Posts tagged Crown Royal
Crown Royal to Rename NASCAR Race After American Hero
Imagine seeing your name all over one of the country’s largest sports venues, and having an event officially renamed in your honor. For the eighth year, Crown Royal will make that dream a reality, as they rename one of the season’s biggest NASCAR races after an adult consumer.
The brand is teaming up with Phoenix-based charity Packages From Home, which is dedicated to sending care packages to active-duty troops stationed overseas, this weekend to launch their annual “Your Hero’s Name Here” program. The program honors a deserving American hero by re-naming the July NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at 
Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his or her honor.
Packages From Home and Crown Royal will treat a group of local heroes from Luke Air Force Base to a VIP experience at this weekend’s NASCAR race. In addition to sending 20 military members to the race, two individuals will be recognized as the inaugural program nominees and will have the chance to have the legendary Indianapolis race named in their honor.
Consumers 21+ can visit CrownRoyalHeroes.com to nominate their own heroes, for a chance to win naming rights to the race. Nominations will be accepted through April 13th, with finalists being announced at the end of April.
Feb 28th
Crown Royal Let Me #ReignOn for the 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend
If someone asked you to create the perfect sports weekend, what would some of the key ingredients be to make that experience special?
For me, I would say watching the top athletes of that sport compete against each other. You would enjoy great food and even better cocktails. I would add some of my good friends into the mix to enjoy those moments. There would be invites to incredible parties and events that you couldn’t go to on a regular basis. Maybe the chance of meeting legends of that sport in an intimate setting and be able to pick their brain about the game they love. Okay, I think you catch my drift.
I am very fortunate to say that I was able to have experienced just that. I was invited to be part of the Crown Royal #ReignOn campaign for the 2014 NBA All-Star weekend in New Orleans. Let me just say that this has to be one of the best weekends I have experienced in my life.
So with that being said, where do I begin? I guess the old adage is to start from the beginning.
I arrived in New Orleans Friday night with a lot of anticipation. I got to the hotel and made sure I got a good night 
sleep. I wanted to be ready for everything that was going to happen that weekend. I was going to the NBA All-Star game on Sunday to see the cream of the crop play against each other. Crown Royal had created an out of this world itinerary that included hanging out with NBA legend Julius Erving. That’s right Dr. J. Crown Royal set up a meet and greet with Dr. J and a whisky tasting with the living legend.
Crown Royal also scored me and my fellow bloggers NBA “Jam Session” media passes. This let us into some cool places during the NBA All-Star weekend. They took us to some premiere restaurants to get a real taste of the New Orleans cuisine. We even had a whiskey tasting with Master of Whisky, Robert Sickler. He gave us an in-depth education on the new Crown Royal XO, which was outstanding by the way. For those who enjoy a great whisky I suggest picking up the XO.
So as you can see this weekend looked to be one of those perfect sports weekend that I mentioned earlier.
So as I woke up Saturday morning I had an extra spring in my step. I was getting ready to seize the day. I headed off to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to pick up my media credentials for the weekend. Once I picked that up I ventured into center in what the NBA called “Jam Session.” Picture Disney World, but catered for those who love basketball. There were meet and greets with former and current players. You could test out your basketball skills 
with certain games and challenges at the convention center. You could even check out the Eastern and Western Conference All-Stars practice on Saturday morning.
I did watch the All-Stars from the West take to the court to go over some plays for Sunday’s game. That is where I ran into NBA great Darryl Dawkins AKA “Chocolate Thunder.” He is such a down to earth guy and answered all my questions. Thanks Darryl.
After watching the West practice I used my credentials to go to the media section for the Q&A sessions with both conferences. I was able to interview LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Kyrie Irving. That was one of the sickest moments from that weekend. After coming off that high, I went back to engage in some of the 
other activities at the convention center.
I then met up with the Crown Royal team and other bloggers to go meet up with Dr. J that night. (That sentence alone still gets me!) Erving gave some of his thoughts on his work with Crown Royal. He followed that up by talking about his time in the NBA, players he admired growing up, and what he thought of today’s players.
