Yo DC! Following your Heart and Need Media Attention? Reach to Publicity For Good, CEO Heather Holmes explains
Publicity for Good is a millennial run communications firm that provides high-level disruptive, publicity and social media services for wide array of purpose driven clients in the food, beverage and beauty industry.
In 2016 by Heather Holmes former miss Ohio international celebrated publicist and Forbes 30 under 30 nominee publicity for good has built a reputation as the countries number one PR agency for CPG brands that have social causes built into their DNA.
Publicity For Food CEO Heather Holmes
Today’s conversation with Heather Homes from PublicityForGood.com has been edited for length and clarity. For the full, un-edited conversation, visit our YouTube channel here.
Joe Winger:
Heather Holmes from PublicityForGood.com. I’m a big fan because you’ve helped us facilitate a lot of previous conversations about food and drink and nutrition and all the things we like talking about.
What’s the most important thing that you want to share with the audience today?
Heather Holmes:
I really want to take away the unknown or worry about getting in the media. I want to make it more accessible to amazing brands and people.
So I definitely want to share tactical advice that if someone is reading this, they have a good story in business, they have the confidence that their story is good enough and they could absolutely make an impact and grow their business by getting in the media.
Joe Winger:
Starting with the basics, let’s pretend I have a company, I think I want public attention. I want to reach out to someone like you.
So what should I be thinking about? What do I present to you as a step one?
Heather Holmes:
Step one is really the intentionality of why you want to get in the media. What’s your goal? Are you wanting to reach more people? Are you wanting to get your story out there?
Are you wanting more sales and more people to buy your product?
You really need to know. Where you’re going first, and if you don’t know where you’re going, or you don’t have a vision, then it’s really hard to help you.
But if you have clarity there, then we can really pull back and help you identify your story, how you’re different, your why, and why your product and or company, would be really great to be in the media.
The PublicityForGood Team
FlavRReport.com on YouTube
Joe Winger:
Now, looking at the grand scheme of the campaign, what kind of a campaign should we be looking for: expectations, results?
Heather Holmes:
After we know our outcome that we’re wanting to get more sales, more backlinks, or name in the media, then what I like to do first is work with every entrepreneur, and even if you have a product, to really reflect in “why your story matters”
Why does your product matter?
If you’ve never been in the media before, I take people for an exercise where I have them draw on a piece of paper, them as a baby, to where they are now.
I have them write the key pivotal moments that have happened in their life that have made them start that company, because those little components are absolutely a part of your story.
I’ve been in the media 700 plus times: Inside Edition, Fox News, The New York Coast, incredible media, but it hasn’t always been about being a publicist, right?
Yes. I’m the founder of Publicity For Good, but a lot of that has been my story or building a seven figure company from an airstream.
Now I have almost two under two with a third on the way.
So you need to have your key pivotal moments because those are things you can talk about in the media.
Then we need to look at what’s going on in the news and how we bridge the gap between your product. Relevancy.
Joe Winger:
People may not know you are a former Miss Ohio International. Can you tell us a lesson you learned from being a former Miss Ohio International that you’re using in today’s work?
Heather Holmes:
It’s really all about your platform and reaching new audiences.
When I was building my company I decided I wanted to get into pageants. I wanted to meet a community of like minded people that wanted to make a difference in the world.
It was a way for me to have a platform because at the time I was talking about why you absolutely can build a profitable business. But also make a difference in your community and make a difference amongst your team. And really just build an incredible legacy.
So that was why I did the pageants.
I did a bunch of publicity and again, it made me relevant and timely because that was what got me in the media because I was Miss Ohio and I was only Miss Ohio International for a period of time.
So it gave me that relevancy. So you have to be relevant.
You have to bridge the gap between what’s happening in the news, or we often use Awareness Days, National Nutrition Month, National Social Media Day, and you have to position your product or yourself as the solution.
[For example], we were talking about an incredible juice brand, but most pitches I see are very promotional, right? It needs to be how you or your product simplifies people’s lives. How are you adding value? Or you don’t have a product you need to inspire people.
Joe Winger:
You’re growing a 7- figure business. What’s it like growing a huge business while you’re taking care of your kids and for a while you were living out of your Airstream
Heather Holmes:
We lived out of a 23 foot airstream for 3 1/2 years. I went from dating to engaged, to married to [my first child] Rose, who’s almost two, who lived in our airstream with us.
The year the pandemic [hit] was our first million dollar year.
I think a lot of the reason why it was that year is because when March hit, everyone was so scared that we lost about 40% of our business, number one.
Number two, we had to hustle and grit to make it. There was no choice of failing. All the distractions were gone.
When you’re in an Airstream, all you have is your laptop, but we had no external distractions, and then everything else was closed.
So the only focus we could do was our business and we had to scale out of necessity because we didn’t want to lose what we had put so much time in.
Fast forward, we now have 22 acres where we live and we have two under two, we have one on the way, we’re a full time team of 40, and it’s not easy.
I say transparently, it’s a hot mess. There are so many miracles that happen every day, but life is one, right? I can’t turn off my founder hat and publicist hat and then “Oh, I’m a mom”. It’s all one.
So yes, I might have Rose [my daughter] on a call with me from time to time, but I’ve learned that the more you step in and embrace your life, who you are and the realness, sometimes people opt out and that’s okay.
And this is my legacy.
I like these missions that we’re doing good work to us is way more than a business. We want to grow your brand and mission and we take it so seriously.
So it’s not perfect. It’s not perfectly scheduled. I’m a full time mom, all the time on the weekends when the kids are sleeping, we’re working.
We know where we want to go, and these clients and ambitions that we’re aligned with and supporting are helping people with their health.
