Raise Awareness (and Funds!) for Breast Cancer Programs at M.L. Rose This October
Toast to breast cancer awareness and raise funds for the cause this October at M.L.Rose. Sip special pink cocktails created by breast cancer survivor Julie Meirick, with proceeds helping the YMCA’s After Breast Cancer program. Image: Katy Sanders
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Nashville’s M.L.Rose is stepping up to support the cause in one of the ways it knows best … with a round of cocktails. This year, Beverage Manager Julie Meirick (who has been with M.L.Rose since the very first location opened in 2008) has dreamed up two special drinks to help raise funds for survivors in our community.
Julie’s Own Breast Cancer Journey
A breast cancer survivor herself, Julie wanted to create something both fun and meaningful, turning every sip into a show of solidarity. She had an idea: what if every sip could support survivors still navigating their own journeys?
Out of that spark came two limited-edition cocktails that are as meaningful as they are delicious. “This is very personal to me,” Julie says, “I’m not just a ‘one in eight’ faceless woman who gets diagnosed with breast cancer. I’m a wife, sister, daughter, stepmom, ‘Grammy,’ friend, and coworker (among many other things) to so many people. But that’s no different than any other survivor.”
For the entire month of October, M.L.Rose locations across Nashville are going pink, with a portion of sales benefiting the YMCA’s After Breast Cancer (A.B.C.) program. It’s a powerful initiative that provides guidance, community, and hope for women healing and moving forward after treatment.
So what’s on the menu?
Pink Power Cosmo: Three Olives Vodka, strawberry purée, lime, and cranberry juice. Think a classic cosmopolitan with a rosy twist.
Howdy Pink Lemonade: A playful, laid-back sip with a splash of pink and a subtle THC infusion from Bayou Hemp in Houston, Texas. Sweet, tart, and just a little unexpected.
Both drinks are fun, flavorful, and (most importantly) tied to a cause close to Julie’s heart.
More on the YMCA’s A.BC. Program
Breast cancer awareness month promotions pop up everywhere this time of year, but what makes this one special is the personal connection. Julie has been in the shoes of the women the A.B.C. program serves, and she knows firsthand how important it is to have resources and support when the whirlwind of treatment settles.
“When I found out about the A.B.C. program, I knew it was for me,” Julie shares. “The workouts alone were much needed. Coming back to manage at M.L.Rose, I couldn’t bend down to pick up a straw.”
She goes on to tell us that she was roughly four weeks out of radiation and nine weeks out of chemo when she started the program. “Letrozole was ruining my joints,” she says. “The workouts through the program helped me rehab my body so I could function in a busy restaurant. But it was the time with the women in my group — the discussions, camaraderie, tears, and laughter — that really healed me. I would not be the person I am without each and every one of the brave women who were part of the A.B.C. program.”
M.L.Rose has always been about community, whether you’re cheering on the game with friends, grabbing a burger after work, or enjoying a casual cocktail. This time, community means something even more. So, consider swapping your usual order for something pink this month.
It’s not every day your happy hour doubles as a chance to give back. And if you needed an excuse to order that second round … well, here it is.
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Jenna von Oy Bratcher
Jenna von Oy Bratcher is StyleBlueprint's Associate Editor and Lead Nashville Writer. The East Coast native moved to Nashville almost two decades years ago, by way of Los Angeles. She is a lover of dogs, strong coffee, traveling, and exploring the local restaurant scene bite by bite.