9.1 A note on spirits

There was a time when I got by on inexpensive brands of scotch, bourbon and gin. However, that was a time when a) hard liquor was a bigger part of my life, and b) I didn’t have much money. However, as I got older and wiser (I think) I found that I could still enjoy life by drinking less and moving up in quality (the same goes for wine and beer, but that’s another story). So here are a few brief comments and suggestions.

9.1.1 Bourbon and Rye

I spent years using bourbon as the go-to domestic whiskey (even sinking to the low of shots and beers), but like many others, a few years ago I discovered rye, a whole new world of flavor. The word “spicy” is often applied to it, and it fits. My current favorite is Elijah Craig, but there is also a world of “craft” bottles to explore. A good place to do so is Seelbach’s, an online marketer of craft spirits of all sorts.

9.1.2 Gin

Flavors of gin are determined by the particular herbal recipe used in its production, so finding the right one is definitely a matter of personal taste. For me, Tanqueray (in the green bottle) is an excellent mass market product. I haven’t explored craft gins all that much, but when I’m in the Finger Lakes, especially in summer, I pick up a bottle or two of Finger Lakes Distilling’s Seneca Drum. Again, due to our arcane liquor laws, you will likely need to travel to the Finger Lakes to find it. If you can’t do that, Seelbach’s has lots of choices, and if you live in a more enlightened state, there may be local choices to explore.

9.1.3 Tequila

I am not really an expert in these; suffice it to say that, while margarita recipes call for silver, we go for gold, typical añejo. When we were in Mexico a few years ago, we stopped at a store that sold literally hundreds of bottles, but the selection was so overwhelming that we ended up leaving empty handed.