Juneteenth marks a moment of celebration and meaningful reflection for the Black community, where families, friends and chosen loved ones come together to honor the past while celebrating progress made. This year it has been officially named a national holiday. For many, the day serves as a time to share stories with one another over food and drinks, preserving traditions that pay tribute to the legacy of generations past.

The creatives at Equator developed the visual film, skillfully deploying every element from lighting to music to costume design to depict a contemporary and authentic perspective of Black culture.

“It’s very important for us at Equator to align with initiatives with intention and work with like-minded creatives and collaborators, and the Diageo HBCU endowment was something we felt we could get behind,” says Executive Producer Ashley Cimone. “It’s the actions of large corporations that matter more than their words. This campaign was created with Black joy in mind, in honor of Black family, Black love and our resilience as a community. Juneteenth is a holiday the represents progress for all of America. Happy Juneteenth.”

To bring families, friends and chosen loved ones together to celebrate, Ghetto Gastro was tasked with creating the menu. Co-founder Pierre Serrao says, “Food for the soul is the goal.” Consumers can bring the tastes and spirit of this film home through an exclusive kit curated by Ghetto Gastro available on  CocktailCourier.com. The Ghetto Gastro chefs leaned into the festive nature of CÎROC, the generous spirit of Crown Royal and the devotional craft of Tequila Don Julio to develop recipes to celebrate Juneteenth like the Valid Green Salad to savor with the Crown Royal Buck, Glazed Sticky Wingz to enjoy with the Tequila Don Julio Jubilee Marg, and the Yuzu Cherry Pie perfectly paired with the CÎROC Juneteenth Joy.

From striving to preserve traditions to cultivating the next generation of diverse leaders who will pave the way for a just, equitable and prosperous society, this is one of the latest initiatives for DIAGEO, which has pledged $10 million to create permanent endowments at 25 HBCUs across the country. With a goal of helping to change the complexion of the beverage alcohol industry, the unique program will enable the institutions to provide much needed financial assistance to thousands of HBCU students. Additionally, it consists of Innovation Hubs at select institutions to provide students and faculty with an experiential approach and resources that complement traditional learning – including mentorship, lecturers for faculty and students and curriculum development assistance. The company also joined the Congressional HBCUs Partnership Challenge to advocate for positive policies that will have a lasting impact on these institutions.

DIAGEO is also committed to showing up for moments of Black celebration and will continue to do so with partners in local communities across the nation.

“This Juneteenth, we honor the vibrancy of Black culture through food, drink and dynamic storytelling. Black stories told by Black creatives offer honest and authentically nuanced perspectives. These warm, joyful expressions of Black life preserve cultural traditions and keep them alive, while engaging every community in the brightness and beauty of the Black experience,” commented Phil Pearson, Director Brands in Culture & Multicultural Experiences at Diageo North America. “DIAGEO, together with Equator and Ghetto Gastro, are proud to invite people across the county to welcome these recipes, cocktails and experiences into their homes, and make them a vital part of an unforgettably joyful Juneteenth celebration.”

We encourage everyone to enjoy their Juneteenth celebrations responsibly.