Birthday Cheers to the Director of No Fun: Craft Cocktails & Caribbean Bar Updates

When Birthday Celebrations Meet Business Dreams (And Craft Cocktails!)

What happens when you combine a birthday celebration, two perfected craft cocktail recipes, and updates on building a Caribbean bar with a giving mission? You get one of our most fun (and educational!) episodes yet!

In this special birthday edition, we’re celebrating my husband Brian’s 32nd birthday—aka “The Director of No Fun”—by mixing up the exact cocktails that will be featured on The Holmestead Bar menu. But this isn’t just about pretty drinks in fancy glasses. This episode is packed with real talk about where we are in our entrepreneurial journey, the challenges we’re facing, and the deeply personal reasons why this bar means so much more than just pouring drinks.

The Cocktails: Brian’s Perfected Cheerwine Old Fashioned

After making it his goal this year to perfect the Old Fashioned, Brian has finally cracked the code. And the secret ingredient? Cheerwine syrup.

Here’s what makes Brian’s Old Fashioned so special:

• One large ice block (not ice chips—this is crucial for preventing dilution!)
• Two ounces of Kirkland bourbon from Costco ($25/bottle and honestly incredible)
• Three-quarters ounce of homemade Cheerwine syrup (made by boiling 16 ounces of Cheerwine with brown sugar for 10-15 minutes)
• Two dashes of aromatic bitters
• Two dashes of orange bitters
• A sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top

The Cheerwine syrup adds this unique Southern twist with a hint of molasses flavor that takes a classic Old Fashioned to the next level. And yes, we’re absolutely putting this on our bar menu!

My Go-To: The Classic Gin Fizz

As a dedicated gin lover (while Brian is Team Bourbon), I had to represent with a refreshing Gin Fizz. This cocktail is elegant, easy, and absolutely delicious:

• Two ounces of dry gin (we use Costco’s gin—yes, we’re budget-conscious entrepreneurs!)
• Three-quarters ounce of fresh lemon juice
• Three-quarters ounce of simple syrup
• Two dashes of orange bitters
• Top with soda water for that signature fizz

Shake it all with ice (well, try to get the cocktail shaker open—we clearly need more practice!), strain into a glass, and top with soda water. Perfect for anyone who appreciates a light, citrusy cocktail.

The Holmestead Bar Update: Where We Are Right Now

Let’s get real about where we are in this journey. We’re in what I call a “holding pattern,” and here’s why:

December Island Visit

Our big goal is to visit the Caribbean islands in early December 2025. This trip isn’t just a vacation—it’s when we’ll finally choose our island, look at available properties, and meet with local governments. It’s the trip that will determine where The Holmestead Bar will actually call home.

The Nonprofit Journey (It’s Harder Than We Thought!)

One of the core missions of The Holmestead is giving back through disaster relief and supporting the local island community. To do this right, we’re setting up a nonprofit.

But here’s what nobody tells you about starting a nonprofit for international work: finding the right specialized attorney is really hard. Because we’ll be operating in another country while also doing work in the US, we need someone who understands the complexities. I’ve set up nonprofits before, but this one requires a different level of expertise.

The good news? We have everything ready to go—we just need to make sure every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed. Hopefully by next week, we’ll have the right attorney on board!

Friends of the Homestead

People have been asking how they can be part of this journey, and we’re creating something special called Friends of the Homestead. This program will offer:

• Partnership opportunities in our mission
• Special perks and benefits
• Potential opportunities to stay at the bar
• Ways to support our disaster relief work

If you’re interested in learning more, visit our website to be notified when the Friends program officially launches!

Why Disaster Relief? My Hurricane Hugo Story

This might be the most important part of the episode. On September 21, 1989, I was a junior in high school having a “hurricane party” at Ventura Villas on Snee Farm with friends. We were young, foolish, and had no idea what was coming.

Hurricane Hugo was a Category 4 storm, and I genuinely thought I was going to die that night.

I remember Leslie Lyles on TV yelling “get out, get out—if you’re not out, pray for your life.” Then the power went out, and the storm hit. The sound of tornadoes going by sounds like massive freight trains. During the eye of the storm, I went outside and two of the condos near us had no roofs. We had to go back inside and pray we’d survive the second half of the storm.

I held onto the carpet upstairs, praying I wouldn’t fly out the window. It took 12 hours to get out of Snee Farm. I couldn’t reach my dad for three days. We didn’t have power for a month. There was looting, chaos, and people lost everything.

Going through Hurricane Hugo changed me forever. It’s why disaster relief is one of our core pillars. When you lose everything, when you think you might not survive, you never forget that feeling. And you want to help anyone else going through that same devastation.

In this episode, I share photos from my Hurricane Hugo scrapbook (yes, I made a scrapbook—overachiever much?), including pictures of the damaged bridge to Sullivan’s Island, destroyed Isle of Palms, and the old Windjammer.

Recently, our Homestead Angels group went on a relief trip to Asheville after Hurricane Helene. This work matters to me deeply, and it’s why The Holmestead Bar isn’t just about cocktails and tropical sunsets—it’s about giving back to communities that need it most.

The Justin Bieber Dress Story (AKA How Brian Became My Hero)

If you’re watching on YouTube, you’ll notice I’m wearing a Justin Bieber dress. And yes, there’s a story.

