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As International Women's Day inches upon us (set your calendars for March 8!), businesses across town are finding creative ways to mark the occasion.
Popular nightlife destination TAO, for example, has developed three specialty cocktails inspired by some of history's most remarkable and accomplished women to celebrate the holiday. Both TAO Downtown and TAO Uptown will be serving the drinks, which were also created by women, beginning March 8 through the end of the month. Bonus points: the business will donate one dollar from every cocktail purchased to local charities supporting women's empowerment.
Megan Ardizoni, TAO Group Hospitality's vice president of beverage, and Erin Davey, the company's corporate beverage manager, came up with each recipe, seeking to "tell the story of women that represent TAO's rich Asian culture," according to an official press release.
Without further ado, here's a bit more about each imbibing offering, starting with one inspired by Cecilia Chung. The 57-year-old trans woman is a civil rights leader and activist for LGBT rights, HIV/AIDS awareness and social justice. Her cocktail is made with white rum mezcal, coconut cream, taro syrup and lime juice. According to official notes, the drink "delivers a complex and distinctive flavor that parallels the driven activist who proudly deviated from the status quo."
In an attempt to capture her lush and creative spirit, the drink inspired by Murasaki Shikin is prepared with Irish whiskey, Aperol bitters, passion fruit, lime and mango-pineapple syrup. The Japanese novelist and poet is the woman behind The Tale of Genji, widely considered to be one of the first novels ever in the world.
The third cocktail calls out to Chien-Shiung Wu, the Chinese-American particle and experimental physicist who, among plenty of other experiments, also worked on the Manhattan Project, the "research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons." "Her" cocktail is crafted with gin, blanc vermouth, clarified tomato water, raspberry shrub and sparkling wine.
Don't forget to make a toast to these women when you indulge in these beautiful looking and delicious tasting cocktails. Happy (almost) International Women's Day!