Britton Hogge Pt. 2 #023
We return with Part 2 of 2 Flaviar Tasting with former Director of Operations, Britton Hogge. We discover Jack Ryan Beggars Bush 12-year-old and talk about solo experiences out and about New York could always lead you back to an Irish bar in Midtown. We get into our love of elevated packaging and branding presentation, share boxes of our favorite things to our online friends, and dedicate this episode to our friends that have passed at the hands of drunk driving. Please donate to MADD in their names and keep the keys at home when heading to enjoy your next happy hour.
Luck of the Irish Whiskey
If we are going to celebrate all that is Irish we have to dedicate this episode to our dear friends Caitlyn Holtzman and JohnJohn Heneghan. I actually met Caitlyn at Pride Island after the event ended and we were both waiting for Britton and former guest Elizabeth Craighead to finish work. We met basically waiting to get into the after-hours fun. Then one night we were all together and she asked if she could invite her Irish boyfriend over and we were like meh. And wow what a force he was when he entered a room.
Their holiday parties in fun sweaters, Alexa-powered lighting of the Christmas tree, and a full-blown sing-a-long of The Pogues. I can’t forget the Game of Thrones party!!! She made a heart tree in their living room and I got to borrow their Tyrion cut out for my 40th Birthday at Hibernia Bar.
We lost them in May 2019 when a drunk driver struck them broadside. So please make a contribution in their names to MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING (MADD). We will have the link here: https://fundraising.madd.org/campaign/JohnJohn-Heneghan-and-Caitlin-Holtzman and plead that if you are out celebrating St Patrick’s, leave your car at home and grab a ride out to the festivities.
Tasting C – JACK RYAN Beggars Bush 12-Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Britton thinks “this is intense but finishes smooth”. Amanda says “familiar woody citrus“.
It’s true that New York City culture accepts and almost encourages solo experiences. That solo journey gives you a new connection with strangers browsing The Met, making the climb on The Vessel in Hudson Yards, and bellying up to an Irish bar in Midtown. Small talk with bartenders and other single Happy Hour patrons in places like Hibernia Bar become your friends for the day. What can we learn from the solo experience? As producers, we are asked to make the Instagram moment with a crowd shot, the photo booth for the group, and the date night experience. When creating something that can be enjoyed by a single person, you allow the value of the experience to shine over gimmicks and pull your patrons together as they share something unique. It’s creating something that can’t fully be shared with a photo, it’s something you tell others – you have to experience it for yourself.
Sometimes the added value comes by way of creative branding and elevated packaging for items shipped to the home. Beauty boxes, Meal Kits, or Tasting Subscriptions, give another chance to communicate the brand and offer a presentation of elevated quality and care. It’s also a great way to share with your friends’ social distancing or online gaming squad a shared experience mailed to each other. Sending a box of “Steve’s” favorite things or a giant can of Whitley’s peanuts is a way to celebrate the completion of a campaign and a distant reminder of friendship and camaraderie with your scout, rogue, marksman, wizard, elf friend sitting in another borough or state.
The immigrant story is full of fighting stereotypes, racial prejudices, and seeking acceptance in the New World. The St Patrick’s Day parade went from moments of mockery to shows of strength and pride. Today, people of all backgrounds celebrate St Patrick’s Day and celebrate Irish culture. And that’s something we can always count on. Whether you venture out on your own or with a group of friends, marching in the parade by St Patrick’s Cathedral, or visiting your favorite haunt, like Hibernia Bar we can all celebrate each other and our uniqueness in all shades of green.
