NATIONAL GRAND MARNIER DAY

July 13, 2026June 30, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 12 Comments

National Grand Marnier Day on July 14th recognizes a liquor that brings citrus notes to cocktails and desserts. Since the 1880s, we’ve been enjoying the fruits of Grand Marnier’s exquisite flavor.

Alexander Marnier-Lapostolle invented the orange liquor in the 1880s. His grand experiment pairing fruit liquors with cognac took 10 years to find success. When it did, Lapostolle gave birth to one very expensive liquor. The cognac concoction blended one of the most costly fruits of the time with a very strong spirit, too. The result was truly grand. Not only does it add a splash of citrus when mixed into drinks and desserts, but Grand Marnier can be enjoyed neat.

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by Cool Stones

Grand Marnier is used in a long list of desserts including liquor cream buns, Yule log, cranberry sauce, Crepes Suzette, and Grand Marnier souffle creme bruleé. Grand Marnier is also used in the sauce of the roasted duck dish, Canard a l’Orange.

Grand Marnier Sherbert
Orange Marscapone Dip
Grand Marnier Cake

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by Albanese Co.

Some examples of the mixed drinks including Grand Marnier are Cosmopolitan, Margarita, Sidecar, Dirty Harry, Grand Mimosa, B-52, the Grand Marnier Smash, Grand Smash, Smash Marnier, Bloody Smash, Maced Marnier, Ace Marnier Smash, Frosty Smash, Smace, Grand Hound, Blood Pug, Clarke, Nogley and the Grand Marnier Fireball. Find some recipes here.

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However, don’t stop at beverages and desserts. Add Grand Marnier for extra zest in your sauces and marinades. Your meat dishes will take center stage.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalGrandMarnierDay

Enjoy a mixed drink with Grand Marnier. Then, invite some friends over to celebrate the day with you.

Share it with your friends by posting #NationalGrandMarnierDay on social media.

NATIONAL ICE CREAM SODA DAY

June 19, 2026June 11, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 4 Comments

On June 20th enjoy a cool, frothy ice cream soda. It is National Ice Cream Soda Day!

There are many claims to the invention of this delicious treat. One such claim was made by a Mr. Robert McCay Green. According to Green, he created the beverage in 1874 in Philadelphia when he ran out of ice for his shaved ice treats. Substituting ice cream, he had a hit on his hands. Green even put in his will that his gravestone read “Here lies the originator of the ice cream soda.”

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by Anchor Hocking

Philip Mohr of Elizabeth, New Jersey would mix soda water with ice cream to make the drink colder. This practice took place as earlier as 1862 beating out Mr. Green’s claim.

Advertisements in an 1862 Newport Daily News for Sheld’s Celebrated Ice Cream Soda encourages customers to “Try It, Try It, Try It, It.” By the looks of it, it was something new at the time.

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by SodaStream

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Whenever the ice cream soda was invented, it was certainly a winning combination. For generations, we have been enjoying these creamy carbonated desserts at pharmacies and soda fountains across the country.

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HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy your favorite ice cream soda flavor with a friend. Use #NationalIceCreamSodaDay to share on social media.

NATIONAL IRISH COFFEE DAY

January 24, 2026December 19, 2025Jensperspectiveblog

National Irish Coffee Day kicks off January 25th each year with a mug of strong coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and topped with a layer of cream.

On a cold, wet day in 1942 weary travelers to the small Shannon Airport in southwest Ireland found their way to a restaurant and chef Joe Sheridan. To warm his guests, he served them hot coffee, spiked with whiskey and topped with whipped cream. The passengers asked if the beverage was Brazilian coffee. Sheridan responded that it was Irish coffee.

A travel writer, Stanton Delaplane, brought Irish coffee to the United States after having it at Shannon Airport.

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Delaplane brought the idea to the Buena Vista Cafe on November 10, 1952. After much trial and error, sampling, and a trip back to Ireland for a taste of the original, Delaplane, along with Buena Vista owners Jack Koeppler and George Freeberg, were able to replicate the delicious coffee and the method for floating the cream on top of the coffee.

If you are looking for a great vacation be sure to check out our beautiful State of Florida. Lean more on the anniversary date of joining there USA.

Traditional Irish Coffee

Starting with a warm glass, fill 2/3rds full of freshly brewed coffee. Stir in a heaping teaspoon of sugar. Add 1 ounce of Irish whiskey.

Adding the cream, so it floats is the tricky part. According to the Buena Vista account, and at the suggestion of San Francisco’s mayor, a dairyman, cream that is 48 hours old, is best. However, others recommend whipping cream (not whipped cream) that has been lightly whipped or foamed.

When the coffee has stopped swirling from stirring in the sugar, pour the foamy cream over the back of a spoon.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalIrishCoffeeDay

Warm up with an Irish coffee. Use #NationalIrishCoffeeDay to post on social media.

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NATIONAL HOT BUTTERED RUM DAY

January 16, 2025January 5, 2025Jensperspectiveblog Leave a comment

On January 17th, National Hot Buttered Rum Day warms us up during mid-January.

Depending on where you are on this January day, it may be warm, chilly, cold or frigid. Enjoying a hot buttered rum drink would sure be a good way to warm up if you are in one of the latter three.

A mixed drink containing rum, butter, hot water or cider, sweetener and spices (typically cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves), hot buttered rum is especially favored during the fall and winter months and is sometimes associated with the holiday season.

In the United States, hot buttered rum’s history dates back to the colonial days. It was in the 1650s when Jamaica began importing molasses to Colonial America. New England started opening distilleries where the colonists then began adding distilled rum to hot beverages such as toddies and nogs, creating hot buttered rum, eggnog and others.

Hot buttered rum is often made by blending a buttered rum batter with dark rum. Dark rum is a rum that has been barrel-aged for an extended length of time to retain a more intense molasses flavor. Those that prefer a milder or a spicier taste may choose the option of using light rum or spiced rum mixed with the batter.