A Video Tour of Your Liquor Cabinet

By Nick Nemeth

Post-Tales, I had planned a multitude of postings regarding successful branding and whatnot for spirit companies… particularly during events like Tales of the Cocktail. However, for now I’m going to leave it at this — While events like the Plymouth Bartender’s Breakfast are among the favourites of nearly everyone in attendance, what’s the ROI for the brands? After dumping that much money into an event, do they actually connect with their customers? Do they convert many new sales? …Probably not

With the advance of social media tools like Youtube, brands have been able to broadcast their product’s imagery and messages to a more dedicated group of viewers, and are generating content that resonates with audiences. Of the many you can find online, below are just a few of my favourites.

1. Sailor Jerry – “The Old School Way” (2:12)
I was given a copy of this video a while back by my local Sailor Jerry rep, and it still remains one of my favourites. As of late, there’s been a bit of debate in some markets regarding Sailor Jerry’s “new school” recipe, which seems to contradict the image of honour, tradition, and backwoods / true to your nature of the brand portrayed below. Here in Ontario, we still enjoy the classic recipe, and either way, it’s still a fun video to watch.

Hori Smoku: Sailor Jerry Documentary

I know, I know- this documentary has been out for ages, but I finally got to see it last night. In a funny co-incidence, so did Bill Cohen, from the original Tattoosday! Either great minds think alike, or we’re both two halves of the same idiot.

Bill has already written his review of the documentary, and since I feel the same, I didn’t want to write some boring “I agree” post, so instead Bill has given permission to have some excerpts included here- thanks very much Bill!

Sailor Jerry on the Rooftop

Saturday night found me on a rooftop in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn watching the film Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry, a documentary about the legendary tattoo artists Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins.  

It was part of the Rooftop Films free festival, yet another amazing benefit of living in New York City. That and hearing a guy with a cowboy hat playing "Silent Night" on his harmonica on the subway in August.

Free Show! See Cheeseburger Live in Brooklyn

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum is proud to present a free screening of Hori Smoku: Sailor Jerry, a film about the life of American Tattoo artist Norman K. Collins. The screening will be followed by live performance by NYC rockers Cheeseburger.

Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry
Get "Stewed, Screwed and Tattooed" with a film about legendary tattoo artist Norman Collins

A riveting full-length documentary, Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry tells the story of the iconic American tattoo artist and the effect he had on the industry. With the same wide scope as "Dogtown and Z-Boys," the biopic looks at the rebellious life the tattoo artist led and his influence on the next generation of artists like Mike Malone, Don Ed Hardy and Philadelphia Eddy. As journalist and tattoo historian Nick Schonberger explains, "Often humorous, occasionally serious, the film covers important ground in the history of American tattooing—the life of Norman Collins. His exploration in color gave classic American tattoos a new look and helped bridge a gap between Eastern and Western tattoo traditions."