Sips & Sites & Bites

Thanks to this being a leap year, St. Patrick’s Day won’t fall on a Saturday.

But the makers at Jameson Irish Whiskey want to rectify that with a completely made-up new holiday, Jameson St. Patrick’s Eve. Slated for Saturday, March 16th, Jameson is helping revelers prepare for the occasion, from limited-edition St. Patrick’s Eve jackets to smooth cocktails to a chance to join a Jameson-ified St. Patrick’s Eve countdown live in Times Square.

Jameson has tapped comedians Colin Jost and Michael Che to help ring in St. Patrick’s Eve.

“Our Must be a Jameson campaign honors a community anchored by their shared lighthearted spirit,” said Johan Radojewski, with Jameson Irish Whiskey, “So when Leap Year skipped over a Saturday St. Patrick’s Day, we did exactly what a Jameson would do: we created a completely new holiday so people can start celebrating St. Patrick’s Day a little early.

He said they teamed up with Colin Jost and Michael Che to help “seize this moment and encourage everyone to embrace St. Patrick’s Eve, because they’re a duo who appreciates a smooth Irish Whiskey, good company and a brand-new holiday – just like any Jameson would.”

Jost and Che star in a series of videos depicting how frustrating it is to have Leap Year steal a Saturday St. Patrick’s Day. “I don’t believe in leap years,” said Jost. “Which is why I’m several days late for every appointment. But for all you sheep who trust Big Calendar and think February ‘sometimes’ has an extra day, we’ve gotten you off the hook by inventing a new holiday, St. Patrick’s Eve. And like I keep yelling at my family and therapist, ‘This isn’t just an excuse to party on Saturday as well as Sunday. It’s a real holiday.’”

Michael Che is also on board, making this Jameson partnership the first joint brand deal for the close pair. “Colin is also probably a little relieved we’re going to spend a Saturday night ringing in St. Patrick’s Eve with Jameson, instead of reading the jokes I write for him.”

Jameson is taking over Times Square on Saturday, March 16th and whiskey enthusiasts can visit JamesonSPE.com to enter for a chance to score a spot on the guest list for Jameson St. Patrick’s Eve celebration in New York City, co-hosted by Jost and Che, featuring a surprise DJ performance and a can’t-miss, first-of-its-kind ‘rock drop’ – a Jameson version of the famous Times Square ball drop – at 8 p.m. ET (aka midnight in Ireland) to mark the occasion.

To further spread the St. Patrick’s Eve spirit from coast-to-coast, Jameson will also light up the exterior of Sphere in Las Vegas, known as the Exosphere in Jameson green; wrap the ferries and water taxis in the dyed-green Chicago River and have a complete digital takeover at L.A. Live – all marking the new holiday.

Jameson is releasing limited-edition, vintage-inspired jackets at JamesonSPE.com. The design includes a hidden pocket inside the jacket to perfectly hold a Jameson hip flask that comes with the order, as well as luxe patches signature to the iconic Irish Whiskey brand. The Jameson St. Patrick’s Eve jacket will retail for $150 plus tax with free shipping in the continental U.S., and 50-jacket drops will take place weekly through March 12. All proceeds will benefit the Restaurant Workers’ Community Fund (RWCF), a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for food and beverage service industry workers, continuing the brand’s long-standing partnership with the organization to support its bartending community.

For more details about Jameson St. Patrick’s Eve festivities or for St. Patrick’s Eve cocktail ideas, check out JamesonSPE.com or socially @Jameson_US.