How South End Businesses Keep 'Sip Culture' Alive

Takiyah Miller, 46, has her morning remedies down pat: black seed oil, vitamin C, and mullein leaf. She drinks them as a holistic alternative to other medicines due to her health history.

"I have [an] allergy to antibiotics," Miller said.

Miller's health needs led her to holistic remedies like sea moss. What began as experimenting with homemade gels and infusing them with flavors like chai, hibiscus, and chamomile, grew into opening Tea Moss Shop, a store that sells St. Lucian sea moss in gels, beverages, and desserts.

A well-known presence at Seattle festivals, Miller recognizes the cultural importance food and drinks play in gatherings for Black people and other marginalized groups. They're a way for communities to uplift one another and cultivate an identity, she said, and she wants her beverages to do the same.

"It's really rewarding to be able to pass along something that's delicious," Miller said. "Because I always say [that] I'm changing lives one sip at a time, one bite at a time."

While Tea Moss Shop is an online business, it's grounded in the South End, and many of Miller's beverages can be found in South Seattle businesses like Lil Red Takeout & Catering. The presence of those beverages connects Miller's effort to a longstanding practice in the region: South End sip culture.

When 'Sipping' Came to South Seattle

The act of drinking or "sipping" with others dates back to ancient Greece and China. Commonly, members of ancient societies would gather with others over a drink to relax, celebrate, or connect. While the exact phrase "sip culture" has no traceable origin, it can be understood as a subset of the broader "drinking culture" or beverage rituals. For many cultures, it is less about the beverage itself and more about how the tradition preserves community and identity.

The region's popular sip culture traces back to the late 19th century, when segregation laws and violence limited movement for many communities of color, concentrating diverse immigrant and Indigenous communities in the South End. The growth of clubs and dance halls playing jazz and blues during World War II became more than nightlife spots: They were safe spaces for People of Color. In the Prohibition era, South Seattle's speakeasies served bootleg booze and laid the groundwork for a thriving cultural scene.

That history helps explain why the Black & Tan Hall, which reopened in 2021, is integral to South Seattle. Their mission of being a cooperatively owned venue that highlights BIPOC artists, food, and community hasn't changed, according to Camilo Estrada, the venue's arts and culture manager.

The idea of reflecting the region's cultural history extends to their menus. Chef Tay Proctor-Mills Jr., the Black & Tan's head chef, said he wants to create food all guests enjoy, while prioritizing community first, with many of their curated cocktails and seltzers purchased from BIPOC owners.

"So, if I'm doing, for instance, something with jerk wings and something like that, you wanna have something that's gonna complement that, whether it be a cocktail, whether it be a wine," he said."So just being mindful of what everybody likes and just having something for everybody."

The commitment to elevating the community and supporting collective growth can be found throughout South Seattle establishments. Many businesses carry flyers that spread awareness of local events or include local vendors for customers to patronize.

"No matter how deep you go into the South End," Chef Tay said, "it's a sense of community, a sense of togetherness, and a sense of trying to grow and be the best."

Building Community, One Sip at a Time

Onda Origins, a Hillman City coffee shop whose name means "vibe" or "wave" in Spanish, embodies South Seattle's sip culture. Owners Scott and Paul Tupper focused on prioritizing gathering spaces, hosting Ethiopian coffee ceremonies or serving coffee out of their in-house roastery during the pandemic.

They also envisioned the coffee shop as a place to create change around a popular drink and have their commitment extend globally.

Coffee production can be a harsh job, especially for coffee-bean growers. Even when the price for ground roasted beans increases, only a small percentage of the coffee's market value is passed on to growers. Enrique Navarro, a Costa Rican grower and friend of the Tuppers, gave them insight into the fickle nature of the business. The Tuppers wanted to find a way to help.

Taylor Buck, creative and marketing director for Onda Origins, said, "[They] started to create a system where growers could count on income throughout the year, not just at harvest season."

So Onda Origins started a revenue-sharing model and a guaranteed $1 profit for growers for every coffee bag sold. That has given farmers like Navarro more control over their product and their story.

"We're not asking them to report back," Paul said. "So when we do this revenue share, it's real."

That effort keeps Onda connected to the region's history, and it ensures that, like other local businesses, it works to sustain community, one sip at a time.