Philadelphia Distilling! Urban gardens! Oh my!

I'm lucky enough to have spent the last few days meeting with some really amazing people.
On Wednesday, I met Kenny Owens - a student at University City High School who's an intern for the Urban Nutrition Initiative, a program designed to educate and empower teen interns to explore and identify solutions to the problem of urban American health disparities. Kenny approached our baristi at our Penn stores, offering their mint and basil for us to use in our gelato. "YES!" we cried. Fresh herbs supplied by local students? Please, are you kidding? Absolutely. Kenny practically beamed as he talked about his involvement in UNI, how he runs their stand at the Clark Park Farmers Market and has decided he wants to dedicate his life to being an entrepreneur supporting local agriculture. Not only does the Urban Nutrition Initiative get kids off the streets, into the gardens and involved in community outreach, it teaches cooking lessons at Sayre and University City High Schools as well as homeless shelters and recreation centers. As of this weekend, you'll be seeing Kenny's mint and basil in our gelati and sorbetti. I couldn't be prouder, or more excited.

If that's not cool enough, yesterday I met with Meredith, a representative from Philadelphia Distilling. We're going to start making sorbetti with their liquors! More specifically, we'll be making Blueberry & Bluecoat Gin, Cucumber & Penn 1681 Vodka and Cantaloupe with Vieux Carre Absinthe. Not only that, but Philadelphia Distilling will be at our Penn location doing an event with us on September 24. With Meredith behind our bar showcasing their amazing product, concocting gelato cocktails...you should probably put it on your calendar.
I hope your summer's almost as awesome as ours! If not...come hang out with us!

See y'all soon...