00:00We got top bartenders, we got top judges, promoters, and they live the nightlife and they traveling, representing the booth the best.
00:08But I'm going to give y'all some introductions first on our mixologist.
00:12So please give it up first for Miss Bobby Ray.
00:17Come on down.
00:19How you doing today, you good?
00:21She's back. She's trying to take the crown.
00:23Up next, please give it up for Miss Jessica Johnson.
00:30Let's go, Jess.
00:32And last but certainly not least, right here in the center, ladies, put your hands together for Kale Brown.
00:43He said he ready, too.
00:45So we're going to get it in. He represented for the guys today.
00:48Our judges, and they are esteemed, please first give it up for Miss Denicia Taylor.
00:54You seen on BET.
00:55She got a little speakeasy ducked off in the line.
01:01She doing big things.
01:03Also, there's a longtime friend of mine as well, one of the judges I've known for many different iterations.
01:10But now, he's known as Mr. Happy Hour.
01:12Well, please give it up for Mr. Campanella Ken.
01:16Big camp.
01:19And last but not least, he's got nightlife on lock in New Orleans.
01:23I remember when he just jumped off the porch, but now he the kingpin out there.
01:27You want to find the hottest parties in the Crescent City?
01:30Look no further than my man, Greg G. Willie Johnson.
01:35You like that?
01:36All right, all right.
01:37Now, look, when I get to the door tonight, I don't want to hear no gain from you.
01:41All right?
01:42Last but certainly not least, we have a very special host to keep things flowing like the drinks.
01:49And let me tell you, with no further delay, one of our great representatives and ambassadors to the city known globally as none other than Big Freedom!
02:05You already know!
02:10How y'all doing?
02:12I can't hear myself.
02:13Give me a look.
02:14Give me a look.
02:14All right, you need that lamp a little turned up.
02:17How y'all feeling out there?
02:18Wonderful.
02:19It's the one and only Queen Diva you already know!
02:23Welcome to the food and wine stage.
02:25Y'all ready to get started?
02:26Y'all want to see them make some hurricanes?
02:29Well, we're going to do this like it's Katrina, baby.
02:31Hi, Jessica.
02:32Hi, Kel.
02:33Hi, Bobby.
02:34Y'all ready to do it?
02:35We're ready.
02:35Let's turn it up, then.
02:36Let's do it.
02:37Let's start mixing some drinks out here.
02:39How many of y'all had a hurricane before?
02:42Oh, everybody had a hurricane.
02:44I don't drink many hurricanes, baby.
02:46I'm not trying to fall down, but I'm going to drink one this morning.
02:49Y'all ready to get it started?
02:50Yes.
02:51Let's get it popping.
02:54So we go right into it.
02:56All right.
02:56What you starting with over here, Jessica?
02:58This is Bobby.
02:59Bobby, I'm sorry.
03:01What you starting with over here?
03:01So I have some orgeat.
03:03I have a white and spiced rum.
03:06Not originally what I was going to go with, but we, you know, we shift.
03:09We move.
03:10And as well as I have a guava syrup made out of a jam cooked down into a syrup.
03:16All right.
03:16All right, Kel.
03:17What you have over here?
03:18I got a hurricane featuring a local rum.
03:21I have a rum blend that is a curry butter wash.
03:26Okay.
03:27So Jamaican rum blend, curry butter wash.
03:29I'm also featuring some sherry, medium dry sherry, lime, fresh strawberries, my homemade,
03:34house-made fashionola syrup, passion fruit, guava, and hibiscus.
03:38Okay.
03:38All right, Jessica.
03:39What you have over here?
03:40So I have a little cognac, a little orange liqueur, pineapple, passion fruit, and lime juice.
03:53I can't say that.
03:57All right.
03:58Well, we're going to let our mixologist get ready to get it started, and we're going to
04:02see what's happening.
04:02How y'all doing, judges?
04:04All right.
04:05Looking good.
04:06Looking good.
04:06Let's get it going then, y'all.
04:08Go ahead and start.
04:09Okay.
04:10How many of y'all first time here to Essence?
04:16All right.
04:17We got a lot of first timers here.
04:19It goes down here in New Orleans, baby.
04:22Make sure y'all come see me on the main stage at 2 o'clock.
04:26The Queen Diva will be there.
04:27Oh, yes.
