Sooooo I’m pretty late getting to this but I got my DNA results back the day before my 30th birthday and I was super excited. I didn’t want to dive into them that much until I returned from my trip but did peek and see what to expect when I finally opened them.

What Was I Expecting : I didn’t really have any expectations about where I was from being that I’ve been working on my ancestry journey for about 6 years without using a kit. I didn’t know exactly where in the world my family was from but I knew for sure it was Africa and Europe.

Hopes : My main hope would be that I would be able to connect the dots and find some relatives that could help me clear up information on ancestors and elders that I didn’t have that much information about.

My Results :

Reality : I don’t know anything about these countries in Africa. I grew up in the United States and learned about Africa in school and from my parents but never felt a real connection with Africa. Most of my connections I felt came from the South. I am a southern girl at heart. I love the South even with all of it’s ugly truths. The beauty, culture, food, people and just everything about it makes me love it everyday. I will learn about the places that Ancestry has said that I’m from and see if there are any connections that I feel.

The Takeaway : The main thing I took away from my ancestry test was meeting new family members. I have found so many people that have helped me connect multiple dots and find new parts of my family I didn’t know existed. This I am super grateful for. I’m still skeptical of the DNA testing results so I use what they give me and do my research on my own.

Hello beautiful black people!! I am back with another black owned alcohol review from Ciroc (yes you guessed it). After this week I’m going to take a break from the Black Owned Alcohol reviews until I am able to get my hands on some other type of brand besides Ciroc unless it’s a limited edition.

Background

Ciroc was started in 2003 by a distiller and Diddy (Sean Combs) took over in 2007 with Diageo (An alcohol beverage company). Ciroc has 10 flavors of Vodka which are Original, Ciroc Ten, Pineapple, Mango, Peach, French Vanilla, Apple, Red Berry, Amaretto and Coconut. Ciroc also has a Brandy called Ciroc VS.

My Review

So this is my 4th kind of Ciroc I have tried. The advantage that Ciroc has is that it is super smooth. I still taste the vodka which I don’t like but the smoothness and the taste of pineapple is what saves it for me. I just took a shot and then later mixed it into a drink after I made my video and it was pretty good. But still it’s vodka. My favorite flavor so far is the Summer Colada. Yes I know, I know I love brown liquor BUT that Summer Colada is amazing! I would like to try the Black Raspberry since it’s a limited edition but I shall keep supporting the black owned alcohol companies.

Please go try Ciroc in any flavor. You won’t be disappointed. You can find Ciroc at most ABC stores. For more information please visit : https://www.ciroc.com/en-us/

My great grandfather was 6’2 and a character. I heard tons of stories about him as I got older from my Grams and other family members. As I dug deeper into my great Grandfather I learned that had somewhat of a hard life as a young man.
Everything I know about my Great Grandfather came from my Grams (his daughter).

My great grandfather was born Aug 4, 1903 in Lenoir County, NC. Kinston is about 2 hours away from Fayetteville, NC. He was the oldest of 5 children. According to the 1910 census he was living in Lenoir, County and was 6 years old. His mother died when he was about 10 and he went to stay with his Uncle where he worked on the farm with his siblings. Nobody knows for sure what happened to his father, they think he went and started a new family. My great grandfather is missing in the census after 1910 and doesn’t show back up until his marriage certificate in 1932 in Philadelphia, PA.

When he was coming up and living in North Carolina he was a laborer working with people building houses and he worked in the fields.
I’m not sure what year he moved to Philly but according to my grams he moved there in 1926. Before he met my great grandmother he had a son in 1931. He married my great grandmother in 1932 and they had 5 children together. After he and my great grandmother split he fathered two more children. When he came to Philly he worked at Shoyers (exclusive restaurant back then) restaurant for over 40 years as a cook and waiter. He retired when he was 65. Once he was retired he took up a lot of little jobs which included fixing cars as well as growing veggies and fruits on his land in Glassboro, NJ. He would freeze them for his family and sold the leftovers from the harvest in Philly. Around 1948 he moved his family to a house he built in Glassboro, NJ. It later burned down. Luckily he kept the house in Philly and rented it out to different people. My great aunt still lives in the house in Philly today.