Joe Winger:
What an incredible story to share.
Heather Holmes: I have so much to share. Like I was adopted when I was a week old to having two under two and another one on the way and building a business and building a homestead.
It’s so crazy. Austin, who’s my husband, the first week we were dating, we’re all about intentionality. I have the journal and we mapped everything out.
This year, we were going to get engaged then married. Austin and I,l we will have been together almost five years.
We’ve had a kid every year. Rose will be two in June.
We want to build a business. We want to impact our clients, brands, and scale their business. We want our team to get better and flourish in their personal lives too.
This is our mission and I’ve seen so many miracles happen from getting in the media on a personal level.
I was talking to [a business owner client] and her business grew by 40% from getting in the media.
One of my favorite cookie brands, a mom had an incredible heart story. She went on our local news and she brought in $12,000 worth of sales, just the local people wanting to support her.
On the flip side, when people Google my name, it’s like my social currency, there’s all these articles. So I have so much peace in that. Our kids will see the good work we’re doing.
Joe Winger:
You’re talking to an audience of foodies. What is your favorite meal?
Heather Holmes:
We just had Indian food last night that my husband made and it was so good.
We used to live in San Diego and I think San Diego has the best food. It’s all fresh. We’ve traveled a lot. We’ve been to Bali, their food is pretty incredible too. Where we live [now] we’re right outside of Asheville and Charlotte. So they have some good restaurants, but like I’m not in the phase right now where I’m the foodie like I used to be.
[At our house] we have chickens and we have fresh eggs. So I’m obsessed with fresh eggs every morning. You’re living a good life when you can go get your eggs and have them at home with some goat cheese.
And honestly, I love Livermuth. Crazy. So I’d say some Livermuth fried in a cast iron with some eggs and goat cheese. It’s the simple things that I really do love.
Joe Winger:
Heather Holmes with Publicity for Good. As we wrap up, whether it’s a potential client, a potential vendor, someone wanting your help with publicity, what are the best ways to find, follow you, websites, social media, etc?
Heather Holmes:
You can go to PublicityForGood.com You can find me on social media as well.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherdesantis
https://www.instagram.com/heatherdesantis
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DC, Taste Ultra Rare Bourbon: Pappy Van Winkle, Eagle Rare featured in Fundraiser from Sazerac Company
Pappy Van Winkle, Eagle Rare featured in Ultra Rare Bourbon Tasting California Wildfire Relief Fundraiser from Sazerac Company
Sazerac Company will host a first of its kind fundraiser in support of California wildfire relief efforts, offering consumers the chance to purchase three ultra-rare prize packages featuring some of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s most sought-after bourbons.
Pappy Van Winkle Might be the Holy Grail of Whiskey
Pappy Van Winkle is the crown jewel of the bourbon world, celebrated for its unparalleled smoothness, depth of flavor, and rarity. Produced by the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, this small-batch bourbon is aged for 15 to 23 years, resulting in a rich, complex profile with notes of caramel, oak, and spice. Its popularity skyrocketed due to limited availability, with demand far outstripping supply, creating a cult following among collectors and connoisseurs. The combination of craftsmanship, rarity, and the mystique surrounding its release makes Pappy Van Winkle a true symbol of whiskey excellence.
Eagle Rare 25: The Pinnacle of Rare Bourbon
Eagle Rare 25, a highly sought-after release from Buffalo Trace Distillery, is one of the most revered bourbons in the world. Aged for a remarkable 25 years, this bourbon is celebrated for its exceptional depth, complexity, and rich flavor profile, featuring notes of dark fruit, toffee, leather, and oak. Its rarity—released in extremely limited quantities—has helped fuel its cult status among whiskey collectors. The longer maturation process adds unparalleled smoothness, with each bottle being an extraordinary expression of craftsmanship. As one of the finest offerings from Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare 25 represents the ultimate pursuit of bourbon excellence.
Offerings include the first-ever single barrel of Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old, a complete set of the Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Collection and a bottle of Eagle Rare 25 with 100% of proceeds benefitting World Central Kitchen and Another Round Another Rally charities
Eagle Rare 25
One hundred percent of funds raised through Sazerac’s California Wildfire Relief Fundraiser will go toward two non-profit organizations committed to ongoing relief efforts in the state: World Central Kitchen (WCK), which is working with restaurant and food truck partners in Southern California to provide meals to those in need; and Another Round Another Rally, which is collecting funds for real-time financial support for hospitality workers impacted by the wildfires.
“Our hearts break for those who have been impacted by the devastating wildfires that have swept across California this year,”
Jake Wenz
President and CEO of Sazerac
“The fires have caused immense destruction, and the toll on the Los Angeles community is profound. Through this program we hope, humbly, to offer a small bit of aid to World Central Kitchen and Another Round Another Rally as they continue their much-needed support of the California community during this difficult time.”
Offerings available through the Sazerac California Wildfire Relief Fundraiser include:
1. Auction*: the first-ever single barrel of Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old will be available for auction as part of the initiative
- This is the first single barrel of Pappy Van Winkle to ever be made available for purchase. The barrel was specially selected from the heart of the aging warehouses at Buffalo Trace Distillery for this auction. On average, a single barrel yields approximately 125 bottles of bourbon.
- Funds raised via auction will be evenly split between WCK and Another Round Another Rally
2. Sweepstakes 1**: a complete bottle set of the Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Collection
- The very rare, limited-edition Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Collection features six unique bourbons, each reflective of a craft that blends generational knowledge dating back to the late 1800s. This highly coveted collection features Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year, Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year, Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year, Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year, Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year, and Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year.
