Jennifer Lopez on Her New Ready-Made Delola Cocktail Brand and Her Dream Holiday Party Guest List
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Jennifer Lopez has added alcohol to her roster of businesses — but don’t expect her to spend too much time as the mixologist behind the bar. The Golden Globes-nominated entrepreneur is the co-founder of Delola, a new line of affordable, ready-to-drink sparkling cocktails priced at $20 per bottle.
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“People love a good cocktail with their holiday meals, but it’s really important [to me to spend] time with people,” says Lopez, who recently caught up with The Hollywood Reporter over a Zoom. “I don’t want to be the at-home mixologist where I have to be cutting and squeezing and doing all of these things to create a good cocktail. All you need to do is put it over ice — that’s it. Or even throw in your cinnamon stick and you’re ready to go.”
Available to order online at ReserveBar, Total Wine, Gopuff and Drizly, the brand’s debut lineup includes three flavors inspired by the Italian coast: L’Orange (a blend of amaro, orange and passion fruit), Bella Berry (vodka, berries and hibiscus) and Paloma Rosa (tequila, grapefruit and elderflower) spritzes. The drinks are made with premium spirits and natural botanicals, and all are under 110 calories per serving and range from 10.5 to 11.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).
Lopez developed Delola with pioneering mixologist Lynnette Marrero (who is also the founder of Speed Rack, the first all-female speed bartending competition), with whom she bonded over their shared Nuyorican — New York by way of Puerto Rico — roots. Inspired by her getaways to Italy, the Grammy-nominated singer began working with Marrero over two years ago and teamed with co-founders Ken Austin and Jenna Fagnan (who are also behind celebrity spirits brands by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Conor McGregor) to bring Delola to life.
The brand’s glass bottles are finished with an emblem inspired by the crest of the Bronx (Lopez’s hometown) and lions, a nod to the Shotgun Wedding actress’ astrological sign.
The star already put her cocktails to the test during the holidays at Thanksgiving, where she served up Delola’s L’Orange cocktail with the traditional menu of turkey, cranberries and sweet potatoes. Ahead, she shares one of her favorite quick concoctions, how she’s celebrating the winter season and what else she’s working on in music and in Hollywood.
Congrats on the launch! Everything tastes delicious, and I love the Bella Berry flavor in particular.
Thank you! You should try it with a little bit of cinnamon in it, a cinnamon stick for the holidays, and some cranberries, just as garnish. It really works well. I did a whole punch on my socials the other day, but I think if you’re just in a rush and want it quick like I do, It’s ice, it’s Delola, and just throw a few cranberries and a cinnamon stick in there and it looks beautiful. It just adds this kind of savory, yummy, warm holiday feeling to it, which is really nice and comfortable.
Delola L'Orange Spritz
We’re coming up on the holiday party season, starting with Thanksgiving this week. As someone who regularly attends some of the most glamorous events such as the Met Gala and the Grammys, what kind of inspiration do you take when it comes to hosting your own festivities?
I love hosting first of all, between family and friends. I have had the kind of good fortune to be in all these kinds of fancy places and parties and celebrations, so I’ve been influenced by that as well. Even before that, I was just a very ‘aesthetic’ kind of person. I love things in my house to be very beautiful and chic. What I think is chic is relative — I guess I put some beautiful placements together each holiday and I put a lot of time into that. I love setting a beautiful table and thinking about the colors and how it all goes together to create a warm and cozy environment. I’m big on cozy at my house!
The colors are always gorgeous and they go with the table. I’m going to do a Thanksgiving tablescape with L’Orange and family-style dishes where my guests can share them and create that family atmosphere that everybody enjoys.
What’s on the menu this year?
You know, I love Christmas and Thanksgiving and we kind of do similar but different things with my Puerto Rican heritage. For Christmas, we always like to enjoy some of the traditional dishes like Puerto Rican pasteles, arroz con gandules, pernil (roasted pork) — dishes that are savory and delicious, and they’re going to go really perfectly with the Bella Berry.
Delola Bella Berry Spritz
Let’s say you’re putting together a dream guest list for your next New Year’s party. In addition to family and friends, are there any other “fantasy” guests living or otherwise who you’d love to invite? Maybe even to pick their brains?
Oh, god, there’s just so many, like Barbra Streisand. I think of my idols, I think probably a bunch of directors and writers and actors and you know, choreographers, it would be such an array of different people that we’re lucky enough to know and have looked up to over the years. Over the years we’ve had tons of people come to our holiday parties and it was great, so it depends — we had Doja Cat come last year. It depends on what kind of party it is. Is it a small going or a dinner party with everybody sitting around with me and then like five people? Or is it a blowout party? It would be two very different lists!
Now that the strikes are over, can you share what non-Delola projects you’ve been working on?
I have all kinds of things next year. I’m working on three new projects coming out next year — two films [Atlas co-starring Simu Liu and The Godmother, in which she’ll play Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco] and a record [This Is Me…Now, due February 2024]. Then I have three big tentpole things I’m doing throughout the year as well. I’m excited about all of that!
Delola Paloma Rosa Spritz
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