Next he opened the floor for our questions. Just like the kid in school who wants to answer all of the teacher’s questions I raised my hand to ask the good doctor the first question. I wanted to get his take on the evolution of the league.
He answered my question with great insight. He feels that teams need to start looking to be stronger on the defensive side of things. From his answer I could tell he is still a student of the game. He then answered a few other questions. Dr. J is a classy guy to say the least. Our time with Dr. J ended by him giving us 
a gift! Yeah, you read that correctly. He gave us each some Dr. J flex fit hats. Just like my time with James, Wade, and Kyrie, this will be one of my favorite memories from that weekend.
After that I would be very content with calling it night, but that is not how the fine folks at Crown Royal work. They made sure our experience was a true “Reign On” weekend from start to finish. We met for dinner at St. Marie Brasserie. There we had a very scrumptious dinner. At St. Marie Brasserie the master bartender created cocktails with Crown Royal that was influenced by the city of New Orleans. We finished dinner with a tasty dessert and went to the Metropolitan for the Kevin Hart party.
At the Metropolitan we all gathered at the Crown Royal section of the club. We had a great time talking about our time in New Orleans. During the night the guest DJ came up to the booth. It was none other than Biz Markie. This was another amazing part of the weekend. I am a big fan of Biz and he was cool to chat for a bit and even take a picture with me.
On Sunday I checked out the French Quarter for a bit and picked up some things for my wife and my daughters. I even 
tried the world famous beignets from Café du Monde. For those at home wondering, yes they did live up to the hype.
Later that night it was finally here! GAME TIME. The Crown Royal crew and I went to the NBA All-Star game. Who knew a concert would break out right before the game? Pharrell opened up the night by bringing some of his closest friends like Nelly, Diddy, and Busta Rhymes on stage with him. As he was performing the Eastern and Western Conference players came out onto the court.
Once Pharrell was done performing it was time for tip off. The West took an early lead and looked to steal the show as high flyer Blake Griffin from the Los Angeles Clippers kept on attacking the rim with some ridiculous alley-oops. In the end though the Eastern Conference got the victory. Kyrie Irving was named the MVP.
The whirlwind that was the NBA All-Star weekend had come to an end. It was an amazing experience and one that I will never forget. From talking with NBA legends to learning about whisky, Crown Royal produced the ultimate sports fan experience. So to the fantastic people at Diageo, Taylor, and Crown Royal I want to thank you for an unbelievable time.
Crown Royal raised the bar on this promotion. Since they do that for their whisky I guess it is only natural for them to excel in anything they touch! I can truly say that I was able to Reign On for the 2014 NBA All-Star weekend!
For Crown Royal, to Reign On is to win. With that said please enjoy Crown Royal responsibly this NBA season.
Feb 18th
Crown Royal Invites Me to Reign On with the Chicago Bulls
With the third pick in this year’s NBA draft Crown Royal selects…..me! Well kind of. This year I will be bringing you the biggest and brightest moments of the Chicago Bulls NBA season. I am teaming up with Crown Royal for their #ReignOn NBA campaign.
From now through the rest of the NBA season I am going to be following my team DA’ Bulls. I will be sharing with you the sickest dunks, ridiculous buzzer beaters, and come from behind wins that Chicago pulls off. Granted the team got a huge setback when their star Derrick Rose injured his knee which forced him to miss the rest of this season, but my hopes are still high for the team.
Former Bulls player and now executive Vice President of the Bulls, John Paxson said recently, “We do believe that Derrick’s going to be a great player again. We can’t promise anybody that, but that’s a belief of ours because we know Derrick well enough and we think he’s going to work hard enough.” So you have to feel the Bulls will still try to make a run this year to keep up pace with the rest of the league.
