Excerpted from www.Courier-Journal.com

His blood smells like cologne and his hands feel like rich brown suede.

His organ donation card includes his beard.

Dicing onions doesn’t make him cry — it just makes him stronger.

He is the life of the party he has never attended. And his business card says simply “I’ll call you.”

He is, after all, “The Most Interesting Man in the World.”

Or at least he was.

The former spokesperson for the Mexican beer Dos Equis, Jonathan Goldsmith, also known as “The Most Interesting Man in the World,” was also one of the most popular celebrity guests at the 2011 Kentucky Derby when he was a guest of Louisville businessman Jonathan Blue.

“We get a lot of celebrities who come into Jeff Ruby’s Derby weekend and Jonathan definitely created a lot of interest,” remembers John Wilson, Jeff Ruby’s marketing manager. “There were a lot of bigger name celebrities in the restaurant but the largest crowd was gathered around ‘The Most Interesting Man in the World.'”

That makes sense!

When I heard Goldsmith would be returning to the Kentucky Derby in 2018, I wanted to track him down to find out what he’d been up since his last visit.

So, during a work trip to New York City, I dropped by to meet the guy with the eccentric persona and the cache of “The Most Interesting Man in the World” memes and quotes. I should have known that the sophisticated man of mystery would be off on a far-flung adventure. At the time, all I got was a photo with his cardboard replica.

Which is almost as weird of some of the viral memes created about Goldsmith’s eccentric persona.

Goldsmith disappeared from the spotlight after a nine year run on Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign. The brand revamped the iconic campaign in late 2016 with a younger lead actor but shelved the commercials not long after, citing sluggish sales trends.

When I did finally track down Goldsmith, he was relaxing after quite a life-changing trip, which led to a new job. He’s still a pitchman but he has a new product to sell.

“They (Dos Equis) shot me off to the moon and that’s where I discovered Astral Tequila,” joked Goldsmith.

The 79-year-old veteran actor (he got his start as a “bad guy” in television shows like “Gun Smoke” and has more than 300 TV and movie credits) is featured in 10 commercial spots for Astral.

Fans of his “Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign won’t be disappointed. He’s still pushing the envelope of life, but for Astral, his stunts are a bit goofier.

Like attempting to hold his breath for an hour then finding out he’s been nominated for an Academy Award in a film that hasn’t hit theaters yet.

Or while attempting to disarming an explosive device blindfolded, his butler lets him know a star will be named after him – the sun.

His new tagline, “This calls for tequila,” replaces the beer campaign’s “Stay thirsty, my friends.”

What else is in store for the international man of intrigue?

Meet him yourself and try “The Most Interesting Margarita” when Goldsmith stops by the Springhurst Liquor Barn, 4301 Towne Center Dr., at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 3.

Or, catch him at 2 p.m. Friday, May 4 at the Middletown Liquor Barn,13401 Shelbyville Road.

At both locations you can enter to win two Turf Club passes to attend the Kentucky Derby with The Most Interesting Man in the World. The winner will be announced at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Liquor Barn Middletown and you must be present to win.

Now that truly does call for tequila.

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