What does your job as global brand ambassador for spiced rum brand Sailor Jerry entail?
The job title of global brand ambassador is very strange — it’s not something that you write down in your fifth grade yearbook when they ask what you’re going to be. Essentially, I motivate, inspire and educate all different types of audiences on Sailor Jerry. Day-to-day, I run around, hop on flights and travel to a city for three days, meeting a lot of interesting people.
What might surprise people to know about your job?
That it is a very unforgiving job — 270 days on the road [each year] and 80% of those days are spent in countries that don’t speak English as a primary language. Your body and brain get worn down. But at the end of the day, wherever I go and whenever I leave, I need to make sure I gave everyone an overwhelmingly positive experience of myself and hopefully Sailor Jerry Spiced.
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What do you enjoy most about being a brand ambassador?
Besides having the opportunity to be fully immersed in diverse cultures around the world, I’d say observing and studying nightlife, and how people choose to consume the spirits that they do. I’ve always had a passion for understanding why progressive and regressive food and wine cultures drink what they drink, how they drink it, and what influences this. Maybe it comes from my nightclub and hotel background, but the idea of understanding and predicting trends has always pushed me to keep learning.
How did you first become interested in rum?
I moved to LA a few years ago and really got into 1950s culture and that’s where ‘Tiki culture’ started, in Southern California. Tiki drinks are what we see at bars, whether it’s ladies’ night or a rum night, and they are a vessel or element of tiki culture, which is all about seeking an escape and hedonism. People were looking for this in the 1950s, in the post World War Two era, and many people wanted a more liberal lifestyle around this time.
What are the biggest markets for Sailor Jerry?
The UK, Australia, Canada and the US. We’ve been in Dubai for two years and we have seen some great growth, which is why they ask me to come here and talk to people about it.
What have been your career highlights so far?
My 2012 Wine Enthusiasts Magazine nomination for Best Mixologist/Brand Ambassador, surfing four out of the five major oceans, and making everyone laugh.
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