Mixologist Throwdown! Miami’s Badass Vegan Festival Kicks Off!

Vegan Seed Food and Wine Festival Miami

Ask anyone who went to the Vegan “Mixologist Throwdown” what they did and they will all agree with me… We ATE. DRANK. ENJOYED!

Seed Food and Wine Miami is an incredible 5-day experience for guests who want to sip, savor, and learn about conscious plant-based living. Nightly events, as well as the full-day festival itself consists of so many experiences to be had, from cooking demonstrations, wine, beer and spirits tastings, to body care, workshops, yoga, urban gardening and more. Everything served during the festival is VEGAN and whenever possible organic and non-gmo. What’s so cool about this festival is that it’s appealing to almost everyone. The events are of the same (or better) caliber as the top food and wine festivals in the world… it just happens to be 100% plant-based!

Last night I was a host at the THRIVE Magazine VIP Cocktail party and it was a huge success so I wanted to share! Guests walked the ‘green’ carpet, casted their votes for “Best Cocktail Creation” at the ‘Mixologist Thowdown’, enjoyed delectable bites created by the hottest local and national farm-to-table chefs, and bid on art, travel, dinner and theatre tickets in a silent auction, and walked away with a seriously cool vip gift bag!

Brendan Brazier (Owner of Vega brand supplements), John Salley (NBA Champion, TV Host, & Wellness Advocate, Maranda Lambert (Origins Magazine also hosted the event. Sponsors included some dear friends of mine including Marco Borges (22 Days Nutrition) and John Lewis (Bad Ass Vegan).

Celebrity Chefs included Jamie DeRosa {Tongue & Cheek}, Todd Erickson {Haven}, Nicolas Torrent {Juice Lab}, Robyn Aldomovar {Food Network}, Mark Zeitouni {The Standard}, Nicola and Fabrizio Carro {Via Verdi}, and Robbie Errichetti . There was such a rush of attendees, beyond what anyone expected, and the succulent dish samples quickly ran out… People couldn’t get enough!

Mixologist competed from Tongue and Cheek, Haven, Finka Table and Tap, and Blackbird Ordinary. My vote for the best drink went to Finka Table and Tap… they made a tequila drink (if you don’t know, I’m a tequila girl!) with some amazing ingredients that included fresh beet juice and hibiscus. Incredibly creative and delish!

So there you have it. I just wanted to send out a quick post because I’m so excited to be participating in such a world-class event that emulates compassionate, healthy living… my forte!!!

Marco-Sheryn-Ella-SeedFW

Marco Borges (owner of 22 Days Nutrition), Sheryn Abalos (Celebrity Vegan Chef), me 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan John Salley Thrive Cocktail Party Miami 2014-10-17 08.30.47John Salley (NBA Champion, TV Host, Wellness Advocate) and me
 

 

 

 
Vegan Thrive Cocktail Party Green Carpet

 

 

 

 

My Girls! Sheryn Abalos (Celebrity Vegan Chef), Diana Perez (Jewelry Designer, BluLua), me, Silva Valderrama (Sisley Paris)