An Exclusive Opportunity to Celebrate Black Excellence in Washington, DC with a hybrid Marketplace of specialty Black-Owned Craft Spirits, Beers, and Wines
BPRW, Washington, D.C. — The 5th Annual Black Owned Wine & Spirits Festival will take place in Washington, DC on Saturday, September 25h – 26th 2021 from 2pm to 8pm at Dock 5, Union Market. The festival was founded by Chanel Turner, the first African American woman to be a sole proprietor in the US Spirits Industry. In 2009, Turner launched FOU-DRÉ Vodka into the heavily monopolized US Spirits industry. FOU-DRÉ (a play on the French word for lighting) has since expanded into Global Alliance Distribution, a distribution enterprise which provides distribution to minority-owned craft brands seeking placement in the Washington Metropolitan area market. This year’s BOWSFest will feature the re-integrated BOWSFest App allowing attendees to earn points which convert to BOWSFest dollars for the purchase of food and goods, ultimately encouraging the use of social engagement and collective economics.
Much like FOU-DRÉ, BOWSFest is a trailblazing endeavor, which has grown rapidly with positive recognition. To further strengthen a Black Economic base, the festival welcomes other Black-Owned businesses to sell and promote their goods/services. To date, the festival has sold well over 6,000 bottles of Black-Owned craft wines and spirits, and over $100,000 in food from local restaurants and food providers. In an effort to strengthen the Black Economic base, the festival welcomes other Black-Owned businesses to sell and promote their goods/services. This year’s BOWSFest will feature the newly re-integrated BOWSFest App allowing attendees to earn points which convert to BOWSFest dollars that can be used for the purchase of food and goods; ultimately encouraging the use of social engagement and collective economics. Turner’s initial vision of unifying minority winemakers, distillers, brewers, and distributors such as herself has ultimately surmounted into a movement, providing a hybrid marketplace of Black Excellence.
The Black Owned Wine & Spirits Festival is comprised of three major components: Industry Networking, Brand Exposure and Consumer Education. A canvas for experiential branding, the event embodies a farmer’s market style flow featuring the goods of craft wine, beer, and spirits companies as well as specialty items and tastes from food and retail brands. BOWSFest celebrates the bounty of craft wine, spirits, and beer found in this unique category of producers, and naturally facilitates long-lasting business relationships designed to propel the overall success of the industry as whole. A wide array of products and samples will be on hand, for a unique opportunity to purchase numerous minority-owned goods, services, and libations from one place, in one day. Featured vendors include but not limited to:
FOU-DRE Vodka / Whiskey Wright / Black Momma Vodka / Talero Tequila/ Durante Rum
Den of Thieves / Markell Bani Wines / Uncle Nearest / Common Ground Spirits
Tickets for the festival are currently available as well as sponsor and vendor applications. The 2021 festival is slated to be the largest yet, with 2 full days of spirit, wine, and beer sampling alongside a marketplace of tasty bites and high-quality goods for purchase. We are excited to announce that this year we will host the event in two event spaces. The indoor spaces as well as the outdoor space of Dock 5, giving the feeling of an outdoor streetscape. This will allow individual attendees and small groups to socially distance to the extent they feel most comfortable.
About The Black Owned Wine & Spirits Festival:
The Black Owned Wine and Spirits Festival or BOWSFest was created to fill a niche and provide new opportunities for a unique category of producers. The first of its kind, BOWSFest has fostered an environment where Black-Owned spirits, wine, and beer brands can come together in one setting for the single common purpose of growth. The festival lays a foundation for commerce and education that inspires and propels the widespread support of black-owned spirits, wine, and beer.
About Chanel Turner and FOU-DRÉ Vodka:
Chanel Turner is the founding organizer of The Black Owned Wine & Spirits Festival. Turner is also the owner of FOU-DRÉ Vodka, an ultra-premium 80proof infused vodka made with lime, pomegranate, ginger and kiwi, and lychee. The award winning, five-times distilled vodka is made through a unique patented distilling process using TerrePure technology by the Terresentia Corporation. FOU-DRÉ is globally distributed and unique in design. Resembling a lightning bolt, the brand’s bottle shape, and concept hails from the meaning of FOU-DRÉ; the French word for lightning. The bottle is manufactured in France and has itself won numerous awards in design. FOU-DRÉ retails anywhere from $29.99 to $54.99 per bottle.
