Driving out of Durango and into Navajo land, we passed what looked like the last liquor store we’d see for a while. It was a shithole by the side of the road, possibly a former gas station. It didn’t have a direct entry from the road, so we followed the signs around to what looked like the site of many out-of-towner murders. The door opened up into the cash register, [...]
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When we end up in a hotel, if I can wrestle Lisa away from Say Yes to the Dress, I like to watch Moonshiners. I get a kick out of Tim and Tickle and Popcorn and the gang of moonshiners. Love it. Tickle’s my favorite (yes, that’s his name) because of his glazed-over look and booze-filled antics. The last episode I saw, sorry, seen, Tickle rode in the back of [...]
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Well, it’s come to this: the $7.99 bottle of booze. For just under $8, we got 750mL of brown-colored booze flavored like whiskey in a plastic travel-ready bottle. Pretty sweet deal, eh? I couldn’t help but read the name as “High Ten” instead of “Ten High” — it just makes more sense that way. Ten High? That’s a pretty shitty poker hand. High Ten? Now that just sounds delicious. From [...]
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Maybe it’s the warmer weather, I don’t really know, but I haven’t bought a bottle of whiskey in weeks. My last was a bottle of Jim Beam Rye. We finished it back in Death Valley. The last whiskey I’ve had was a peaty and tasty Scotch in Boise, ID. Maybe it’s the wine — we’ve had good luck finding good wine deals in California. Or maybe it’s because I’m having [...]
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Thanksgiving isn’t usually a Scotch day for me. When we hosted the meal a few years ago, we had wine, spiked cider, and local Goose Island Beer. This year was different — we had my sister’s in-laws in attendance and my brother-in-law and his father are both Scotch drinkers. So there was Scotch. Yum! And when we got back to Arizona, after getting terrorized by the TSA, I had a [...]
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My thesis: things taste differently at different times. Let’s agree on this. When you go on the Miller brewery tour in Milwaukee that Miller Lite tastes damn good — and it’s the same shit beer they serve around the world that tastes like swill. Something is happening. When Lisa and I were at the Gloria Ferrer winery in Napa, the sparkling wine they served us was amazing … and it’s [...]
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Sorghum whiskey … um. Well. I’ve had sorghum beer – don’t really like it. I have gluten-free friends – like them OK. Sorghum whiskey? I’m impressed. First, it’s different. Distill booze to uber-proof, age it in an oak barrel, and water it down to selling-strength – you’d think the essence of the original grain would be pretty much demolished at that point. But corn whiskey still tastes corn-y and peat-smoke [...]
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(Fun fact: I’m writing this while Prohibition, the new PBS special, plays on the TV!) I first heard of Ancient Ancient Age after reading a review by David Wondrich in Esquire. He raved about Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star. Binny’s, Chicago’s booze superstore, sells Ancient Age — but not Ancient Ancient. Lisa is pretty sure we had it at one of our visits to Longman & Eagle. That may be [...]
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Some journeys start at the bottom — you play tee ball growing up, then graduate to baseball, maybe playing in college, then the minors before finally going pro and hitting the majors. Other times you start at the top. You hit your high-note early and spend the rest of your life chasing that early peak. This is one of those. We’re starting at the top, and we’ll work our way [...]
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A few months ago, I mentioned that whiskey was a great travel drink — especially to have in your room on a business trip. I said: Whiskey is the only drink that works in a hotel room – there will be whiskey-appropriate glasses in your room, ice down the hall, and whiskey doesn’t need a mixer. Again, minimalism wins. Makers Mark, Jim Beam, Jack Daniels – grab a small bottle. [...]
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The Syndicate Wine Shop