Heck, they are still 5th overall in the Eastern Conference. I can see them making the playoffs. Coach Tom Thibodeau always finds a way to get the most out of his players. He is a strong defensive minded coach, which is key in the NBA to win games.
I will also be in New Orleans next month for the NBA All-Star Game. I will be checking out all the All-Star Weekend activities and share them with you. I will try and get myself to be a participant in the dunk contest. You think the NBA will allow me to dunk on an 8 foot hoop? A guy can dream can’t he?
Crown Royal recently launched a new whisky called Crown Royal XO and I will checking it out and letting you know my thoughts on the XO.
Make sure you’re following me on Twitter, @DadatworkNJ to know when there could be some special Crown Royal giveaways for those 21+. I will be using #ReignOn in my tweets. I suggest you do the same!
Jan 11th
New Crown Royal Whisky Unveiled
Miami turned into the art capital of the world with Art Basel well underway in the city notorious for sandy beaches, hot sun and glittering nightlife.
Drawing 50,000 visitors each year, Miami Art Basel is not only known for leading international galleries showcasing artists’ work (paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, etc.), but also the swanky and sexy celebrity-filled parties including an annual birthday dinner and after-party for record producer, Rico Love (most notably known for his work with Beyoncé, Nelly, Kelly Rowland and TI).
In recent years, Love has celebrated his birthday during Miami Art Basel with a select group of his celebrity friends ranging from Diddy, Kelly Rowland and more. This year, his celebration was made extraordinary by legendary whisky company, Crown Royal. Guests attending Love’s party were among the first in the world to try the new Crown Royal XO – an extraordinary whisky finished to perfection in cognac casks.
Dec 8th
Celebrate National Repeal Day
Today marks the 80th anniversary of National Repeal Day, the day that put an end to Prohibition. This act allowed Americans to drink again and ultimately led to modern cultural phenomenons like speakeasies and TV hit show, “Boardwalk Empire.”
Recently I was able to speak with renowned cocktail expert and President of the Museum of the American Cocktail Dale DeGroff. He clued me in on some great drink recipes that you can see below.
Since today is the 80th anniversary of National Repeal Day I thought I should pass Dale’s knowledge to you. He gave me some excellent ideas to make a few Prohibition-style cocktails to celebrate National Repeal Day! Known throughout the bartending community as “King Cocktail,” Dale has authored many of the most famous cocktail books in American history and has a place in New York City lore as the head bartender of the famous Rainbow Room where he brought classic cocktails back to the Big Apple in the 1980’s.
Dale said that it is great to see people come back to using ingredients in cocktails like they do when they are cooking or baking. He is happy to see the people come back to the world of craft beer and cocktails. Don’t just drink your old standby cocktail of choice, but he feels people should be adventurous when they are out drinking responsibly.
When going to a bar Dale says to look for the bartender who is there to craft the perfect drink and not just there to collect tips. Also look for bars that use real juice. When you have at least these two factors in your corner you are sure to have a great experience. So try out one of the cocktail recipes below and celebrate National Repeal Day!
Dale’s Holiday Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
1.25 oz George Dickel No. 1
1 dash DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters
0.25 oz Dale’s Cherry Liqueur
0.5 oz Simple syrup
2 orange slices
2 cherries
Preparation: Muddle a cherry and orange slice with the syrup and liqueur and the dash of bitters in a bar mixing glass. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass add the whiskey and ice and stir Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
Bulleit Boulevardier (by Erskine Gwynne, editor of the Paris Boulevardier)
Ingredients:
1.25 oz Bulleit Bourbon
1 oz Dolan Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Campari
Preparation: Pour ingredients into an Old Fashioned glass and stir with ice to chill. Garnish with orange zest.
Gin & It (Amended from Frank Meier’s Recipe)
Ingredients:
1.3 oz Tanqueray Gin
1.5 oz Punt e Mes
Preparation: Prepare in a pitcher 2 hours in advance and refrigerate covered. Serve in a small coup glass without ice or in a small bar glass with ice. Garnish with orange zest.
