Episode 154: You Should Be Drinking in New Orleans, With J’Nai Angelle, Kimberly Patton-Bragg, and Gio Miano

Tales of the Cocktail is coming up fast, taking place this year in New Orleans from July 19-24. For this episode, we get insight on some great places around town to grab a drink from three veteran New Orleans bartenders: J’Nai Angelle, a Spirited Award finalist for U.S. Bartender of the Year and a bartender at the Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel; Kimberly Patton-Bragg, bar director and bartender at Pulcinella and The Original Nite Cap; and Gio Miano, bartender at Black Penny and bar director at Bar Tonique.

Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavors of the drinkscape through conversations about cocktails, coffee, beer, spirits, and wine. Keep up with us on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook. And if you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you join us—click here to subscribe. 

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Paul Clarke

Hey, everybody. Welcome back to Radio Imbibe from Imbibe Magazine. I’m Paul Clarke, Imbibe’s Editor-in-Chief. And we have entered summer at full speed this past week. We’re coming out of the 4th of July weekend, and we’ve got our brand-new July-August issue out now. Please check that out if you haven’t already. 

And as we start navigating our way through the summer, we’ve got a big destination coming up quick, and that’s the annual Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans, taking place this year from July 19 through 24. I’ll be in town just as I have been every year that Tales has been held since 2006. If you bump into me somewhere, please say hello. It’s always great to hear from the Imbibe audience. And if you’re heading to Tales, then be sure to check out all of the official events that are planned that week by heading online to talesofthecocktail.org. 

Now, every year that Tales takes place, New Orleans is swarmed with thousands of bartenders and industry professionals and cocktail enthusiasts. For many of them, it’s their very first time in town, while others come back year after year. Regardless of which category you fall into, it’s always good to come into town with some ideas and recommendations for great places to grab a drink and a meal.

So, for this episode, we’re turning to a few people who know better than anyone else what New Orleans bars should be on the list, a trio of New Orleans bartenders with an abundance of first-hand information. J’Nai Angell, a bartender, cocktail and spirits educator, and content creator who currently works at the Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel, and who is also a finalist for this year’s Spirited Award for U. S. Bartender of the Year. Kimberly Patton-Bragg, the bar director and bartender at Pulcinella and the Original Nite Cap, and Gio Miano, a bartender at Black Penny and bar manager at Bar Tonique in the French Quarter. 

Before we get started, this episode is sponsored by The Perfect Purée. The Perfect Purée has a brand new syrup line, and yes, you can get free samples. Their signature frozen fruit purees and concentrates, and their new craft fruit syrups make it easy for bartenders to create consistent, high-quality drinks. These syrups deliver true-to-fruit flavor with the quality and consistency the Perfect Purée is known for, but in a new, convenient, shelf-stable format. Flavors include Plum Gochu, Yuzu Juniper Thyme, Honeysuckle Orange Blossom, and more. Bar professionals can request complimentary samples now at PerfectPuree.com/RadioImbibe. 

[music]

Paul Clarke

Y’all, welcome to Radio Imbibe.

Gio Miano

Hi! 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Hello! 

J’Nai Angelle

Hi! 

Paul Clarke

It’s so great to have everyone on, and you know, it is the most wonderful time of year right now, because if you’re a bartender, or in the spirits industry, or more general hospitality cocktail person, it ain’t Christmas, but it is almost time for Tales of the Cocktail. And I wanted to have y’all on for one primary reason. You’re all longtime bartenders in New Orleans, you know the local industry quite well, and your city is about to be inundated with thousands of out-of-town bartenders wanting to know what you know, which is, where should we get a drink? So I’d like to help them all out with that.

And, you know, I have been coming to Tales, this year will be my 20th year of coming to Tales of the Cocktail. So I’ve been through the paces a few times, but one question I always have for myself every year is, how do I get the week started? Where should I go for my first drink in town, to just kind of put myself in the right mindset, get things off on a good start? For folks coming in and landing in the French Quarter or neighboring environs, where would you say this is your starting point to get the week started? Gio, could I ask to start with you? 

Gio Miano

I would start with Erin Rose. A nice early afternoon.

J’Nai Angelle 

That was my answer. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Same. Because you’re never going to get a drink in there again. It’s going to be so busy.

J’Nai Angelle

Yeah. 

