What's a Rocktail Event?

Rocktails: An Amped Up Spin On Mixology has been an ongoing effort to create a cocktail book series honoring musicians through the art of libations.  As musicians and singers Kristen Kreft and MayaLou Banatwala share a passion for the music scene in its entirety. From performing, planning events, and creating ambiance, they both celebrate every morsel of detail that goes into making an evening amazing. This passion pairs well with their love for mixology.  They have been rocking behind the bar, side by side, as friends and coworkers for over five years, all the while conjuring up a dream of creating a “Rocktail” book series where the drinks demonstrate cocktail knowledge and music appreciation. 

This first edition of the Rocktails: An Amped Up Spin On Mixology series, evolved into a documentary of their experiences as a Pop Up Party every second Saturday in 2018 at The Listing Loon in Cincinnati’s eclectic neighborhood of Northside. Each month Kristen and Maya produced their “Rocktails Experience” by hiring the entertainment and creating each menu inspired by the featured bands or DJ’s,  in addition to reinventing the physical bar space to transport the patrons to a unique environment each month. The book boasts an album of “Amped Up” cocktails from sunny sangria tributes to Yacht Rock greats The Doobie Brothers, to Indie Rock salutes to Siouxsie Sioux combining the grit of pear juice with the sexy notes of round dark rum, bitter Campari, grape soda and a black licorice garnish. An example of Rocktails’ love of local is represented with Dirty Blues honors inspired by Dayton, Kentucky’s own original band, All Seeing Eyes, using Absinthe soaked, flamed candy cigarettes affixed into gummy orange slices as garnishes, atop a smoky Laphroig rinsed whiskey and beer cocktail spiked with Watershed’s Noccino Black Walnut Liqueur.  Although September 8th, celebrates the first edition of Rocktails: An Amped Up Spin On Mixology, please look out for “Cincinnati Rocktails:”, a tribute to American Musicians, some legends, some lesser known, but all have a Cincinnati Connection. Rocktails is also available for hire for Pop Ups, and Private Parties of all kinds.