- Funds raised by the Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Collection sweepstakes will benefit WCK
3. Sweepstakes 2**: one bottle of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s ultra-rare Eagle Rare 25
- At 25 years old, Eagle Rare 25 marks the oldest expression ever released from the Eagle Rare portfolio and defies existing perception of ultra-aged bourbon with its smooth, complex flavor profile. Eagle Rare 25 is the first bourbon aged in Warehouse P, a purpose-built, state-of-the-art warehouse, constructed to test if it was possible to extend favorably both the aging and maturation processes typical for American whiskey and bourbon.
- Funds raised by the Eagle Rare 25 sweepstakes will benefit Another Round Another Rally
In early January, wildfires broke out in the Palisades and Eaton communities of Los Angeles and quickly spread to neighboring communities. It is estimated more than 50,000 acres have burned, with the wildfires destroying more than 16,000 structures and killing at least 28 people. From the beginning, both WCK and ARAR have been on the frontlines in Los Angeles helping the communities hardest hit.
- WCK’s Relief Team mobilized immediately in Southern California to support first responders and families impacted by the wildfires. In collaboration with 80+ restaurant and food truck partners, WCK is distributing free hot meals to those in need at several locations throughout Southern California. Since the wildfires began in early January, WCK has served more than 600,000 meals to those affected by the wildfires.
- As the fire’s devastation began to overtake Los Angeles and surrounding areas, Another Round Another Rally jumped into action immediately knowing bar and restaurant workers would face an uphill battle with regard to loss of businesses and loss of income opportunities. Their Disaster Relief Fund enables the organization to provide real-time financial support to hospitality workers impacted by California’s wildfires. In the month since the fires started, Another Round Another Rally has given out over $100k in financial assistance to bar and restaurant workers affected by the disaster.
Those looking to support the Sazerac California Wildfire Relief Fundraiser can participate in multiple ways:
- For the Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old single barrel auction, bidding will begin at $10,000 and those interested can bid as many times as they wish. Bidding will increase in increments of $1,000. The winner of the auction will receive a monetary prize equal to the value of the lot, which may be used to purchase the bottles yielded from the barrel, as well as the empty barrel.
- Link to bid: www.sazeracgivesback.com
- For both the Pappy Van Winkle Collection and Eagle Rare 25 sweepstakes, entrants will receive one entry for every $50 donation made through the registration site. There is no cap on the amount a person can donate. The winners of each sweepstakes will receive a monetary prize equal to the value of the bottle they won, which may be used to purchase the bottles.
- Link to donate and enter: www.sazeracgivesback.com
The Sazerac California Wildfire Relief Fundraiser begins on Tuesday, February 11 at 12pm noon EST. To enter and make a donation, and to view the full official rules, visit www.sazeracgivesback.com. All entries must be received by 11:59PM EST on Sunday, February 23. One winner for each prize package will be randomly drawn and notified via phone and email the week of March 3.
About Sazerac Company
With over 400 years of history, Sazerac is one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies. Now in the fourth generation of the current family ownership, Sazerac strives each day to bring the finest spirits to consumers around the world.
Over 500 of the world’s most extraordinary brands are part of the Sazerac portfolio, including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare, Weller, The Last Drop Distillers, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Southern Comfort, Wheatley Vodka, Meyers’s Rum, White X Cognac, Sazerac de Forge Cognac, Paddy’s Irish Whiskey, and many more.
Sazerac is also the steward of many fine distilleries internationally, including Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, United States; Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in Cognac, France; Paul John Distillery in Goa, India; and Lough Gill Distillery in County Sligo, Ireland. Additional impressive locations can be found in New Orleans, Montréal, London, Cork and Sydney, to name a few.
To learn more visit www.sazerac.com.
DC, Who does wine better: Politics or Hollywood? Clarendelle , Domaine Clarence Dillon Return as Official Wine Partner of 97th Oscars
DC, Who does wine better: Politics or Hollywood? Clarendelle & Domaine Clarence Dillon Return as Official Wine Partner of 97th Oscars
Clarendelle & Domaine Clarence Dillon Return as Official Wine Partner of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and Exclusive Wines Poured at the 97th Oscars Ceremony
Clarendelle and the family company Domaine Clarence Dillon announce the brand’s return as the official wine partner of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Wine for the Academy
The Academy Awards, renowned for their glamour and celebration of cinematic excellence, also feature a notable emphasis on fine wines during their events. A substantial amount of wine is served to accommodate the numerous attendees. For instance, during the 90th Academy Awards, over 2,400 bottles of wine were provided, equating to approximately 14,000 glasses.
Annually, the Academy hosts several official events where wine is prominently featured. The most notable of these is the Governors Ball, the official post-ceremony celebration, where distinguished wines and champagnes are served to winners, nominees, and guests. In addition to the main ceremony and the Governors Ball, there are various pre-show receptions and ancillary gatherings throughout the awards season, each offering curated wine selections to complement the festivities.
These events underscore the Academy’s commitment to providing a luxurious and celebratory atmosphere, with fine wines playing a central role in the experience.
For the third consecutive year, the prestigious family-owned wine company will exclusively pour exceptional red and white wines at the 97th Oscars® ceremony.
This partnership bridges the world of fine wine and film, elevating the Oscars experience for Hollywood’s biggest stars.
In addition to delighting guests at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, Clarendelle and Domaine Clarence Dillon wines will be served at the iconic Governors Ball after the Oscars ceremony and the Official Oscars® Watch Party at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. This year, Governors Ball attendees can enjoy a glass of our elegant and contemporary wines while winners have their Oscar® statuettes engraved. The wines will also be perfectly complemented with a legendary gastronomic menu crafted by Wolfgang Puck Catering for an unforgettable evening.
