To celebrate The Beyond, NCMA has partnered with thirteen bars and restaurants in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Winston-Salem to create specialty cocktails inspired by the works of Georgia O’Keeffe and the contemporary artists who surround her in the exhibit. The drinks will be served at the participating venues throughout the exhibition’s run.
“Everyone knows Georgia O’Keeffe’s famous flowers, but [they] may not have heard she was also a foodie who loved to come up with her own recipes,” says Karlie Marlowe, director of marketing and visitor services at NCMA. “Since The Beyond examines how O’Keeffe left a lasting legacy on artists working today, it carries that theme of inspiration out into the community.”
Several bartenders found inspiration in O’Keeffe’s “Petunias.” At so•ca, beverage director Tolson Kenney created the Petunia de Santiago, a shaken cocktail made with white rum, hibiscus simple syrup, fresh lime juice, yellow chartreuse, bitters, lavender-infused hibiscus, and passionfruit tea.
“Georgia O’Keeffe’s ‘Petunias’ piece stood out to me mostly because I really enjoy natural colors of flowers and foliage,” Kenney says. “Contrasting shades of purple brought many flowers to mind—daisies, hibiscus, and lavender. This cocktail embraces acidity, sweetness, and some herbal notes.”
Art lovers and cocktail connoisseurs attending the exhibit on Friday evenings can sip The Beyond at Iris After Dark at NCMA. The Tom Collins riff is a refreshing tipple crafted with Durham Distillery’s Conniption Gin, lemon juice, ginger ale, and sweet lavender syrup for a bolt of purple.
Other specialty cocktails inspired by the exhibit can be found at bu•ku Raleigh, bu•ku Wake Forest, Crossroads at Carolina Inn, The Crunkleton, Hummingbird, Jack Tar & The Colonel’s Daughter, Littler, Mandolin, Pizzeria Toro, and The Katharine.