Paul Clarke

Right. 

Gio Miano

Yeah. 

Paul Clarke

Exactly. And, like, you know, you’re fresh in from the airport. You know, you’ve been traveling all day. And it’s a way that you can kind of come in and put yourself in the right mindset. And like you said, Kim, you may never get in that bar again because it’s just going to be packed with everybody else coming into town. But that is a good starting point. Yeah, that’s a wise choice.

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Absolutely. It’s a wonderful place. I actually performed a wedding ceremony there, believe it or not. I think it’s great to start your week there. You get to see all your friends and you’ll see them all outside. And you get your frozen Irish and all that kind of stuff. If you’re wanting a frozen Irish later in the week and stuff like that, they have the same one over at Molly’s on Decatur. 

Paul Clarke

Right. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

So that’ll be a little less crowded. And it’s still got that same dive bar atmosphere. That might be a way to get your Irish coffee fix in a dive bar location that’s just a little bit more of a walk, but a little bit more breathing room.

Paul Clarke

Right. And actually, that follows into another question I wanted to ask. And that is, you know, Tales is pretty much a week-long event. Over the course of that week, a lot of folks may find themselves kind of establishing a local headquarters, you know, a place where they visit several times over the week, maybe spending long hours there, hanging out with friends, doing some day drinking. Erin Rose, we mentioned already, Molly’s is another great direction, destination. What other bars of a similar stripe should be on the agenda for a place that maybe, you know, open during the day, kind of casual, come in, come out? What other places would you recommend? 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

You know, I really love the Golden Lantern. That’s where I’ll stop in for just a Bloody Mary or a shot or whatever. It’s a great all-inclusive bar. It’s been there forever. It actually is the bar that’s accredited with starting Southern Decadence. And it’s just wonderful place to go. So, really nice and easy and no pretense at all. 

J’Nai Angelle

Yeah, I was going to say something relatively close would be Dovetail. It is a really small hotel bar. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Oh, yeah. 

J’Nai Angelle

But it’s really close to the location of Tales. It’s very open air. I’ve been there to do work during the day and, you know, sip on a glass of wine. If you want somewhere really low-key. I don’t know how busy they’re going to be this year because of Tales with events. But on days that they are not full of events, it’s definitely a good place to just kind of sit and chill. They also do coffee during the day as well. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

That’s true. That’s going to be definitely for more of the cocktails and wine. And God knows wine is definitely something that you crave after a million cocktails. So, lots of good places to get wine and wine bars. 

Paul Clarke

And, you know, a beautiful thing about New Orleans is that there are so many different kinds of places to go. Neighborhood bars, dive bars, craft cocktail bars, restaurant bars, hotel bars, and on and on. I’d like to solicit your feedback on a few different directions. And since so many folks are coming in from out of town, can we start with hotel bars? What are a few that you would like to recommend? And, J’Nai, I’ll give you the big softball question and throw this one out to you to get it started.

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Right. 

J’Nai Angelle

Well, you know, I would say, you know, the Chandelier Bar is very beautiful in the daylight, but we will be chock full of events. So, if you’re not looking for the hustle and bustle of Tales, my alternative would probably be Loa at the International House. I have really, you know, kind of found a soft spot for that bar. I’ve been there a few times in the last few months. Their menu is great. The atmosphere is really great, especially at night. They do a little bit of a candle vibe. Definitely a place I would like to go.

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Definitely really good cocktails, and it’s kind of off the beaten path. And it is a beautiful space. Yeah, that definitely would be on the list. 

Paul Clarke 

Right. Right. I’ve, you know, I’ve made it a habit in recent years of stopping in at Loa at least a couple of times over the course the week. And, you know, it’s great because Abigail is a martini drinker as well. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Oh, yeah. 

Paul Clarke

It’s a good place for me to go and just, like, get a martini. Like, you know, kind of center myself before going back in and fray of tales. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

There’s also a place that opened up called Fives in Jackson Square. I think it’s in the old, like, Tabasco store. And it’s just oysters and Martinis and wine and some cocktails and stuff like that. So that’s a good place to just stop in for a Martini real quick also. 

Paul Clarke

Right. Right. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

It’s very, it’s very kind of a modernist version of Maison Premiere. Which Maison Premiere came to say. Sorry Maxwell. 

