Oct. 20, 2020

This paid piece is sponsored by JJ’s Wine, Spirits & Cigars.

 Only a true entrepreneur would see a milestone birthday as a chance to mark the occasion at work.

But when you run a mom-and-pop business, well, you’re generally always at work anyway, so why not?

And owner Tom Slattery has known for most of his 50 years that it comes with the territory.

“When you’re an independent, locally owned business, it generally functions best when you’re in the business,” said Tom, who has been in the adult-beverage industry almost 30 of his 50 years.

“Even at 50, you don’t stop learning, and Jean and I have learned in a big way this year what it means to adapt with change and how as literally mom-and-pop owners, it’s critical that we be as present in the business as possible. I guess you could say the more we stayed home during the pandemic, the clearer it became how much we needed to be at work. So you’ll be seeing us here more often, and we hope you take advantage of what we have in store for you this week and for the foreseeable future.”

But enough reflection. How about some retro? Like this priceless photo of Tom on the right, circa 1979.

Go ahead, share it with your friends. We’ll wait.

OK, so back to the fun. Tom has been marking this milestone birthday all month. The big Case Wine Sale wraps up Saturday with these great values by the case:

• Rombauer Chardonnay: $360 for a case of 12 bottles ($30/bottle) – list price is $49.99/bottle.
• Rombauer Zinfandel: $348 for a case of 12 bottles ($29/bottle) – list price is $45.99/bottle.
• Ferrari Carano Chardonnay: $216 for a case of 12 bottles ($18/bottle) – list price is $27.49/bottle.
• LaMarca Prosecco: $144 plus tax for a case of 12 bottles ($12/bottle) – list price $18.69/bottle.
• Juggernaut Cabernet: $198 plus tax for a case of 12 bottles ($16.50/bottle) – list price $23.69/bottle.
• Meiomi Pinot Noir: $216 plus tax for a case of 12 bottles ($18/bottle) – list price $27.49/bottle.

In addition, JJ’s is offering 30 percent off list price for every “single bottle” item in the store.

“This deal is the normal 12-item case discount, but we thought it would be fun to give folks a weeklong opportunity to reach for the top shelf and save a little dough,” Slattery said.

Thursday Throw Down at JJ’s Axes & Ales

Tom’s birthday week is an ideal time to debut a new monthly event at JJ’s Axes & Ales, located across the parking lot from JJ’s Wine, Spirits & Cigars.

Thursday Throw Down is a partnership with Old Forester Distilling Co. featuring the chance to win big and enjoy Old Forester bourbon cocktails and tastings.

Click the article below for details, and then swing by and throw some axes! Or just swing by for a cocktail and listen to some live DJ music with JJ’s friend CJ from Sounds by CJ.

“Not many places you can go throw axes, drink some bourbon and get a chance to win some serious cash,” Slattery said.

Thursday Throw Downs: Axes, Old Forester Bourbon, chance to win big

Birthday brisket, cake, ice cream & beer

Tom loves the entire JJ’s menu, but he is a big fan of the brisket. So end your week at The 3.0 Bar with a BridgeView Brisket Plate this Friday starting at 4 p.m. until it’s gone.

Each week, Tom lays about 60 pounds of brisket down for a long smoke on mesquite, pecan and hickory. Seasoned with a special rub, smoked for about 12 hours and allowed to rest for at least three hours before slicing, the meat is succulent, flavorful and delicious.

It is served with Chef Kaleb’s smoked corn bread and bourbon butter, coleslaw and a lot of love.

Oh, and do not forget Fresh Beer Friday. JJ’s will have new kegs on tap, plus all growler fills are 30 percent off list price and so are single bottles and bombers – for JJ’s VIPs only. Visit the draft beer page to see what’s on tap. 

“We will be releasing a new birthday beer to mark the occasion. Hero Franchise Barrel Aged Stout from WoodGrain Brewing has been resting in a JJ’s Elijah Craig barrel for a few months, just for this occasion! It will be available in glasses and in growlers. It will also be available in a cake and in ice cream from The Boozy Bakery,” Tom said.

“Jean got the first couple of draws off the barrel, which are ideal for baking as they are thick and syrupy.”

With this, The Boozy Bakery made a chocolate stout cake with stout ganache. Jean also made a Truly Boozy chocolate stout ice cream with burnt caramel and stout ganache swirl, and then loaded it with bits of chocolate brownie.

“Tom wanted ice cream and cake for his birthday, so this worked out perfect!” Jean added.

Weekend festivities

And what is a birthday celebration without a little live music? The 3.0 Bar will host a trio of local musicians from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Elisabeth Hunstad, Julie Eddy and Micah Wetzel will be doing an all-request show both nights.

“We are working on some pandemic-friendly cold-mitigation efforts so that we can keep the patio doors open and space everyone out,” Tom said. “It may not be perfect, but fortunately we have whiskey, wine, beer and really good food to keep you warm as well.”

No gifts – just give back. And maybe stop in.

One of the best parts about being a mom-and-pop business is being able to give back to the community. Tom and Jean are longtime supporters of the Ronald McDonald House, and this year, JJ’s own Dylan Baker, chief axe-pert at JJ’s Axes & Ales, is one of the volunteers for the Kilts for Kids fundraiser.

You can donate to Dylan’s effort by visiting his page – or book ax-throwing time and donate in person! Ask for “Kilted Dylan” when you book your cage time!

Dylan, along with all of the rest of the Kilted crew, will be at JJ’s on Friday celebrating the end of the fundraising contest. In all, the Kilts for Kids fundraiser will have accumulated well over $100,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities.

And, of course, Tom’s customers are among the best gifts of all. So stop in and throw the 50-year-old a little birthday business. After all, recasting 2020 as “The Year Tom Turned 50” must be an improvement on it, right?