Louisa Bacio -- Love Knows No Bounds: September 2023

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

6 Tips for Seeing Jason Momoa – Meili Vodka Tour

Blaine Halvorson Jason Momoa Louisa Bacio

Blaine Halvorson, Jason Momoa and me!

After working in journalism and as a music journalist for a number of years, I don’t go to many celebrity events. (Total contrast to book signings.) Ironic now that I’ve seen Jason Momoa twice. The first was a few years ago at a Long Beach Comic Con, and this week at one of the Meili Vodka bottle signings.

Momoa and Meili co-founder Blaine Halvorson are currently touring major retail locations to celebrate the brand’s release. In a rare turn of events, we went as a family. The hubby never got out of the car, however. He circled, parked and managed a conference call.

1) Get in line early: The event we attended went from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Newport Beach, California. Some “successful” fans arrived at 1 p.m.

2) Buy your bottle: The store will have a limited amount for sale. Usually when I attend a book signing, my goal is to buy the book from the location. Unfortunately, because of its draw, not only did the store sell out, they didn’t allow people in “to shop” during that hour. (The woman in front of us worked for another retailer and she “seemed to know” our location had 500 bottles).

Note: I tried to purchase a bottle of Meili Vodka earlier online for “pickup” at Gelson’s and it didn’t come up on the website.

3) One bottle per person: Walking to the end of the line, I noticed several people with cases of vodka. After about 20 minutes, more info spread that only one bottle per person would be signed. (Which means the guy in front of me with his Funko Pops and Aquaman DVD didn’t get signed either.)

4) If you don’t make it in: The event’s slated for one hour. With about 15 minutes left, Co-founders Momoa and Blaine Halvorson waked the line for selfies. Get your phones ready, including turning the camera around. (Right before these happened, all the “under 21” crowd were called to the front for pictures first. Hint: It wasn’t because the rest of us got samples!)

5) Talk to your line-mates: Obviously, you all are there with something in common: A love for vodka and Momoa.

6) They’re livestreaming: Throughout the wait, several people walked by livestreaming from Momoa’s Instagram account. Get ready to cheer and wave … and catch yourself.

Where to buy: Check the official Meili Vodka website for event details and retailers. I later picked up a bottle for $24.99 at Total Wine in Long Beach. The site listed “limited availability.”