilitating ➡️ UPCOMING ELÉCTRICO MEZCAL TASTING EVENTS ⬅️ & EXPERIENCES here in NYC and beyond…

Celebrate Día de Los Muertos —

Savor Sips of an Amazing Mezcal…

[➕ Get Ready for REMEBRANCE: The Season of Grace & Guidance …]

WHEN: SATURDAY NOV 1ST 2025…

WHAT TIME: 5-8PM

WHERE: At PENN CELLARS — inside Penn Station’s LIRR Level (Entrance on 34th St)

From the majestic mountains ⛰️ of Oaxaca, Mexico 🇲🇽 to the magnetic heart 💗 of Midtown Manhattan 🗽 — not quite a Miracle on 34th Street, but definitely a memorable (…magical, …marvelous!) mezcal moment you won’t want to miss!…

Celebrate the season and today’s special holiday dedicated to departed souls who came before us — at this FREE Eléctrico Mezcal “Day of the Dead” tasting and toast at Penn Cellars — a stunning new, specialty wine & spirits shop in the beautifully reimagined (and recently revitalized!) Penn District …

This occasion also marks Eléctrico Mezcal’s Midtown NYC debut — even more to toast to!

So get ready — get set — for some special sips of Eléctrico Mezcal Artesanal …

Penn Cellars now proudly carries Eléctrico Mezcal’s award-winning ‘Artesanal’ spirits!

“Much like our dedication to working with farmers who make great wines, Eléctrico Mezcal has captured our hearts with its ability to tell the story of the place it came from, the people who cultivate and discover the agave, and its transformative experience in the glass.” ~ David Bruno, Penn Cellars

EXPERIENCE ELÉCTRICO’S FULL LINE-UP OF🎖️ AWARD-WINNING 🥇EXCELLENCE :

Find out for yourself and taste EACH of ELÉCTRICO Mezcal’s 100% Maguey

🏅 AWARD-WINNING 🎖️ Expressions:

💙 Espadín Joven ⚡️Silver Award Winner ⚡️

💛 Espadín Distilled with Lemongrass that grows on and is harvested from the grounds of the palenque 💫 Silver Winner

🤍 Tobalá Matured in Glass 3 Yrs 🌟 Platinum Award Winner✨

🧡 Jabalí  Premium Limited Edition; Matured in Glass 3 Yrs ⭐️ Gold Award Winner

Plus, you’ll get to taste two of Eléctrico’s future award-winning expressions:

🩷 Espadín Matured in Glass 3 Years

❤️ Tobalá Joven

At today’s tasting, you’ll experience a wide range of Eléctrico’s excellent, artisanal mezcals — even those not yet on any shelf! Your purchases are like votes to encourage even more of your favorites to land here in the future!

ANCESTRAL ARTISTRY…

Every expression of Eléctrico Mezcal is produced in our small family distillery from single varieties of agave, without any artificial chemicals or mechanization (other than our pick-up truck!). Our agave is roasted for three days over foraged dead oak embers, milled with a horse-drawn tahona, fermented in our own, mineral-rich spring water and distilled in pure copper traditional alambiques.

EXPERIENCE Eléctrico’s Special Connection to DIA DE LOS MUERTOS …

➕ Get Ready for REMEMBRANCE…

Did you know that Day of the Dead (Día de Los Muertos) holiday is akin to several other ancestor-focused holidays throughout the world — and it serves as a connective bridge to usher in the upcoming weeks of Remembrance (11/1 - 11/20) — aka the Season of Grace & Guidance — which carries us through mid-November, before the more familiar seasons of Gratitude and Giving / Gifting begin.

…A time when pouring libations and raising our glasses together take center stage. So stock up on “the good stuff”…

And it all starts the same night our clocks “Fall back” = a little more time to remember and revel.

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⚡️ Come for the mezcal. Stay for the story. Toast to the ancestors. And get ready for more amazingness ahead. ¡Salud! ⚡️

 Join me, Tonya Hopkins aka The Food Griot in conjunction with the Prospect Park Alliance , the New Negro Republic Lineage Society and The Abolitionist Heritage Center for a "Reclaiming Watermelon Picnic" at the Lefferts Historic House lawn on Sunday August 3rd this year from 2pm - 5pm. Come groove to great music, learn (and taste!) bits and pieces about the incredible (oft untold) history of watermelon: its significant role in both world and American history; why and how Black Americans are beginning to reclaim the amazing fruit (psychologically, emotionally, economically…) in spite of centuries of painfully humiliating but powerful propaganda that resulted in generations of disassociation.

