Hotel Tango Distillery partners with drag queens to raise money for LGBTQ+ service members

"Distilled with discipline, created for all."

It’s by those words that Hotel Tango Distillery founder Travis Barnes runs his company. The Iraq War veteran opened Hotel Tango with his wife, Hilary, in 2014.

Since opening its doors in 2014, they've been vocal about their support of Indiana’s LGBTQ+ community, often hosting drag shows and working to create a space for the state’s queer community to drink Hotel Tango’s spirits.

“That’s really what Hotel Tango is in my head, is bringing people together,” Barnes said.

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For several years, they’ve introduced a limited redesign of their vodka in honor of Pride Month.

For Barnes, the campaign about supporting the communities who have supported him and his business.

So, a percentage of the vodka’s profits will go to the Modern Military Association of America, an organization working with LGBTQ+ service members and veterans.

This June, however, Hotel Tango had some special help.

Enter Ana Crusis. The glitzy, glamorous “Beauty of Broad Ripple'' has performed at every one of Hotel Tango’s quarterly drag brunches, equipped with a set list that likely included something by Cher, Shania Twain, Britney Spears or Lady Gaga.

When the distillery reached out to involve her with their Pride campaign, Crusis said she saw it as a great opportunity. She agreed to it not just because of the company’s relationship with queer people or veterans, but because they supported both groups, at the same time.

“I love seeing those two communities kind of coming together because that’s probably something people wouldn’t think of as compatible,” Crusis said. “But I think they can be, and they should be.”

Now, enter Ava. The "Bearded Beauty of Indianapolis," Ava said she likes to combine beauty and femininity with a little edge.

Ava signed onto the campaign because protecting and supporting LGBTQ+ veterans is a cause near to her heart. She said she feels like when someone leaves the armed forces, they're left with little mental health support and are left to figure things out on their own.

So, Crusis and Ava joined the campaign. Crusis, donned in head-to-toe glam, big blonde hair and a cascading train of pink tulle, and Ava, in a striking blue, long bell-sleeved, velour cocktail dress, were photographed with Hotel Tango’s colorful rebrand of its vodka.

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The redesign features rainbow-colored lettering, accompanied with artwork by New York-based artist Meg Lewis. The “marching orders” on the label instruct the drinker to “serve and consume in pursuance of love, equality and elevated company morale.”

While vodka is not Crusis’ preferred type of liquor — she said she’s more of a tequila girl — she had nothing but praise for Hotel Tango’s vodka, made from 100% Indiana corn.

“I’ve already finished one bottle that they gave me and then had to go out and buy another bottle,” Crusis said. “It’s delicious.”

Crusis, a lifelong resident of Indianapolis, said the city has lost a lot of queer spaces — the 501 Eagle, Talbott Street and the Unicorn, for example — but she said she’s happy that there is more inclusion and acceptance in places that are not necessarily only queer spaces.

“I’m starting to see more drag popping up at places like that, whether it be a hotel doing a brunch or a bar doing some sort of drag event,” Crusis said.

She deemed this effect “cross collaboration,” and she said it was a wonderful thing to be happening in Indy, especially since many queer spaces have been shut down or closed.

But, it’s not just limited to queer spaces. Crusis said she thinks it’s great that more companies are representing communities that have typically been underrepresented. 

Hotel Tango variety show: If you go

Hotel Tango is hosting "Queeriety," a 21-and-up queer variety show, at 2 p.m. July 10 at 702 Virginia Avenue. Doors open at 1 p.m.

The show stars Jess Love, Helio Archer, Virginia Slimm and Blaque Pearl von Broadway, and is produced and hosted by Icah Watkins. One ticket costs $15, two cost $25 total. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

You can reach Pulliam Fellow Griffin Wiles at GWiles@gannett.com or on Twitter at @griffinwiles. 

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis' Hotel Tango Distillery partners with local drag queens