Cheers To Your Health: Jameson Teams Up With Movember
All photos by Aliza Kellerman.
If ever we’re presented with opportunity to make booze health related or charitable, we jump.
So we were pretty excited when Jameson Black Barrel invited us to One Mo Round, a local NYC cocktail competition in support of the Movember Foundation, which raises money for “men’s health.” What does men’s health mean? Lots of things, from encouraging general exercise to researching prostate cancer. There are plenty of fun ways to get involved, from growing a mustache to creating a fundraising team. While you’re welcome to start your own, if you join Jameson Black Barrel’s fund they’ll match your donation up to 100K. This is their second year as an official partner with Jameson, and last year they raised 350K.
Now, onto the tasty stuff. Before heading to One Mo Round, there was a little pre-party at Fellow Barber involving shaves, haircuts, and of course, cocktails. As you can see, my boyfriend, who had just returned from a three week bro trip to Europe, opted for a straight razor shave:
They did an excellent job, by the way. Highly recommend these folks.
The cocktails served at the soirée were a Jameson Black Barrel Old Fashioned and a South Side Smash. Jameson Black Barrel is aged in charred bourbon barrels, but it’s still pretty sweet and mild, the typical flavor that along with excellent marketing strategy has made Jameson a long time favorite choice for shots.
Because of that mellow flavor, the South Side Smash (1 ½ parts Jameson Black Barrel, ½ part Fernet, ¾ part lime juice, 1 part sugar syrup, 6-8 mint leaves) almost tasted like a clear-spirited drink, such as a mojito. The fernet added a level of bitterness, but if you really want to taste that whiskey bite, maybe cut back on the sugar (simple) syrup. I did enjoy the drink, though, and it’s a great way to kiss off summer. I mean, I know we ended summer awhile ago, but New York has still been unseasonably mild.
The competition itself was a more laid back affair at Brooklyn’s Freehold - think Jameson & Gingers in plastic cups and a fight for freshly grilled burgers (I won, in case you were wondering). It very much mirrored the vibe of Movember - unpretentious. While the cause is laudable, you don’t have to donate a million dollars or get fancy to join. It can be as simple as educating yourself about the causes at hand and growing out some facial hair if so inclined. More information on that here.
Jameson is equally casual. Jameson Black Barrel (Select Reserve) is relatively inexpensive (not bottom shelf cheap, but affordable enough to be a crowd pleaser). We get why Jameson would be a good sponsor for Movember, and we can definitely get behind the partnership - preferably with a cocktail in hand.