Slide Show: Free Bourbon, Drinky Journos, and Product Placement at the Maker’s 46 Launch Party
The product in question
The party took place at Daniel’s Broiler, a steak and chops staple in B-vue.
Bartender Jeane Franklin
Jenise Silva and Michael Nank (of the Examiner) came out from Queen Anne to taste the new libation.
Editor-in-chief of Mutineer Magazine, Alan Kropf, came up from Los Angeles with some fellow Mutineers to try the new Makers 46.
Bartender Dylan Fitzgerald makes a line of Manhattans for the thirsty crowd using Daniel’s Broiler’s homemade bitters.
The bartender pours a Smash, a light, citrus concoction refreshing on a summer’s eve. We had four each. Just kidding.
Head chef for Daniel’s Broiler Mike Dremann stopped by the party to check out his kitchen’s handiwork.
Free food! The flowing bourbon helped wash down gulpables such as crispy fried artichoke hearts, stuffed mushrooms, smoked salmon, and fresh fruit.
Restaurateur Bill Thomas, of the Brown Lantern Alehouse, drove more than two hours from Anacortes to sample the new product. Wonder who drove him back….
Perks of the job: Sarah Cortes of the Stranger and her husband Michael Hewson enjoy the free bourbon and good eats.
Matt Moses of Rockstar Energy Drink (yeah, he was pretty perky) and Scott Carlton, the marketing guru for Seattle-based indie label Tooth and Nail Records, sipped on a Brooklyn and a Manhattan, respectively.
Distillery Diplomat (his words, not ours) Cody Rossen told the crowd that "the bourbon market had been fielding questions for years about a new product, but last December we found a taste we were proud of." Tasted pretty good to us, too.
The evening capped off with each attendee throwing back a shot of Maker’s 46. And yet somehow, no one ended up dancing on the bar.
Ye Olde Product Placement: Daniel’s Broiler displays a bottle of the flagship Maker’s Mark, autographed by the founder’s son Bill Samuels.
