Cheers to quality vodka and profits that support the LGBTQ+ community!
by Jessica Toscano June 4, 2021
The first Pride parade took place in New York City in 1970, just one year after the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan made a much-needed stride in the Gay Liberation Movement. If not for the patrons of the Stonewall Inn, who protested in response to the 1969 police bar raid against the LGBTQ+ community, we might not honor Pride — and everything it stands for — 51 years later. In celebration of human rights, community outreach, and the pursuit of happiness, we present this month’s cocktail, a delicious sip with a naughty name that gives back to the queer community. Here’s how.
Crystal Head Vodka is known for its distinctive crystal skull decanter, with its unparalleled limited-edition designs (including the company’s very own John Alexander Artist Series, a taste of what the craftsman whose work has been featured in the Smithsonian, can do) and four-times distilled vodka, made with sweet corn and featuring a mild vanilla flavoring. In 2020, the Candian brand announced the addition of its Pride bottle, rainbow-inspired and meant to represent inclusion and expression. A creative alternative to their original blend, Pride is both Instaworthy and revolutionary: The sale of each bottle contributes to Kaleidoscope Trust, a UK-based charity that works with lawmakers and civil rights groups to enact lasting change for the queer community. Additionally, Crystal Head Vodka uses sales to regularly support Stonewall Sports, Test Positive Aware Network, and Lurie Children’s Hospital Transgender Youth Program.
You can purchase the Pride limited-edition bottle annually, from May to July, in select stores across the globe.
This year, as an extension of their five rainbow-inspired cocktails, the brand incorporates Pride in three new color-themed drink recipes — pink, brown, and black — to showcase the other colors of LGBTQ+ flags. The first in their line-up, and our Cocktail of the Month, is “Sugar Daddy,” a pretty pink, sweet-tart combo of raspberry and grapefruit that’ll leave you puckering...for a kiss. Before each sip, be sure to press your lips against the sugar rim for sweetness that lingers. After all, love is love, so you might as well embrace it.
Recipe:
In a cocktail shaker, add 2 oz Crystal Head Pride Vodka, 4 oz fresh grapefruit juice, .5 oz simple syrup, .5 oz Cointreau, .5 oz fresh lime juice, and a handful of raspberries. Gently muddle. Add ice, give it a hard shake, and double-strain into a chilled martini glass with a sugar rim. (Bonus points if the sugar is pink!)
