No Shave November Gets Hairy with Luksusowa Vodka and PYT at Fillmore

Photos, story by Bryce Lennon

We had an opportunity to celebrate “No Shave November” with Luksusowa Vodka on Thursday, Nov. 19. If you are unfamiliar with “No Shave November,” it’s a month-long initiative where men let their hair grow freely to promote cancer awareness. Additionally, every earned dollar was donated to the Testicular Cancer Foundation. Needless to say, this event was the perfect opportunity to check out the most unique, whisker wonders of the city.

Held at the beautiful Fillmore in Fishtown, the venue itself had a very nostalgic feel to it. The ambience of the venue was reminiscent of an old factory. With a bar located in the rear, this was the place to be on a rainy Thursday evening. There was even a psychedelic 1968, Volkswagen bus for all the selfies.

Once the live band was in place and the bartenders were ready to serve, No Shave November was in full effect! Upon entry, each bearded guest had their facial hair measured for the contest, which was a fun way to break the ice.

After sign-in, each guest was greeted with a table full of free burger sliders from PYT. Although PYT has a variety of burgers on their menu, their sliders are a must have. Each guest had their pick of beef, chicken and vegetarian. Truly appreciative, we felt honored to munch on our burgers early in the evening.

Now, let’s get to the drinks! As mentioned previously, the bar was located near the rear of the venue. Every drink or cocktail incorporated the Luksusowa liquor. Since this was an open bar event, most of our time was spent trying every creatively named drink on the menu. Luckily, everyone had enough manners to tip our amazing bartenders and servers from Bar Emmanuelle.

By the third hour, it was time for the “Every Inch Counts Beard Contest.” Next to the live band, a variety of bearded men were lined up and measured for the contest. After a quick deliberation, the longest beard was measured, and the winner took home the best beard in Philadelphia award for the evening.

The event also featured free T-shirts printed by Awesome Dudes Printing. Their team was screen printing T-shirts on the spot. So, every size was available upon departure.

With the tagline, “Beards, free booze, and free burgers,” the event itself was both appetizing and fun.