From London to Boston and Bermuda, hotels are celebrating women this month! What we love: the focus on supporting female-founded businesses and women's charities, and putting the spotlight on professional women in the kitchen! This begs the question: why don't hotels do this ALL year?!? Cheers to supporting and celebrating women!
London: The Zetter Townhouse, Marylebone
London's luxury boutique hotel, The Zetter Townhouse, Marylebone, has partnered with Mijenta Tequila, a female-led tequila brand, to offer a special International Women’s Day Cocktail throughout the month of March.
What’s more, Eljesa Saciri, Zetter Hotels’ equality and female empowerment advocate and General Manager of The Zetter Townhouse, Marylebone, has pledged £2.00 from each drink purchased to be donated to The Marylebone Project, a local charity that offers a 24/7 support service and a safe haven for homeless and vulnerable women. The team will also give guests of the hotel and bar a choice of adding £2.00 to their bill to donate throughout the month. The Mijenta team will go a step further and will also be donating towards the final sum raised.
What sets Zetter Hotels apart from the rest is the team’s dedication to creating groundbreaking and unique cocktails, that prioritize taste above all else, with an eruption of flavors with every sip. In honor of International Women’s Day and this exciting new partnership, Gregorio Soriente, Bar Manager at The Zetter Townhouse, Marylebone, has created a special cocktail that has been aptly named "Born to be Wilding". A blend of Mijenta Blanco Tequila, Peach, Bergamot, and London Essence Ginger Ale, ‘’Born to be Wilding’’ is a refreshing tipple to welcome the start of spring, with sharp citrus notes balanced perfectly by the spice of the ginger.
‘’We are delighted to be partnering with Mijenta, a female-led brand, to support The Marylebone Project, a charity that has supported over 24,000 women over the last year. It is my personal goal to be able to do more for those facing challenges, and Zetter Hotels has provided the perfect platform to do so," said General Manager at Zetter Townhouse, Eljesa Saciri, General Manager at Zetter Townhouse.
"The name Mijenta is inspired by the Spanish ‘Mi Gente’, meaning ‘my people’, and the idea of community is central to who we are. As a brand, and company, created and driven by women, we are proud to partner with Zetter Hotels to help support The Marylebone Project’s critical mission of uplifting homeless women in London," adds Co-Founder and Director of Sustainability for Mijenta Tequila, Elise Som.
Mijenta: B Corp Brand to Add to Your Bar
Award-winning, additive-free and sustainable, Mijenta is the first and only tequila producer to receive B Corp certification from non-profit organisation B Lab. Mijenta exceeded the B Impact Assessment criteria measuring an organisation’s social impact across categories including corporate governance, the environment, community, employees and customers.
Mijenta’s ethos is echoed by the Zetter Hotels team, who are also sustainability champions, with energy-efficient designs throughout the properties, including energy loop systems and sustainable building materials. In addition to The Marylebone Project, the team are proud of their work with The Edge Hospitality School, helping to create a set of hotel sustainability standards, to enable the industry to raise its level of environmental practices.
Boston: The Langham Boston
It's no surprise to us that Paige McGroarty, Food & Beverage Director, at the Langham Boston, has come up with a clever promo to celebrate women this month. After all, she is the woman that coined "All the Jingle Ladies," "Citrus Got Real," and "Maized and Confused," which have to be some of the best-named (and tasting) cocktails of all time.
To celebrate Women's History Month, GRANA, the destination restaurant at The Langham, Boston, will host a special dinner on Wednesday, March 29, starting at 6:00pm, in support of Women’s Lunch Place, a daytime shelter and advocacy center in Boston for women experiencing hunger, homelessness, and poverty.
The dinner will feature a six-course meal with a wine pairing prepared by a selection of celebrated female culinary talent. Participating chefs include Pastry Chef Deanne Steffen Chinn of Big Heart Hospitality, Chef Tiffani Faison of Big Heart Hospitality, Chef Inna Khitrik of Women's Lunch Place and Inna's Kitchen, Pastry Chef Kerry Levesque of The Langham, Boston, Chef Tyra Medina of The Langham, Boston, Chef Rachel Miller of Nightshade Noodle Bar, and Chef Lydia Shire of Scampo.
Tickets are $185 each and include a six-course meal, wine pairing, and tax and gratuity. A portion of the proceeds will directly benefit Women’s Lunch Place. Click here for more information.
Bermuda: The Hamilton Princess
The Hamilton Princess, a five-resort in Bermuda, has partnered with The Women’s Resource Centre (WRC), a registered charity in Bermuda committed to supporting women and promoting gender equality by advocating for social change that eradicates injustices, inequalities, and sexism against women. Throughout March, a specially curated Women’s Month menu of appetizers, entrees, desserts, and cocktails are on offer at the resort's Crown & Anchor restaurant. For each menu item purchased this month, $2 of that purchase will be donated to the Women’s Resource Centre. Also, every Friday, our Crown & Anchor team will be dressed in denim and purple, the official color of Women’s History Month, to celebrate all women.
The Hamilton Princess’ Women’s menu features items like Chef Cristina’s appetizer of ‘Grilled Prawn & Vermicelli Rice Noodle Salad’. This was inspired by Chef Christine Ha - “The Blind Cook”, who despite losing her sight more than 15 years ago won MasterChef USA and is now a cookbook author and TV presenter.
Chef Angie created one of the entrées, the ‘Grilled Lamb Chops and Garlic Butter Shrimp’. It was her friendship with Danielle Castle, Director of Rooms at another Fairmont property, who fueled the Chef’s fire behind this dish. Chef Angie and Danielle worked together in Bermuda, and she encouraged Chef Angie and other women in hospitality to strive for growth.
Chef Angie also developed the ‘Adobo Braised Pork Cheek’ entrée, which she credits to memories of cooking in the Philippines with the women in her family and her community. She is inspired every day by the strength shown and sacrifices made by her grandmother and mother to help her, and her sisters to achieve success in their lives.
Pastry Chefs Ileana & Ximena designed the dessert, a mango & vanilla tart called ‘El Globo’. The ladies met at Fairmont Austin and became friends before moving to Bermuda. They discovered that not only did they grow up in the same neighborhood in Mexico City, but both of their moms would buy them the same mango tart from the same pastry shop “El Globo”. Their mothers’ and grandmothers’ traditions and love are an inspiring memory that they share to honor them.
A few of the cocktail creations include the ‘Passionate Princess’, a rum cocktail crafted by Alvinae, two gin concoctions, the ‘Bermudian Botox’ by Josephine and ‘Frida’ invented by Ana S., a bourbon whiskey-infused lemonade called ‘Cheeky Chicks’ designed by Charmaine, and a vodka-enhanced ‘Golden Goose’ drink fashioned by Annaliza. Here you can discover more of the stories behind each of the women’s creations.
And if you need some inspiration for relaxing and celebrating at home, we've snagged the recipe for the Bermudian Botox!
Bermudian Botox Recipe
1.5oz Hendricks gin
.5oz St. Germain
.5oz ginger dekuyper
.5oz lime elixir
Garnish: Cucumber & Rosemary
Instructions:
Measure ingredients into a pint glass.
Fill with ice, cap, and shake vigorously.
Strain into Double Rock Glass
Fill with fresh Ice
Cheers to Women's History Month!