Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods

“Everything begins with an idea.”

Earl Nightingale

My friend, John, is an accountant by training, and, by all appearances, he looks and acts like a normal C.P.A. But he is a pop culture trendsetter.

I discovered this one day, when we met for lunch at the Parkside Grill in Pasadena. When the waitress came over to greet us, she asked in the usual manner, “May I start you off with some beverages?”

John stated resolutely, “I’ll have a Tiger Woods.”

The waitress said, with not a little conviction, “You mean an Arnold Palmer.”

John said, “No, I’ll have a Tiger Woods.” Our server flushed slightly, realizing she had missed a new wrinkle in the beverage trends.

She looked as if some inward scolding was going on, and gushed, “Oh, I am sorry, sir. I haven’t heard of that, what’s in it?”

John replied confidently, “It’s cranberry juice and iced tea.”

“Very good,” replied our waitress, happy to be in the know, at last.

She turned to me and asked, “What would you like, sir?”

Not wanting to miss out on the fun, I replied, “I’ll have a Phil Mickelson.”

She assumed an “I’ve been pranked” demeanor and asked, a bit curtly, “What is that?”

“A tall drink of water,” I said.

So, off she went to fill our order, and I asked John to tell me about the Tiger Woods, which I hadn’t heard of either.

And this is when I realized that John is a pop culture trendsetter. He said, happy as can be, “Oh, there is no such drink. I have several friends across the country who want to see if we can introduce a new drink into the popular consciousness merely by ordering it in restaurants in as many cities as we can.”

So, now when John and I are out to lunch, I watch closely and enjoy the twinkle in his eye when someone comes over to inquire about our drinks. For I know that what’s coming is history in the making. If you like, you can join him; there is no charge for membership, and it just might work.

Or, you can join my revolution, for I have decided to become a pop culture beverage-trendsetter, too. And there are some great advantages to mine; it’s sugar and caffeine free, organic, and non-GMO.

And it works in every restaurant, even those that don’t serve cranberry juice.