General Harrison’s Eggnog
Ingredients:
1.3 oz. George Dickel Rye
.75 oz. mixture of equal parts egg white, sugar and syrup
1 dash DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters
2 oz. apple cider
Preparation: Build in a glass or mug and dust the top with nutmeg.
Bulleit Rye Sazerac
Ingredients:
1.3 oz. Bulleit Rye
1 tsp. demerara syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
5 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Preparation: Stir over ice and strain into a chilled rocks glass.
George Dickel Rye Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
1.3 oz. George Dickel Rye
1 maraschino cherry
0.25 oz. bitters
1 sugar cube
1 splash water
1 slice orange
1 lemon twist
Preparation: In an old-fashioned or rocks glass, muddle sugar, bitters and water. Add ice cubes and George Dickel Rye. Garnish with lemon twist, orange slice and cherry.
Crown Royal Black Manhattan
Ingredients:
1 oz. Crown Royal Black
0.25 oz. Cragganmore Distiller Edition
0.25 oz. sweet vermouth
1.25 oz. simple syrup
0.25 dashes of bitters
1 piece maraschino cherry
Preparation: Stir all together in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.
Dec 5th
Justin Moore Talks New Album, “Off the Beaten Path”
Country music singer Justin Moore recently released his highly-anticipated third studio album “Off the Beaten Path.” His other albums are “Justin Moore” that was released in 2009 and “Outlaws Like Me” that came out in 2011.
In addition to his new album, Moore has also teamed up with Crown Royal to honor heroes across the country through the brand’s Heroes Project. He recorded a song, titled “Heroes,” specifically for the project, which is available to fans 21 years or older for free download only at CrownHeroesSong.com. For every download redeemed through Veteran’s Day, Crown Royal will donate $1 to the Armed Forces Foundation.
Justin also loves college football. He is a huge fan of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Justin was able to talk to me about his latest album, working with Crown Royal, and football.
Art Eddy: First off I have to say congrats on the new album, “Off the Beaten Path.” This is your third studio album. How do you feel you have evolved through the three albums?
Justin Moore: I think as an artist you understand what you want to do and say and be, and, in the same breadth, you understand what your fans expect from you. So I feel like I’ve done a better job of writing with all of that in mind. I stepped out on this album and took a couple of chances that on another album I probably wouldn’t have. It’s probably my most diverse album. It allowed me to stay true to who I am and grow the music to a level where we can grow our fan base to the level we hope to see it at.
AE: How long did it take for you to complete this latest album?
JM: It seemed like an eternity! We started working on it about 10 months after we put the last album out. It’s a long process when you consider writing songs, finding songs and getting in there and recording them. We’ll give this one a 6 to 10 month break and then go back to work.
AE: When you are writing a songs for the album how do you pick which ones will be the singles to be put on the radio?
JM: I lean on the folks around me a lot. My wife’s been very influential in helping me pick songs, the record label, management, anyone’s opinion is a good opinion because everybody loves music and everyone has their own opinion. So I just listen to the people around me.
AE: I was fortunate to see you perform during the Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at the Brickyard race weekend. You put on an outstanding show. Where are some of your favorite places to play?
JM: First of all, thank you very much. That was a lot of fun. Indy is always a lot of fun. If I had to choose one, it’d have to be Arkansas, it is where I’m from. Anytime I get to play at home or near my home it’s always pretty special.
AE: Speaking of Crown Royal you teamed up with them for your song “Heroes.” Can you tell me a bit about your collaboration with them?
JM: I was fortunate a couple years ago to get involved with Crown Royal and the “Your Heroes Name Here” program which honors a very deserving individual around the Brickyard 400. Coming into this year and knowing we’re going to be involved again I wanted to do something more musically than what we did in the past and try and raise more awareness and make this program an even bigger deal than Crown Royal has made it alone.