This H&M sweater dress has all of Justin Bieber’s concert tour dates on the back, and I used to wear it for every big celebration. Including the day of my divorce.

That day, a group of us went biking on Kiawah Island. My bike lock fell, hit my front tire, locked up the bike, and I flipped over—hitting my head and breaking my shoulder and back ribs. I was knocked unconscious.

When the ambulance came, they had to cut the dress off of me. I was devastated because it was special and irreplaceable.

But here’s where Brian becomes the hero of this story: When I woke up in the hospital, he was by my side. And he pretty much didn’t leave for two weeks. We’d only been dating a month at that point, but he took care of me through everything (yes, including bed pans—true love, people).

Months or maybe years later (Brian says it was three years—I don’t remember!), he surprised me by finding this exact dress on eBay. Now I love it even more because of the story behind it and what it represents about our relationship.

Behind the Scenes: Designing The Holmestead

Our friend Khaki is helping us design the bar, and I’ve been going through boxes of memorabilia trying to figure out what might make it onto the walls:

• My “Kiss It” custom license plate from Florida (when I taught aerobics and drove a little red MR2)
• Hurricane Hugo photos and newspaper clippings
• Pictures from our wedding on my dad’s dock (the same dock that was destroyed by Hugo and had to be rebuilt)
• Our reception photos from Mr. B’s, a legendary private African-American club downtown Charleston
• Old family photos and memories

Khaki told me I “might get a wall” for all my stuff. I’m hoping for more than one wall, but we’ll see! The goal is to make The Holmestead feel personal, authentic, and filled with stories that matter.

Brian’s Birthday Reflections: Work-Life Balance at 32

After 27 years at Santee Cooper (yes, he started when he was two—do the math!), Brian’s biggest goal for his 32nd year is achieving better work-life balance.

He lost half his team at work and had to rebuild, but the final piece of that puzzle starts in two weeks. As someone who works incredibly hard, I’m so proud that he’s prioritizing balance while still showing up fully for his job.

It’s a good reminder that even when you’re building your dreams, you can’t sacrifice your health, relationships, or wellbeing. Balance isn’t a luxury—it’s necessary.

What’s Next: Pop-Up Bars & Practicing Our Skills

Before we open in the Caribbean, we’re planning:

1. A bartending event in Charleston (possibly in October) where we’ll test our skills
2. A pop-up bar somewhere in Charleston to practice and get feedback
3. Continued recipe testing (because clearly we need more practice with cocktail shakers!)

The goal is to be as prepared as possible before we officially open The Holmestead. We want to make sure every cocktail is perfect, every system is in place, and we’re ready to deliver an incredible experience.

The Bigger Picture: Why We’re Doing This

At the end of the day, The Holmestead Bar isn’t just about serving great drinks in a beautiful location. It’s about:

✨ Creating a space where people feel celebrated (like our birthday cocktail traditions)

✨ Giving back to communities through disaster relief (inspired by my Hurricane Hugo experience)

✨ Supporting the local island community where we’ll call home

✨ Building something meaningful with the person you love (even if he is the Director of No Fun!)

✨ Proving that dreams really do become reality when you take consistent action

Special Birthday Perks at The Holmestead

Speaking of celebrations—when you visit The Holmestead on your birthday, you’ll get:

• A special birthday cocktail
• Birthday music playing just for you
• A celebration that makes you feel like the most important person in the room

Because everyone deserves to feel special on their birthday, and creating those moments is what hospitality is all about.

Listen to the Full Episode

Want to hear the full birthday celebration, see us make the cocktails (and struggle with the cocktail shaker), and hear more stories? Listen to Episode 32: Birthday Cheers to the Director of No Fun wherever you get your podcasts!

Available on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube
• Google Podcasts
• And everywhere else podcasts are found

Connect With Us

Want to follow along with The Holmestead journey?

📱 Instagram: @neverstopdreamingbiggie and @angelpholmes 🌐 Website: sipindipity.com/neverstopdreamingbiggie 📧 Email: angel@neverstopdreamingbiggie.com 🌴 Learn about Friends of the Homestead: sipindipity.com 👩‍💼 Join The Brighter Side Society: https://sipindipity.com/brighter-side-society

Your Turn: What’s Your Dream?

Reading about our journey to open The Holmestead Bar, I have to ask: What’s the dream you’ve been putting off?

Maybe it’s:

• Starting that business you’ve been thinking about for years
• Learning a new skill (like perfecting craft cocktails!)
• Planning that big trip or adventure
• Building something meaningful that gives back

Whatever it is, let this be your reminder that dreams don’t have expiration dates. Brian spent all year perfecting his Old Fashioned recipe. We’re taking our time to do the nonprofit right. We’re in a holding pattern until December, and that’s okay.

Progress isn’t always fast, but it’s always worth it.

So grab a cocktail (might I suggest a Cheerwine Old Fashioned?), listen to Episode 32, and let’s keep dreaming BIGGIE together.

Because it was all a dream… and yours is about to become your reality. 🍹✨

---

Have questions about The Holmestead, want to share your own hurricane survival story, or just want to tell us about your favorite cocktail? Email us at angel@neverstopdreamingbiggie.com—we’d love to hear from you!

Subscribe to Never Stop Dreaming Biggie podcast and join our community of ambitious dreamers who refuse to play small. New episodes drop every Wednesday!