Stoli® Vodka Announces Fifth Annual Key West Cocktail Classic – The World’s Largest LGBT Bartending Competition and Celebration

Stoli Vodka kicked off the fifth annual Key West Cocktail Classic last night, hosting the first of 14 stops in Dallas. The world’s largest LGBT bartending competition brings together the most inventive LGBT and LGBT-ally bartenders to compete to win $20,000 for their chosen charity and to be Crowned 2018 Stoli Key West Cocktail Champion.

February 27, 2018 04:58 PM Eastern Standard Time

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Stoli® Group USA, LLC, in partnership with the Key West Business Guild, kicked off the return of the world’s largest annual LGBT bartender competition, the Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic, last night. Now in its fifth year, this is not a typical cocktail competition, as bartenders are judged on much more than the taste of their Stoli-based drinks with creativity, authenticity, knowledge and presentation factoring heavily into the equation, determined by a panel of judges and consumers, who can apply to cast votes on-site at www.out.com/keywestcocktailclassic. Fourteen cities across the USA and Canada will play host to regional competitions with the theme “Raising the Bar,” beginning tonight in Dallas and culminating in New York City on May 16^th.

@Stoli kicked off world’s largest LGBT bartending competition last night #stolipride #raisingthebar #stolikeywest

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Finalists will win a seven-day, all-inclusive trip to represent their city at the Finale, which will be held June 5-11^th in Key West and is scheduled to include celebrity guests: actor and musician Jai Rodriguez, writer and Emmy Award-winner Bruce Vilanch, American Idol’s Latoya London, star of the annual CNN-televised New Year’s Eve “High Heel Drop” Sushi, dance diva Debby Holiday, and Real Housewives of Dallas star LeeAnne Locken. The 2018 Stoli Key West Cocktail Champion will serve as the 2018 Key West Pride Parade Honorary Grand Marshall and receives $15,000 for charity, a celebration and check presentation at their home bar, and a trip for two to either Vancouver or San Diego Pride 2018. The first runner-up wins $5,000 for charity plus a weeklong Grand Canyon Water Rafting Adventure, courtesy of HE Travel, North America’s oldest LGBT travel agency. The charity donations are split between winners’ chosen non-profits and Key West non-profits each bartender is paired with in advance. Last year’s Champion, Kayla Hasbrook, won $7,500 for Planned Parenthood of New York and $5,000 for the Key West Firehouse Museum.

“This year, we are proud to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the Key West Business Guild, as well as the 40^th anniversary of Harvey Milk being sworn into office; 1978 was indeed an important year,” said Patrik Gallineaux, Stoli’s National LGBT Ambassador and Brand Manager. “The Key West Cocktail Classic recognizes the most innovative bartenders in the country, whose spirit – personally and inside the glass – are reflective of Key West, an island that has been a safe space for so long, and of Harvey Milk, a man whose life opened closet doors for so many.”

Alan Beaubien, President of the Board of the Key West Business Guild, added, “As the oldest LBGT marketing organization in the country, the Key West Business Guild is extremely proud to be able to partner with Stoli for the Cocktail Classic and our June 3^rd-11^th Pride Week Celebration. For five years, Stoli has shown its support to the LBGT community and to the KWBG through this spectacular event series that this year will give back $20,000 to charity while building awareness and support for the importance of the LGBT culture and community. It is with great pleasure that we welcome Stoli and all participants, friends, and fans of the 5th annual Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic to Key West, where we are truly and forever, as our motto reads, ‘One Human Family’.”

In addition to recognizing the talents of the industry’s top LGBT bartenders, the Cocktail Classic celebrates the role that gay bars have played as original community centers and the LGBT and ally bar stars who continue to raise the bar for equality today. For more information about the Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic including how to apply, rules, guidelines, and all the recipes from our 2017 champions visit www.out.com/keywestcocktailclassic and follow along on Facebook and Instagram @Stoli and using the hashtags: #stolipride #raisingthebar #stolikeywest.

About Key West Business Guild

The mission of the Key West Business Guild is to promote LGBT travel to Key West through marketing and the promotion of specialty events; to support gay-owned, gay-managed, and gay-friendly businesses; to strengthen the Gay community’s position within the local community by supporting relevant LGBT issues. The KWBG was founded in 1978 by 8 local gay business owners and has grown to approximately 400 members, which work together to continue efforts to brighten the rainbow over the island, an island now known as Gay Key West. Promotion of events, such as Key West Pride, Tropical Heat and Womenfest, has made Key West a year-round LGBT travel destination. For more information visit www.kwbgonline.org.

About Stoli^® Group USA, LLC

Stoli Group USA is the proud importer and marketer of the Stolichnaya^® brand of premium vodkas and Stoli^® Ginger Beer, ultra-premium elit^® Vodka, Louisiana-distilled Bayou^® Rum, Kentucky Owl^® Bourbon founded in 1879, “Tequila with a Soul” Cenote, super-premium Se Busca Mezcal, Achaval-Ferrer from Argentina, and Arinzano wines of Spain. Formed in 2013, Stoli Group USA is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of SPI Group in Luxembourg.

