NOLADrinks Show – 8-19-19 – LGBTQ in the Hospitality and Liquor Industries – Allies and Advocates

Please note – On Spotify, the show’s first segment, a brief intro only, remains garbled. However, the rest of the show including the featured interview, in it’s entirety, is just fine! There should be no problems on any of the other platforms and you can always get the episode right here at the top of this post! Cheers, You All!

On this edition of The NOLADrinks Show with Bryan Dias we talk about LGBTQ communities in the hospitality and liquor industries. We’re joined by Christina Cabrera and Whit Kathner. This is part of our ongoing “Sustainability Series” and was recorded at Tales of the Cocktail 2019.

Pictured above from left – Whit Kathner of Republic Restoratives Distillery, Christina Cabrera of Grey Goose Vodka, and Bryan Dias of The NOLADrinks Show.

NOLADrinks Show – 8-19-19 – LGBTQ in the Hospitality and Liquor Industries – Allies and Advocates

We start things off letting you know about what’s happening on this week’s show. We also touch on the passing of local news anchor, Nancy Parker, and former Louisiana governor, Kathleen Blanco. Hey, and it’s August, so I complain a bit about the heat!

Then, we off to Tujague’s for our featured interview discussing issues and ideas connected to LGBTQ communities in the hospitality and liquor industries. We’re joined by Christina Cabrera, Grey Goose Vodka ambassador for New York City, and Whit Kathner, National Sales Director for Republic Restoratives Distillery in Washington, D.C.

Christina and Whit participated in a Tales of the Cocktail seminar – moderated and organized by Christina – called, “The Queer Community Revealed: Turning Allies into Advocates.” We discuss various ideas including “blind spots” and moving from “tolerance” to “acceptance.” Additionally, we also discuss the concept of being “uncomfortable” and how that can bring change.

Also, we discuss some ways that the industry can address these issues and create an environment that moves from tolerance to acceptance. We touch on staff diversity, gender neutral restrooms, marketing, and much more.

Pictured above – Bryan Dias of The NOLADrinks Show.

Next up, we move to our podcast-only segment, “Another Shot with NOLADrinks.” Christina and Whit stick around where dig further into these topics. We touch on their roles within their companies and how their realities manifest in their careers.

We close things out with our “Parting Shot” on blind spots and being uncomfortable. The map below shows the location of Tujague’s thanks to them for hosting and thanks to Tales of the Cocktail for helping us to arrange this show.

You can subscribe to, stream, and download The NOLADrinks Show podcast using the player at the top of this post.

Cheers, You All!

~ Bryan