“Sample Saturday”

“Sample Saturday” is a new shopping experience. It has arisen at Jana’s Mercantile in downtown Atlanta. Here’s how it works.

On Sample Saturday, owner Jana O’Rear and her teammate Allyson Porter will set up tables to offer “samples” to everyone who comes in. This could be samples of coffee which are called Double Barrel Bourbon Coffee or Texas Pecan Coffee. It could be honey from the Bare Naked Bee Company of Allen Texas.

During the previous four Saturdays, the samples have been from a variety of store offerings. This Saturday, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., the two entrepreneurs will ask you to attend and sample an ice cream social. You will likely be surprised.

The ice cream social Saturday will feature ice cream dotted with traditional balsamic vinegar. Yes, that’s vinegar made from the “must” of grapes from the small towns of Modena and Reggio in Italy. “Must” is the name given to the freshly pressed grape juice containing the skins and stems of these grapes.

Traditional balsamic vinegar from the two Italian towns is even more special. Their balsamic vinegar is quite unique, having been aged in wooden barrels for as long as 12 years.

It is with this balsamic vinegar — or a very near approximation — that you will taste the ice cream in Saturday’s ice cream social at Jana’s Mercantile.

“Some people refer to it as a life-changing dessert,” reads one online description of the taste.

Recently, at last month’s Sample Saturday, the two had a picnic jar full of water and put limes in it. It looked good, colorful and refreshing by itself.

Then, they added a bit of orange juice and the coconut and blueberry lavender flavoring from their store offerings of Jordan’s Skinny Syrups. These syrups mean zero carbs, zero everything This photographer tasted it. It was unexpected and refreshing.

“Sometimes you just want water. Not something sweet. Just water with a fruit flavor, such as blueberry lavender,” Jana says.

The customer might also like to sample items with their noses or eyes. That could be the blackberry candle for the nose. Maybe hand lotion for the skin. What could there be for the eyes?

“Well, maybe we might join the customer to look and talk about the art and imaginative works in our store. That could be a feast for the eyes.”

In reality, the main purpose of Sample Saturday is to have fun and get to know one another better, the two said.

“Give the customer the opportunity to try something before they buy,” Jana continues. “We thought it would be fun when we started two months ago, and it was. We had a great time with the customer. It’s almost like a party.”

“We might do this midweek,” the two store keepers said when closing the interview to do more preparation for the ice cream social Saturday.