The Tasting Panel magazine

June 2012

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A lot of times, these ideas are born in board- rooms—but this actually happened. I lived this." "We're a true lifestyle brand," explains Rachel Furman. As we sit in a dark corner booth at Downtown Los Angeles's historic French dip/ cocktail haven, Cole's, Rachel describes the variety of Sailor Jerry enthusiasts she encounters in her day-to-day life as the West Coast Brand Ambassador for the brand named after 1950s tattoo icon Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins: "We're working with the guy who builds classic cars by hand, the guy who rides classic motorcycles, the butchers who work in the old school, classic way. We don't hire promo models—we hire people who are in this culture and live their lives like this. We never have to teach them who Norman Collins is. These are the people who embody the brand, and there's a level of authenticity to that. This culture is real; it is happening and being created everywhere Sailor Jerry goes." With a consumer base so thoroughly enmeshed with Sailor Jerry's retro "rebel with- out a cause attitude," it's no surprise that Rachel and her East Coast counterpart, Paul Monahan, walk the walk and talk the talk as they represent the Sailor Jerry brand on trade and consumer levels, always with a retro, rocking and tatted-up vibe intact. Tattoo-, skateboarding- and motorcycle-loving Paul admits, "Sailor Jerry represents a lifestyle that Rachel and I live day in and day out. We live the lifestyle of Sailor Jerry, so most days, this doesn't even feel like a job. It's effortless." Paul Monahan is a fittingly tattooed Ambassador for Sailor Jerry. "We respect the tat- too culture and embrace it, but the Sailor Jerry attitude is really all about being innovative, sticking to your guns and believing in yourself." Effortless, organic and authentic are key words with this brand, surfacing over and over again as I speak with both Brand Ambassadors. As Rachel recounts the tale of how she became involved with Sailor Jerry, it's clear that this too was a natural progression. While living in Philadelphia, where the brand was born in 1999, Rachel (who'd been running a successful Philly-based lifestyle website at the time) was introduced to it Paul Monahan, East Coast Brand Ambassador for Sailor Jerry, loves that his job allows him to explore his passions— but the life of a Brand Ambassador can be tough: "Since I started this job almost a year ago, there have been very few weeks where I've spent more than one week in the same bed," he says with a laugh. and its founders via the nightlife and music circuits. Originally founded as a clothing line depicting old-school tattoos, Sailor Jerry began to bottle and sell its now-famous spiced rum, giving bottles to local bands before they hit the road on tour. "Suddenly," Rachel says, "Sailor Jerry Rum began popping up in dive bars and music venues across the country." Rachel, a self-proclaimed music-lover, quickly became a fan of the rum that represented the mid-century Norman Collins attitude, and helped out at a few local events while running her website on the side. But one day, she'd had enough. "I just needed to get out there and drive for a while," she reminisces fondly. "I was craving the open road, so on a whim, I bought a 1973 Airstream trailer on eBay. I traded in my Jetta for a Ford F150, gave up my apartment and drove across country for three months. I saw the craziest things, found the coolest dive bars and blues bars in the middle of nowhere, and I just really fell in love with this culture of exploration and adventure." june 2012 / the tasting panel / 105 PHOTO: DANIEL GONZALEZ

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