Just this past week, the SoP team and I headed down to Charleston to cover the 2023 Charleston Wine and Food Festival and let me tell you– it did not disappoint. I was a part of the small group of social media experts + content creators that made up the 2023 Street Team again this year, which always makes the entire experience soo much more fun! If you’ve never attending CHSWF, or didn’t make it this year, take this as your sign to purchase tix early next year so that you don’t miss any of the fun.

Continue reading Charleston Wine and Food Festival 2023 at Shades of Pinck.

The summers in Columbia can be unbearable with the extreme heat, but there’s nothing like a refreshing and sometimes unexpected cocktail to cool things down! I was recently introduced to Jackson Morgan Whiskey Creams and have had fun crafting playful, southern-inspired drinks this season. Their American-made whiskey cream was crafted from a 1921 family original recipe and comes in curated flavors like salted caramel, peaches and cream + this delicious whipped orange cream I that we’re using in the cocktail below to reimagine a childhood favorite.

Continue reading A tasty summer cocktail with ice cream + a childhood favorite at Shades of Pinck.

Have you ever tried a cocktail at a restaurant, on a trip, or at an event and your first thought is “I need to replicate this at home”!? That’s exactly what happened to my team and me when we tried Tito’s Pomegranate Orange Mule at Charleston Wine & Food Festival. Lucky for us, the Tito’s Handmade Vodka team let us in on their secret recipe (and gave us some vodka to get started). It’s the perfect take on a classic mule, I love how the tartness of the pomegranate is tempered with ginger beer, and the rosemary and orange accent the drink.

Continue reading Spring Cocktail Series: Pom-Orange Mule at Shades of Pinck.

With azaleas in full bloom and temperatures on the rise, it’s hard not to want to spend as much time as possible outdoors these days. Here at SoP, we’ve been sneaking on the terrace for a few hours during the workday and I find myself spending extra long on the swing in our backyard with Teagan. But being outside leaves one quite…parched! And we truly believe there’s no better way to quench your thirst on a lovely spring afternoon than with a craft cocktail.

Continue reading Spring Cocktail Series: The Perfect Porch Paloma at Shades of Pinck.

Looking for an easy way to enjoy the flavors of the season? Try re-creating this super easy sangria for your scary movie marathon, pumpkin carving party, or just a quiet afternoon on the porch taking in the cool air.

What you’ll need:

1. 2 Bottles of your Favorite Full Body Red Blend (no need to get anything expensive)
2. 1/2 Cups of Triple Sec
3. 750 ML of your favorite Brandy
4. 1 3/4 Cups of Apple Cider
5. 1 Cup of Orange Juice
6. Juice from 1 Large Lemon
7. 3 Large Apples sliced
8. 2 large oranges sliced
9. Half of a lime + half of a lemon sliced
10. Cinnamon sticks
11. Sparkling water
12. Dispenser for Serving

Fall Sangria Recipe:

1. Slice fruits
2. Pour wine into dispenser
3. Add Triple Sec, Brandy, Apple Cider, and Orange Juice.

Continue reading Fall Infused Sangria // Easy Seasonal Cocktail Recipe at Shades of Pinck.

Ahhh, fall!

Everything about this seasons makes my soul happy! The weather begins to cool, the leaves begin to change color and in a matter of weeks the entire world feels like a completely different place– allowing you, too, to reinvent yourself.

Who doesn’t get the urge to redecorate their entire house, or switch out their summer wardrobe the first time the temperature hits the 70s?! While it’s hard not to give in to the redundant “it’s fall, y’all” signs + pumpkin spice everything, if you’re really looking to welcome this new season + all its changes choose one of these products instead.

Continue reading Stay cozy this fall with these 8 things! at Shades of Pinck.

Evenings at home have gotten a little more interesting! While we’ve definitely started to (safely) spend more time in our community, we aren’t going “out for drinks” nearly as often as we use to. Instead, we’ve been choosing happy hour at home! And with summer ending soon, it’s only fair we try to spend as much time outdoors as possible.

In an effort to make every moment feel special, even if it’s just a night at home, I wanted to introduce new cocktails to our HH.

Continue reading Happy Hours @ Home // Sparkling Cocktail Recipe at Shades of Pinck.

For months all anyone in Colatown could talk about was The 2017 Eclipse. Actually it felt like as soon as 2017 began talks of how Columbia was one of the few “major cities” to be in the direct path of totality (and slated to have the longest period of darkness on the East coast) began to crop up. It wasn’t long before the entire event was hyped up to the max; I guessed to attract professional + amateur star gazers from near and fall.

Continue reading The celestial event of the year at Shades of Pinck.

This past Sunday was my 26th birthday, and (just as I do every other year) I did my best to turn that day into a full on event!

Over the years my friends have come to look forward to my birthday party theme–which is nice because I really do put a lot of thought and effort into them. I knew it would be hard to top my music festival party on the lake last year, so the pressure was on for this year’s.

Continue reading Let’s Flamingle! // My 26th at Shades of Pinck.

The Chicago skyline has a particular sparkle when you’re looking out on it from up above. It shines brightest on two occasions: when the sun sets and the great lake reflects onto it, and after dark when each room in every skyscraper plays a note on the musical sheet of twinkles.

Coincidentally enough, I found a great spot to enjoy drinks during both times of day.

Where to go for Happy Hour:

The Dec Rooftop Bar + Lounge @ The Ritz Carlton

A rooftop is the perfect place to enjoy a Chicago summer sunset.

Continue reading Drinks, above the city // Chicago at Shades of Pinck.