Contacts

Stoli Group
Patrik Gallineaux, +1-415-312-9492
LGBT Ambassador and Brand Manager
pgallineaux@stoli.com
or
Alison Walsh, +1-917-301-2962
Global Public Relations Lead
awalsh@stoli.com

The post Bruce Vilanch Will Be A Finale Guest At The Fifth Annual Key West Cocktail Classic June 5 – 11 in Key West first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

SummerStage Presents: NYC Pride Rally featuring Me’Shell Ndegeocello , Martha Wash, The New York Gay Men’s Chorus, Vickie Shaw, Billie Myers, Bruce Vilanch and More

Saturday June 19, 2010
Rumsey Playfield – Central Park (NYC)

Strength, virtuosity and joyous revelry reflect the diversity of the LGBT community and the lineup of this incredible eveningâ€s entertainment.

One month after the Stonewall Riots of June 27-29, 1969, about 500 people gathered for a “Gay Power” demonstration. That event, the very first New York City Pride Rally, took place in Washington Square Park and was followed by a candlelight vigil in Sheridan Square. Now in its 42nd year, the Heritage of Pride Rally continues that tradition on the last Sunday in June, providing the Cityâ€s LGBT Community with a fabulous launch into Pride Week. This yearâ€s rally, the first at SummerStage, will include performances by Meâ€Shell Ndegéocello, Martha Wash, The Gay Menâ€s Chorus, Vickie Shaw, and Billie Myers, hosted by writer and comic, Bruce Vilanch.

Canonized, marginalized or just scrutinized, Meâ€shell Ndegéocello has given up trying to explain herself. After 20 years in an industry that has called her everything from avant garde to a dying breed, what unquestionably remains is the fearsome bassist, prolific songwriter and the creativity and curiosity of an authentic musical force. With that, she has earned critical acclaim, the unfailing respect of fellow players, songwriters and composers, and the dedication of her diverse, unclassifiable fans.

Like many artists, Martha Wash has felt the ups and downs of the rollercoaster-like music industry. From being the uncredited powerhouse vocalist behind C+C Music Factoryâ€s classic “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” to her Grammy nomination for the cult classicâ€Itâ€s Raining Menâ€, to seeing her debut solo single “Carry On” reach the #1 spot – in her own name – Martha has unquestionably made her mark in R&B, in dance, in disco and in music history.

The New York City Gay Menâ€s Chorus comprises of 250 voices. The Chorus has appeared in Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Affirming their world-class status is a roster of classical and contemporary artists who have graced the stages with the Chorus: Marilyn Horne, Roberta Peters, Liza Minnelli, Stephen Sondheim, Barbara Cook, Carol Channing, Jerry Herman, Eartha Kitt, Joel Grey– to name just a few. The New York City Gay Menâ€s Chorus (NYCGMC) is a member of Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA), the worldâ€s only association committed to serving the LGBT choral movement.

Vickie Shaw returns to New York with her slow paced (sheâ€s southern), incredibly endearing, (sheâ€s southern), sharp, donâ€t mess with her (sheâ€s southern!), comedy. Vickie doesnâ€t have to go far from home for material – as a recovering SoB (Southern Baptist) and out lesbian mother. Sheâ€s successfully raised two sons and a daughter (actually theyâ€re just alive, Iâ€m not sure if that successful), One son, his wife and their three perfect daughters and her daughter and fiancee all live with Vickie and her “husbian” in Sgt. Patch. Her census needed extra postage. Yeah thereâ€s enough material there to fill a few hours. Vickie has performed in almost every State in the US, and had headlined in way too many venues to list here and TV out the YinYang, but trust us, this girlâ€s been around.

With the success of her hit singleâ€Kiss The Rain†from the debut record Growing, Pains, Billie Myers has proven her longevity as an artist. Myerâ€s live performances have been described as “electrifying” by Rolling Stone. She has toured extensively with the likes of Bob Dylan and Savage Garden and starred at Lilith Fair. Myers has worked with industry greats Desmond Child, Junior Vasquez and Peter Q. Harris. The London Times raves “Myers excels at weaving poetic narratives around starkly honest portraits of her life experiences reassuringly long on singer-songwriter talent.” Her new album, Tea & Sympathy, is out now on iTunes.

One of the most sought-after jokesmiths in the entertainment industry, Bruce Vilanch has become a recognizable face in his own right, thanks to the feature-length documentary Get Bruce! and his one-time stint as a regular on Hollywood Squares, for which he also served as head writer. He is perhaps best known as a regular gag-writer for the Academy Awards, which he has done since 1989.

Event Information
Saturday June 19, 2010
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
All Ages
Cover: FREE

Links
Direct Link: http://fusicology.com/event/nycpriderally
Short URL: http://bit.ly/amXJjY
Venue URL: http://summerstage.org

The post NYC Pride Rally Features Bruce Vilanch, Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Billie Myers. and more… first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced today that Cybill Shepherd will receive the Golden Gate Award and Lee Daniels will receive the Davidson/Valentini Award at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented in San Francisco by Southwest Airlines on June 5, 2010 at the Marriott Marquis.