Paul Clarke

Uh-huh. It does have that feel. You know, I’ve been in the Fives a couple of times. It does have that feel of a place that has been there forever. You know, even though it’s relatively new, it does. It just kind of has the atmosphere rippling. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

It has that U-shaped bar, you know.

Paul Clarke

Right. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

That kind of thing. 

Paul Clarke

And then, of course, you know, before we get off the topic of hotel bars, you know, you have classic hotel bars in town. Like, of course, the Carousel Bar at the Monteleone. That’s. For years, that was home base for Tales of the Cocktail. And that would be packed. But, like, now you can actually get in there 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Yeah. 

Paul Clarke

And get your Vieux Carre and do your, you know, cocktail tourism. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg 

And also, that is something to see. I mean, we get a little jaded because we live here and everything. But, you know, I look forward to going when I have friends coming in town because there’s no way to recreate a bar like that. 

Paul Clarke

Right. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Nobody has that kind of money. Maybe Dubai has that kind of money. But. But there’s just that that’s something that can’t be recreated. And I think that’s definitely worth at least coming in and taking a spin around. 

Paul Clarke

Exactly. Yeah. You go in, get a drink, take the ride. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Yeah. 

Paul Clarke

Literally take the ride. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Absolutely. And it takes about two turns before, depending on your hangover, of how many times it takes for you to get acclimated. 

Paul Clarke

You know, for our brand-new issue of the magazine, our July-August issue that will be on display at Tales, everybody can find it at the Ritz-Carlton if you haven’t seen it already. I spoke with Gio about his experience at Black Penny and the regulars there. Gio, you frequently work late nights at the Penny. And since New Orleans is a 24-hour kind of city, what other late-night spots are worth knowing about for folks who are maybe out in the wee hours? 

Gio Miano

Well, early wee hours. If you’re, I think for food, uh, I, I prefer like Copper Monkey. You can generally get in there and get really good food till about two or three. Later than that, I’ll probably be on Decatur. Uh, Turtle Bay is going to have food at least probably 24 hours. And the Turtle Bay kitchen is, I mean, it’s stellar. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Yeah. 

Gio Miano

Breakfast pizza, you know, steak on Tuesday. Uh, three, I mean, honestly, it’s three for one on a lot of spirits late night, too. So you’re getting a, you’re getting a healthy pour, uh, while you’re hanging out. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Yeah. 

Gio Miano

And, and you’re right next door to the Abbey’s next door to Turtle Bay. Those are really nice, uh, hangouts in tandem. And Molly’s on, you know, Molly’s at the Market there until five or six as well. So, you know, late night, that’s a nice run. If you’re not on Rampart, I will, you know, I’m going to be on Rampart. That’s, that’s kind of my home base. But if I’m not on that side of the Quarter, it’s, it’s Decatur. Yeah. 

J’Nai Angelle 

Turtle Bay is the cheat code. And I feel like the regular people are getting onto it too. I saw one of my influencer friends make a video and I’m like, no, don’t give away the secrets.

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Yeah, shut up.

Paul Clarke

I, I like how you say regular people are getting onto it. 

J’Nai Angelle 

Well, I, I honestly. Drunk people and in hospitality who work late and need something to eat after, you know, and Turtle Bay is consistent. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Definitely some of the food trucks that you see around, I would definitely hit those up as well. Yeah, definitely. There’s, there’s a dude that I know exactly what his butt crack looks like during Super Sunday for pork chop sandwiches. I’m like, yep, that’s my guy. He’s here. 

J’Nai Angelle

Yeah, for sure.

Paul Clarke

It’s like facial recognition, except the other way. Yeah. That’s. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Yeah. The way. I was like, yeah, I know that Hanes band. Absolutely. He’s my guy!

Paul Clarke

Right. 

J’Nai Angelle

I love that.

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

It’s, it’s pretty amazing. So, um, yeah, all the food trucks here because, you know, they’re also struggling and working, you know, hustle and make their money too. It’s always a good time around a food truck. 

