A trio of signature cocktails is just one way Shakespeare & Company is celebrating its 45th Season, with all three being served at Josie’s Place, its full-service bar at the Tina Packer Playhouse, and one making the rounds across Berkshire County.
This May, Shakespeare & Company became one of 15 cultural organizations to partner with Berkshire Mountain Distillers, creating Cultural Cocktails – a series of hand-crafted recipes by local bartenders, now being served in more than two dozen bars and restaurants across the county.
“BMD’s Cultural Cocktails program is a tribute to the remarkable culture we celebrate here in the Berkshires,” said Chris Weld, founder of BMD. “We are so fortunate to live in a region of creative, inspiring institutions and BMD is honored to be a part of a supportive community that cherishes art, culture and the crafting of a great cocktail.”
Shakespeare & Company’s Cultural Cocktail, The Red Lady, pays homage to the “relentless, blood-thirsty and ambitious” Lady Macbeth, featuring blood orange juice, grenadine, lemon juice, and BMD’s Ice Glen Vodka. It made its debut at Shakespeare & Company’s Sapphire Gala in June, and remains a featured cocktail at Josie’s Place.
To continue to build on the success of The Red Lady, Shakespeare & Company bartender Scott Renzoni created a second signature cocktail that gives a nod to the season’s main-stage Shakespeare production, Much Ado About Nothing, appearing now through August 14 outdoors at The New Spruce Theatre.
“Dubbed Dogberry’s Delight, this is a light, summery cocktail with a mix of cranberry, orange juice, sparkling seltzer, and gin,” he said, making reference to Much Ado About Nothing’s comedic constable (played in Shakespeare & Company’s production by Caroline Calkins). “It’s perfect for a warm evening, and as Dogberry himself would say, ‘It shall be suffigance!’”
Not to be outshined by The Bard, Lee Blessing’s Pulitzer-prize nominated A Walk in the Woods, being staged now through September 4 outdoors at The Roman Garden Theatre, was next to receive a refresher: The Cold War Mimosa, featuring orange juice and Bollicini Sparkling Cuvée, was devised by Renzoni and named by Arts Administration Intern Lauren Porter – currently a junior at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., pursuing a BFA in Stage Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration.
The 45th Season’s signature cocktails at Shakespeare & Company are in addition to a full bar that includes beer from Barrington Brewery on tap, liquor from Berkshire Mountain Distillers, a selection of red, white, and rosé wines, soda, coffee, and bottled water provided by Frankie’s Italian Restaurant and Boema Pizzeria, both of Lenox.
“We’re also serving sandwiches, salads, and snacks from KJ Nosh based in Pittsfield, grab-and-go snacks from Berkshire Food Co-op in Great Barrington, and five original ice-cream and sorbet flavors by SoCo Creamery in Great Barrington, each inspired by one of Shakespeare’s plays,” said Renzoni. “Through strong partnerships both throughout the Company and throughout the Berkshires, we’ve been able to bring Josie’s Place back to life, with just a little bit of joy and whimsy.”
Josie’s Place at Shakespeare & Company opens 90 minutes prior to showtimes, and remains open during intermissions and following performances. For more information, call 413.637.3353, or visit shakespeare.org.