“Before joining the family business, I began my career as a screenwriter, so to have the opportunity to partner with the Oscars for the third consecutive year is truly an honor,” said President and CEO of Domaine Clarence Dillon, Prince Robert of Luxembourg. “This collaboration is a natural extension of my family’s longstanding commitment and deep connection to film and the arts.”
Domaine Clarence Dillon will introduce two new wines for the star-studded events:
- La Clarté de Haut-Brion 2021: A sought-after white wine of rare delicacy with only 1,000 cases produced annually, La Clarté brings together the qualities of a fine white Bordeaux wine with fresh citrus and white flower aromas, followed by a crisp and refreshing finish of lemony brightness.
- Le Clarence de Haut-Brion 2015: Château Haut-Brion became the first Bordeaux vineyard to be named after its terroir, making the estate the first luxury brand in the world. The exquisite red Le Clarence de Haut-Brion 2015 is similar in style and elegance to its elder and encompasses all unique attributes of a fine wine with an attractive profile – smooth yet powerful, tasty and full-bodied, with notes of ripe fruit leaving an impression of freshness and volume, without heaviness.
Among the returning wine favorites are:
- Clarendelle Bordeaux White 2023: A refined and elegant wine, offering bright citrus notes of lemon and grapefruit, balanced by the smooth sweetness of pear and lychee.
- Clarendelle Bordeaux Red 2016: A wine with fruity aromas of red fruit and blackcurrant alongside floral overtones balanced by great tannic power and delicious velvety texture.
- Clarendelle Amberwine 2021: A complex, well-concentrated and modern sweet wine distinguished by its freshness and harmonious balance of floral fruit and acidity with a smooth finish.
Founded in 1935, Domaine Clarence Dillon is a family-owned group renowned for its prestigious Bordeaux estates, including Château Haut-Brion, Château La Mission Haut-Brion, and Château Quintus. Under the leadership of Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the company has earned a global reputation for excellence in winemaking, joining Primum Familiae Vini, an international association of some of the world’s finest wine producing families. Domaine Clarence Dillon has long been a supporter of the arts, with Prince Robert’s background and screenwriting playing an essential role in merging the worlds of wine and cinema by bringing Clarendelle and Domaine Clarence Dillon to the biggest night in Hollywood.
For more information, follow on Instagram @clarendelle @chateauhautbrion_ @chateaulamissionhautbrion @chateauquintus @leclarenceparis.
DC’s Apéro, Napa’s Be Bubbly, NYC’s Coqodaq: Top 10 Bars and Restaurants for Champagne from Bureau du Champagne
Napa’s Be Bubbly, NYC’s Coqodaq, DC’s Apéro: Top 10 Bars and Restaurants for Champagne from Bureau du Champagne
From Napa to DC to Manhattan and just 7 other sparkling stops!
Bureau du Champagne, USA today announced its annual list of the Top 10 Bars and Restaurants where Champagne plays a starring role. The list, now in its third year, recognizes establishments that elevate and celebrate the uniqueness of the sparkling wine that comes only from Champagne, France.
Released in advance of Champagne Day 2024, the list showcases Champagne standouts in every U.S. region. It recognizes restaurants and bars that take special care to offer Champagnes from a wide variety of producers, list them properly on their menus, and serve them with élan.
“We received nominations for spectacular bars and restaurants across the country, and selected from them a list of destinations that embody the spirit of Champagne,”
Lori Russo
Director,
the Bureau du Champagne, USA.
“While these restaurants and bars differ in style, spanning the spectrum from fine dining to fried chicken, they all have one thing in common: they understand what makes Champagne special. For that, we couldn’t be prouder to raise a glass to them on Champagne Day and the rest of the year.”
The full list of this year’s featured bars and restaurants can be found below in alphabetical order:
- Apéro, Washington, DC: Apéro’s list of more than 700 wines places special emphasis on Champagne. The intimate setting in DC’s popular Georgetown neighborhood is an ideal spot to explore an extensive list of Champagnes smartly organized by style.
- Be Bubbly, Napa, Calif.: In the heart of California wine country, Be Bubbly takes care to showcase Champagne with a menu that includes a map of the region’s five wine-producing districts and a philosophy of Champagne as a celebration of life.
- Boiler Room, Omaha: The wine list at this terroir-focused restaurant, originally conceived by a Master Sommelier, offers a broad range of Champagnes at varying price points so everyone can join in the celebration.
- Charleston, Baltimore: The wine program at Charleston emphasizes the special relationship between wine and food. The Champagne list, which spans three pages of its menu, explains the magic of Champagne along with a diversity of tasting profiles.
- Coqodaq, New York: Proving the versatility of Champagne, Coqodaq pairs the sparkling wine with both caviar and its signature bucket of Korean fried chicken.
- Coupes, Dallas: Coupes bills itself as a bar for Champagne. True to its name, its vast menu of Champagnes explains that “Champagne is a sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wines are Champagne.”
- Fizz Champagne & Bubbles Bar, Sacramento, Calif.: Fizz believes in celebrating everyday triumphs with Champagne. Its menus and events elevate Champagne from France and distinguish it from other sparkling wines.
- La Vie, Waikiki, Hawaii: La Vie’s emphasizes farm-to-table dining with French flair, so its large selection of vintage and non-vintage Champagnes creates the perfect complement, and the view is special, too.
- Pops for Champagne, Chicago: Known for its special events, tastings, Champagne education and a vast list of Champagnes of every style, Pops has been dazzling Chicago with Champagne since 1982.
- Sexy Fish, Miami: The extraordinary interior of this Brickell restaurant is matched only by its extensive list of Champagnes both accessible and rare.
