HAPPY HOLIDAYS & THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!
What a year! We’re not sure a single sentence could summarize everything we’ve seen, done, and felt in 2020. It’s been a long-haul, and we’re certainly looking forward to starting “fresh” in 2021!
Despite everything that we’ve been through over the past year, one thing has kept us going: your continued support.
We can’t thank you enough for standing by us in 2020 – through thick and thin, good and bad, and everything in between.
While things are undoubtedly going to look and feel different over the holidays, we sincerely hope that you, your staff, and your families have a safe, healthy, and very Merry Christmas. Be sure to take some time away from work to enjoy and celebrate what really matters!
Together, we made it through 2020! Here’s to a fresh, new start in 2021.
– Matt & Brandi Bialek, and the entire BLAST-OFF Fireworks Crew
ORDER DEADLINES & HOLIDAY CLOSURES
Order EARLY and order HEAVY – this Holiday Season will be one for the record books!
With COVID-19, everybody is looking for a safe way to spend time with friends and family this holiday season… and fireworks fit the bill perfectly!
Below, please find order deadlines for “Guaranteed Delivery” across Canada:
- British Columbia: December 16
- Alberta: December 17
- Saskatchewan: December 18
- Manitoba: December 18
- Ontario: December 17
- Quebec: December 17
- Eastern Canada: ORDER NOW!
- Northern Canada: ORDER NOW!
While we will gladly process and expedite any orders placed after the above dates, we cannot guarantee order delivery on late orders before New Year’s Eve.
One last reminder: As we head into the holidays, BLAST-OFF Fireworks will be closed over these dates:
- Friday, December 25
- Saturday, December 26
- Sunday, December 27
- Thursday, December 31
- Friday, January 1
- Saturday, January 2
- Sunday, January 3
- Monday, January 4
Throughout these periods of closure, our staff will be spending some much-deserved time with friends & family. All corporate departments, including Sales, Administration, Logistics, and Order Fulfillment will be closed over these dates, and we will be unable to process orders or respond to customer requests.
COVID– 19 COCKTAIL RECIPES
Let’s face it, COVID-19 has made us all a bit crazy… What better way to combat Coronavirus craziness, than with a quality craft cocktail!
Here’s our short-list of favourites to help celebrate the holidays or ring in the new year:
BEE’S KNEES
This one comes to us from Kelsey, one of our Administrative Assistants. It’s a prohibition-era cocktail featuring gin, lemon juice, and honey.
Ingredients: 2 ounces gin, 3/4 ounce lemon juice (fresh), 1/2 ounce honey syrup, lemon twist.
Steps:
- Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
MUDSLIDE
Who doesn’t like a boozy milkshake?! This is Brandi’s favourite, and it’s surprisingly easy to make.
Ingredients: 1 ounce vodka, 1 ounce coffee liqueur, 1 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream, 1.5 ounces of cream, chocolate shavings.
Steps:
- Add all ingredients except the chocolate shavings into a shaker with ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with freshly shaved chocolate.
WHISKY SOUR
A classic! This cocktail is easy to make, is well balanced for taste, and is VERY customizable! Go ahead… join Amber, our Administrative Assistant, in mixing up a Whisky Sour this Holiday Season!
Ingredients: 2 ounces of whisky, 3/4 ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 ounce of simple syrup, 1/2 ounce egg white (optional), Angostura bitters.
Steps:
- Add whisky, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white (optional) to a shaker and dry-shake for 30 seconds (without ice).
- Add ice and shake again until well-chilled.
- Strain into a coupe glass.
- Garnish with Angostura bitters.
MEXICAN BULLDOG
This one’s for you if you plan on sitting under a heat lamp, dreaming about the Mexican holiday that won’t happen because of COVID-19! Thanks to Jacob in Sales for this recipe.
Ingredients: 2 ounces of tequila (try Fortaleza, if you can find it), 3/4 ounce of Triple Sec, 1.25 ounces of fresh lime juice, 1 bottle of Corona (beer… not the virus), ice, salt.
Steps:
- Rim a large margarita goblet with lime juice and salt.
- Combine all ingredients except the beer in your blender.
- Blend with ice for 20-30 seconds while singing “ice, ice, baby”, or until smooth.
- Pour contents from the blender into your salt-rimmed margarita glass.
- Open the Corona beer, and “upturn” it into the glass.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
GIN & TONIC WITH LIME
Hugely popular at our office, both Jen and Mark recommend this simple – yet refreshing – holiday pick-me-up!
