It’s a friend of mine’s birthday today, so I thought he might appreciate a tribute.  We go back a long ways, so many of our actions might be considered juvenile.   About 35 years ago, a mutual friend, who was an addiction councilor by profession, went to an out-of-the-way bar in a neighboring town.  For obvious reasons, he did not frequent our local taverns.  When he wanted some privacy, he would drive out of town, find a quiet saloon, sit at the bar, and always order a “Jack Daniels straight on the rocks.”    On one occasion, a bartender suggested that he try George Dickel, a comparable Tennessee whiskey, claiming that it was “smoother and cheaper.”  Our friend then delivered a bottle for us to share at the next party asking, “Have you met George?”  “He’s a friend of Jack.”

At future parties the question was always asked:  “Did you bring your Dickel?”   We thought the brand name was hilarious, and it became a party tradition.  Silly phrases were born like, “diving for Dickel,”  “Dickeled Pink,” “Dickel in the pool,” “Dickeled out,” and “Dickelmania.”  To this day, I still get photos of my friends posing with a bottle of Dickel.  Through the years, the brand has actually become very popular with the modern in-crowd.  I’ve actually visited the distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, in the same dry county where Jack Daniels is located. Since both brands can’t legally serve their spirits to visitors, they instead offer you a glass of lemonade.  Plus, I have a 110th Anniversary Powderhorn Bottle on my office shelf.  It looks like something Davy Crockett might have sipped in his time.

When I got in the business of selling sponsorships for the Indy Car Series, I once contacted the President of Schenley American Whisky Group, that owns the George Dickel brand.  I still have the initial rejection letter, personally signed by him.  My idea was to partner them with the Dick Trickle Racing Team and form Dickel-Trickle Racing.  Eventually, they did get involved in auto racing, but that was well after my association with the sport.  All those advertising dollars that were banned from television and radio found their way into sport sponsorships of this nature.  As part of my written presentation to the Dickel marketing team, I included some newspaper clippings of a publicity stunt we staged.  For the Halloween, Monday Night Football game at the Hoosier Dome, two of us dressed as Dickel bottles, while a third posed as Eric “Dickel”son.  Dickerson, of course, was the running back for the winning Indianapolis Colts that night.  We all wore pink tights and carried signs indicating we were, “Dickeled pink to be here,” as we stepped from our limousine.  A reporter picked up on it, and I positioned it to demonstrate how I could generate publicity for the Dickel brand at a time when cigarettes and alcohol were cut-off from utilizing traditional advertising.  Maybe it was the bucket on top of my head, designed to look like a screw-off cap, that got their attention?  An artist friend did the work, so the costumes were quite professional looking!

It’s funny how the silly things in life are what often bond us to our best friends.  I’m sure for most of you reading this, it’s probably a “you had to have been there” moment that I’m trying to share.  Young men coupled with whisky predictably leads to toilet humor and stupid dick jokes.  “Did you bring your Dickel?”  I once wrote a poem called the “Legend of Dickel,” to try to capture that child-like moment in time.  Since it was done many years ago on a word processor, I only have a hard copy. However, I did write this tribute to alcohol that I can share, along with my birthday wishes to anyone celebrating today:

Birthday Spirits

It’s your Big Day,

I nearly forgot.

A bottle of Whisky,

Just might hit the spot.

.

The perfect gift,

You won’t take back.

And I’ll wrap it up,

In a paper sack.

.

How about some,

Maker’s Mark?

Or a Fifth,

Of Cutty Sark?

.

Templeton Rye?

Worked for Capone.

To share with friends,

Or sip alone.

.

I got Ballentine,

For a Valentine.

And for Christmas,

A bag of Crown.

.

Got Comfort last year,

And hope for more.

Can’t keep it in stock,

At the liquor store.

.

Brought some Turkey,

For Thanksgiving.

A bit of a hangover,

But still living.

.

And when it came,

My time to get.

You got me a gift,

I’ll never forget.

.

I gotta little Dickel,

For my Birthday.

And a little,

Goes a long way.

.

A little Dickel,

And a lotta balls.

I’ll take a shot,

At whatever calls.

.

A little Dickel,

I know it ain’t Jack.

But now that I’ve got it,

Please don’t take it back.

.

It comes in a bottle,

And goes out in a shot.

It can cure,

Whatever you’ve got.

.

I gotta little Dickel,

For my Birthday.

And a little,

Goes a long way.

.

But when I opened it up,

I felt a bit stiffed.

I should have asked for,

A much BIGGER gift.

.

Copyright 2013 johnstonwrites.com