My great grandfather died in 1985 in Philadelphia, Pa.

Hello Hello Hello Beautiful Black People! I’m back with another alcohol review from a black owned company. Today I will be reviewing the Ciroc Summer Colada which I’m excited about but a little skeptical because I don’t really like coconut but I do love a nice cold Pina Colada so I’m hoping it tastes like that.

Background Information

Ciroc was started in 2003 by a distiller and Diddy (Sean Combs) took over in 2007 with Diageo (An alcohol beverage company). Ciroc has 10 main flavors of Vodka which are Original, Ciroc Ten, Pineapple, Mango, Peach, French Vanilla, Apple, Red Berry, Amaretto and Coconut. Ciroc also has a Brandy called Ciroc VS. Ciroc has put out two limited edition flavors Summer Colada (which I’m trying today) and Black Raspberry.

My Review

So I of course chilled my Summer Colada before giving it a taste. It comes in this cute white bottle with gold writing so it put me in a summer mood (yes colors can do that for me). Once I poured it into my shot glass I could smell the coconut smell and it instantly reminded me of a Pina Colada. My excitement had officially began. I took a sip and it was super sweet with hints of pineapple and coconut. It didn’t have that vodka taste I despise and it was rather smooth. I proceeded to down the rest of my delicious shot. I can honestly say this Summer Colada is my favorite flavor of Ciroc I have tried thus far. It’s smooth, sweet, and hits all the right spots. I was taken to a beach with sun shining on my melanated skin with each taste. I FREAKING LOVE IT!!!!! The price on the 375 ML bottle is 16.99

For more information on Ciroc Summer Colada please visit their website : https://www.ciroc.com/en-us/vodkas/summer-colada

To watch a live reaction of me trying Ciroc Summer Colada view here :
https://youtu.be/Y50-9WPSzoc

Check out and like my Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/AncestorsandAlcohol

Today I want to talk about my maternal great grandmother Druelton. She is my maternal grandmother’s mother.

I didn’t always know a lot about my great grandmother except that she was a triplet and was kind of a big deal being that her father conceived her at a very old age lol. I never really asked my grandmother about her until I started my ancestry journey. Once I got started I learned who this lady really was and that she was super strong.

My great grandmother Druelton was born in Sanford, NC on April 16, 1911. Sanford is a small city about 45 minutes outside of Raleigh, NC. She was the girl of three triplets (Delton and Welton). Druelton grew up in a large family, being one of 13 children she was raised in rural Cape Fear, NC according to the 1920 census (8 years old). I was told by my grandmother that Druelton moved to Philadelphia when she was about 18 and lived with her sister Evelyn. She worked at a restaurant where she then met my great grandfather John. He would come in about once a week to order a slice of apple pie and once he saw my great grandmother he turned it into a daily routine (swooning). In 1932 she married my great grandfather and a year later in 1933 she had her first child my great Aunt Marie. She became a stay at home mother and had 5 more children throughout the years. After her children were born my great grandmother had a nervous breakdown and was put in a mental institute. She was in and out of the institute for a few years until she finally got better and moved back home.
She passed away in August of 1994 due to cancer. I couldn’t really find anything on Druelton in the census records so most of my information comes from interviews with my grandmother. I am told that she was quiet, reserved and didn’t drink. She also didn’t like to take pictures. These two pictures are the only ones I have of my great grandmother.

Click here to view my Youtube video talking about my great grandmother : https://youtu.be/tU2fqcaGEiU

Follow and Like my Facebook page for more information and pictures : https://www.facebook.com/AncestorsandAlcohol/

Hello Beautiful Black People!! I’m back with another Black Owned alcohol review. This week I tried Nicki Minaj’s MYX Fusions Moscato.

