Nothing says fun in the sun like a good pineapple and coconut mix during the summertime season. Baileys Irish Cream liqueur has your summer vibes covered with the relaunch of Baileys Colada in partnership with entertainment powerhouse La La Anthony. In addition to her partnership with Baileys Colada to bring back the limited-time offering this season, the star, as seen in Power and The Chi, is introducing her three new signature Baileys Colada cocktail recipes including the Coquito Colada.
“That is definitely my favorite one,” Anthony told ESSENCE. The Brooklyn-bred personality noted how the Coquito Colada reminds her of being home with friends and family for a fun gathering, as coquito would usually be served to celebrate the holiday seasons and special occasions. “It just puts you in that mind frame.”
The Think Like A Man actress continued, “We all work really hard and have a lot going on so to be able to have a cocktail, really feel like you can escape what’s going on, and feel like you’re on vacation somewhere is always a really, really great thing. I just feel like this is just giving vacation vibes, even if you’re just sitting at home by yourself or with friends.”
Some of her favorite memories of growing up in a home with a close-knit family were around the holiday season with dinner parties, food, and of course, the coquito. “I just have a big family so holidays are when we all get together, put the phones down, really enjoy each other, and talk about life. My life is around my family a lot and it’s a lot of us, so it’s just a great thing to have your family behind you and still have those moments where you guys can all be together and just enjoy each other,” Anthony added.
This isn’t Anthony’s first time partnering with the Baileys brand, as she did the same last summer, but this year she’s a bit more hands-on than before. “This summer, I had a chance to kind of put my own little twist on a few new Baileys cocktails. What I loved about it was I was able to bring in some of my Hispanic and Puerto Rican roots,” she added. “Piña colada actually originated in Puerto Rico so we came out with some really cool new spins, like the Minty Colada and Coquito Colada. It was just really cool to bring the vacation summer, Puerto Rican vibes into the Baileys Colada.”
Speaking of the vacation summer vibes, Anthony shared her plans for this coming season. After she wraps up filming for STARZ’s Black Mafia Family (BMF) at the end of June, she plans on indulging in some self-care by taking time for herself to vacation, kick her feet up, and relax.
“I definitely tell myself I want to take some time out and travel, take my son on a trip somewhere really special, and just really enjoy my summer,” Anthony said. “Sometimes finding the balance is a little difficult but I definitely want to do some really fun stuff this summer. I have to go to the Essence Music Festival and I’m looking forward to that.”
Anthony praised the Baileys brand for their consistent celebration of diversity and multicultural background, including her own as a proud Hispanic woman. She noted her experience with Baileys as “amazing” and continued to express her appreciation of feeling seen by her liqueur partnership.
“I wanted to take some of my Puerto Rican roots and infuse that in these new twists of these cocktails, and everyone was so on board and excited about it. I mean, that’s the kind of partnership I want to have and the kind of people that I want to work with,” Anthony said passionately. “Baileys is always taking pride in celebrating diverse cultures and backgrounds. That means something to me and why I wanted to be a partner with them and also continue my partnership with them.”
The Baileys Colada partnership isn’t the only thing on Anthony’s plate within the next coming months. She also revealed that she will be working on a few more projects this summer, including a Netflix original movie coming out soon title The Perfect Find with her Think Like A Man co-star Gabrielle Union. Additionally, Anthony just wrapped the filming of Netflix’s highly-anticipated film You People co-starring Eddie Murphy, Jonah Hill, Lauren London, and Nia Long, which she said she’s “really excited for.”