Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/68310
seminar at NYC's famed PKNY Tiki Bar that demonstrates what Paul calls the "tiki conundrum," or the way in which modern mixologists take a fresh take on classic tiki escapism. Sailor Jerry helps keep tiki culture alive and well, and Paul Monahan is a true enthusiast. "Tiki is a part of every bartender's background, whether they know it or not," he says. When Rachel officially joined the Sailor Jerry ranks a few years later, she still had that trusty Airstream and began to bring it with her to Sailor Jerry events. "Sailor Jerry would spon- sor a concert, or a music festival, and I'd have the Airstream backstage, so we'd interview the bands on it. It was this magical fun thing, and as I sent pictures back to the New York office, they loved it. So we bought six Airstreams to use across the country, and now they're buying them all over the world. A lot of times, these ideas are born in boardrooms— but this actually happened," says Rachel. "I lived this." Boston-native Paul found his own path to Sailor Jerry, by way of degrees in Business and years creating innovative beverage programs along the Eastern Seaboard. "My priority has always been putting liquid to lips," quips Paul, whose experience behind the stick makes him an ideal liaison to the trade. As such, he hosted a variety of Salior Jerry events at last month's Manhattan Cocktail Classic, including an event at a butcher shop where guests could get a Sailor Jerry tattoo with a side of cured meat, and a 106 / the tasting panel / june 2012 As Paul waxes poetic about the nuances of tiki culture and its evolution in this digital age, it's clear that this is a passion point for him. But Airstreams, tattoos and tiki are only part of the pic- ture for the Sailor Jerry Ambassadors. "It's so important to gain advocacy with the right bartenders," says Paul, "and that's not just the guys with tattoos working in dive bars. You can walk into a four-star restaurant and they'll feature Sailor Jerry in a great cocktail, and that's because the bartender enjoys the liquid. The most interesting accounts are the ones you expect least." While Paul brings Sailor Jerry to all types of trade, Rachel helps the brand stay true to its musical roots, bringing her signature Airstream to all kinds of concerts and festivals. At this year's Coachella, one of the biggest music events of the year, Rachel and Sailor Jerry turned up the volume on the brand's devil-may-care attitude with a bit of an "Anti-Coachella," an eleven- day long free music event hosted at Dillon Roadhouse in Palm Desert, mere miles away geographically from Coachella, but lightyears away in terms of attitude. "It was a magical week," says Rachel, a dreamy reminiscence in her eye. "It was just so genuine. It was Meet the Sailor "Sailors have been drinking rum since the days of the spice trade," says Paul Monahan, East Coast Brand Ambassador for Sailor Jerry rum, although he admits the grog the seafarers tippled back then "was over- proof and medicinal." Although today's Sailor rum evokes the nautical tradition of category, the liquid in the bottle couldn't be more different. Made from a blend of Caribbean-distilled rum, Sailor Jerry offers creamy vanilla, and mingles with warm- ing cinnamon and clove spices. The man, the myth, the . . . rum? A photo of Norman Collins looks on at his namesake rum. With lovely complexity, Sailor Jerry has become a darling among bartenders, who respond to its intriguing character by developing mixology-focused cocktails for the brand. At Cole's in Downtown Los Angeles, D. Max Maxey mixes up a Sailor Jerry Old Fashioned, calling it "an awesome way to switch- up a classic," while West Coast Brand Ambassador Rachel Furman looks on. like the olden days of Sailor Jerry, back in the beginning in Philadelphia, and it felt really good to do that, and see that after all this time and success, the brand hasn't lost touch of its roots." But Sailor Jerry is more than just a 13-year-old brand. Its roots travel back to Hotel Street in Honolulu, where Norman Collins inked homebound sailors with beautiful tattoos that would become iconic. There, one of Norman Collins's most popular tattoos was a nautical star, symbolic of the North Star historically used by sailors in naviga- tion. Nearly a century after Collins' birth, his namesake spirit has the benefit of two walking, talking North Stars of their own in Rachel Furman and Paul Monahan, Ambassadors whose dedication to the brand and lifestyle it represents will continue to steer the sailor into smooth seas. PHOTO: DANIEL GONZALEZ CREDIT: PHOTO: JIMMY P. PHOTO: DAN GONZALEZ