Johnny Caldwell and Taneka Reaves, listed among Imbibe Magazine’s ‘75 People to Watch in 2018’ and named two of Charleston’s 50 Most Progressive, are the dynamic duo known around the globe as the curly-haired Cocktail Bandits. These full-time Charleston Beverage Ambassadors 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.
The curly ladies, who talk cocktails daily, educate and entertain their growing blog audience through their own original cocktail recipes, by promoting the craftsmanship of other bar professionals and by sharing their experiences at foodie events all around the Holy City and beyond. Johnny and Taneka have hosted sold-out events at Charleston Food & Wine Festival, Atlanta Food & Wine Festival and Euphoria Greenville Food, Wine & Music Festival. As expert judges, The Cocktail Bandits have participated in the American Craft Spirit Competition, First Annual Fried Chicken Challenge, Charleston Fashion Week’s Top Cocktail Competition and more!
The duo have also been featured on Sirius XM Radio online, NBC BLK online, Metro UK online, Style Me Pretty Online, Cuisine Noir Magazine, Black Southern Belle Magazine, National PBS ‘Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking TV’, ESSENCE Magazine, Imbibe Magazine and several other regional publications. The Bandits have collaborated with brands like Red Bull, Avion Tequila, Saveur Magazine, Renaissance Hotel and Toyota to transform the way people think about beverages. Their highly anticipated book, ‘Holy Spirits! Charleston Culture Through Cocktails’ features original cocktail recipes, stories from local bartenders and entertaining tips from Reaves and Caldwell.