Brian’s Jam [Strawberry, Banana, & Pear] — part of the Friendship Series

**FRIENDSHIP SERIES!**

Introducing Brian; the inspiration for the March Edition, the third in the Friendship Series Jam lineup: [Catch the YouTube video introducing this jam HERE]

Brian Norber…

It was early spring, just a few months after my 21st birthday… I had recently come out to a small group of my friends, but I hadn’t really dated any guys at this point — I was still a bit nervous about the whole situation.  So a couple of my friends decided that the best way to deal with my trepidation on the subject was to just ‘dive in’ head first… so we picked a day where we got of classes early, and we decided that we were going to head down to West Hollywood, have some lunch to get some food on our stomachs, and then hit a Happy Hour or two… or so I thought.

First stop was Hunters Bar.  I arrived first, grabbed a seat at the bar, and waited for my friends… who never showed up, as was their plan all along!  After about 30-45 mins of waiting, I was just getting ready to bail when this guy plops down on the stool next to me, and introduces himself — his name was Brian.  We chatted for a bit, he immediately put me at ease. I relaxed, we had drinks, we ate, we stayed for Happy Hour, continued chatting and getting to know each other, and by the time I left, I had been asked out on my first date with a guy — or I had just had my first date with a guy; depends on who’s opinion you listen to…  with a guy who happened to be the first person I spoke to in the first gay bar that I walked into… and Brian ended up becoming my first Boyfriend.

Brian, a supremely gifted Performer, was the perfect first boyfriend.  He was, and is to this day, incredibly warm, sweet, generous, and the most kind hearted man I have ever met, and I am thrilled that he is still in my life.  Not only did he give me the courage to embrace who I was as a person; he gave me the courage to dive headfirst into performing, and touring in shows… having an equity performer in my corner encouraging me to join the ranks was the perfect motivation for me — I owe him a debt of gratitude for helping to shape and guide my life during that period in my life.

When I queried Brian about his favorite fruits and flavors, his top three fruits were pears, strawberries and bananas… the very first drink I ever had with him was a Strawberry Daiquiri; so I knew that strawberries had to be in it.  I played around with combining those three fruits until I got just the right blend.  Then I added a splash of vanilla as an homage to the bourbon, and the very first cocktail that launched us on our journey together… and there you have it — Brian’s Jam.  A special blend, for a very special person…

ENJOY!!

NOTE:  To see this jam utilized and featured in one of our YouTube videos, follow this link to see us make our ‘Jelly-Jam Donut Cake with Jelly-Jam Glaze’, using BRIAN’S JAM!!