We recorded “Heroes” and Crown Royal had a great idea to throw it up on CrownHeroesSong.com and every time somebody downloads it for free, Crown Royal will donate $1 to our Armed Forces Foundation. This is the kind of stuff that’s easy to make happen once we have the idea. It’s really cool and humbling for us to use our platform, both mine and Crown Royal’s, to help people who are very deserving.
AE: I know you are a big Arkansas Razorback fan. The team is 3-0 right now. You must be happy with the start of their season. Are you nervous about the injury to the Razorbacks QB, Brandon Allen at all?
JM: I am very nervous about the injury. Prior to the season I wouldn’t have really thought much about the quarterback position because I hadn’t seen him play since last year, but Brandon Allen’s played really good this year and already early on has evolved as a leader. I know we’re a little shaky in the backup position, but hopefully we will get him back sooner rather than later. As long as we keep handing the ball off to number 3 and number 32 I think we’ve got a good shot to win any ball game if they keep playing like they have been. I do hope Brandon gets back to healthy soon.
AE: Who is your all-time favorite Razorback?
JM: Wow! Oh man, I think I’d have to say my all-time favorite Razorback, as far as football goes, would have to be Taylor Wilson, our quarterback last year. What he endured and the way he led our team in the wake of the catastrophe that was Bobby Petrino, I thought he handled himself as a 21 year-old kid with a lot of class and I really commend him for that. Obviously he is a great football player, but that aside, I really respected the way he handled himself and the class that he displayed.
Sep 23rd
Going Back to Indy to Capture the Another Crown
Last year Crown Royal sent me to Indy to participate in the Capture the Crown event at the Brickyard 400. It was a fun-filled weekend packed with music, purple cup parties, fast cars, a celebration of Curtiss Shaver, an elaborate scavenger hunt at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and of course, an ultimate victory for Team Win. With the help of David Dennis from TheSmokingSection.com and Nick Evans from StraightPinkie.com, we dominated the competition and took home some purple iPads and a trip to the 2013 NBA All Star Game. So yea, good times.
But this year is different. To make it fair for everyone, the Crown Royal folks decided to break up Team Win and distribute our talent to other teams competing in this year’s Capture the Crown scavenger hunt. Despite the loss of my quality teammates, I’m looking forward to defending last year’s title with my new squad.
And this year Crown Royal is honoring another hero at the Brickyard 400. Gunnery Sergeant Samuel Deeds was awarded the naming rights for this year’s Crown Royal “Your Hero’s Name Here” program. By all account, Deeds, a die-hard NASCAR fan from Erlanger, Kentucky, is more than deserving of the honor. While deployed in Iraq, Deeds put himself in harm’s way by exposing himself to an IED blast while other marines were approaching his position. After 30 surgeries and lots of rehab, Deeds saw fit to save the lives of three people caught in a rip tide off the coast of North Carolina. I don’t know too many people who make it a habit of saving lives on the regular, but I look forward to meeting Deeds and shaking his hand.
Should be another fun weekend with good people, plenty of action, of course, purple cups of Crown and Coke in hand at all times (responsibly). Can’t wait to get out there again!
Jul 26th
Spice Up your BBQ this July 4th with Great Whisky & Rum Infused Recipes
Burgers and hot dogs are barbeque staples. Sometimes it is great to try new variations. So this year when you are celebrating our country’s independence try some of these new recipes.
One that might catch your eye is the “Sweet Swine O’Mine No. 12 Sauce.” The sauce is a combination of George Dickel Tennessee Whisky, mustard, and BBQ sauce. It is the perfect way to complement BBQ favorites, such as burgers and dogs.
If you are looking for a great rib recipe then the Spike Mendelsohn’s Cream Soda Braised Ribs is something you should make.
So enjoy the 4th of July weekend with your family and friends. If you do venture out and try these recipes I hope that they will be a hit at your party!
