Jameson Irish Whiskey Hosted an exclusive St. Patrick’s Eve Celebration with SNL's Michael Che and Colin Jost with a featured performance by Anderson Paak
On the heels of the Jameson Irish Whiskey ‘Must be a Jameson campaign,’ Jameson celebrated their new holiday, St. Patrick’s Eve, because 'a Jameson' wouldn't let Leap Year get in the way of a good time. Celebrity talent, influencers, industry and VIPs gathered at Beast & Butterflies in Times Square at M Social hotel for an all-out green themed celebration. Leap Year stole what would have been the first proper Saturday St. Patrick’s Day in years, so Jameson declared a new unofficial holiday on Saturday, March 16 – St. Patrick’s Eve – teaming up with comedians Colin Jost and Michael Che to encourage revelers 21+ to officially celebrate on the best night of the week.
The night kicked off with sounds by DJ Jus Ske, a flow of themed appetizers and Jameson Irish Whiskey signature cocktails, plus their new Jameson RTD Orange Spritz, with a live viewing of the first-of-its-kind ‘rock drop’ - a version of the famous Times Square Ball drop ‘on the rocks” timed to midnight in Ireland (8pm Est) from the venue’s wrap around patio, to mark the Jameson St. Patrick’s Eve celebrations.
The exciting moment was followed by an incredible, animated full band show and DJ performance by Pee .Wee, aka Anderson Paak. Michael Che and Colin Jost hosted the evening, where they mingled with guests, introduced their pal Anderson’s performance on stage, led a whiskey toast with the crowd of partygoers, and even popped behind the bar to do some Jameson cocktail mixing. The duo certainly elevated the energy of the room, as guests then danced the night away at the lead of Pee .Wee, followed by a closing set by Jus Ske.
Notable guests at the Jameson St. Patrick’s Eve bash included Michael Che, Colin Jost, DJ Pee .Wee aka Anderson .Paak, Maxwell (music artist), DJ Jus Ske, Odelya Halevi (Law & Order), Lukas Gage (White Lotus/YOU), Leila George (Animal Kingdom), Ben Robson (Animal Kingdom), Jasper Polish (Animal Kingdom), Emily Alyn Lind (GhostBusters/Gossip Girl), Camille Kostek (Sports Illustrated Supermodel), Chiara Aurelia (Netflix Fear Street), Carl Radke (Summer House), Luca Bella Facinelli, Mackenzie Dipman (Love Island), Kailyn Shepherd (model), Brad Kearns (Vanderpump), Christian Cooke, Comedian Mike Young, Wass Stevens, Keeley Hazel, Sofia Franklyn, Comedian Ryan Reiss, Naz Perez, Danielle Carolan, Charity Lawson (Bachelorette), Dotun Olubeko, Nancy Rodrigues, Pierper James, Sofi Ibrahim, Garvey Alexander, Val Greenberg, Comedian Kyle Gordon, Sergio Farias, Omar Torres (Manifest), Arthur Landon, Ridhima Kalani, Rachel Hamel, Luke Hawksworth, Thatcher Shultz, and many more, who gathered at Beast & Butterflies at the M Social Times Square for an all out celebration rocking their finest green-themed attire and the limited edition Jameson bomber jackets.
The world has patiently waited since 2018 for St. Patrick's Day to again fall on a Saturday, but Leap Year almost ruined everything. Who wants to wait until 2029 to celebrate properly on a Saturday? Jameson Irish Whiskey doesn't, that's for sure, which is why they've created a very made-up (but very official) new holiday: Jameson St. Patrick's Eve on Saturday, which took place on Saturday, March 16.
St. Patrick's Eve brought the brand's ‘Must be a Jameson’ campaign to life by creating a world that connects likeminded people who choose to see the green side of things. Nothing brings people together more than a good holiday and because every Eve celebration has top-notch hosts, Jameson has tapped comedians Colin Jost and Michael Che to help everyone ring in St. Patrick's Eve.
"Our Must be a Jameson campaign honors a community anchored by their shared lighthearted spirit, 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," says Johan Radojewski, Vice President of Marketing, Jameson Irish Whiskey. "We teamed up with Colin Jost and Michael Che to help us seize this moment and encourage everyone to embrace St. Patrick's Eve, because they're a duo who appreciates smooth Irish Whiskey, good company and a brand-new holiday – just like any Jameson would."
Jost and Che star in a series of hilarious content depicting just how frustrating it is to have Leap Year steal a Saturday St. Patrick's Day and ultimately agreeing that Jameson St. Patrick's Eve is the perfect (only?) solution.
"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 the 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, 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."
To make St. Patrick's Eve as epic as possible, Jameson took over Times Square on Saturday, March 16. The Jameson Whiskey St. Patrick's Eve celebration in New York City was co-hosted by Jost and Che, and featured a special DJ performance by Pee .Wee aka Anderson Paak, plus DJ sounds by Jus Ske. Guests at the fete experienced a 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, live from the party.
Jameson Irish Whiskey is one of the first brands to ever drop the Times Square Ball to celebrate a new holiday. To further spread the St. Patrick's Eve spirit from coast-to-coast, Jameson also lit 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 a complete digital takeover at L.A. Live - all marking the new holiday. The rock drop live streamed on JamesonSPE.com for those 21+ and for those in NYC Jameson also hosted a St. Patrick's Eve kick-off in Times Square Plaza between 43rd and 44th.
VIPs at the exclusive celebration at Beast & Butterflies also rocked the Jameson limited-edition, vintage-inspired jacket which includes a hidden pocket inside to perfectly hold a Jameson flask, adorned with luxe patches signature to the iconic Irish Whiskey brand. The Jameson St. Patrick's Eve jacket retails for $150 while limited supplies last. All proceeds 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.
The party featured an endless flow of Jameson Irish Whiskey, inclusive of signature cocktails such as an Old Fashioned, and also highlighted the Jameson Orange Spritz ready-to-drink canned cocktails. Tapping into the insight that Orange is the top-preferred flavor for whiskey drinkers, the newest flavor in the Jameson ready-to-drink cocktail lineup is the first of the reformulation, featuring a higher ABV, now at 7%.
For more details about Jameson St. Patrick's Eve festivities or for St. Patrick's Eve cocktail recipes, visit JamesonSPE.com and follow @Jameson_US.