Background on MYX Fusions

Nicki Minaj started MYX Fusions in 2013 with the idea that she wanted to create something that she would be excited to drink herself. She took the lead as the owner, brand ambassador and creative director over the company to make sure it was what she wanted. MYX Fusions has multiple flavors in Moscatos and Sangrias that come in fun size mini bottles or your average wine size bottle to fit every occasion possible.

My Review

I tried the Original Moscato in a 187 ml bottle. They came in a 4 pack for 7.99 at the gas station by my house but I didn’t want to get the entire pack in case I didn’t like it. The single bottle by itself was about $2 and some change, not too bad. The top is supposed to be a screw top but for the life of me I couldn’t get that top off (guess I need to hit the weights lol), so I used a bottle opener. I drank mine directly from the bottle. I figure if I’m out and about or hanging out I wouldn’t put it in a cup, I mean what’s the fun small bottle for if you’re going to put it in a cup. The first thing I tasted was grape juice. It’s moscato so I expected that but it was really fruity. The bottle did say it was mixed with natural fruit juices so I assume that was the taste I was getting. It was also carbonated. So think carbonated white grape juice. Very sweet. It’s not bad. I would drink it if I wanted to just chill or I’d take it into the movies with me (Yes, I drink in the movies, IDC). I would recommend it if you like sweet wines or wine coolers. This will be right up your alley. Click here to view my live wine review https://youtu.be/hHygxoLYOxs

For more information on MYX Fusions and where you can purchase this product visit their website : https://myxfusions.com/

Follow and Like my Facebook page for more information and pictures : https://www.facebook.com/AncestorsandAlcohol/

When I first started my ancestry search I wasn’t too interested in this side of the family because I didn’t know anybody from that side of the family. I didn’t grow up with them and didn’t even know where they lived. My grandfather died in 1965 when my mom was a child so there isn’t too much I knew about my grandfather. I only knew the cool stories that my grandmother and mother told me about him. My mother didn’t really grow up with that side of the family so it was a little harder to find family members that were still alive that knew my grandfather. My mother had two older sisters who both passed away so I was basically starting from scratch.

Like I’ve stated before my mother is from New York so I assumed that my grandfather was from there as well. I’ve learned from asking so many questions never go with what you assume! Do your research and find the answers (you’ll thank yourself in the end). So that’s what I did. I started asking the background questions instead of just listening to the cool stories that I was told. In order for me to find information about his childhood I had to ask questions as well as do a quite a bit of research. The census was my best friend. I took the information I had and put all the pieces together with what I found.

My grandfather Roscoe was born and raised in Currituck, NC in February of 1902. Currituck is a small city on the coast of NC. He was 1 of 9 children. According to the 1920 census records he lived with his family until he was 18 years of age in which he worked as a foreman on a farm. Being that the census only records every 10 years there are a few gaps but that was okay because I found him again on the 1930 census living in Elizabeth City, NC. (today it is about a 27 min drive between the two cities). He was now 29 years of age, a farmer, married, and had his first child my aunt Ophelia. In 1940 he had moved to New York (Harlem) and was working at the Cotton Club as a waiter. He got divorced and had another daughter my aunt Bernice. He was also a chauffeur, did construction and (my favorite) was a alcohol bootlegger. Basically my grandfather was a hustler and very good at making sure his family was taken care of. He met my grandmother around 1950 and a few years later they had my mother. My grandfather died in 1965 in the Harlem Hospital while being treated for pneumonia.

The good thing about all the information I found was that it led me to tons of cousins that still live in NC today. They didn’t personally know my grandfather but the majority of them are my mothers 2nd and 3rd cousins (my grandfather Roscoe was their great uncle). Being that my grandfather was older all of his siblings had passed away and the majority of my mother’s first cousins had passed away as well. I’m grateful for the family members that I have found along with the stories and pictures they’ve shared with me to help me connect the dots and get to know that side of my family.

