Simply Jenni's Social Alchemy Club: February 2023 Honoring Black Heritage Month

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It’s 2023 and we’re gearing up for a great year. This marks our first assembly. We chose our theme in February to honor Black Heritage Month. The focus was on Black owned wineries and distilleries and the beautiful foods with origins from Africa and Soul Food.

Our February assembly consisted of 4 of our members in a very intimate setting. All members present have been with the club since 2019, its conception.

Photo: Core club members

I'll start with the food choices, we had slow smoked bbq chicken with the secret being marinated and smoked at a lower temperature. Made from scratch macaroni and cheese made from 4 cheeses and topped with bread crumbs and baked to perfection. Pan fried candied sweet potatoes slow fried on the stove with butter and brown sugar till a good caramelize glaze. Next a take on shrimp and grits but made to suit a vegetarian, a mixture of sauteed sweet potatoes, onions, mushrooms, collard greens and black eye peas with a flavorful cream sauce. There was creamy cheese grits to finish the dish. Dessert was a homemade African lime cake with a glaze and roasted peanuts.

Photos: Food served at assembly

Our Drinks consisted of A Sun Goddess Prosecco from Friuli Venezia Giulia. A Mary J Blige partnership with Marco Fantionel. It is a flavorful light acidity sparkling Pinot Grigio. Next onto a House of Brown Chardonnay from the Brown Estate Winery. The Brown Estate is the first African American Owned estate winery in Napa Valley. Chardonnay’s are typically not the first or second choice of wine when I'm selecting but, I have to say this House Of Brown is in my top 3 I have tried. It was very smooth in the finish with a low acidity.

Our spirit of the night was a bourbon from Brough Brothers Distillery in Louisville KY. The first African American owned distillery in Kentucky. It is medium bodied from a mash continent of 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley with a 41% ABV/82 proof. We had a member bring some holiday bourbon cider she makes yearly to share with the club as well. She uses seasonal local apples to make a homemade cider and blends with Evan Williams bourbon and spices. We are so lucky as she has shared it with us each year and I have to say this year was my favorite.

Photo: House of Brown Chardonnay Wine and Sun Goddess Prosecco

We talked about Tom Bullock, the author of “The Idea Bartender”. Bullock was the first African American to publish a book on bartending in 1917. We tried the Dizzy Izzy cocktail from the book with a little adaptation. It was de’lish. I would say punch like and very tasty and better to be enjoyed in the summer months. Tom made his start in Louisville, KY before he settled into St Louis. Bullock is also known for his Overall Julep Cocktail said to be a good drink for Kwanzaa.

Photo: Cocktail and Bough Brothers Bourbon

We rounded out the evening by catching up, sharing stories and taking wine and spirits. At the end we touched on the future plans and events.

Join in the adventures by following us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to a membership on our website at simplyjennisocialalchemyclub.com for future content and updates.

Sincerely,

Jenni

Owner and Creator

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