Mix, shake, browse
Black joy, queer bar history, and the art of the perfect cocktail — courtesy of “The Drinking Coach.”
This morning, Tiffanie Barriere (aka “The Drinking Coach”) joined us at Mozilla for an internal Pride Month event. She showed us how to mix cocktails (and mocktails), weaving in stories about how Black history, drink culture, and queer spaces came together during the Harlem Renaissance.
If that sounds like your kind of thing, give her a follow on Instagram. And here’s my colleague Damiano’s conversation with Tiffanie about her favorite corners of the internet, from Black cooking videos and queer bar histories to cocktails and community.
— Kristina Bravo, editor at Mozilla
Damiano: What is your favorite corner of the internet?
Honestly? The comment sections under Black cooking videos and cocktail reels. That’s where the real culture lives with people swapping seasoning secrets, dragging folks for not washing chicken or rice, and hyping up a well-shaken drink. It feels like the digital cousin of a family cookout. @BlackFoodFridays is a daily!
What is an internet deep dive that you can't wait to jump back into?
The history of speakeasies and queer bars. I started a spiral one night and ended up learning about hidden juke joints, rent parties, and safe spaces that doubled as joy sanctuaries. I want to go back and pull more threads — it’s all connected to how we toast and gather today.
What is the one tab you always regret closing?
A [doc] full of cocktail books dating back to 1740. Also ancestral history recipes from Black cookbooks. I am deep into cross-referencing them with classic cocktail modifiers.
What can you not stop talking about on the internet right now?
Representation in the beverage world. It’s been loud! New talent pops up daily filled with home bartenders, spirit education, partnerships and cool content. I'm also obsessed with anything speaking to the moon's presents and astrology.
What was the first online community you engaged with?
A place to share your mood, your music, your photos — and let the world peek into your little corner. I was too young to be talking cocktails, but I was definitely learning how to express myself, find my style, and flirt a little. It was the start of building community online, before we even knew what that really meant.
If you could create your own corner of the internet, what would it look like?
A cozy, soulful speakeasy where you could learn history through cocktails, listen to playlists curated by grandmas and DJs alike, swap stories, and build a drink from your pantry. Black joy meets global flavor meets front porch intimacy.
What articles and/or videos are you waiting to read/watch right now?
There’s a standout Substack piece titled “What is Queer Food? A Conversation with John Birdsall” that explores how food practices connect to queer resistance and reclaimed heritage. It's the kind of writing that feeds both the belly and the spirit.
Here’s the book link as well: What Is Queer Food? a book by John Birdsall
If your browser history had to guest bartend for a night, what kind of chaos would it serve up — and would anyone survive the hangover?
My browsers are telling a whole story: Tales of the Cocktail spreadsheets, Black history quotes, butterfly pea tea orders, a Betsey Johnson moment, and a Delta seat to Nice with that Delta One champagne service queued up like a celebration. Oh, and Sorel Hibiscus Liqueur waiting in the wings like the final act. This bar would be part planning committee, part Southern archive, part high-fashion lounge, and absolutely ready. Would you survive? If you sip slow and stay cute, you just might thrive.