September usually marks the start of school, football, and fall leaves. It also holds a date in our nation's history that drastically changed our lives and lifestyle forever. The day is now called "Patriot Day" and 2020 marks the 19th year since the hideous terrorist attack on American soil.
Admittedly, it was 9/11 when I truly realized the magnitude of bravery and selflessness our firefighters and first responders (I'm including law enforcement here) not just in NYC but across the United States.
In 2009 my family and I moved into Colorado Springs and our firefighter friends introduced us to the Fallen Firefighter Memorial always held the weekend after Patriot Day.
Locals may not know too much about the memorial beyond the extremely busy downtown area with crowded restaurants, bars, and hotels. Maybe they hit traffic or a detour caused by a long parade of motorcycles and fire engines. Perhaps you heard a blip about it from someone else or on the news. And if you have been fortunate enough (odd word to use, but it is the best way to say it) to attend the memorial and hear the reading of the names of the fallen firefighters who have given the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty across Canada and the United States, then you know the somber potency of the event. Our military families and service people can comprehend and relate.
We at 1350 Distilling have attended numerous Fallen Firefighter Memorials over the past ten years. We have never known a single name announced and never left with a dry eye or a lack of appreciation or respect for these men and women.
The summers of 2012 and 2013 the Waldo Canyon Fire and Black Forest Fire further magnified our and our communities appreciation and respect. Currently Colorado and other parts of our nation are relying on the continued expertise and bravery of our fire departments.
Last year we had just opened and one of our soft-opening events was to host visiting fire fighters from Tucson, AZ, and Las Vegas, NV during the memorial weekend. We made the first batch of our Cinnamon Bourbon for the memorial. It has been a house favorite ever since. We planned the release of the same spirit in bottles for this year's memorial.
In two weekends from now, our downtown, bars, restaurants, and hotels will not be nearly as full as usual for the season. There will be no parade. The memorial will be a virtual ceremony.
1350 Distilling is not stopping though. We are still releasing our newest bottled spirit dedicated to first responders and firefighters. The same spirit we introduced last year now has a name, a label, and a bottle: It is the Five Alarm Cinnamon Fire Bourbon. It can be pre-ordered starting today online for pick-up only at our Taste Lounge on Patriot Day, Friday, September 11, 2020. Please tell your friends.
Similar to last year, we are pledging 13.50% of every bottle of Five Alarm Cinnamon Fire Bourbon sold to the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Fund. If you would like to make a direct donation, the link is here.
We "Celebrate the American Spirit of our military and their loved ones, one drink at a time." and at this time we also Celebrate the American Spirit of the 245 Fallen Firefighter Memorial's Honorees.
Here's to the Honorees! Thank you!
About the Spirit
1350 Distilling’s Five Alarm Bourbon is a three-year barrel-aged 99% corn bourbon. We proof it down with great tasting Rocky Mountain water and infuse spicy hot cinnamon to make a healthy and great-tasting cinnamon bourbon. No additives, sugars, syrups, or other nasty stuff!
The fire alarm code system is a simple way for fire departments to communicate the severity and resource requirements of each fire as determined by the on-site commander. A “Five-Alarm” denotes the highest level of response and most dangerous of fires. Here’s to all of our first responders and firefighters!