Team
Kapri Robinson
President, Engagement Ambassador | @Kapri.Possible
Kapri Robinson is DC's 2017 Cocktail Queen. While spending her time being a bartender, educator and event organizer, she is also the president & founder of Chocolate City's Best (CCB). Chocolate City’s Best is an organization geared towards connecting Black and Brown bar industry members to community, mentorship, education and career growth opportunities. Kapri has been welcomed onto many television spotlights such as: Great Day Washington and Good Morning Washington. Kapri is one of twelve first ever Drink Masters on Netflix. As well as being featured on TV, Kapri has been featured in many media outlets such as PUNCH, Eater, Forbes, Washington Post, Washingtonian, Washington City Paper, District Fray, and Edible DC.
Kapri, a WSET Level 3 Spirits graduate. Kapri continues to lead seminars on hospitality, empowerment, cocktail knowledge and spirit history/ education. She has been asked to speak/teach on national and global stages at renowned conferences like Tales of The Cocktail, Bar Convent Brooklyn, and Bar & Restaurant Expo. In 2021, Kapri was chosen to be one of Eaters New Guard. This recognition allows Eater to highlight 10 national leaders who use food and beverage to challenge conventions, empower their communities and create positive change in the industry. She also was graciously nominated as a top 10 bartender in the nation by the Tales of The Cocktail Spirited Awards in 2022 and top 4 bartender in the nation for 2023. She has co-created cocktail menus for one of 2023’s North America’s 50 Best Bar and Tales of the Cocktail 2023 Spirited Awards Top 4 U.S. Hotel Bar, Allegory. This menu went on to win 2023 North America’s 50 Best Bar award for Best Cocktail Menu in North America. She is a Co-Host of Soul Palate Podcast in which provides a platform to normalize Black and Brown palates. Kapri is dedicated to educating the masses on cocktail/spirits knowledge and strives to create opportunities for Black and Brown industry members.
Michael Holiday |
VICE PRESIDENT, Platform Curator | @whatsupholiday
Michael Holiday has been in the food &beverage industry for over 15 years. He is currently a managing partner at 600T in Washington D.C., where he runs operations and curates an ever-evolving cocktail menu.
As Platform Curator, Michael Holiday is constantly looking for opportunities to highlight Chocolate City’s Best. Whether at events such as Portland Cocktail Week & Tales of the Cocktail, or industry education hubs like Camp Runamok, Michael is persistent in creating new platforms for people of color in the beverage industry. Bringing unrecognized faces and perspectives to the light requires resources, which Michael works to acquire through partnerships and mutual marketing interests. Always moving forward and seeking out educational opportunities, Michael creates a network of like-hearted teams pursuing the common goal of making the food and beverage industry stronger through education, community, and social awareness.
Denaya Jones-Reid
Content Curator | @Deestilled
D.C. native, Denaya J. Reid has been in hospitality for over ten years. Over the span of her career, an administrative position with catering and event design company, Charlene’s Kitchen evolved into a true passion for hospitality, with a focus on cocktails and spirits.
That passion is what led to Deestilled: a mobile, boutique style company, specializing in providing bespoke bar & spirits experiences.
In addition to operating Deestilled, Denaya has shaken things up in bars throughout Washington D.C. from Georgetown to Union Market, and between. She is also General Manager for craft spirits retailer, Seelbach’s, one-half of spirit-focused podcast, Soul Palate, Board Member of Chocolate City’s Best, a certified educator in spirits for WSET Global, and member of Fred Minnick’s American Spirits Counsel of Tasters.
In addition to continued work both behind and beyond the bar, Denaya has been featured on television by local networks such as NBC Washington, and has competed in and won multiple cocktail competitions, including Chocolate City’s Best, 2018 and the Grey Goose Express Your Cocktail Challenge.
As Content Curator for Chocolate City’s Best, Denaya’s focus is to communicate CCB’s mission and endeavors to the masses, as well as work with collaborating partners to create media opportunities for POC in the hospitality community.