The Mummers and a Montco vodka distiller are partnering up for a new ‘Philly Tea’
Members of the Fancy Brigade Association said they felt the Mummers needed a drink of their own and hope the idea drums up enough interest that it can become a seasonal offering.
The Mummers are now in the booze business with a new hard iced tea.
Don’t worry, the performers on Two Street aren’t making the Mummers Row Philly Tea themselves. They partnered with the Montgomery County distiller Kiki Vodka in making the 12-ounce cans of gluten-free, 100-calorie spiked tea, released in late November.
Why would a Montco distiller take this on? Steve Melick, a Kiki investor who welcomed the collaboration, said it comes down to the New Year’s Day tradition’s sentimental value.
“Whether you live in the suburbs or Center City, whether you grew up in the city or even in the more rural communities like where I grew up, Mummers is a Philadelphia institution and to be part of that is really something special,” explained Melick. “We were honored to take that call. We made thousands and thousands of gallons of this stuff.”
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Michael Orlando, captain of the Purple Magic brigade, is one of the Mummers behind the collaboration. He said his dad found an Ortlieb’s beer can with a Mummer on the back while cleaning his basement this year. Orlando believes the can dates to the late 1970s or early ’80s. It reads: “New Year’s Day Mummer’s Parade The Pride of Philadelphia.”
“It was like a special edition,” said Orlando. “I was like, Wow, are you kidding me?”
Immediately, he took the idea to the Fancy Brigade Association, where the consensus was that the Mummers should have a commemorative drink of their own. Orlando and the association worked with Kiki to create a drink and can that harkens to the Jan. 1 tradition of Mummers prancing in sequins and plumes.
The can features a street sign that says Mummers Row, umbrellas, golden slippers (well, boots painted gold), confetti, and the colorful facade of the Mummers Museum on Washington Avenue.
Members of the association said many details are being sorted out, including pricing and whether the drink has the potential to be more than a seasonal offering. Depending on demand, association members said the tea could become a fund-raising tool for the Fancy Brigades.
Melick said the drink has generated interest, with 50 to 100 bars in Philly stocking the tea. It is also available at Mummers clubs and the Mummers Museum.