A New York Irish pub has created a Christmas tree entirely out of empty Jameson whiskey bottles to pay tribute to a beloved former employee who passed away earlier this year.
Shamrock Jack’s Irish pub in Irondequoit, New York, has paid a heartwarming tribute to former employee Roz Hickley who sadly passed away earlier this year.
Hickley, who worked at the Irish pub for over ten years as a bartender and then manager, always took charge of the pub’s Christmas decorations to help staff and customers get in the festive spirit.
An Emerald idea – inspiration from Ireland
Christmas was always a very special time of year for Hickley, and she was always known to come up with colourful and creative ideas to spread festive cheer.
Two years ago, pub owner Mark Petzing visited Ireland, where he came across a chandelier made entirely out of Jameson whiskey bottles.
He took a picture to share with Roz when he returned to Shamrock Jack’s, and that’s where the story of the Jameson Christmas tree began.
Inspired by the Irish creativity, Roz spent the next two years collecting over 800 empty Jameson bottles with the idea to create her very own Jameson Christmas tree.
A fitting tribute – the New York pub creates Roz’ Jameson tree
Roz sadly passed away earlier this year and never got to see her dream of a Jameson Christmas tree realised.
Staff at Shamrock Jack’s were heartbroken by the tragic loss of their beloved friend and colleague, and plans for the Christmas tree were initially put on hold.
However, Mark wanted to honour Roz’ wishes as he knew she would have wanted them to continue with the project and the pub’s festive traditions.
So, the plan was set in motion with the help of some of the pub’s staff and a local construction company Bullis Constuction Group LLC.
How did they do it? – the logistics
Putting the tree together was no simple task, and a lot of planning and organisation went into making this dream a reality.
First, they created a wood-and-wire tree-shaped frame to hold the bottles.
Then it was time to attach the 800-plus Jameson whiskey bottles to the ‘tree’, which took around nine hours in total.
However, all the hard work was worth it in the end, as the Christmas tree stands tall and glowing outside the Irish pub.
Standing at an impressive height of 15-feet and protected by a railing, the Jameson Christmas tree comes to life as string lights and a green floodlight illuminates it.
So, not only is the Christmas tree the perfect way to add some festive spirit after a challenging year for pubs everywhere, but it also stands as a fitting tribute to a valued employee whose enthusiasm and Christmas spirit brought joy to the Irish pub year after year.
