This weekend I was on Martha’s Vineyard, a small island off of Cape Cod.  It was lovely out.  I planted 8 million shrubs.  That was not lovely.

When on the island, or off, I like to embibe occassionally in a nice Dark’n'Stormy – a fabulous Bermuda concoction of Gosling’s Black Rum and Ginger Beer.

Ginger Beer (which tastes like hell without a pile of Gosling’s) contains approximately 6 billion calories, so I have been hunting for a diet version.

I found a version in Jamaica that is good, but it cost me a ton to ship it (which I did).  I’m running low on supply.

The original cocktail was invented in Bermuda, and the original ginger beer was made by Barritt’s.  Barritt’s makes a diet ginger beer readily available in Bermuda, but I haven’t been able to find it in the U.S.

This weekend, feeling particulary bloated after several of the love bombs, I sent an email to the company asking where I might be able to find some diet.

I sent my query Friday evening at 7:58pm EST.  At 8:04pm I received a reply from Bruce Barritt.  Bruce and brother Fred are the 5th generation Barritt’s to run the company.  They are wealthy, they live in Bermuda (wonderful place), and by all rights should have been knee deep in their own concoction by then – but Bruce wasn’t.  He was working.  He was answering email from a singular fan with no possibility of adding any signficant revenue to the Barritt’s family coffers – at 8pm on a Friday night.

He wasn’t doing it because he had to.  He did it because he wanted to.  And this, kids, is the lesson of the day.  Bruce clearly loves what he does.  When someone loves what they do, it shows in many ways.  I am now a huge Barritt’s fan – not only because the Dark’n'Crusty is the best drink ever, but because of Bruce.  I love the fact that took the time, and I love the fact that he did it for all the right reasons.

Attitude is contagious – in sports, in business, and in life.

Now I just need to get someone to order up a few cases so I can get my hands on it.  Apparently Americans (at least in MA) aren’t smart enough to know Diet Barritt’s exists.  I suggest you ask for it specifically at  your local haunt.  Any bar or package store can order it, they just need to do it.  Let’s support the guy with the cocktails and the great attitude.

On a side note – I ran across a good post by Beth Zimmerman regarding the need for “Failure.”  In short, I personally believe that those who have not failed have nothing further to offer -that you must have at least small failures to learn from, or you (perhaps rightfully) will only believe  your own bullshit.  At ESG, I’m fortunate enough to work with some of the best brains in the industry – people who have run billion dollar companies, have bought and sold companies, have founded companies, have taken companies public – but all of them have failed.  Failure, ideally non-catastrophic, grounds people.  It helps people realize that there is not only one way, and that “my” way is not necessarily the right way.  Time and gravity are forces beyond all of us – so adaptation to current realities is always critical.  Anyhow, good post.

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1. Grass Roots Efforts – Power To The Bartender!
2. Kudos Diane Greene
3. The Inverse Relationship Between VC $ Invested and Success
4. Fail Factors – Why Startups Die: My Personal Failure(s)

Tags: Barritt's, Cape Cod, Dark'n'Stormy, ginger beer, Gosling's, Martha's Vineyard