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Press Releases - Department of Liquor Control

Alcohol Beverage Services’ Special Event Series Will Feature Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine at Aspen Hill Store on Friday, May 13

For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 28, 2022

Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine, whose activities include hosting the Food Network hit show “Restaurant: Impossible,” will be the featured guest on Friday, May 13, as the Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services’ special events series hosts an open house at its Aspen Hill Liquor and Wine Store. From 2-5 p.m., Chef Irvine will talk about his new line of Irvine’s Spirits and will be signing bottles of his Precision Distilled Vodka and American Dry Gin.

The ABS Aspen Hill store is located at  13661-13665 Connecticut Ave, in Silver Spring.  In addition to talking about his new line of spirits, which was introduced in September 2021, Chef Irvine will talk about some of his other activities. Those interests include the Robert Irvine Foundation, whose “primary focus is giving back and supporting service members, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need through resiliency, health and wellness programs.”

Reservations will be required for the meet-and-greet event, but no purchase is necessary. Reservations, which are now open and will remain open until all spots are filled, can be made at an Eventbrite site. No one will be admitted to the special event area without registration. Bottles to be signed must be purchased on location on the day of the event. Attendees cannot provide gifts, food or drinks for Chef Irvine. All attendees must be 21 or over to participate and register.

In recognition of Chef Irvine’s appearance, Irvine’s Precision Distilled Vodka will be on sale during the month of May in select ABS stores for $21.99 and Irvine’s Dry American Gin will be on sale for $23.99.

The Aspen Hill location is the largest of the 26 ABS retail stores with more than 4,000 items. Located in the Aspen Hill Shopping Center, it serves more than 150,000 customers.

Attendees at the casual meet-and-greet will learn much about Chef Irvine, a world-class chef and entrepreneur who also is a philanthropic supporter of those who have served in the nation’s military. As host of Restaurant: Impossible, in more than 200 episodes, he has given struggling restaurateurs a second chance to turn their lives and businesses around.

A portion of the proceeds from all of Chef Irvine’s endeavors benefit the Robert Irvine Foundation. Funds raised help at-need veterans and first responders in a variety of ways including training service dogs, making mental health and wellness services available and providing mobility devices for the disabled.

In addition to Restaurant: Impossible, Chef Irvine is the host of “Dinner: Impossible” and “Restaurant Rivals,” among other Food Network and Discovery programs. He is the author of four books and operates the Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine restaurant within the Pentagon and the Robert Irvine Public House at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas.      

ABS is the alcohol wholesaler of beer, wine and spirits for Montgomery County. ABS operates 25 beer, wine and spirits stores and one spirits-only store in Poolesville. It manages alcohol licensing, enforcement, and education for more than 1,000 businesses. Generating more than $35 million in net income annually, ABS profits are used to pay down County debt with a large portion deposited in the County general fund to pay for resident services that would otherwise be funded by County tax dollars.

Learn more about ABS by visiting its website at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/abs/ and by following ABS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Release ID: 22-251
Media Contact: Neil H. Greenberger 240-205-1915