• This year, Emberlin Leja entered a contest spearheaded by Four Walls Irish American Whiskey about her grandmother, semi-retired bartender Rose Leja. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia stars Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton
• Although she didn’t win the grand prize, Emberlin’s story inspired Four Walls to create a video about Rose. — and create a custom t-shirt
• “I’ve probably made every drink you can think of,” Rose tells PEOPLE.

One woman’s heartwarming story about her brave 97-year-old bartender grandmother recently inspired a charity effort involving US stars. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

In May, Four Walls Irish American Whiskey – Whiskey brand founded by Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton My nameA creator platform McElhenney co-founded invited people Share your best bar stories.

One of the standout contest entries was submitted by Emberlin Leja, who told PEOPLE she heard about the contest on social media.

“I knew someone incredible who had so many great stories about their time at the bar,” he remembers thinking of his grandmother, Rose Leja, who lived in Auburn, New York. “So it seemed like a natural progression to go and write about him and learn more about his background.”

Born in Flemington, the daughter of Polish immigrants, Rose tells PEOPLE she grew up in a large family of 10.

He dropped out of high school at 17 and worked a variety of jobs, from milking cows to working at a JJ Newberry store for $1.25 an hour.

Rose also worked at a department store and grocery store. She later married her husband, Babe, a state trooper, and they were together for 60 years until his death at age 83 in 2009. The couple raised two sons together, John and Michael. “I had a very good life,” he says.

His career as a bartender began in the 1960s and continues to the present day in Auburn-area fraternal organizations such as the Polish Falcons and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

“I made a bunch of drinks and they all flew away,” Rose said of his concoctions. “I’ve made outrageous drinks, all kinds of whiskey – (especially) honey whiskey, which I love. I’ve probably made every drink you can think of.”

He says the best part of his job is interacting with people on the other side of the bar. “I love having someone to talk to. I was also a heavy drinker only after hours and we drank my famous drink, gin and tonic. I drank a lot of crazy drinks too.

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“I really loved them all,” he says of his clients. “I helped a lot of them. They had no money and I bought them drinks from the bar myself and they knew it.”

Rose doesn’t do much bartending these days, but she still goes out for drinks with her son and daughter-in-law. “My father told me many times that he would go there and say to the staff: ‘Oh, can I have a job? ‘Will you let me work here?’ And they will say: “That is, if you want.” ”

Although Emberlin’s presentation was not one of the competition’s presentations grand prize winnersFour Walls was so amazed by Rose’s story that they asked her family for photos. a special video. Rose also inspired the launch of the company custom print t-shirt Featuring the words ‘Four Walls’ and an image of a rose – proceeds from sales go to the non-profit organization Cocktail Foundation Tales.

Rose learned all about it after the video was created and presented to her by Emberlin, and it was quite a surprise.

“I thought: ‘When can I share this with him that will be the least overwhelming for him?’ ”says Emberlin.

“I’m shocked, I tell you,” Rose adds. “I guess I’m still in shock.”

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, It’s always sunny stars McElhenney, Day and Howerton say they immediately connected with Rose’s “three bartending rules”: ‘don’t take bullshit, make everyone feel like they belong and have a good time.’ ‘

“Four Walls is a tribute to the four walls of the bar and the role they play in shaping culture and society. Bartenders like Rose, who dedicate their lives to the craft, also deserve recognition,” they add. “We love the idea of ​​using his story to support the next generation of bartenders.”

“She is my most important role model in life,” Emberlin says of Rose. “He is a very strong person. It always worked. He is always 100 percent dedicated to everything he does. All the people in his life, every job he’s ever done… I’d give anything to emulate his life just because it’s so full.”

“I think she is the most wonderful person I have ever met,” Rose adds of her granddaughter. “I love her. She is such a sweet person. She is not only beautiful, but also smart, and I love smart people.”