Sample delicious heritage varieties the world’s most hydrating fruit 🍉 that originated in central Africa and arrived to the Americas via the transatlantic slave trade — with enslaved (and later emancipated) African heritage people who were the foremost cultivators, stewards and entrepreneurial purveyors of what would ultimately become this nation’s most iconic symbol of Summer in fruit form: Watermelon.

BYO: savory snacks, outdoor blankets & chairs! …+ colorful face-painting and games!

Endangered Eating: America’s Vanishing Foods”: Paperback Release Party+ A Podcast Listening Party!

Date & Time

Friday, December 13 · 6:30 - 8:30pm (& 8:45-9:45pm) EST

Part 1 6:30 - 8:30pm : Paperback Release + Listening Party at The Old Stone House of Brooklyn (OSH): 336 3rd Street Brooklyn, NY 11215

Part 2 8:45-9:45pm: Cocktails & Conversation at Stone Park Cafe : 324 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215

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PART ONE: Join Us for an Evening of Food, History, and Spirited Stories at the Old Stone House!

Come celebrate the paperback release of Sarah Lohman’s “Endangered Eating” and step into the world of culinary heritage with a panel discussion featuring food historians Lohman, Tonya Hopkins, and Gravy podcast producer Otis Gray. Delight your taste buds with sampling tastings of an amazing artisanal mezcal called Eléctrico, Also sample a historical real wild rice dish from Sarah’s Book, and enjoy other storied snacks like peanuts and popcorn.

Upon arriving, savor stories and spirits as “The Food Griot” Tonya Hopkins guides a mezcal tasting intertwined with the fascinating historical connections to Endangered Eating. 

The evening then kicks off with a listening session of Gravy's podcast episode, ““America’s Lost Peanut and the Price of Bringing it Back,””, which delves into the revival of the Carolina African Runner Peanut—a story inspired by chapter 8 of Sarah’s book Endangered Eating — particularly Sarah and Tonya’s conversation in that chapter. Following the episode, Sarah, Tonya, and the episode’s producer Otis will discuss the complicated intersections of food, history, and preservation, inviting the audience to join the conversation for a lively Q&A.

Don’t miss the chance to purchase Sarah’s book (great holiday gift!) , have it signed, and celebrate the release of its new paperback edition with new exclusive content, including an interview between Sarah and Tonya.

Sustainable snacks and samples of a dish featured in the book will be served…

We can’t wait to see you!

REGISTER for Part 1 on EVENTBRITE so we have an accurate head count thanks!

PART TWO:

But wait, there’s more! We’ll continue with Part 2: A ‘Cocktails & Conversation’ Hour diagonally & directly across the street from the OSH grounds (a stone’s throw away!) at Stone Park Cafe (8:45pm -9:45pm) for an opportunity to ‘Experience Eléctrico’. Be sure to RSVP to me (Tonya/TFG) to secure your space and a complimentary craft cocktail [limited spots available so act fast!]. Learn a bit about mezcal’s connection to the ideas behind “Endangered Eating (& Drinking!)” e.g., why it’s nice to know the cultural significance behind many foods & drinks……. [write or copy & paste this: “RSVP for cocktails at SPC 9/13” in the “How Can I Help You” box when you RSVP for part 2 … ]

REMEMBER to REGISTER for Part 1 on EVENTBRITE ! (accurate head counts prevent events from being postponed!)

🎁 GIVE THE GIFT OF THE FOOD GRIOT’S PATREON TO YOUR FAVE FOODIEs and/or DRINKS LOVERs THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!! 🎁 …[LEARN ➡️MORE ABOUT MY PATREON PLATFORM ⬅️HERE]

View this event on the Food Griot Website

More about Tonya Hopkins: https://www.thefoodgriot.com/

More about Sarah Lohman: https://sarahlohman.com/endangered-eating-book/

More about "Gravy" Podcast: https://www.southernfoodways.org/gravy/americas-lost-peanut-and-the-price-of-bringing-it-back/

Get ready for a sandwich making contest + a sauce bar! story-telling, DJ music and more! On #NationalSandwichDay

Sunday November 3rd 2024 2-5pm…

at Historic Lefferts House: 452 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225

I’ll be one of the judges! [see line up below]…

Organized by: Art Curator/DJ/Journalist Dick Burroughs

Sandwich makers include:

• Z From Africa

• Your Favorite Cousins,

• and Vixon John, aka The Sammich Hunter.

