In 2018, Collins Against Collins was founded by Alex Day, Briana Volk and Andrew Volk. Named after Maine’s Senator Susan Collins (who is up for re-election in Maine this November); our goal has been to raise money and awareness for down-ticket Democratic races with the goal of keeping the House and taking back the Senate. We asked restaurant and bar owners across the country to add Collins-style drinks to their menus and donate $1-$2 of each sold to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) or key Democratic races in their state. 

Our plan was to continue this program for the 2020 election where key races, like Senator Collins, will shape the country’s future. We believe this is a key election of our lifetime and taking the Senate and keeping the majority in the House have never been more important. In the age of COVID, the global Black Lives Matter movement, the continual fight for equal rights for the LGBTQIA+ community, and the fight to ensure safe abortion access; our voices need to be represented and heard within government walls.

With COVID-19, and the challenges it has given the whole restaurant and bar community, we have decided to pivot our plan from in-house fundraisers to a published book of recipes.

Collins Against Collins: Drinks for a Revolution is how we plan on making a difference. CAC will be an inclusive cocktail book highlighting LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, & womxn bartenders across the country, especially those in smaller markets that aren’t always given the platform that those in major cities are given. We are seeking drink recipes from bartenders within those communities who would like to share their voices and talents. There are crucial elections all over the country this year that can determine our future in the Senate. This book will be highlighting key regions, sharing cocktail recipes, short essays about drinking and culture, and much more.

Collins Against Collins: Drinks for a Revolution will be a visually stunning digital book thanks to our design team and photographers who are generously donating their time. Briana Volk (Northern Hospitality) and Hayley Wilson will be writing and editing each bartender’s page, telling their story and sharing their recipes. And we have expanded our fundraising efforts beyond key races and into our communities’. Every single dollar from the sale of Collins Against Collins: Drinks for a Revolution will be split evenly to two very important causes: RadicalXchange, which focuses on intersectional content and education in hospitality, and the DCCC to focus on down-ticket Democratic races.

We want to connect with LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and womxn bartenders, brewers, wine growers, and hospitality professionals across the country who would be interested in sharing their talents for this cause. Applicants will have the opportunity to share a recipe, drink pairing or short essay, along with a little about yourself and an organization you care about, and your home bar/business. A subhead of your Venmo will be included so people can donate not just to the cause, but directly to applicants as well. If interested, please see the link below. If this form doesn’t fit your specific needs (ie: wine pairing, essay, etc.) please don’t hesitate to email, and we will provide a proper outlet.

The first edition of Collins Against Collins: Drinks for a Revolution will be released on election day, November 3, 2020, but we will be accepting recipe and essay submissions on an ongoing basis. Thank you in advance for helping us amplify the voices within our communities, and fight to take back the Senate and keep the House this November. 

If you identify as BIPOC, LQBTQA+ or as a womxn and would like to submit a cocktail or idea for an essay to be included in Collins Against Collins; Drinks for a Revolution please use this link. We look forward to working with you.

We do not plan to end our work in November, we will continue to raise money for organizations within the restaurant and bar community who focus on intersectional content and education.

We are here for the long-term and are committed to do the work.