That's right! Not only did I get a press release: I got the mention!
But I also received outsider's pics:
And a follow up press release (To be published at a later time)
The Sweet Cherry Rye not only proved to be a spectacular cocktail, it received acclaimed following from all of The Next Rounds on Me supporters and Food Matters enthusiasts alike. The drink was sophisticated and subtle. It was a great drink for the season using ingredients locally produced and preserved from cherry season's finest hour from last year and topped with a bourbon I macerated for nearly two years! The garnish alone was almost two years in the making with house made maraschino cherries and "cherry bombs" soaked in bourbon since July of 2009! It was so much fun not only making the drinks but watching people experience the drink, especially ladies with the cherry bombs! WOOOOOOO! With an exasperated look of "please extinguish me!" on all their faces! CLASSIC!
I got to walk in the annual George Washington Birthday Parade in old town Alexandria! I wore a dress red shirt and black dress pants while rocking a water resistant coat and a green Food Matters hat. The whole time I was carrying with me FM coupons and a huge cocktail shaker filled with GW BDAY paraphernalia and house keys which led to sounding like I was shaking up something great. I ran from one side of the street to the other throwing coupons at families letting them know kids eat free on Tuesdays and that happy hour's between 5 and 6:30 everyday (except Monday) all while hardcore playing to the crowd. I warned my other champions (Murphy's and Tempo) that we would soon approach my groupies and sure enough, after embarking on our journey from So. Fairfax St. when we reached the bin towards Royal round Cameron, there they were! I got to them and they not only started screaming wildly, the rest of the corner did as well and I got signs and photos to prove it! I jumped from street corner to street corner and had the time of my life! I kissed the prettiest woman in the crowd and hi fived the best man out there! I got a surprise from a few FM and TNROM affiliates, most honorary was Michael, easily identified by his reflective glasses in the rain. He witnessed the biggest folly of all though. When it came time to announce the Cherry Challenge winners, they stalled on saying any one's names after Tempo due to their complicated cherry challenge name and knowing the owners. The stall almost lead to me walking past without recognition till I stood there waving my Food Matters hat at them and then FINALLY they stated my name and the cocktail for winning - I ran all across the arena like street yelling for crowd participation and got a huge uproar out of it! Everything about the experience was so awesome though and I hope the name of Johnny Cocktail and Food Matters was left on the pavement that day. There were military and military school marches, school bands, clowns, comedy, history and re-enactment groups, the whole like out there ( I got a hat tipped to me with my cocktail shaking finesse by Abraham Lincoln himself, though some were yelling to him that he was a liar lol)
On this note - Be sure to check out the next tasting I'm hosting at FM - The Irish Whiskey tasting, I'll be sure to include things that are not Bushmill's and Jameson's in hopes we all get a chance to try some thing tellamore-NEW
Thanks to all my fans and supporters and hope to see all of you behind the bar soon.
Let me add that several families have come in to the restaurant since this event and failed to recognise me as the goof ball running around the street wildly with a giant cocktail shaker. Good times!
ReplyDelete