Judges include:

•  Ben (Moody) Harney of the MotherShuckers,

• Yours truly, Tonya Hopkins, aka The Food Griot,

• and Tremaine Wright, Chairwoman of the NYS Cannabis Control Board. 

I’m told the winner gets $250 Cash and a prize pack filled with swag!

Anyone who attends get to sample these sandwiches but are also encouraged to bring your own, which you can ‘kick up’ at the “Sauce Bar,” curated by the Brooklyn Made Store.

Surrounding this incredible event visitors can also experience Historic Lefferts House’s landmark Ancestral Whispers exhibit by Artist in Residence Adama Delphine Fawundu as well as the Long Live J'ouvert! Pop Up Installation by JouvayFest…

👇🏾CHECK OUT THIS BK READER ARTICLE ALL ABOUT IT! 👇🏾…

 Join me, Tonya Hopkins aka The Food Griot in conjunction with the Prospect Park Alliance and the New Negro Republic Lineage Society for a "Reclaiming Watermelon Picnic" at the Lefferts Historic House lawn on Sunday August 25th from 2pm - 6pm. Come groove to great music, learn (and taste!) bits and pieces about the incredible (oft untold) history of watermelon: its significant role in both world and American history; why and how Black Americans are beginning to reclaim the amazing fruit (psychologically, emotionally, economically…) in spite of centuries of painfully humiliating but powerful propaganda that resulted in generations of disassociation.

Come sample delicious heritage varieties the world’s most hydrating fruit 🍉 that originated in central Africa and arrived to the Americas via the transatlantic slave trade — with enslaved (and later emancipated) African heritage people who were the foremost cultivators, stewards and purveyors of what would ultimately become this nation’s most iconic symbol of Summer in fruit form: Watermelon.

Bring snacks, outdoor blankets & chairs! …

On Saturday August 17th Brooklyn. Black. Utopia. (via @GROWHOUSEBK ) is hosting an “ASHÉ Ancestral Dinner” (6-9pm) [NEW LOCATION DETAILS FORTHCOMING]. (Note that there now. will be no Ancestral Dinner taking place on August 3rd nor the 10th dates at the burial ground site — see more info below re: August 10th) …

I invite you to snag a $44 , $66 or $88 ticket soon for the extra special August 17th family-style dinner co-curated by GrowHouse NYC, Kit an' Kin, and Pelah Kitchen with Yours Truly / me / aka The Food Griot on the host committee and I will also be sharing ‘Food for THought’ on the ancient African-centerd and Diasporic wisdom woven into the menu design, the dishes and the drinks served at the dinner event.

Stay tuned for the new EVENTBRITE LINK that will provide an event description, registration and link to purchase tickets to the dinner…

Check out this expertly curated, culturally-rooted mouthwatering menu for the Ashé Ancestral Dinner on Sat August 17th:

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RELATED EVENT: On Sat August 10th, Brooklyn. Black. Utopia. via GrowHouse NYC (Est. Brooklyn 2017) is hosting a very special event about “reclaiming Black spaces and honoring our ancestors while imagining new futures together”. This all day event (2-6pm) takes place at the Flatbush African Burial Ground (Flatbush at Church Ave). (Note that the Ancestral Dinner is now on August 17th at a new location and NOT taking place on August 3rd nor the 10th ) Here’s an overview at a glance:

About this event

Come join Brooklyn. Black. Utopia. on Sat Aug 10th 2024 at 2:00 PM at the Flatbush African Burial Ground for a day of celebration and empowerment. This event is a gathering of the Black community in Brooklyn to honor history, culture, and resilience.

Experience a day filled with music, art making, panel discussions, and more. Connect with fellow community members and celebrate the beauty and strength of Black culture.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to come together and create a vision of a better future for our community. Let's build our own Utopia right here in Brooklyn. See you there!

Organized by: GrowHouse Community Design + Development Group

SATURDAY 27 JULY • AFRO-AMERICAN WEEKEND • PARIS SUMMER OLYMPICS

Details forthcoming on ways to participate or attend, stay tuned!…