Please Drink Responsibly. (Or Not At All)
Can you believe that there was a period in time where America thought it would be a smart decision to outlaw the distribution and production of alcohol? Were they all surprised when it actually made things worse, and that the eighteenth amendment was useless? That crime (which because of the amendment bootleggers were lawbreakers) skyrocketed because of their mistake. If history proves one thing correct, it is how ignorant we all are! Still, I write with a bit of hesitation due to the fact that the subject matter on my conscience for this piece, is a bit “dicey”. Still, I am indeed talking about alcohol. Specifically my fascination, history, and moral arguments concerning the beverages that fall into the hands of practically everyone in American society.
It all started for me, almost five years ago at Holden Beach, North Carolina. I was spending a week with my friends and it was a night where the single guys would ask the single girls out on a “date”. Now even though I was dating someone at the time, I felt uncomfortable and conflicted with the idea of having a date with another girl. Looking back at myself back then, that relationship had little to no commitment in it and no substance; but that is a subject for a different time. On this night, thanks to my one friend who was of age possessing a bottle of Ezra Brooks, he offered me a “date night swig”, and that was when I took my first sip of whiskey. For the first time, as I felt the burning sensation of alcohol travel through my throat and into my chest, a door to a whole new world was revealed to me that I hadn't found until I was much older.
Then the year I was twenty-one years old, it became legal for me to consume alcohol publically. Not that I had done so a bunch behind the scenes. Truthfully, I admit that I was very preservative of the right to drink once you turn twenty-one. I hardly ever had a sip of alcohol. But once I turned twenty-one, that door was realized and I slowly started to tiptoe on through. First I started drinking light cheap beer, then I transitioned into IPA and Craft beers. Then two of my best friends, God bless them, got me two bottles of bourbon for Christmas. It was a bottle of Bulleit, and a bottle of Maker's Mark. Ever since I have considered myself a Whiskey Explorer. Now, I have my own collection of whiskey bottles, similar to the photo pictured above, but with some more expensive selections as well. Que transitioning to another in-depth story on my first "prestigious" bottle of Bourbon. It is a glorious tale. For your information, the author's definition of "prestigious" is a more expensive bottle of bourbon that
About nine months ago, I was taking a summer class at Columbus State Community College. I walked out of class into the hallway. I look to my right, and there was a desk that had a sign on it that said "Free Books". On the table were a bunch of textbooks. Some of them were still packaged. So what did I do? I looked to my left, and then to my right. Thought to myself "nobody's stopping me" followed with ""the sign says "free"". So, I took the packaged books and shoved them all into my backpack, and left. I had no plan for after class anyways, so I drove right to the nearest Half Price Books and handed them the stack of packaged books. Ten minutes later, they made me an offer...for one-hundred and fifty dollars. I was immediately filled with satisfaction and gratitude. I took the piece of paper to the cash register, watched the employee completely empty his drawer of tens and twenties, and put the money in my wallet. Filled with triumph, I returned to my vehicle and drove straight to the ATM to deposit a hundred out of the hundred and fifty. What did I do with the remaining fifty dollars? I went straight to the liquor store and bought a bottle of Maker's Mark Cask Strength.
I have only taken a sip of this for special occasions. I shared some with one of my good friends at his bachelor party. I also took a small sip when WrestleMania was live last month. It was when Becky Lynch won the Championships. Also, I think I shared some with my friends the first night I had the bourbon, probably because I thought I was rich from finding free textbooks. Since then, my collection includes multiple brands of whiskey/bourbon. Most of them I like more than others. For example, I have a bottle of Old Forester 1920 Prohibition that I attained thanks to my Federal Tax Refund coming in and replenishing my bank account.
This one is more "prestigious" than the Cask Strength Maker's. I've only had one sip, and it is delicious. The interesting thing about Old Forester is that it was one of the only distilleries to have a license to distill alcohol during the Prohibition, for "medicinal purposes". Not surprising at all that the number of people who visited the doctor skyrocketed because prescriptions for alcohol were being handed out like invitations to a charity band concert.
Everyone who drinks bourbon should know, especially if you are trying a new one for the first time is that there is a specific way to drink it. First of all, you want to make sure you have a clean glass. Whether it be a wine glass or a Glencairn glass specifically for whiskey, make sure it's clean. Once you've poured yourself a decent pour, which should always be less than half the glass, the next thing you should do is take a good sniff of the whiskey. You want to swish the whiskey around the glass, without spilling it and then take another sniff. The smell is one of the reasons why I like the Old Forester Prohibition so much. It literally smells like what would happen if alcohol got together with cherries and flowers, and they all had a child. Just a friendly and attractive smell. After taking a couple smells of the whiskey, that is when you take your first sip. The reason why you smell it before you drink it is that it opens up your pallet to experience the maximum quality of taste.
Speaking of taste, the whiskey that I have enjoyed drinking the most is the Four Roses collection. I have actually tried each one of their products over the course of the past year. It is good for the price, but the taste is just so damn good. The taste isn't as sweet as a bottle of Jim Beam Honey (which tastes like straight diabetes and alcohol) but for whiskey that has just the right amount of sweetness, Four Roses will get you there.
This is one of the more popular types of bourbon. It flees the shelves of Kroger rapidly within the time it is stocked. But it is totally worth the hunt. Any whiskey that is popular and leaves the shelves fast, in my experience is worth it.
As if it already hasn't been expressed already, the evolution of my fascination with bourbon and whiskey was slow and periodical. Most of it has been due to the fact that my friends have that same fascination and appreciation for a good pour. However dear reader, the most important thing I can stress to you is that my friends and I never drink to excess when we are around one another. We are always mindful of our own individual limits, and we remind one another to not overindulge ourselves with whatever we drink. It has become a good accommodation for any conversation amongst us gentlemen. What I promise to all that read this, is that what a pour, or a can, or a glass of alcohol will ever be to me, is just that. Just a drink. Nothing more. It will only be an accessory and a beverage. Never will it become something that I cannot control. What I tell everyone is that you do not need to drink to have a good time. Honestly, I have had a lot of fun before I ever picked up a drink of alcohol. So drink...or do not.
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