For more information on Champagne Day or to find an event near you, visit champagneday.champagne.fr. More events will be added in the near future, so check back often.
Bureau du Champagne, USA, is the official U.S. representative of the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), a trade association representing the houses and winegrowers of Champagne, France. The Bureau works to advance the CIVC’s mission of defending the interests of the Champagne appellation worldwide through education and advocacy. For more information, visit us online at www.champagne.us.
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The Strokes at the Nationals Park Thurs Sept 8 2022
The Strokes at the Nationals Park Thurs Sept 8 2022
The Strokes are a five-piece band hailing from New York City, made up of Nikolai Fraiture (bass), Julian Casablancas (vocals), Albert Hammond Jr. (guitar), and Nick Valensi (guitar), and Fabrizio Moretti (drums).
The band formed in 1998 and rose to fame in the early 2000s as a leading group in the “garage rock revival”.
Their The Modern Age EP kick-started a wave of hype that saw their 2001 debut record, Is This It, achieve massive world-wide success, initiating an explosion of New York punk attitude and catchy pop structures in modern day rock music. NME made Is This It their “Album of the Year”.
They were hailed by music critics, including Rolling Stone, as the “saviors of rock and roll”.
The Strokes released Is This It in the US in October 2001 on RCA after some delay due to changes made from the UK released version (released 27th August 2001). The cover of the latter features a black-and-white photo of a gloved hand on a woman’s naked backside, shown in semi-profile, and is said to reference Spinal Tap’s fictitious Smell the Glove. The North American version replaces this with an image of particle collisions and the song “New York City Cops” with “When It Started”. The replacement of “New York City Cops”, which contains the refrain “New York City Cops, they ain’t too smart”, was made in good faith following the September 11 attacks.
After the release of Is This It the band toured around the world, featuring dates in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America, staging for the Rolling Stones. The band headlined UK’s Carling Weekend festivals in 2002, largely chronicled by a relatively hard-to-find mini-documentary entitled “In Transit” which was released to members of the now-defunct “Alone, Together” fan club.
Is This It yielded several singles and music videos, all of which were directed by Roman Coppola.
The group began recording their follow-up in 2002 with producer Nigel Godrich, but later split with him in favor of Gordon Raphael, the producer of Is This It. Recordings with Godrich were never revealed. In August 2003, the band toured Japan, playing a couple of the upcoming songs: “Reptilia”, “Meet Me In The Bathroom”, “The Way It Is”, “Between Love & Hate” and “12:51”.
They released their second album Room on Fire in October 2003, to good reviews, but to less success commercially, although it still went gold. Some critics cited the album as an advance musically and claimed it showed that they weren’t content to milk the formula that brought them their success.
Some, though, thought the albums were too alike to say they had advanced musically, and saw Room on Fire as a mediocre sophmore release. The Strokes themselves cited not enough time to make the record due to the demand of RCA executives.
In the process, they made the cover of Spin Magazine for the second time, with each member receiving his own cover.
They also made the cover of Rolling Stone for the first time. The first single taken from Room on Fire was the song “12:51”, which used distinct keyboard-like sounds produced by Valensi’s guitar.
The video was also directed by Roman Coppola, and was inspired by the futuristic look of the 1980s film Tron.
During the 2003/2004 “Room on Fire Tour”, the band played with Kings of Leon as support act and Regina Spektor. While on tour, Spektor and the Strokes recorded the song “Modern Girls & Old Fashion Men”, released as a B-side on the “Reptilia” single. Also during the tour, the band included The Clash’s “Clampdown” as a cover, which was released as the B-side for The End Has No End. I
In February 2005, Julian Casablancas wed long-time friend and assistant band manager Juliet Joslin. The Strokes had a three-concert South American tour in October 2005, with dates in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina.
In late September 2005, “Juicebox”, the first single from The Strokes then unreleased third album, was leaked online, forcing the single’s release date to be advanced. The single was then released as an exclusive on online download services. “Juicebox” became The Strokes’ second UK Top 10 hit, as well as their second US Modern Rock Top 10 success.
During November and December 2005 The Strokes did a promotional tour for the still unreleased album, which involved doing one-off shows in major cities around the world. T
heir third album, First Impressions of Earth, was released in January 2006 to mixed reviews and debuted at number four in the US and number one in the UK, a first for the band. In Japan it went gold within the first week of release.
It was also the most downloaded album for two weeks on iTunes. The band built a studio in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen called Red Carpet Studios to record the third album. Fraiture claimed that the album was “like a scientific breakthrough”.
In 2006, the band played 18 sold-out shows during their UK tour. In February 2006, The Strokes won “Best International Band” at the NME Awards. In March, the band returned to the US with their longest tour yet.
The second single off First Impressions of Earth, “Heart in a Cage”, was released in March 2006.
During the summer of 2006, The Strokes played several festival dates in Europe, including the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden, Roskilde Festival in Denmark, the Oxegen Festival in Ireland,the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the FIB in Benicàssim (Spain). They then toured Australia and Mexico in late August and early September, followed by the second leg of the United States tour.
While in the US, The Strokes opened for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers for five shows during their Highway Companion tour. The Strokes went on to complete another US tour. During this final tour Casablancas stated to fans that the band would be taking an extensive break after it finished.
An e-mail was sent out soon afterwards by Strokes manager Ryan Gentles, confirming that a “much needed break” would be taken. A new and improved band website went online in May 2007 along with the release of an alternate video to their single directed by Warren Fu “You Only Live Once” on imeem.com. In late 2007, the song “You Talk Way Too Much” was used in a commercial for the Ford Sync. The Strokes are currently on an “indefinite hiatus”, following a full North American and European Tour.During the hiatus lead guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. released a solo album entitled: “Yours to Keep” which features The Strokes vocalist Julian Casablancas on bass in the song Scared. Julian and the other band members have collaborated with Pearl Jam’s Eddie Veder, QOTSA’s Josh Homme, among other notable musicians.
