Gillette Clear Gel’s No Sweat Test Thanksgiving
Staying dry from start to finish, while delivering a holiday extravaganza for 30 people
When considering what we think of as a powerful deodorant, one’s mind often envisions sports or other high-endurance scenarios where physicality triggers perspiration. But, with stress and heat as stimulants for sweat, there’s no better place to test out a deodorant than while prepping and executing a holiday party for 30 people—for the first time ever. From preheating the oven to ushering out guests (ultimately 10 hours later), we gave Gillette Clear Gel a try this Thanksgiving and found it to be effective—keeping everything dry until the very end. Even when the kitchen was packed with hands a-flurry, dishes shifting from the oven to the stove and back again, and guests arriving to add more to the mix, it was much easier to deal with the pressure of hosting a successful Thanksgiving, without worrying about sweat.
The day began bright and early, with a run to three different bakeries across lower Manhattan for fresh breads and desserts to appease the varied appetites of guests from New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida and Paris, France. Hors d’oeuvres and antipasto were collected in advance from Murray’s Cheese and Eataly, but the baked goods made most sense morning of.
While it was the only time spent outdoors that day, it was the first test of Gillette Clear Gel strength, running with bags in hand, on deadline. The deodorant guarantees 48 hour protection from wetness and odor—and contains active odor blockers. Application is smooth, with a light cooling tingle and it holds fast to the skin.
Hosting 30 people required two turkeys. One of which happened to be a KellyBronze bred-to-be wild bird, which even at 16 pounds, cooked in under four hours. While both birds were in, the centerpieces were bolstered by family recipes for stuffing, yams, Gouda mashed potatoes and stuffed mushrooms. However, the biggest hit was a Dirty Bastard Beer Cheese Soup with a honey buffalo drizzle. Warm, thick and complex on the palate, it’s easy to assemble with patience.
Dirty Bastard Beer Cheese Soup with honey buffalo drizzle
1 12 oz Bottle of Founders Dirty Bastard Old Scotch Ale
¾ lb yellow sharp cheddar cheese shredded
¾ lb white cheddar (aged three years) shredded
2 carrots peeled + diced
2 stalks of celery diced
1 small yellow onion diced
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup plain greek yogurt
3 cups of whole milk
Tsp black pepper
Tsp salt
Bring broth and vegetables to a boil in a pan and reduce for 15 minutes.
Transfer to blender and liquefy. In a large pot, melt cheese—start small and add more cheese and the yogurt. Add milk and contents from blender and stir until well mixed. Add beer, stir until well blended. Keep the heat low and slow. For the drizzle, it’s 70/30 buffalo sauce/local honey on low/warm in a saucepan. With a rubber spatula, stir until it’s no longer tie-dyed in coloration. Drizzle it over your bowl of soup.
As for drinks, aside from the various wine options, two cocktails featured prominently. Testing out the Belvedere Unfiltered Rye vodka, the easy-to-make Vodka Gimlet, with 1 oz. fresh lime juice and 1 oz. simple syrup atop the 1 and 1/2 oz of vodka, appeased aunts and uncles. For other guests, the very popular Aperol Spritz, composed of two parts Aperol to three parts Prosecco (though we began by using Nicolas Feuillatte champagne), topped off with a splash of soda, was as easy to make as it was to sip. Even a few drinks in, with the temperature above average in the apartment from the warmth of loved ones and a cooling stove, Gillette Clear Gel held up.
For dessert, among the many pies and cakes, DeRobertis canolis were a standout. The longtime East Village bakery will be shutting its doors quite soon, after 110 years of delivering the best sweets to NYC. The tiny treats complimented a surprise birthday cake from Momofuku Milk Bar for a guest turning 18. When all was said and done, and after a bottle of homemade wine was consumed, guests filtered out and with the help of Gillette Clear Gel, we survived the day—dry and odor-free.
Images by David Graver