Sweet Swine O’ Mine No. 12 Sauce
2 cups Prepared or Store-bought BBQ sauce
2 TBS. Yellow mustard
1/4 cup Maple syrup
1/4 cup George Dickel No.12 Whisky
1/4 tsp. Ancho Chile Powder (or other mild-medium chili powder)
Directions: Combine ingredients in a pot at medium heat. Simmer uncovered (don’t boil) for about 15-20 minutes to cook the alcohol out of the whisky, stirring occasionally. Will work as a great glaze and table sauce for all of your BBQ needs.
If you are looking for more heat add 1/2 tsp. of black pepper and 1/4 tsp. of red pepper.
Bulleit Bourbon Burger
Burger Patties and Cheese: 
30 ounces ground chuck (20 percent fat)
2 ½ TBS. Bulleit Bourbon
1 ½ TBS. Worcestershire sauce
1 ¼ tsp. dried oregano
1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
1 ¼ tsp. table salt
30 grinds fresh black pepper
6 ounces Dubliner cheese (Kerrygold brand), thinly sliced and divided into 6 (1 oz.)
Directions: Combine well-chilled ground chuck with Bulleit Bourbon and Worcestershire sauce and mix lightly with a fork to combine. Add oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper and mix lightly with a fork to combine. Combine more thoroughly with hands, being careful not to over mix. Separate meat mixture into 6 even portions and form into patties. Set patties on a board.
Place patties on grill pan and cook for 2 ½ minutes on 1 side. Flip patties and place cheese on top of each. Cook for 1 minute and then tent foil over patties and cook for 1 ½ minutes. Remove patties from grill and place on a clean board. Replace foil tent over patties and let rest for 5 minutes. Turn heat under grill pan down to low and give pan a quick wipe with a damp paper towel (held in tongs).
Whisky BBQ Shrimp
1 lb. shrimp (with tail)
¼ cup of Crown Royal Canadian Whisky
¼ cup BBQ sauce
¼ cup honey
¼ tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic pepper
Directions: Combine all ingredients, except for the shrimp, in a bowl. Add shrimp and allow to marinade in the refrigerator for an hour. Add shrimp and mixture into a large saucepan over medium high heat and cook until shrimp is opaque and cooked through.
Cream Soda Braised Ribs, Glazed with a Chipotle Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum BBQ Sauce 
Ingredients for Chipotle Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum BBQ Sauce:
8 oz. can chipotle peppers
2 cups BBQ sauce
1 TBS. molasses
2 TBS. Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum
1 tsp.n vanilla extract
½ cup orange juice
Directions: Blend ingredients together until smooth
Ingredients for the rub for the ribs:
2 racks of St. Louis ribs (about 4 pounds)
2 TBS. of smoked paprika
2 cups of brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 TBS. of ginger powder
1 tsp. of allspice
4 shots of Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum
1 can of cream soda
Combine paprika, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger powder, and allspice to create the dry rub.
Directions for rib preparations: Rub dry rub all over ribs and season with salt and pepper. Place in a “hotel pan” or roasting pan. Add enough cream soda to cover. Add 4 shots of Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum. Cover with foil. Pre-heat oven to 375°F and place pan in the oven, cooking for approximately 2.5 hours, until the ribs are tender and the rib bone is showing. The meat will pull of the rib, but not easily. Finish on the grill on medium heat for about 15 minutes and baste with Chipotle Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum BBQ sauce.
Jun 29th
Great Gift Ideas for Father’s Day
This month we get to celebrate Father’s Day. On Sunday June 16th we get a chance to spend time with our fathers and thank them for everything they have done for us. There are many cool things you can do for dear old dad. Find out what he wants to do and set something up. Whether it is playing a round of golf or taking him fishing try make sure he gets to do things he might not get a chance to do on a regular basis.
Now that I have been a dad for a few years I have realized all the love and dedication it takes to be a father. Another thing that I found out is that you might not live near your parents. This makes it hard for me to spend time with my dad. Still I know what he likes so I usually get him something that I know he can use or want.