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Evolution of Bees: Their role in making Plant-based Honey
Evolution of bees: Their role in making Plant-based Honey
Traditionally bees have a massive role in producing honey. So, removing their support seems unrealistic, or does it? And sure, scientists can try to explain it. But can someone explain it in simple terms, in a way that a curious foodie could understand it?
Let’s find out in an exclusive interview with Mellody Food’s Darko Mandich.
Darko Mandich is a food entrepreneur in San Francisco. After spending almost a decade in the European honey industry as a business executive, Darko committed to reimagining the honey industry to become sustainable. Darko immigrated from Europe to California to launch Mellody, the world’s first plant-based honey brand. Darko is an advocate of saving the bees and wild pollinators.
Mellody Food’s Darko Mandich
Recently, I had a chance to talk with Darko.
From a science point of view, how are you creating plant-based honey products?
The process has to start with philosophy. When people think about science, engineering and process, what comes to their mind is what’s the science? What’s the engineering behind that? What’s the process of making something?
But I would argue that every process, every science starts with a philosophy in the first place. So for us, our philosophy was there’s honey made by the bees in the market, the real ones, that product quality-wise is amazing, but has negative baggage in terms of how it’s made. Next to that, there’s fake honey. There’s basically adulterated honey that’s made by people taking fraudulent activities and blending a little bit of real honey and a lot of rice syrup.
That’s done outside of the US by people trying not to get caught. The third group are vegan honey alternatives, made out of tapioca, dates, maple, pure sugar. These products are just not honey. Trying to impersonate honey, but it’s not honey. It’s a legit product. It’s in the market. People can buy it.
What was missing is the fourth group, which is the category that we pioneered.
Honey, the product that has the composition of real honey but that doesn’t have any rice syrups, nothing that doesn’t belong to honey. But, it’s not made by the bees and therefore by default is vegan and plant-based. So that was the category that we started, and we didn’t start it only for vegans. Obviously vegans are our early adopters. They love what we’re doing. I’m vegan myself. But I want this to be an inclusive company and brand, and therefore we launched this for everybody. For everybody who likes delicious and nutritious foods. By choosing this you’re basically voting for those little creatures to survive on this planet.
You asked me about the process.
You wanna make honey only from something that in nature that touches bees and honey, it’s very strict. Our team studied a lot of different honeys, the different anatomy of the bees, the science behind honey production. Bees land on a flower, they suck up nectar. And there’s a couple of things in a bee’s anatomy. We came up with this proprietary process where we interact with the plants, we take different parts of the plants.
What’s really exciting and cool is we can take the whole plant, break it into different ingredients, and take parts of the plant that maybe bees don’t have access to, like its roots. So we take different ingredients from different plants. We have more than 30 different plants in our product that we launched and we created this process that is basically mixing all those ingredients in a food facility in a regular culinary approach, and basically create a product that looks, tastes, and behaves like honey.
Is your honey currently available at Eleven Madison Home?
This is the product from a direct to consumer collaboration. We just launched with three Michelin star, Eleven Madison Park in New York City.
Eleven Madison Home’s The Specialty Tea and Honey Box featuring Mellody Honey
Yeah, the honey is currently available. The Specialty Tea and Honey Box launched for the Mother’s Day collection and Earth Month.
It’s a specially curated box of artisanal teas coming from different parts of the world with honey and also amazing, shortbread cookies. All plant-based, also made with our honey. That’s available right now
Sometime very soon a standalone jar [of honey] will also be available to Eleven Madison Home.
Eleven Madison Home’s The Specialty Tea and Honey Box featuring Mellody Honey
Tell us again what’s available, how to find it; and how to follow you and support you.
Yeah, follow us on Instagram and TikTok at MellodyFoods
In terms of purchasing, head to ElevenMadisonHome.com and you can purchase it there.
Saving the bees is learning more about them. Learning more about pollinators and you can do that on our social media.
And finally, if you’re equally passionate about bees and plants as we are, ask your favorite restaurant to reach out to us to offer Mellody in your favorite restaurant. It can be a vegan restaurant on non-vegan.
We are gonna work with all the restaurants that reach out to us where people ask to see our product offered, either on the menu, either within a meal, or just if you order a cup of tea and you want a side of Mellody.
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Weekend Trip Tasting Bourbons? This Fredericksburg Virginia Bed & Breakfast Ironclad inn Might Be Your Dream Visit, Owen King from Ironclad Distillery shares Delicious Details
Love Tasting Bourbons? This Fredericksburg Virginia Bed & Breakfast Ironclad inn Might Be Your Dream Visit, Owen King from Ironclad Distillery shares Delicious Details
Ironclad Inn is the first B & B & B – Bed & Breakfast & Bourbon Tasting Room.
Ironclad Inn is the first B & B & B – Bed & Breakfast & Bourbon Tasting Room
Today’s conversation with Distiller Owen King from Ironclad Distillery has been edited for length and clarity. For the full, un-edited conversation, visit our YouTube channel here.
Owen King, Ironclad Distillery
Joe Winger:
A lot of really cool things are happening right now. I want to jump into your tasting room, the distillery, we’ll get into bourbon tastings in a few minutes.
But first and foremost, what’s the most important thing with Ironclad right now for you?
Owen King:
The most important thing about Ironclad for me right now is the same thing it’s always been, trying to make the best bourbon we can.
