What's drag brunch all about? ✨

This art form goes beyond pancakes and a good lip sync. [View this email in your browser]( Exploring the history of drag brunch. ✨ It’s not often you can get cocktails, waffles, and a stunning serenade — let alone all three before noon. But that’s exactly what audiences love about drag brunch, the widely popular weekend event featuring, well, brunch hosted by drag queens. Legendary queen Jasmine Masters at Hamburger Mary’s in West Hollywood. (@stevenraymorris / IG) And with June being Pride Month, we thought we’d highlight a few drag brunches around the country, while also delving in to the history of this wildly fun, expressive art form. Whether you’ve been to one drag brunch or dozens (or maybe none at all!), now has never been a better time to show your local queens some love. Grab a mimosa and settle in — and be sure to stick around ‘til the end, where we’ve got a roundup of summer solstice-inspired recipes guaranteed to keep you smiling. Let’s dive in ⤵️ Turning back the clock – To understand the history of drag brunch, we first need to quickly look at the history of drag — and the history of brunch. “Brunch” as a meal hasn’t been around very long, relatively speaking. It started as a “[second breakfast]( in the 1800s (truly a meal for those with money to burn) and grew in popularity over the century as a late-in-the-day weekend meal. Queen Barbra Seville at Copper Blues in Phoenix. (@copperbluesphx / IG) Drag, meanwhile, has [existed for centuries and centuries](. Many trace its roots to Shakespeare (though you could argue it goes back even further), when men dressed in women’s clothing to play female roles. It continued to develop as a cherished art form throughout Europe and into America. The modern art of drag we think of today, however, stems from [ballroom culture]( a queer, Black and Latino art form that was driven underground in the 20th century. It was fueled, in part, by the Harlem Renaissance. Ballroom is also still in existence today, as a notably different art form from modern drag. When drag met brunch – So how did the two merge? Well, for the majority of the 1900s, after Prohibition, the art of female impersonation — the early art of drag — was illegal. Most drag performers held “dinner theater” shows in order to [legitimize their acts.]( It wasn’t until the 1970s and 1980s that the tide started to turn, thanks to a wide variety of cultural factors. Musical icons like Grace Jones and David Bowie pushed the boundary on gender expression, for example, and the legendary queen Lady Bunny held “[Wigstock]( Plus, a little someone named RuPaul [hit the scene](. A drag brunch at Lucky Cheng’s in New York City. (@jwilson77 / IG) The two ideas — brunch + drag queens — continued to naturally come together over the following decades, as both gained mainstream popularity. New York drag restaurant Lucky Cheng’s opened in 1993. Brunch began to have its moment. And, in 2009, RuPaul’s Drag Race started. The show introduced people around the country to the art of drag, and led to a new demand for in-person experiences. Drag brunch today – If all of this has you hungry, there’s good news: Drag brunch has become more popular than ever in recent years, so do some Internet digging and find a restaurant near you. Your local queens have never deserved more support! Queen Lily Rose Valor performing at Blend in Boston. (@blendboston / IG) New to all of this? Here are some basic tips: - Bring plenty of cash to tip the queens - Treat everyone with respect, and look, don’t touch! - Not every drag brunch is family friendly (though plenty are!) - Don’t forget to be nice to the restaurant staff, too — they’re working extra hard to keep your bottomless mimosas topped off 😉 Some of the Tastemade team after a group outing to drag brunch at Hamburger Mary’s in West Hollywood! At the end of the day, drag brunch is a great way to combine everyone’s favorite meal — a late, lazy breakfast with a bit of booze — with a show. This art form has a long, turbulent, and perseverant history in American culture, and deserves respect not just in June but all year round. Bring on the sunshine – Summer solstice, or the longest day of the year, is on June 21st. We’re celebrating our sunniest day with these bright recipes! 🌞 Crabby Sugar Cookies Sugar cookies have never looked cuter! Follow this easy cookie decorating tutorial to create an adorable beach scene. [Get the Recipe]( Watermelon Bowl This refreshing fruit salad comes with a built-in bowl: a hollowed out watermelon! Cute and it saves on dishes. 😉 [Get the Recipe]( Aperol Spritz Cocktail Bombs Basically, we made an Aperol bath bomb, but for a glass of Prosecco. You’re welcome. [Get the Recipe]( Orange Creamsicle Cake This cake tastes like your favorite childhood popsicle. All nostalgia, no sticky fingers! [Get the Recipe]( Turn up the heat – Struggle Meals LIVE on Amazon You can't have summer recipes without turning up the heat... 🔥 This Thursday we're searing it up with a new episode of Struggle Meals LIVE on Amazon. Join Frankie for steak tacos, a yummy watermelon salad, and all the tricks to keep your recipes fresh this summer season. [Watch Struggle Meals LIVE]( [Facebook icon]( [Instagram icon]( [Pinterest icon]( [TikTok icon]( [YouTube icon]( [Twitter icon]( Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up!]( Copyright (C) 2023 Tastemade. All rights reserved. You're receiving this because you opted into our email list. Our mailing address is: Tastemade 3019 Olympic Blvd, Stage CSanta Monica, CA 90404 [Add us to your address book]( [Unsubscribe]( from this list. If you have a Tastemade account, transactional emails are managed separately in your [account preferences](.