Sexy Fish’s Cressida Lawlor has collaborated with Monkey Shoulder to produce a documentary that explores the experiences of LGBTQIA+ bartenders in the UK cocktail bar industry.
The Quest for Queer sponsored by Monkey Shoulder, which launches August 20th, follows host Lawlor as she delves into the challenges and triumphs of queer bartenders, sharing heartfelt stories along the way.
She interviews bartenders such as Edinburgh’s Bear Frantzoli of Bon Vivant’s Companion, Taige Strang of Festival Village Waverly and Nicky Craig from Panda and Sons.
From Brighton feature Georgia Dias from Plotting Parlour and Sam Moseley from The Golden Pineapple, while Manchester’s Buffy Godsiff from Skof and Gracie Goggins from Project Halcyon and London’s Klara Kopčikov of Wacky Wombat (London) also take part.
The interviewees share their journeys and ideas on how the industry can become a more inclusive and welcoming industry.
The full documentary is split into a series of reels released each week, each exploring a different element of the LGBTQIA+ community, kicking off with a spotlight on the Pump Room Bar, a lockdown garage project, which saw Lawlor connect with the queer community through drinks videos on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Lawlor, now assistant bar manager at Sexy Fish Manchester and formerly of London Cocktail Club and Sexy Fish London, is a longtime advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community through various activations, panel discussion and events.
Global brand ambassador for Monkey Shoulder Joe Petch said: “After working with ‘Cressida Lawlor (Cressie)’ for many years, we were delighted to have the opportunity to support her latest project: The Quest for Queer documentary.
"Cressida’s vision and drive has allowed her to create a truly meaningful insight into the hospitality industry’s LGBTQ+ community, we wish it all the success it deserves!"