04:33Baby, I'm ready to say something.
04:35Get my breakfast started.
04:37Anybody going to the concert tonight?
04:42Yes.
04:43All right.
04:44Bring y'all jackets.
04:44They say it's cold in that Superdome, baby.
04:47Bring your little jacket.
04:52You thirsty?
04:53Well, we're going to have something for you in just a minute.
04:56A little hurricane.
04:57You heard me.
04:58I like a hurricane.
05:02Love you too, baby.
05:04Where y'all from?
05:05Come on.
05:06Tell me something.
05:06Where y'all from?
05:08I see Georgia.
05:09Florida.
05:10D.C.
05:13What?
05:14Thibodeau?
05:15Thibodeau in the house.
05:16Thibodeau D.
05:18Texas.
05:20They say everything bigger in Texas, baby.
05:22Oh, yeah.
05:23I love Texas.
05:26I stayed there after Katrina, which was a hurricane.
05:33Philadelphia.
05:35All right, feel it.
05:36Detroit.
05:36I love Detroit, too.
05:39That's Aretha Franklin hometown.
05:40That's my girl.
05:42Oh, yeah.
05:45It's looking tasty up here.
05:47He got strawberries, oranges, and limes, and lemons, and all the things.
05:53What is that?
05:53Tomatoes?
05:54This is cherries.
05:55Cherries.
05:56All right.
05:59Hey, Kel, I'm going to come on your back.
06:02They say the judges are ready.
06:06Baby.
06:11Baby.
06:16You done, Jessica?
06:17All right.
06:18We got one done.
06:19All right.
06:19We got one done.
06:20We got one done.
06:33We got one done.
06:35We got one done.
06:36We got one done.
06:38We got one done.
06:41Woo-hoo.
06:41There you go.
06:45I'm getting excited.
06:50I'm getting excited.
07:15Yeah, give us a little something until they're ready.
07:27All right.
07:29Jessica looking good over here.
07:32Bobby is almost done.
07:35Kel is getting there.
07:39Uh-huh.
07:42Oh, wipe me down.
07:44Oh, you got him.
08:14All right.
08:16We're about to get ready to bring our judges, our cocktails, our hurricanes, baby.
08:21That looked tasty.
08:27All right, judges, are you ready?
08:41All right.
08:42All right.
08:43We're at the finish line, baby.
08:44All right, we got Jessica coming up first.
08:55All right, we got Kel coming up second.
09:02We got Bobby coming up third.
09:04Let's go.
09:05All right.
09:06And as y'all can see, they're three different colors.
09:15All right, who y'all rooting for?
09:20Judge number one, Bobby?
09:24Judge number two, Kel?
09:26Judge number three, Jessica?
09:29All right, all right.
09:30All right.
09:30All right.
09:30All right.
09:30All right.
09:32All right.
09:34All right.
09:35All right.
09:36It looks amazing.
09:40I bet people what you're bringing to the table.
09:43Oh, we do this.
09:47Oh, I do this.
09:54That's all right.
09:56That's all right.
09:57That's all right.
09:58Why don't you want to look you want a little taste all right y'all got to get Wayne a little taste to now
10:12I'm like if y'all don't just drink out the glass
10:23That's Jessica
10:25I'm like they don't just drink out the glass
10:26That's Jessica
10:27Yeah
10:28That's Bobby in the middle and that's Kel on the end
10:42All right, you need three more cups. You need six total. I need three to
10:58All right, all right, the judges are tasting they are splitting the drinks
11:05What do y'all say about judge contestant number one, which is Jessica?
11:28Oh, that was good
11:29Give me my second one
11:33Yeah, baby
11:38Have me a nice little buzz
11:40That's good, too
11:47Where's my third one?
12:03All right, y'all. They taste good up here now
12:11There's some good hurricanes, baby. Oh, yeah
12:14No labels
12:17Oh
12:18No labels
12:19All right, Jessica
12:26Where you from?
12:29And what's your Instagram and your social handles?
12:31I'm from New Orleans
12:33And my social handles are Justini's Nola and Justini cocktail
12:38All right, all right
12:40Y'all give it up for Jessica
12:41Yeah
12:42Okay, where you from?
12:44I'm from New Orleans, Jeremy from the East
12:46From the East and what's your Instagram and social handles?
