Diageo Hosts an AAPI-Inspired Night Market with Cool Cocktails

NEW YORK—On May 21, beverage producer Diageo and House of Slay—an AAPI-founded and fashion-forward collective comprised of designers Phillip Lim, Prabal Gurung, and Laura Kim, restaurateur Ezra J. William, and Tina Leung—teamed up to honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a pop-up night market concept at Market Line at Essex Crossing in New York City’s Lower East Side neighborhood.

Diageo Day Night Mrkt Presented by House of Slay, which was open to the public for one day, brought together some of the city’s Asian designers, chefs, and creatives, with the goal of showcasing the cultural contributions of the Asian community while also educating guests through fun experiences.

Diageo and House of Slay teamed up to honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a pop-up night market concept at Market Line at Essex Crossing in New York City’s Lower East Side neighborhood.Photo: Ilya Savenock“As a continuation of Diageo’s mission in championing diversity and inclusion, it was important for us to show up during AAPI Heritage Month as a way to show our ongoing support to the Asian community,” said Jen Yu, vice president of Brands in Culture North America at Diageo. “After learning about House of Slay’s mission and the work these powerful creatives were doing to combat anti-Asian hate and racism for underrepresented voices, we knew they were the ideal partner to authentically bring this experience to life. Together we flipped the narrative from hate to love by co-curating an experience where guests explored the different cultures, ingredients, and flavors across the Asian diaspora in a safe and inclusive space.”

Curated by the members of House of Slay, who refer to themselves as the “Slaysians,” the market welcomed over 2,300 attendees and.featured AAPI-founded brands across food, fashion, art, and music categories. Mixologist Destinee Almonte crafted libations using inspiration from various cultures (including her own Filipino background) and Diageo brands, such as Johnnie Walker, Tequila Don Julio, Tanqueray, and Smirnoff Pink Lemonade.

Each AAPI-inspired cocktail was paired to an interactive experience.

The Good Times Karaoke Bar By Smirnoff Pink Lemonade featured Smirnoff POG Bubble Tea. “POG” is a popular drink from Hawaii made with passionfruit, orange, and guava (hence the abbreviated name), and boba is a drink created in Taiwan that contains tea and tapioca pearls.Photo: Courtesy of DiageoFor example, The Good Times Karaoke Bar By Smirnoff Pink Lemonade featured Smirnoff POG Bubble Tea. “POG” is a popular drink from Hawaii made with passionfruit, orange, and guava (hence the abbreviated name), and boba is a drink created in Taiwan that contains tea and tapioca pearls. And Smirnoff Thai Lemongrass Punch was a fruity variation of the classic mule that included herbs from Southeast Asia and Thailand, which offered minty, floral, and spicy notes.

“We wanted to co-curate an enjoyable and interactive environment that would not only shine a light on the rich Asian cultures across the diaspora, but one that consumers and guests could really enjoy and learn from, while giving a platform to the Asian vendors and creators in NYC,” Yu said. “We took the elements of a traditional Asian night market combined with a hype house feel to create a vibrant experience for all.”

In addition to the one-day pop-up in New York, Johnnie Walker and Tequila Don Julio also partnered with MAMA, an LA-based community dedicated to preserving immigrant culture by giving a voice to multicultural restaurants and underrepresented communities, to host MAMA's NIGHTMARKET on May 28 at The Berrics. There, guests could sip on cocktails that complemented the city’s Asian street food, with a portion of ticket proceeds going to Respect Your Elders, a nonprofit organization that provides meals to seniors and supports multicultural mom-and-pop restaurants.

The Damn Fancy Everyday Pop-Up by Tanqueray featured limited-edition items from Susanna Chow, Private Policy, Chris Habana, and House of Slay.Photo: Ilya Savenock

This Tanqueray cocktail was inspired by halo, a Filipino treat that Almonte loved as a child. She said that the drink was designed to “create a little nostalgia for anyone that loved this desert growing up. Its bold purple color is sure to catch your eye.”Photo: Courtesy of Diageo