Paul Clarke

Right. On the subject of food, I don’t think we need to remind people, but let’s remind them just in case. New Orleans is an amazing food city with a culinary pedigree that is all its own. Understandably, many of the city’s restaurants also have amazing bar programs. And Kim, you’ve been a part of a number of those over the years. When people are thinking about dinner, when they’re going out, where to go, where can they go where they can also experience just an amazing bar program along with the whole restaurant? 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg 

Luckily, there’s, there’s absolutely not a dearth of those in New Orleans anymore. Pretty much any, any food spot is going to have a good cocktail. At least I hope so. Just because people have now known, you know, I’ve been restaurant specific forever. It’s a bar for the restaurant. It’s not a restaurant for the bar. So it’s really just making the cohesiveness between both of it and making it work. You know, I’m in a unique experience in which we have two completely different bars and feels. Like we have our, you know, Sicilian-Italian downstairs. So, of course, we focus on more amaros and vermouth and things like that. And then upstairs, that’s where we have our, our club that focuses mainly on burlesque. But we have tons of different activities, too.

So it’s a completely different feel. So totally different bar program. Have your own whiskeys, things of that nature. You have a million restaurants. You know, Jewel of the South has good food. Not only their bar program, which is stellar. Don’t tell Chris Hannah. He has a big enough head. But, yeah, so there are tons of places around that are going to have a decent cocktail along with the food. So that, luckily, you don’t really have to worry about. But also, you know, do it a different fun way. If you need to get away from, like, the Tales madness and stuff like that, get a group of your friends that you haven’t seen for a while. Buy a bottle of wine, take a streetcar, get a po’ boy from Parkway, and enjoy it on the bayou. 

J’Nai Angelle

For sure. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg 

Just take a couple hours away, you know, and just enjoy a different part of our city that I think a lot of people don’t really get to visit because it’s really quite beautiful over there. 

Paul Clarke

J’Nai, Gio, do you have recommendations you’d add on to that for restaurants with great bar programs? 

Gio Miano

Oh, let’s see. I mean, Palm & Pine, I keep it on Rampart with that one. You know, they’ve got an excellent program. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Absolutely. 

Gio Miano

Cocktail program’s great. Their menu has never not been, you know, out of the park. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Dude, for a place to get me excited about a salad is… 

Gio Miano

Yeah. 

J’Nai Angelle 

Gio stole my answer again.

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

That salad is insane. Oh, my God. 

J’Nai Angelle

I was gonna say Palm & Pine, too. I actually went there recently after not having gone in over a year, and a few friends and I had multiple things off the menu and everything hit. No, you know, no notes. Everything was delicious. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg 

They’re insanely consistent.

J’Nai Angelle

Yes, they’re consistent. You know, I know when I send people there, they’re going to have an amazing time and I’m so grateful for them. If I had to pick a place other than what was said already. You know, I recently became a fan of Espiritu.

Gio Miano

Yeah! 

J’Nai Angelle

Latin food is one of my favorites. Their cocktails are great. Their, um, spirits collection is top-notch and the food is delicious. They, last time I went, they were doing seasonal cocktails, um, around Halloween and they were very good. 

Gio Miano

Yeah, yeah, and they’ve just opened, uh, they have a second location now that just opened in, uh, Mid-City. 

J’Nai Angelle

Mid-City, yeah.

Gio Miano 

The far side of Mid-City, yeah. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg 

That’s wild. That’s great. It’s the little restaurant that could. 

J’Nai Angelle

Mm-hmm. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Because it’s in a very, very odd location. 

J’Nai Angelle

Yeah. It’s a little tucked away. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Um, and I’m glad with, uh, being such a niche that they’ve survived this long. So, you know, heads up. Good to you. 

Paul Clarke

Right, right. And, and, you know, of course, everyone is coming to town for tales of the cocktail. And over the years, New Orleans has developed a number of great craft cocktail bars that really kind of put that approach front and center. For folks who want to see what the city’s cocktail culture is like, what are some of the must-sees or what are some of your favorites? 

J’Nai Angelle

One of the bars that has become my favorite is definitely NightBloom. I’m sure you might venture there for one of their late-night events, but it has become one of my favorite places because I am around a lot of other, you know, Black Americans there. Most of their staff is African American, and so you can tell that through their cocktail program. You know, they do quality cocktails while still putting a lot of culture into them. And so that’s definitely a place I think people need to check out. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Definitely. That’s definitely under the radar and definitely needs to be, uh, spotlighted a bit more. 

