By JESSE GRAHAM
A YARRA Glen man is sharing the spoils of victory with friends, after tracking down the only prize in the state as part of the Jack Daniel’s Barrel Hunt.
On 9 July, Yarra Glen’s Jason McGrath took to the city with friend Melissa Mitchell to track down a hidden whiskey barrel as part of the barrel hunt, which is being held to mark the 150th anniversary of the Jack Daniel’s distillery in Tennessee.
After taking clues from the Facebook page where the competition is run, Mr McGrath and Ms Mitchell explored the city and walked some 18 kilometres, before happening across the barrel at the Lagerfield Sports Bar at Crown in Melbourne.
He said they stumbled across the barrel at the top of a staircase after deciding to take a break during the search.
“There’s probably a bit of perseverance and dumb luck, is how I’m describing it,” he said.
“I only went to go and do it to have fun and run around the city for a day, to actually stagger up the stairs, exhausted after running 18 kilometres around the place … and say, ‘OK, I need to sit down and find somewhere quiet to recollect our thoughts’, and looked down like, ‘ … That’s the barrel.’
“I was in denial for three days.”
The barrel was one of 10 hidden around the country, and the only one in the state, and Mr McGrath and Ms Mitchell got to share in the spoils – which included a bar set, merchandise, travel and concert vouchers and a bottle of the 150th anniversary whiskey that was made in the hidden barrels.
He said a friend, Sarah Roberts, was unable to take part in the search on the day, and would also get to share in the prizes.
Mr McGrath said a guard stationed with the barrel told the group that other searchers had come into the bar, but got as far as the staircase and left without searching further.
“People beat us to the bar, but they didn’t get up the staircase,” he said.
“Finding the thing and knowing that it’s such a rare and limited item is incredible.”
To search for the other interstate barrels, visit www.facebook.com/jackdanielsaustralia.