To view the video of my story about my grandfather click here : https://youtu.be/YuA6NeplKYI

Hello Hello Hello Beautiful Black People! I’m back with another alcohol review from a black owned company. Today I will be reviewing the Ciroc VS which I’m super excited about because it’s in the brown liquor family.

Background about Ciroc

Ciroc was started in 2003 by a distiller and Diddy (Sean Combs) took over in 2007 with Diageo (An alcohol beverage company). Ciroc has 10 flavors of Vodka which are Original, Ciroc Ten, Pineapple, Mango, Peach, French Vanilla, Apple, Red Berry, Amaretto and Coconut. Ciroc also has a Brandy called Ciroc VS.

My Review

I was a bit nervous about trying the Ciroc VS being that Ciroc’s main type of alcohol produced was Vodka. I had heard mixed reviews about the Ciroc VS. Some people said that Hennessy was better and others said they loved it. I just wanted to like it because it was brown and that’s where my heart is. I always make sure that I chill my alcohol a few hours before I’m going to drink it. I’m not a fan of room temperature alcohol. I tried the alcohol two ways. The first way was a shot just to see how it does as a straight shooter. The second way was over ice. The website says the best way to get the best taste is to put it over ice. ANNNDDDDDDD I loved it. It was super smooth and didn’t have a bad after taste. I tasted berries and hint of vanilla. The notes listed on the bottle were fresh fruit, vanilla and a hint of French oak. I would recommend this Ciroc VS for a nice night in the house over ice. This wouldn’t be something that I drink while I’m out, it’s something that I would want to enjoy while relaxing.

For more information on Ciroc VS please visit their website : https://www.ciroc.com/en-us/brandy

To watch a live reaction of me trying Ciroc VS view here : https://youtu.be/Pm9a1Q5XtCM

This was the first side of my family that I started with in my family ancestry research. My cousin had already done a huge part of the research and I ran with the information. I’m going to start with a some background information on my mother’s maternal side so you can get an idea of where they are from.

My mother is from New York, my grandmother lives in New York and the majority of my family on that side that I knew growing up lived in New York, Philadelphia, South Carolina and Virginia. So I figured that’s where my family was from. BOY WAS I WRONG!!

As stated before the best way to find out about your family is to start with your immediate family members, so I went to my grandmother to find out about her childhood and where her family grew up.

My Grandmother

My grandmother was born in Sanford, Lee County, North Carolina in her grandmothers house. Her mother (my great grandmother Druelton) was visiting her mother (my great great grandmother Nettie). My grandmother was raised in Philadelphia, PA and Glassboro, NJ with her 5 other siblings (4 girls and 1 boy). My grandmother has lived the majority of her life in New York after she moved there in her early 20s.

Please click here to view my live video of me speaking about my grandmother : https://youtu.be/73arKu9vjjo

Hello beautiful black people!! I have my second black owned alcohol review from non other than Ciroc!

Background

Ciroc was started in 2003 by a distiller and Diddy (Sean Combs) took over in 2007 with Diageo (An alcohol beverage company). Ciroc has 10 flavors of Vodka which are Original, Ciroc Ten, Pineapple, Mango, Peach, French Vanilla, Apple, Red Berry, Amaretto and Coconut. Ciroc also has a Brandy called Ciroc VS.

My Review

I tried the Peach Ciroc and it was very very smooth. I’m a whiskey drinker so when I dive into the vodka world I only hope that the vodka is smooth. I tried the Ciroc with a straight shot and mixed in a drink. The shot was cold and smooth. I keep my alcohol in the freezer so it stays super cold. I could surprisingly taste the peach. The vodka didn’t have an overpowering taste. For my mixed drink I had Ocean Spray cran-pineapple with a splash (about a shots worth) of Ciroc. It was delightfully delicious and very fruity.

Please go try Ciroc in any flavor. You won’t be disappointed. You can find Ciroc at most ABC stores. For more information please visit https://www.ciroc.com/en-us/

To view my live video please click here : https://youtu.be/bkxfuc-UtYI