Creator and star of the HBO hit series “Insecure” Issa Rae announced Vancouver native Vanessa Lam last Friday as the Grand Finale Winner at the 8th Annual Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series competition at this year’s Art Basel Miami.
Hosted in partnership with Artsy, a renowned global arts platform, the exclusive event took place at the Villa Casa Casuarina, an opulent mansion formerly owned by Italian designer Gianni Versace. Guests mingled and sipped artfully crafted Bombay Sapphire cocktails while dancing to music spun by designer and special guest DJ Heron Preston. Olivia Culpo, Eva Longoria, Mark Ronson as well as Issa Rae’s Insecure costars Broderick Hunter and Sarunas Jackson were in attendance amongst an illustrious mix of celebrities, musicians, socialites, designers and art influencers.
The Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series is an annual arts competition to uncover emerging artists across North America and provide them with a national platform to showcase their work. This year, the series had a record breaking number of submissions before the 16 finalists were selected to debut their work at a special exhibit at SCOPE Miami Beach before the finale. Using mixed media to explore issues of consciousness and social responsibility, Vanessa Lam will collaborate with Artsy over the course of the next year to create a public arts exhibition in New York next Spring. In addition to Lam, Issa Rae announced the Second Place Winner Ariel Vargassal (Los Angeles) and People’s Choice Winner Charity White (Chicago).
Drinks of the night included:
Epiphany
1.5oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
0.75oz Lemon juice
0.5oz citrus Oleo – 2 tbsp. white sugar. 1 Lemon peel / 1 Orange peels / pinch dried coconut / 1 Pineapple cube.
0.5oz Earl grey tea
1oz Milk
Ginger Mosaic
1.25oz Bombay Sapphire EAST Gin
300ml Fresh ginger juice
300ml fresh Apple juice.
20 fresh mint leaves
1oz Fresh Basil leaves measurements per 32oz House soda mix.
250ml Honey
150ml fresh Lime juice
Method: Clarify ingredients using soda stream. Served over large ice cube.
Formations
1.25oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
1oz Fresh Pineapple juice
0.5oz Lemon juice
2 dashes Chocolate bitters
1 barspoons Maraschino liqueur
0.5oz sweetened Chai tea
Garnish with homemade coconut & truffle salted sour candy.
It was definitely a night not to be missed!
