Jazmyne Wade, owner and operator of a local mobile bartending company that serves up crafts cocktails, is showing the male-dominated mixologist industry a new face and style.
In the VIP section at Taste of DC on Saturday, Oct. 7 at RFK Stadium in Southeast, Cocktails on Call boasted two signature drinks, an effort Wade said has been years in the making.
“This is the peach-infused bourbon with all spice cloves and lime and this is vodka with pear puree and cranberries,” she said, describing the cocktails. “Being able to showcase my business at the Taste of DC is five years in the making. It took time to start making strides and getting out to events like this and having the resources to deliver at such a high volume.”
Wade said her being a featured vendor at one of the city’s most sought-after events represents the headway she’s made as a small business owner.
Five years ago, her dream started off as a mere idea, but after a few months of planning, she began to put the pieces together.
“Cocktails on Call came from the fact that I’m a bartender and there is a need for private event bartending with attention to craft and detail,” she said.
“All of these ingredients are in season, we focus on craft cocktails and the details of your event,” Wade said. “So say you’re having an event outdoors and you want to have a champagne toast, we have acrylic glassware that’s disposable and high-quality to keep the entire bar experience seamless and upscale.
“We cater to big crowds or a small backyard barbecue with five people,” she said. “We’re versatile with the people we serve, we’re local and we work with other businesses and we try to source our ingredients locally.”
Wade, a bartender at Embassy Row DC, a downtown boutique hotel, decided to go into business through the nudging of customers.
“It came from a mix of experiences I had at different bars and working with clients even before I had a business,” she said. “Guest at my bar would say, ‘hey, can you come bartend for this party,’ and it was a demand for it so I said I should create a service.”
Cocktails on Call offers mobile mixology, custom cocktails, menu creation, alcoholic treats and mixology classes.
Despite being in an industry largely dominated by white men, Wade said she doesn’t feel invisible or ostracized just because she’s a Black woman.
“It is a male-dominated industry, but I do feel like there is a lot of opportunity,” she said. “I don’t feel like for me personally I’ve faced any adversity because I’m a female. I feel a lot of encouragement and camaraderie from the males and the females within the industry.”
The Northwest native wants her community to know that she’s available for service.
“Look out for Cocktails on Call, we are definitely making strides in the market and in D.C.,” she said. “We are of and for D.C. and the surrounding areas. I’m a native Washingtonian and so is my whole family. We are deeply embedded in the culture and the city.”