Ingredients: 2 ounces of gin (try Hendricks, Bombay Sapphire, Roku, or The Botanist gins), 4-5 ounces of tonic water, lime wedges.
Steps:
- Gather all ingredients.
- Fill a highball glass with ice, pour the gin over the ice, then top with tonic.
- Squeeze a lime wedge directly into the glass.
- Gently stir.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Pro Tip: Try adding cucumbers, strawberries, and additional lime wedges directly into the gin and tonic for added flavour!
MOSCOW MULE
A favourite amongst our warehouse crew, a Moscow Mule is delicious, refreshing, and easy to make!
Ingredients: 2 ounces of vodka (try Tito’s Handmade Vodka), 1/2 ounce of lime juice (freshly squeezed), 3 ounces of ginger beer, lime wheel.
Steps:
- Add vodka and lime juice to a Moscow Mule Mug (copper mug) full of ice.
- Add the ginger beer.
- Garnish with a lime wheel.
ON THE ROCKS
Like to keep things simple with a whisky or scotch on the rocks? Great choice, and one day, you need to sit down for a drink with our company president, Matt (who collects whisky). Here are Matt’s top picks for a whisky on the rocks:
- Canadian: “Wiser’s Wheatfield Gold” – notes of toffee, frosted wheat, and vanilla with black pepper spice. Developed to celebrate Manitoba’s 150th birthday in 2020.
- American: This is a tough one… it’s a toss-up between “Eagle Rare 10 Year” (tons of dark cherry flavour, with hints of apples, cinnamon, caramel, and oak notes) and “Woodford Double Oaked” (HUGE cherry flavour with sweet bread, lemon, and citrus notes).
- Scotch: We’re going to cheat a bit here, in that Matt’s pick isn’t a “true” scotch. To be called “Scotch”, whisky must be distilled AND aged in Scotland for at least 3 years, bottled to at least 40% ABV. “Nomad Outland Blended Whisky” is, in fact, distilled and initially aged in Scotland… but then it makes its way over to Spain for finishing in Oloroso sherry butts. This is one fantastic dram that is loaded with raisins, marzipan, and figs… think grandma’s raisin pie!
Go ahead…. raise one up in celebration of making it through 2020! If it weren’t for COVID-19, we’d be right by your side, sharing in the cheer! Just remember to celebrate responsibly, and please don’t drink and drive.
UPGRADING TO SERVE YOU BETTER!
Over the next month, BLAST-OFF Fireworks will upgrading our front-end technology systems as part of our commitment to proving unparalleled customer service. This is our fourth – and final – phase of our 2020 technology update.
As part of this upgrade, we will be transitioning to a new, secure, and robust Enterprise Resource Management System. This system will enable us to serve you better, faster, and more responsively.
Additionally, we will be launching a brand-new website at www.blastofffireworks.ca – complete with new features, advanced multimedia integration, and a 100% mobile-compliant interface. Our new website will also be backed by industry-best security, keeping your confidential account information safe and secure.
While all of your information, client identification numbers, and user logins will remail the same on our new systems, we ask for your patience as we make this critical upgrade.
It is possible that the functionality of select client resources and services may be temporarily suspended during this transition, but it is our objective to minimize any inconvenience.
Should you have any questions, comments, concerns, or feedback regarding the final phase of our 2020 technology update, drop us a line at sales@blastofffireworks.ca or call us at 1-866-827-4765.
CAN WE HELP?
The Canadian Retail Industry continues to be one of the most closely-knit groups of collaborating entrepreneurs in Canada.
BLAST-OFF! takes pride in being the most proactive and innovative fireworks company in Canada. From our “Guaranteed Sale” terms to our Loan-A-Cabinet™ Fixture Leasing Program, BLAST-OFF! Fireworks continues to develop the products, services, and educational materials to allow retailers to maximize category profitability.
Do you know of somebody that BLAST-OFF! Fireworks could help??
As BLAST-OFF! Fireworks continues to expand into all parts of Canada, we greatly appreciate business referrals! Best of all, if you share your positive experiences with fellow colleagues, you will be rewarded! For every new client you refer, we will reserve a FREE carton of Campfire FX for your store ($95 value)!
There are no limits to the BLAST-OFF! Client Referral program… refer and be rewarded at your convenience!
Simply click here to contact Mission Control with your referral!