The other thing is spreading the word about our bed and breakfast; and bourbon. It’s a bed and breakfast in Fredericksburg that when you’re there, you can drink bourbon.
Ironclad’s famous Old Fashioned cocktail
We make a lot of old fashions there and we always have all these leftover oranges. Now the perfect thing is in the morning you have fresh squeezed orange juice from our [leftover] old fashions.
It’s really working double duty now.
Besides that I just love the fact that we can now expand our distillery up to Fredericksburg. So we can have more people try our bourbon and enjoy our bourbon, which is the goal.
Joe Winger:
Getting to know you before you jump into Ironclad, I want to use the word “were”, you were a football player and cooking changed your life.
Tell us more about your cooking. Was there a special dish that enhanced your life?
Owen King:
I’m Italian. So obviously with the Italian genes, we share our love through food. Growing up I cooked a lot.
When I went to college [I cooked] for my teammates. I’d make dinner for everyone. So when we decided to open the bourbon distillery, I figured, I know how to cook. I think I could probably figure out how to make bourbon.
I know flavors. I know how things go well together. I think I have a pretty decent palette.
So putting all those things together to make a great bourbon was the goal.
Food is one of those things where you never stop improving. I feel the same about bourbon.
FlavRReport.com on YouTube
Joe Winger:
Is there a favorite dish?
Owen King:
Breaded chicken cutlets and spaghetti.
That is how it started. Then I was like “I really like cheese.” Maybe I could put cheese in with the breadcrumbs and then do that. Then I started expanding. Chicken Parm. Making my own sauce. Thinking I could add something here to make that better.
It’s the same way I look at bourbon.
Thinking, “I like what this person’s doing. Let me see what they’re doing. I can build off that to make it work on my own.”
Creating my own recipes, going from there, just continually tweaking little things here and there.
We’ll make a 5% difference, maybe a 10% difference.
Joe Winger:
Ironclad Distillery is in Newport News, Virginia. The bed and breakfast Ironclad Inn is in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
For most people when we think of bourbon, we don’t always think of Virginia as the first choice. What would surprise us most about coming down to Virginia for a bourbon tasting and staying the night?
Ironclad Distillery
Owen King:
If you’re coming down to Virginia, you have to remember Virginia is the birthplace of American spirits. The first place spirits were made in the new colonies, in the new world, was here in Virginia.
The first corn liquor which would eventually become bourbon, was made in Virginia.
You can also talk about Elijah Craig, who was from Fairfax County, Virginia, before he moved out to Kentucky.
On top of that, Kentucky wasn’t a state until 1793. Evan Williams was doing distillation in 1783, and at that point Kentucky was still Virginia.
The birthplace of bourbon is right here in Virginia.
I’ve been to Kentucky a lot. They talk about the birthplace of bourbon being there in Kentucky.
Maybe the territory it’s in was Kentucky, but it was still Virginia at the time.
Whenever someone comes by, I can tell them the history of actual bourbon, where you’re gonna get the whole story, not just the fantasized story that you get in Kentucky.
Joe Winger:
I’m incredibly glad you just shared that.
Let’s talk about The Ironclad Bed and Breakfast now. The bourbon tasting room, the event space.
Owen King:
We wanted to spread our bourbon out around the state. We’ve always really liked Fredericksburg. It’s a beautiful town. It’s got a ton of history to it.
Nothing goes better with bourbon than a good story.
So we can always tell our history while drinking. So with our bed and breakfast, we looked at what the bigger guys were doing. A lot of them were starting to have these places where you could stay [the night] and get an experience to go along with it.
We really wanted to spread our Ironclad experience.
We have a tasting room. It’s beautifully decorated by my sister. We’ve got a bottle shop where you can pick up pretty much every one of our bourbons that are available. We’ve got a bar so you can try it from our seasonal cocktail menus where we change it five times a year.
We have a winter, a fall, a spring, summer [menu].Then a holiday menu as well.
No matter what time of year you’re there, you’re trying something that’s going to go well seasonally.
Everyone likes seasonal drinks. You don’t want to drink in the fall, what you’d drink in the summer.
We always have an old fashioned and it’s a damn good old fashioned.
Then we also have an event space. We have weddings. We’ve had 50th birthday parties.
Ironclad Inn wedding and special events
We’ve had any event that you want to tie into with our bourbon or just if you want a beautiful event space in a building that was built in 1793 we have that as a great option.
It’s a really cool spot that you can go and see and experience.
It’s something we want to share, our love for bourbon with everyone.
Whether you’re here in Newport News or in Fredericksburg, you’ll get a King family member there to tell you our story and tell you all about our bourbon and show you around.
Ironclad Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Joe Winger:
Outstanding. Let’s get to the tasty part now. You have several amazing bottles. When someone comes to your tasting room this weekend, what should they be looking forward to?
Owen King:
We do a few bottle releases that are once a year for us. One of my favorites.
A five year, three barrel blend of three 30 gallon barrels. Bottle of Bond.
The history alone is one of my favorite things to talk about. In 1897 the federal government stepped in because there was people dying from drinking bad whiskey.
They stepped in to “certify” everything in there.
“If you bottle it at four years old and at 100 proof, we will claim that this is a bottle and bond bourbon certified” by the federal government that it is safe to drink.
That story alone is one of my favorites of bourbon lore.
We just want to make sure that we do that every year that we can.
It’s absolutely one of my favorite bourbons. It’s our four grain mash bill. 70% corn 10% wheat, 10% rye, 10% malted barley.
So with the corn and the wheat, it adds a nice sweetness to it. But then the rye is there to kind of balance that whole thing out. Before it gets [to be] a very sweet bourbon, it balances out, a little baking spice, maybe even some clove, maybe a little black pepper.
