RIP Portland’s original drag queen, immortalized on Gigantic Brewing’s Darcelle XV Blonde IPA
Portland, Oregon’s original Drag Queen, Darcelle XV, has passed away at 92 years old according to a family statement made on Thursday, March 23rd. The news comes just 8 days after Gigantic Brewing Co held a release party for their collaboration Darcelle XV Blonde IPA at the performers club. Darcelle has been entertaining audiences and supporting the drag and LGBTQ+ community for over 55 years, and holds the Guinness record for being ‘The World’s Oldest Performing Drag Queen’.
“The family of Darcelle XV along with her cast and crew are heartbroken to announce that our beloved Darcelle (Walter W. Cole, Sr.) has died at age 92 from natural causes. We ask for privacy and patience as everyone processes and grieves in their own way and at their own pace. Details of a public memorial will be announced as soon as they are confirmed. All shows at Darcelle XV Showplace will go on as scheduled per Darcelle’s wishes. Please join us and celebrate her legacy and memory, thank you in advance for your continued support.”
Darcelle, also known as Walter W. Cole Sr, is the longest performing female impersonator in the United States. Gigantic Brewing had the honor and foresight to release a golden blonde and beautiful IPA in tribute to her legacy that is available now (but sure to quickly become hard to find.)
“Darcelle is frequently introduced on stage as ‘The Bold, The Blonde, and The Beautiful,’ so when it came to developing the flavor profile for our collaboration beer, we knew exactly where to go,” says Gigantic co-owner Ben Love. “We used locally grown Cashmere and Luminosa hops to be apropos as well as to create a bright and tropical IPA with mango, candied orange peel, and peach notes.”
For the label design, it was Darcelle’s suggestion to bring on board local artist and broadcaster Helen Raptis, whose work perfectly captures Darcelle’s signature energetic and joyful expression, perfectly matching the style and tone of the beer.
Darcelle Blonde IPA Release
Darcelle’s Blonde IPA was brewed in collaboration with local 501(c)(3) nonprofit Weird Portland United (WPU). The beer was unveiled March 12th at Gigantic Breiwng, and celebrated at a launch event and drag performance on March 15 at Darcelle XV Showplace where she was on hand to sign bottles and take photos. All 3 Gigantic Brewing locations (SE 26th, NE Glisan, and the newest SE Hawthorne pub) were carrying the collaboration beer as of Sunday March 12.
About Gigantic Brewing Company
Gigantic Brewing Company is an independent, artisanal brewery located in the Southeast quadrant of Portland. We hold ourselves to a simple principle – Never Give an Inch. We vow to start small and (stubbornly) stay small, focusing our efforts on making exceptional beer, rather than a lot of beer. When you drink Gigantic, know that we didn’t just put our names on the label – our effort, imagination, and dry wit are in every bottle. Enjoy Gigantic at the Gigantic Brewery (5224 SE 26th Ave), Gigantic Robot Room (6935 NE Glisan), on tap or in bottle at your favorite grocer, bottle shop, bar or restaurant in Oregon. As always, Gigantic beer is packaged in BottleDrop Refillable bottles. BottleDrop Refillables are sorted, washed, inspected, and delivered back to Oregon’s craft beverage producers to be refilled. By choosing beverages in refillable bottles, you help keep our air clean, our beaches, parks and roadsides litter-free, promote a circular economy, and set a model for future generations.
About Darcelle XV
Darcelle XV: An absolute legend of Portland’s entertainment landscape, Walter Cole is an author, playwright, actor, costume designer, owner and headliner of the Darcelle XV Showplace; the oldest continuously running cabaret in the United States, celebrating its 54th year. In 2018, Darcelle was named the Guinness World Record’s “Oldest working drag queen”. His autobiography “Just Call Me Darcelle” is available on Amazon.com. In November 2020, Darcelle celebrated his 90th birthday and still performs six shows a week at the club that bears his name and is in high demand for public appearances on television, parades, fundraisers, and special engagements.
About Weird Portland United
Founded in 2019 by Portland’s Unipiper in an effort to curb the growing homogenization and sanitization of the city’s image, Weird Portland United exists to discover, promote, and nurture the dreamers, creators, and risk-takers that keep Portland weird. Current and past initiatives include the establishment of the Weird Portland Hall of Fame, organization of Portland Weird Week, and hosting of many events such as Weird Portland Creatives, the Weird Portland Gala, and the Portlandia Mermaid Parade. In 2020, WPU awarded over $5000 in grants to Portland creatives through the #KeepWeirdAlive campaign.