The GLAAD Media Awards elevate and promote fair, accurate and inclusive stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, people and allies that have increased awareness, understanding and respect for the lives of LGBT people. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD’s work to amplify stories of LGBT people and issues that build support for equality.

Openly gay recording artist Sam Sparro will perform along with country music singer Chely Wright, who recently came out in People. Writer and comedian Bruce Vilanch will host the event. Jan Wahl, local television news for KRON, will join Actors Wilson Cruz and Jai Rodriguez at the event.

Cybill Shepard will receive the Golden Gate Award from her daughters Clementine Ford and recent Yale graduate Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim. The award is presented to media professionals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community. In addition to being an actress, musician, author, producer and model, Shepard has also been a vocal advocate of LGBT equality. In the final three seasons of the Showtime original series The L Word, Shepherd starred as Phyllis Kroll, a married woman who comes out as a lesbian, divorces her husband, and falls in love with her divorce attorney (played by Jane Lynch). Shepherd has been an advocate for marriage equality and same-sex parental rights for decades, marching and speaking at the 1993 March on Washington and appearing on the cover of The Advocate to discuss her reaction to the march. Sheperd’s daughter Clementine Ford is an openly gay actress who currently portrays Mackenzie ‘Mac’ Browning on The Young & the Restless and Shepherd is ardently supportive of her daughter. Previous recipients include Megan Mullally, Jennifer Beals, Stockard Channing, Jennifer Tilly, James Schamus, and Brooke Shields.

Lee Daniels will receive the Davidson/Valentini Award which is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for our community. This year Daniels became the first openly gay African American man to be nominated for Achievement in Directing at the Academy Awards® for Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. Daniels also served as Producer of the film which was nominated for Outstanding Film -Wide Release at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards for its inclusion of the character “Ms. Rain,” an out lesbian teacher. Daniels also directed Shadowboxer, and produced The Woodsman and Monster’s Ball. The Davidson/Valentini Award is named after Craig Davidson, GLAAD’s first executive director, and his partner Michael Valentini. Previous recipients include Chad Allen, Ilene Chaiken, Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, Alec Mapa, Robert Gant, B.D. Wong, and Sandra Bernhard.

It was previously announced that Robert Hanson, president of Levi Strauss Americas, will receive the San Francisco Local Hero Award. As a strong advocate for social justice, LGBT rights and marriage equality, Hanson championed the company’s involvement as a leader in the Business Council for the “No on Prop 8” campaign. He also supported the company’s decision to sign on to the amicus brief to the California Supreme Court in support of the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. During a 6-year term on the Board of Directors for the Hetrick-Martin Institute in New York City, Hanson was instrumental in developing a partnership between the organization and the Levi’s brand to raise awareness and financial support for LGBT youth.

Awards scheduled to be presented onstage include the following categories: Outstanding Music Artist, Outstanding Documentary and Outstanding Digital Journalism – Multimedia. A complete list of this year’s nominees and award recipients from the GLAAD Media Awards in New York and Los Angeles are available at www.glaad.org/mediaawards.

Each year, the GLAAD Media Awards in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco bring together more than 4,000 supporters to raise funds for the organization’s work.

GLAAD will live tweet from the GLAAD Media Awards. GLAAD’s tweets can be seen at http://twitter.com/glaad. If you tweet about the GLAAD Media Awards, please include the hashtag #GLAADMediaAwards in your tweets. Also, please follow @glaad on Twitter at http://twitter.com/glaad.

More than 100 corporate partners are showing their support, including New York Co-Presenting corporate partners IBM and Prudential, Los Angeles Presenting corporate partner ABSOLUT® Vodka and San Francisco Presenting corporate partner Southwest Airlines. GLAAD is also grateful to the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards Platinum Underwriter corporate partners: AT&T, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Time Warner, Lexus and University of Phoenix, as well as Underwriter corporate partners: Allstate Insurance Company, American Airlines, Comcast, Delta Air Lines, Fox Group, Harrah’s Foundation, Herb Ritts Foundation, Here Media, MTV Networks, MillerCoors, New York City Marriott & Renaissance Hotels, The Palette Fund, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Terry K. Watanabe Charitable Trust and UBS.

General tickets for the San Francisco event are $350 and include entrance to the cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner, show, and after party. For a full list of corporate partners and information on how to become a corporate partner, or to become a table host, purchase tickets or place a tribute in the tribute book, please call (877) 519-7904 or visit www.glaad.org/mediaawards.

About GLAAD

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org. For the latest updates, join us at www.facebook.com/glaad and www.twitter.com/glaad.

The post Save The Date: Bruce Vilanch To Host GLAAD Media Awards In San Fran 6/5 first appeared on We Got Bruce!.