Headshot of Taneka, as seen on The Juneteenth Menu

Photo by: Sirena White

Sirena White

About Taneka Reaves

Taneka Reaves is co-founder of The Cocktail Bandits. She has been in the beverage industry for over 15 years. Starting off humbly in local dive bars and neighborhood restaurants, Taneka fell in love with the industry, and began to expand her knowledge in beer, wine, spirits, hospitality and tourism. In 2013, because of lack of employment opportunities and lack of diversity in the hospitality business, Taneka partnered with friend Johnny Caldwell to create the beverage brand Cocktail Bandits. They educate, empower, and entertain their following about beverages from a female urban perspective. The Cocktail Bandits have been well received by the beverage community and have been given the unique opportunity to travel regionally, nationally, and internationally, to learn about cultures through cocktails. In 2018, The Cocktail Bandits wrote the book, Holy Spirits: Charleston’s Culture Through Cocktails, which is the first cocktail book written by African American women in this country.