The Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey is actively seeking veterans of the United States armed forces who continue to serve their fellow countrymen and women……but now it’s their favorite cocktails. The Irish Whiskey named after the famed 69th Infantry Regiment is putting together a recipe book featuring cocktails submitted by amateur cocktail mixers who have served in the US military with the best submission winning a free trip to New York City for the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Since 1851 the 69th Infantry Regiment has been the lead unit in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Officers of the unit kick off their responsibilities that day by raising a glass of Irish whiskey with a traditional toast “To the regiment!”
According to Scott Reid, chief marketing officer for The Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey, the cocktail competition in part of the brand’s on-going outreach to active-duty and retired military personnel.
“From the brand’s introduction in 2019, an underlying mission of Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey has been the recognition of and support for the active duty, reserve, national guard and veterans of the United States armed forces. The whiskey is produced in conjunction with the 69th Infantry Regiment Historical Trust and a portion of the sale of each bottle sold benefits the trust as well as philanthropic activities on behalf of the Regiment’s veterans and families,” Reid said.
Cocktail recipes submitted should include Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey as an ingredient and be sent to Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey Book of Cocktails at the whiskey’s website (Fighting69thWhiskey.com/veterans). The cocktails will be sampled by a panel of judges and those selected included in the Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey Book of Cocktails to be published in 2022. The military veteran mixologist submitting the best cocktail will win a trip for two to New York City for the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day parade including airfare, lodging for three nights, ground transportation and a meal and entertainment allowance.
“Given the military background of the veterans and the fact that a key ingredient is Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey, we anticipate some spirited entries – pun intended – along the lines of the regiment’s motto: Gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked,” Reid said.
Reid added that those submitting a cocktail recipe should also include biographical information regarding their service in the military including branch, rank upon discharge, duty stations and fondest memory.
Judges for the competition will include Reid, Chris Leskowicz, master blender for Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey, Col. James P. Tierney, U.S. Army (retired) 69th Infantry Regiment and Tim Laird, America’s CEO (Chief Entertaining Officer) a national spirits and entertaining authority. The winning cocktail will be announced February 15, 2022.
The Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey Cocktail Competition is open to veterans of the United States armed forces who are amateur mixologists. Professional bartenders are not eligible for the prize due to legal restrictions.
Distilled, aged and bottled in Ireland, The Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey is triple distilled in copper pot stills and cask aged in once-used bourbon and sherry barrels on Ireland’s southern coast.
Describing the taste of the whiskey, Reid noted that it is medium bodied and bright and lively on the palate with a smooth and complex finish that allows for a delightful experience.
The 69th Infantry Regiment has a long and storied history. Seven of its members have received the Medal of Honor. Its wartime exploits have been memorialized in books and popular culture including the 1940 Warner Brothers movie “The Fighting 69th” staring James Cagney and Pat O’Brien. Among the more famous members of the unit are William J. “Wild Bill” Donovan who went on to establish the Office of Strategic Services – the precursor of the CIA – during World War II; Joyce Kilmer, the American writer and poet; and Father Francis Patrick Duffy (Fearless Father Duffy) whose statue is in Times Square; and Thomas Francis Meagher, an Irish patriot who migrated to the United States and became a brigadier general in the Union Army and led the Irish Brigade through some of the fiercest battles of the Civil War including Antietam, Fredricksburg and Chancellorsville.
About the 69th Infantry Regiment
The 69th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. It is from New York City, part of the New York Army National Guard. It is known as the “Fighting Sixty-Ninth”, a name said to have been given by Robert E. Lee during the Civil War. An Irish heritage unit, as the citation from poet Joyce Kilmer illustrates, this unit is also nicknamed the “Fighting Irish”, immortalized in Joyce Kilmer’s poem When the 69th Comes Home. Between 1917 and 1963 it was also designated as the 165th Infantry Regiment. It is headquartered at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan.
The regiment currently consists of a single light infantry battalion (1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment) and is part of the 27th Infantry Brigade of the 42nd Infantry Division. The Regiments’ history dates back to 1849, when it was created as the 9th Regiment New York State Militia. Company “A”, 1/69 traces lineage back to the American Revolution as one of several National Guard units with colonial roots. The regiment has seen combat in: the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Iraq War. Additionally, over 300 unit members fought with other units in Afghanistan. It also activated in 1898 for the Spanish American War and in 1916 for the Mexican Border Campaign. It has received so many Unit Citations, once recognized with silver rings, that the staff of its regimental colors is authorized to be one foot longer than normal to accommodate them all. The 69th self-activated on 9/11/2001 in response to the World Trade Center attack and was the first military unit on site. It was eventually put on official orders. October 29, 2019 marked the 15th anniversary of the 69th “going over the berm” as Task Force Wolfhound from Kuwait into Iraq for a year-long deployment in country.
About The Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey
The Fighting 69th Irish Whiskey was introduced to America in November of 2019. The brand donates $1 for every bottle sold to the Sixty-Ninth Regiment Historical Trust, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) foundation. Find our whiskey in 25 states nationwide and online. To find a location near you, visit the “where to buy” section at Fighting69thWhiskey.com
For More Information:
https://fighting69thwhiskey.com/veterans