Since taking up golf during the pandemic, West Philadelphia rapper/writer/entrepreneur Chill Moody has been using the links as a link to his other projects — in particular, to support his nonprofit We Golf Now, which introduces Black and brown kids to the sport and business of golf.
For his latest, he’s created a canned cocktail under his nicethings brand, and it’s based on the country club cocktail known as the transfusion.
“Traditionally, it’s vodka, grape juice, ginger ale, and lime,” Moody said the other day. “I took the vodka out, added tequila, and also added bergamot and black currant.” (He had tried black currant-flavored candy in Switzerland, “and I thought it’d be interesting to bring that flavor home.”)
Moody, who plays golf two to three times a week, said he started asking golf-course bartenders to make the drink his way. “People looked at me like I ordered a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich,” he said, laughing.
That skepticism signaled opportunity. “There’s a void in the market right here for the fact that people aren’t really looking to change tradition,” he said. “We make money off changing tradition — creating things we wish existed.”
With Lansdale’s Boardroom Spirits, he came up with Tequila Transfusion, packed in 12-ounce cans. The goal was to go easy on the bubbles and alcohol. “We didn’t want it too bubbly, because that gives you bloating,” Moody said. “We wanted the [alcohol] low enough that you could drink three or four of them and still hit your terrible golf shot.” At 5.6% ABV, the Tequila Transfusion is about as potent as Boardroom’s vodka-and-iced tea canned cocktail.
(Our tasting panel gave it a thumbs-up: “Gingery,” “can’t really taste the tequila,” “not too sweet,” “undertones of Earl Grey,” “slight grape aftertaste,” “doesn’t taste artificial or chemical.”)
Moody, who owns a music label, consulting firm, and other businesses, has been in the beverage space before. In 2016, he created Nicethings IPA with Dock Street, following up with a cream ale in 2019. He’s made forays into kombucha and wine as well.
Tequila Transfusion’s proceeds support We Golf Now. “We’re just trying to find space to continue to grow the game and expose everybody to golf culture,” he said. So far, between 50 and 75 kids have rotated through the program, which runs outdoors at Strawberry Mansion’s Strawberry Green Driving Range in the fall and indoors at Five Iron Golf during winter.
Boardroom handles the drink’s production and distribution, and it is sold online ($14.99 for a four-pack) at nicethingsbeverages.com. Moody also has been hosting pop-ups across the city under the banner of Moody’s Klubbhouse.
Tequila Transfusion will be part of MilkBoy’s End of Summer Block Party on the 400 block of South Street from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday.
Moody goes way back with Milkboy, the recording studio/performance venues. He met co-founder Tommy Joyner 20 years ago on the night floodwaters poured into MilkBoy’s old Ardmore studio. “I rolled my jeans up, and we were in there pushing water out and saving stuff,” Moody said. “Tommy was like, ‘Yo, I don’t even know this guy. He really just rolled his sleeves up and got out here with me.’ And that kind of started our relationship.”
“Chill is like a little brother to us,” said Jamie Lokoff, MilkBoy’s co-founder.
Chill is Eric Moody, 40, who grew up at 56th Street and Lansdowne Avenue. He said he got his nickname because people said he looked like Chilly Willy the cartoon penguin. “But also, I was always climbing over stuff,” he said. “They were always yelling, ‘Chill!’ And then I’d be chilling, watching the cartoon. So instead of telling me to chill, they just started calling me Chill.”
Moody said he envisions opening a brick-and-mortar space that pulls together all his passions: music, beverages, fashion, and merchandising.
The timing for a permanent venue is still fluid. “I would love to say two years,” Moody said. “But you know how these things go. I’m from the music space, where you hate to push an album back. I would hope not more than two years.”