Paul Clarke

All right. What other places would you all, Kim, any recommendations from you? 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

I mean, I’m kind of the classic person, so I like Manolito for blended drinks and everything. And also I appreciate a lot of the being kind of a community center during COVID, which was really great. They have one of my favorite Martinis because seeing the thrown Martini is definitely a unique experience.

Gio Miano

Yeah. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Their Jazz Martini, which I still hate the name, quite delicious. So it’s great. It’s got a little bit of coffee bean in it. It’s delicious. And that, believe it or not, growing up in Florida and the land of chains, that was the first place I ever had a Miami Vice. I don’t know how that happened, but, and it was, it was delightful. 

Paul Clarke

You know, for a lot of folks, like I said at the outset, I’ve been coming to Tales for a long time, but still they’re going to be newbies, you know, folks who, this is their very first year coming to town. This might be their very first time to ever come to New Orleans. Is there a place that they really should keep in mind? Like, you know, I, this is a must see. I’m never going to see a place like this anywhere else. Or it’s very distinct to New Orleans. Are there places where you’re like, if you’re only hit one, make sure you go here.

J’Nai Angelle

Yeah, there’s so many good places. I mean, Carousel Bar, it, you know, it’s, it what, it’s what it is. It’s classic New Orleans. If you want to experience New Orleans, you know, in its entirety, one example of what our cocktail culture is, I think that’s probably the best one, in my opinion. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg 

I hate to say it, but Bacchanal, and it’s going to be overrun at Tales. Just know that. Just go on off hours and get your bottle of wine and your cheese and all that kind of stuff. And going to Bacchanal in, I think it was ’08, was kind of the defining moment of my husband and I moving here from New York. We were just like, this can’t happen in New York. You can’t have this casual backyard thing with wine and cheese and stuff like that. Especially in ’08, things have changed now. But yeah, I think that definitely is a spot, but definitely go on off hours, and if you think you’re going to have any room on Sunday, ah, okay. Yeah, now. 

Paul Clarke

Yeah. Gio, what about you? Any, any recommendations for a place somebody’s absolutely got their first time in town? 

Gio Miano

It might be a little cliche, but it is in walking distance from Tales. That’s sunset or, you know, that twilight hour at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop is pretty romantic. 

Paul Clarke

Yeah. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

That’s true. 

Gio Miano

It can go all over the place. It can be really busy with a big tourist crowd, but you can just kind of let that flow out, and it can be nice, romantic.

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

That’s very true.

Paul Clarke

Yeah, fantastic. These are all great suggestions, yeah.

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

And then go to Clover Grill.

Gio Miano

Yeah. 

J’Nai Angelle

Yeah. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

It’s your late night spot, you know. Get your burger that’s under a hubcap, you know. Hash browns, side of sass.

Paul Clarke

We’ve been talking about all different kinds of bars. I want to make sure we have time here near the end for each of you to share where we can find you during Tales Week this year, and what your bar is going to be like, and what your week is going to look like. Gio, you’re going to be Black Penny and Tonique that week, is that right?

Gio Miano

Yep. Tonique’s going to have a bunch of different events going on. It’s definitely a spot to slide into. So I’ll be between there and the Penny. Black Penny’s going to be hosting, I believe, the Cantina Tequila event again, so there’s a tequila tasting that’ll be there Monday and Tuesday. Later if I can get a call in, we may have Dead Rabbit doing a takeover at Tonique, Paradise Lost in New York, will be doing a takeover at Tonique. And then there’s the Planteray Pool Party on Wednesday night at Tonique. That’s going to be a big… They fill up a couple pickup trucks with liners and water.

Paul Clarke

As one does.

Gio Miano 

It’s kind of a big mess, but it’s an excellent time. I’ll be on Rampart. 

Paul Clarke 

Okay, fantastic. J’Nai, you’re going to have a busy week and where can we find you? What are you going to be up to? 

J’Nai Angelle

Yes. So at the hotel specifically, we will be doing a lot of activations featuring other Four Seasons bars. Bandista from Houston. Virtu from Tokyo, plus a few other from around the country and maybe a couple more international. So if you want to come throughout the week, we’ll be doing a lot of pop-ups with those bars. Me specifically, I will be doing an event from 4 to 6 at the hotel. I will probably be there Sunday. I usually sacrifice going to Speed Rack and work the Sunday shift. Other than that, I’ll be working some events sprinkled in throughout the week. I’ll be posting on Instagram and you might see me around with my camera. So if you want to be on camera, come find me. 