It balances it out to be a nice, rounded bourbon.
Ironclad Sweeter Creations Maple Syrup Cask
Joe Winger:
Let’s move on to your Maple Syrup Cask.
Owen King:
Absolutely delicious. But this is a cast finish, not a flavored bourbon. So we’re not adding maple syrup to it. People who drink it might think it’s going to be super sweet and not going to like it. Because they don’t like maple syrup.
This is my version of drinking maple syrup responsibly and not getting diabetes.
After we empty our barrels, we give them to a maple syrup producer in upstate New York. He’ll age his maple syrup using our bourbon barrels.
By doing that through transference, there’s about a gallon of bourbon stuck in the staves of the wood. So when he puts a new liquid in there, that maple syrup is going to absorb into the wood and that bourbon is going to come back out.
Now his maple syrup is picking up that beautiful bourbon flavor and we are picking up all that maple syrup flavor into the wood.
When he brings those barrels back down to us, we put our aged bourbon back in there and we let him finish in there for about three to six months.
After we take the bourbon out, it’s now got this beautiful, mild sweetness, but it’s got that hint of maple syrup at the end.
I always say, I don’t want it to be maple syrup with a hint of bourbon. I want it to be bourbon with a hint of maple syrup, which I think it absolutely is.
Ironclad Missouri Toasted Oak Cask
Joe Winger:
The maple syrup is so subtle, almost a tertiary flavor to it.
Moving on to the Missouri Toasted Oak Cask.
Owen King:
This is a double oak bourbon. With double oaking, what you’re going to do is exactly how it sounds.
You’re going to go from one new charred oak barrel. But instead of a second new charred oak barrel, we’re going to go to a lightly toasted barrel.
So my analogy for this is you’re sitting at a campfire and you’ve got a marshmallow. You’re roasting your marshmallow over the flame and it gets burnt. It catches on fire. So now you’ve got that roasted marshmallow where you’re still gonna eat it because it’s a roasted marshmallow.
So you eat it and it’s still sweet. But it’s got that sort of maybe a bitter acrid note just cause you burnt those sugars. You haven’t toasted them.
Now you take another marshmallow. You’re a little more patient this time. You’re going to stick it down in the coals and you’ll slowly rotate it until you’ve got that perfectly golden brown marshmallow.
When you taste it, it’s now twice as sweet because you just caramelize those sugars as opposed to burning them.
It’s the same with a charred oak barrel to a toasted oak barrel. With that charring of those oaks, you’re gonna you’re still gonna have that sweetness. We’re amplifying that sweetness with the toasting of the oak.
With this one you get those softer vanilla flavors like toasted marshmallow. You get a cookie dough flavor, maybe it’s raw cookie dough without the chocolate chips.
Joe Winger:
That’s amazing. mmIs there an extra bottle when I come down there, I’m in the tasting room, another good bottle we should ask for?
Owen King:
Another one that we have right now that is a very limited run. Very small release is our blueberry mead cask finish.
We give our barrels to a meadery in Williamsburg, Virginia and they make this blueberry honey mead. So now they have this bourbon barrel aged blueberry mead. And when they’re done with them, they give them back to us.
You’re not necessarily overwhelmed with [a] heavy blueberry flavor but it opens up to this really nice fruitiness and then like a fermented honey flavor on the front end.
It’s so unique, but it’s great neat on the rocks.
Joe Winger:
If we come down for the weekend, we visit the distillery in Newport News. What’s a tour like?
Owen King:
If people aren’t the biggest bourbon drinker, I want you to walk away saying, “Okay, I found something that is made with bourbon that I like.”
We are a distillery that only makes bourbon.
I want to make sure that everyone who comes here has something they can enjoy. This isn’t an uppity bourbon bar.
I want someone to come and be able to say, I’m not the biggest bourbon fan. What kind of cocktails do you have?” We always have a cocktail on every single menu that’s open for everyone.
Everyone’s going to love it and whether you’re a big bourbon fan or not. We just really want to be accommodating. We want to be a fun place for everyone to hang out.
We want to tell our story, the history of the Ironclad ships. Go through our distillery tour, we’ll show you that. If you want to know the history of Fredericksburg, or the history of What the bed and breakfast is we’ll tell you that.
Nothing pairs better with bourbon than a good story. And we really care about spreading that word.
Joe Winger:
Whether it’s a romantic getaway, a weekend getaway, why choose your bed and breakfast instead of a hotel?
Owen King:
While we’ve only had it a short time. But we’ve been adding things here and there. You’re going to get a fresh orange juice in the morning, made with the oranges that we used for our old fashions [last night].
We have our barrel aged maple syrup for your pancakes. So you’re going to have that maple syrup with a hint of bourbon.
Ironclad Inn
We really drive home that it’s a bed breakfast and bourbon experience. Get immersed in the bourbon culture. That’s our goal.
Joe Winger:
Any favorite bourbon and food pairings?
Owen King:
Bourbon’s wonderful for food pairings.
We’ve gone from pasta pairings to pizza pairings. Anything that’s fatty is a perfect pairing. Pork belly with a cherry reduction over top of it with one of our bourbons straight
We have this bourbon cream, Buzz’s Bourbon Cream, where it’s made with our small batch bourbon that’s infused with coffee beans, cacao nibs, and vanilla beans. That one over vanilla ice cream is perfection.
You’re adding a little booze, some coffee, a little bit of chocolate.
You take a bite and all of a sudden you had three scoops and it’s gone 30 seconds later.
Joe Winger:
What’s the best way to learn more about Ironclad Distillery and Ironclad Inn?
Owen King:
We have our website at ironcladdistillery.com. All of our social media Facebook and Instagram.