One item that is always a hit for fathers is top notch liquor. You can sip a glass with your father and just have a great night of talking with the man who taught you how to drive. There are few brands out there that would make a great gift. Here are three ideas that are way better than getting your old man a tie or mug. They are Crown Royal XR LaSalle, Bulleit 10 Years Old, and George Dickel Barrel Select.
Crown Royal XR LaSalle
I was fortunate to try the XR LaSalle and this whisky was outstanding. This is the second addition to the renowned Crown Royal Extra Rare Whisky Series. The LaSalle is a unique blend that included a small reserve of the final batch of whiskies that was saved from the famous LaSalle Distillery.
As you sip it you taste a blend of dried fruits and honey. The fruit tastes are well balanced with the spicy notes of Canadian rye. The cost of the LaSalle is $129.99 and is worth every penny. You get this for your dad and I am guessing he will be kind enough to share.
Bulleit 10 Years Old
Bulleit 10 is the company’s selected reserve. It is a limited edition from founder, Tom Bulleit. This bourbon has a smooth taste and has tremendous oaky aromas. The small touch of vanilla and dried fruit completes the bourbon as you finish each sip that has a smoky vibe to it. You can get a bottle for $44.99. 
George Dickel Barrel Select
As the name suggests the George Dickel Barrel Select was developed from only hand select barrels. Each year Master Distiller John Lunn hand picks which barrel he will use to create this batch. This is a labor of love for Lunn. I was able to chat with him about his job and he takes a lot of pride in his work. The Select has a fantastic taste of caramel and vanilla. You can pick this up for your father for just $45.99.
So hope this helps you as you look to purchase a gift for your dad. No matter what you do just make sure you take the time to tell your dad how much you appreciate him. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!
Jun 10th
Crown Royal Makes the Kentucky Derby a Bit More Interesting for MANjr
People say that the drink of choice for the Kentucky Derby is the Mint Julep. It’s a tradition that’s gone back over a century. Churchill Downs stocks more than 1,000 pounds of fresh mint and 60,000 pounds of ice to accommodate all the Julep drinkers over the two-day period for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby this weekend.
But who says you have to drink Juleps? You may not even like minty stuff. Why not explore some other whisky cocktail options?
Well our friends at Crown Royal sent us a nice little care package for the weekend and they included everything we need to make some tasty libations for tomorrow’s big race. We received a box with a bottle of Crown Royal Maple, a bottle of Angostura bitters, an orange, a lemon and some pineapple juice.
Maple Collins Recipe
1.5 oz Crown Royal Maple
.5 oz Lemon Juice
1.5 Pineapple Juice
2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
.5 oz Simple Syrup
Mix ingredients in a shaker, top with club soda and strain into Collins glass. Garnish with half an orange slice and a cherry.
In addition to the cocktail care package, we also got the names of two horses. If one of these horses wins the race, we get a trip to either The Preakness or The Belmont Stakes. Here are the two horses we have running and their odds to win the Derby:
- Vyjack 14/1
- Giant Finish 50/1
Orb and Verrazano are the favorites, with each horse coming in at 4/1 odds. Goldencents, Rick Pitino’s horse, has the next best odds at 11/2. Forecasts in Louisville predict a 70 percent chance of rain, which could make for very wet and muddy conditions at Churchill Downs.
Crown Royal has partnered up with legendary jockey Laffit Pincay Jr for Derby weekend. If he can successfully predict the top three finishers in order for each leg of the Triple Crown, Crown Royal will donate $1 million to Thoroughbred Charities of America. Here’s a clip of Pincay on Jimmy Kimmel so you know just how legit this guy is:
Here’s the finish that Pincay predicted for the Derby:
- Goldencents
- Normandy Invasion
- Orb
Notice how he gave our horses zero love? That might be good news for charity, but we wanna see an upset, damnit! We’re in a competition here with a bunch of other bloggers. You can follow all the action by checking out @CrownRoyal and the hashtags #Derby and #ReignOn this weekend on Twitter.
May 3rd