12:49My Instagram is Jungleberry504
12:51That's my above page and then it's also KLB dot dot dot is my personal page
12:55Okay, and Bobby
12:57I am from New Orleans
12:58Where you from?
13:00I'm from Slidell
13:01All right, you in a Dale, huh?
13:03I'm in a Dale
13:03I'll be that way soon
13:04I'll be that way soon
13:05And my Instagram is TheRealBobbyRay
13:08All right, TheRealBobbyRay
13:09Y'all give it up for our mixologists
13:11So who y'all rooting for?
13:14Contestant number one
13:15Contestant number two
13:18Contestant number three
13:21All right, judges
13:24Do y'all have y'all
13:26Who y'all rooting for?
13:29Oh, you gotta take another taste?
13:31He need another taste
13:32They say another round
13:35Wayne want another round
13:37I'm gonna make another round
13:38It's a hard pick
13:41I know which one was my favorite
13:44Yeah, I have a favorite
13:47Which glass was your favorite?
14:01He said the one that was on the table
14:03They're all on the table
14:04Boots on the ground
14:06Where the fans at?
14:10Whack
14:10Whack, whack
14:12Where mine is at?
14:13It's in my purse
14:14What it is?
14:22You gotta stay prepared, baby
14:24I got my
14:29Huh?
14:32I got free the fans
14:34All right, the judges are finding
14:39Getting their totals together
14:41So Jessica
14:45Kel and Bobby, baby
14:47Representing from New Orleans
14:50And from the Dell
14:51I got my boots on
14:55Let's go
14:58Let's go
14:59Let's go
14:59Let's go
14:59Let's go
15:00She wanna
15:04She bout
15:05I hear a few fans
15:09All right
15:10They got another one
15:11Wayne
15:11Wayne
15:14Do we have the results?
15:25All right
15:27All right
15:27We waiting on G Willie
15:28All right
15:34Here we go
15:35We coming down to the countdown
15:36All right
15:42They tallying up
15:42Who's the winner of the competition
15:44For the hurricane drinks, y'all
15:47Y'all make some noise
15:48New Orleans
15:49Essence Fest 2025
15:52We appreciate y'all coming
15:54To the food and wine stage
15:56Thank y'all so much
15:57I'm your host
15:58The Queen Diva
15:59Your better believer
16:00Anybody make hurricanes at home?
16:04Anybody make hurricanes?
16:06Make sure y'all get y'all
16:07Paddle Brian hurricane mix
16:09While you're here
16:10All right
16:17Bobby made another
16:18Uh-huh
16:25All right
16:41We got doubles, baby
16:43Uh-huh
16:44Oh
16:45All right, y'all
16:48Huh
16:49Can you taste it?
16:52I
16:53I doubt it
16:55The judge is probably
16:58Gonna swallow that
16:59All right, y'all
17:02Bring me down
17:03Just a little bit
17:04On the music
17:05I want to thank
17:06All three of our mixologists
17:07Y'all make some noise
17:08For Bobby
17:09For Bobby
17:09Kel
17:10And Jessica
17:11All right
17:13I'm gonna ask y'all
17:14This here
17:14One last time
17:16Who y'all rooting for?
17:17Y'all rooting for Bobby?
17:20Y'all rooting for Kel?
17:22Or y'all rooting for Jessica?
17:25All right, y'all
17:26We have a winner
17:27And we want everybody
17:29To feel good
17:29All of us
17:30All of us
17:30Are always winners
17:31But we do have a winner
17:33And our favorite drink
17:35And the winner
17:35Of the food and wine
17:37Mixologist for Hurricane
17:39Is Jessica
17:40Woo!
17:42Y'all make some noise
17:43For Jessica
17:43All right, Jessica
17:46What you got to say
17:46My girl
17:47You already know
17:49I love it
17:51Thank y'all so much
17:52To Kel
17:53And to Bobby
17:53And to Jessica
17:54For coming
17:55Hang out with us
17:56At the food and wine stage
17:58Making our hurricanes
17:59And hopefully
18:00We don't have one this year
18:01But we can keep on drinking them
18:03Yes
18:04Yes
18:04We love y'all
18:05Thank y'all so much
18:06For coming out
18:07You heard me
18:08You already know
18:09Girl, down
18:11Thank you, judges
18:13We appreciate y'all
18:16Thank you
