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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Happy Palm Sunday and Easter!

Happy Passover!

With the coming of St. Patrick’s Day and Palm Sunday, it was always time for Tony Marts to open for the season with the massive hydrangea flowers that Tony Mart procured from Fisher Flowers. They were the biggest I’ve ever seen in my life!

We will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a very detailed and insightful discussion of Irish whiskeys and Irish cream liqueurs as well as cocktail recipes from our own wine goddess, Julia Stacey Reilly, who has provided the documentation we attach to this blast.

To celebrate the season we are announcing a major July spectacular for both the Beach in Somers Point and the Boardwalk in Atlantic City.

The New Orleans Dr. John and Meters Legacy Show will bring Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, George Porter, Jr to celebrate the heart of the summer July 22 and 24th in a super funky and exciting double concert featuring John “Papa” Gros tribute to Dr. John, a performance of some of his great new recordings and the George Porter, Jr tribute to both the Meters, one of the “Founders of Funk“ and The Runnin’ Pardners one of the hottest bands in the history of New Orleans music.

The week before, the always sensational and searing performance of the great John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band will be preceded at 7 PM on July 17 by our first concert ever with the widely popular, Dead Reckoning, who will present their “Barely Stoned” tribute to the Rolling Stones.

Imagine that - the Stones and the Cruisers in one tremendous celebration of our rock ‘n’ roll history at the unique and magical Legacy Concerts on the Beach in Somers Point: which we hope to have nominated again by USA Today for Best Outdoor Concerts in the Country!

There will be several more announcements including a major 90’s group of recording stars with mega hits in Somers Point; in addition to regional performers to round out the season.

In Atlantic City five time Grammy nominated Chicago Queen of the Blues, Shemekia Copeland, will perform on July 15 along with one of the hottest funk bands in the city of New Orleans, Soul Project Nola.

And it’s time for gumbo!

Jersey Gumbo and Louisiana Music Festival will take place Monday, July 13 at 3 PM at the Point Tiki Bar and Nightclub, 998 Bay Ave. on the historic Somers Point bayfront.

It’s always time for some good common sense and fine strategic planning with Richard Gerber. We will take time to examine all of the attributes that Richard brings to the table in free consultations.

• Long-term care planning
• Steady income blueprint
• Annuities for income or growth
• IRA and pension expertise
• Disability income protection
• Retirement planning
• Tax-smart income strategies
• Planning for market volatility

There is no better time than now to meet with Richard Gerber so call him at 609-653-9101.

There will be major announcements coming from Atlantic City in the next week or two so buckle up and get ready!

We may be talking about close to 30 free concerts between the two venues and we are diligently working to bring you the most amazing headline concerts for free anywhere at the Jersey Shore!

Let the Good Times Roll!

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with Irish Whiskey

By Julia Stacey Reilly

New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the world’s oldest and largest parades celebrating Irish heritage. The parade features marching bands with bagpipes, the police and fire department’s Emerald Societies, and hundreds of schools, cultural groups and community organizations.

Following the parade, the Irish bars were packed with patrons raising a pint of Guinness or a glass of Irish Mist.

Irish whiskey was one of the earliest distilled beverages, pioneered by monks around the 12th century. By the 19th century, Ireland emerged as a major whiskey distilling center and Irish whiskey was at its peak.

The Irish whiskey industry suffered major setbacks during the Irish War of Independence, the Irish Civil War, and Prohibition in the United States. By the mid-1970s only two distilleries remained.

From the late 1990s through the 2010s, Irish whiskey experienced a major resurgence and is now one of the fastest growing spirits in the world.

Recommended Irish Whiskeys

Budget-Friendly

• Proper No. Twelve – Smooth whiskey with notes of vanilla, honey, and toasted wood.
• West Cork IPA Cask Irish Whiskey – Notes of roasted malt, nuts, and sweet undertones.

Mid-Range

• The Quiet Man – Sweet, smoky and smooth with warmth and spice.
• Jameson Irish Whiskey
• Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel – Fuller body with notes of butterscotch and spice.

Unique

• Connemara Irish Peated Single Malt – Smoky flavor with sweet honeyed malt.
• Irish Mist – Whiskey liqueur with honey and spices.

Splurge

• Redbreast 12-Year
• Redbreast 15-Year
• Yellow Spot 12-Year
• Jameson 18-Year

Whiskey Cocktail Recipes

Whiskey Sour

• 2 oz Jameson Black Barrel
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1.5 oz simple syrup
• Lemon slice (optional)
• Maraschino cherry (optional)

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a glass. Garnish as desired.

Irish Mule

• 2 oz Quiet Man whiskey
• 5 oz ginger beer
• ½ oz fresh lime juice
• Lime wedge (optional)

Add ice to a mug, pour whiskey and lime juice, top with ginger beer and stir.

Irish Coffee

• 1 cup hot coffee
• 1.5 oz Irish Mist
• Half and half to taste

Froth half and half, add Irish Mist to coffee, and stir gently.

Tipperary Cocktail

• 1.5 oz Bushmills Irish Whiskey
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• ½ oz Green Chartreuse
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Orange twist (optional)

Shake lightly with ice and strain into a coupe glass.

Sláinte!

Julia Stacey Reilly is a published author and blogger. Her book Boozy Lifestyle is available on Amazon and her blog can be found at BoozyLifestyle.com. She is the official Tony Mart sommelier and has earned a WSET Award in Wines.