Paul Clarke

And of course, we’ll find you at the Spirited Awards on Thursday night because you are a finalist for American Bartender of the Year. 

J’Nai Angelle

Yes. 

Paul Clarke

I should drop that point.

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Yes! You have no idea how I screamed when I saw that. I was so excited. 

J’Nai Angelle

You It is really exciting. So cross your fingers, send up your prayers that I take it home or keep it in the city. 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Heard that. 

Paul Clarke

Yeah. Kim, what are you doing during Tales Week? 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Tales Week, I’m going to be judging whiskey. I was invited back to judge the whiskey category for Tales, which is a hell of a way to spend an afternoon. 

Paul Clarke

I always get stuck on the liqueurs panel. Me and Danny Ronin and we spend the day, you know, tasting sweet things.

Kimberly Patton-Bragg 

You know, Danny is my birthday twin. So yeah, we have. Yeah. So yeah. Oh, that’s perfect. So I guess I’m still the whiskey girl. You know, I’ve always joked that American whiskey is my husband and agave is my lover. So here we are. So going to be doing that. And then we’ve got a dynamic trio, actually, with Jonathan Pogash, Fox Monroe, who takes care of the bar upstairs at the Original Nite Cap, and myself. Then we have a spirited dinner, which is going to be a burlesque spirited dinner with Jonathan Pogash and myself and the gorgeous Bella Blue dancing. And it’s five courses, and it’s going to be a lot of fun and great cocktails. So yeah, come on by and make your reservations. 

Paul Clarke

Fantastic. We’re near the finish line here. Any final recommendations for folks coming into Tales this year, whether they’re a newbie or an old and crusty Tales veteran like me? 

Kimberly Patton-Bragg

Don’t forget, if you can’t get into Bar Tonique, Black Penny is right down the road. And they have really, really great beers. They have really, really great attitude, really great space, all that kind of stuff. I’m not sucking up to you, Gio. You know I’m not. So it’s a great, great bar. And that’s a local favorite. And give them a lot of love. The bartenders there are great. 

J’Nai Angelle

For me, I wanted to give a little shout out, if I could, to an industry vet that a lot of people aren’t aware of. There is a lady named Jessica Robinson. She owns a bar named JusTini’s. And Jessica is very low-key. She has been around even before I was a thing in the industry. She actually inspired me a lot when I was coming up. She’s always been kind of like an industry person who was more of a community builder, too. Early in my career, I used to go to a lot of her women’s events that she would do. She also did a lot of event bartending back in the day. And now she’s opened a bar called JusTini’s.

And even through her bar program, she does a lot of women’s events. She hosts weekly women’s events. She’s always doing things, connecting the women of the city. And I really wanted to give her a shout out. So if you’re in the Marigny area… Definitely check out JusTini’s. It’s really cute inside and it is a Black woman-owned bar and I think she deserves a little more shine. 

Paul Clarke

J’Nai, Gio, Kim, thank y’all so much for taking the time to chat for the podcast and to share all of this with us. It’s been wonderful and I’m looking forward to seeing all of you in person very, very soon. 

J’Nai Angelle

Thanks, Paul. 

Gio Miano

Thank you much. 

[music]

Paul Clarke

Once again, head online to talesofthecocktail.org for a lineup of all the official events taking place at this year’s event in New Orleans. You can find J’Nai Angell on Instagram at jnai.angelle. Kimberly Patton-Bragg is on Instagram at kpbmixalot. And Gio Miano isn’t on Instagram, but the Black Penny is at BlackPennyBar. We’ve got the links for all of those in this episode’s notes. 

And once again, this episode is sponsored by The Perfect Puree. Bar professionals can request complimentary samples of their new craft fruit syrups by heading to perfectpuree.com/radioimbibe. 

And that’s it for this episode. Subscribe to Radio Imbibe on your favorite podcast app to keep up with all our future episodes. We’ve got tons of recipes and articles for you online at our website, imbibemagazine.com. Follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Threads for all our day-to-day coverage. And if you’re not already a subscriber to the print and or digital issues of Imbibe, then here’s your opportunity to get on board. Just follow the link in this episode’s notes and we’ll be happy to help you out. I’m Paul Clarke. This is Radio Imbibe. Catch you next time.