A golden moment, any time of day.
Steva Casey has been a pioneer in the cocktail scene in Birmingham, Alabama. Years before many cities had recognizable, great drink lists, she was shaking and straining fresh fruit and herbs in the eclectic Forest Park neighborhood. She’s since gone on to oversee multiple acclaimed drink enclaves, helping a town renowned for food find its footing with libations.
She’s also the event coordinator for the popular, trade-focused educational and immersive Tiki cultural experience.
“I have really always relied on music to make any situation better,” says Casey. “A great song is like an old friend and while it plays, you can spend that time together and nothing else matters.”
A time where nothing else matters except finding a good mood, a comfy recline, and a few friends to unwind is what 6ourbon 7ime is all about. And, we ease right in to that emotional La-Z-Boy with her first track, Can’t Keep My Cool, by Durand Jones & The Indications.
“My teenage years were in the height of mixtapes,” recalls Casey. “Therefore, all mixtapes (playlists in this case) are love letters. They were the way you told a crush you liked them; the way you apologized to a friend. They were the way you introduced yourself, and the way you made yourself feel better. Can’t Keep My Cool is so smooth and easy and also yearning and honest. It’s such a great song. I want you to know I wear my heart on the outside, even if it’s hard for me to otherwise articulate.”
The emotions only amp up on the second track, where Otis Redding comes in with a powerful voice and heart-strung lyrics.
“I love Otis Redding,” she says. “I love this song. It has so much emotion. It has so many layers. Everything pales in comparison to you, and it’s so plain to see, and I know it most when we’re not doing anything more than drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. And with Otis, when he tells you, you know he means it.”
One thing we really love about Casey’s playlist is the evocative, smooth sipping cocktail she made to go alongside––The Devil in His Youth. A little Jim Beam, a moment of bananas in the liqueur, Angostura, and lime. It’s pretty tropical and topical with this playlist.
“You should make it when Jawbreaker starts to play,” she says of the 5th track on the set. “They’ll give you a great rhythm to shake to. It’s fun and a little heavier than the classic daiquiri it’s based on. So, by the time you get to the Made Kuti track, you’ll be loosened up to start moving around your kitchen.”
If you were to head to Steva’s house now, you’d possibly find her in the kitchen, where she’s been spending a lot of time in the pandemic. She’s been enjoying vinyl, listening to albums, the way they were designed––all the way through in order. That’s what we recommend with this playlist, too. Sit down, start it up, and unwind until it’s over. Then, maybe play it again.
Cocktail & Title Photo by: Andy Rice
