My family has owned a piano bar since I was a teenager, and I had been playing piano since the age of 3, so I was constantly asked to play in the bar. Also, I had the chance to drink some cocktails even under drinking age (DON'T DO THAT). In my culture, being able to drink a lot of liquor shows masculinity. I started drinking a lot of different beers, wines, champagnes, spirits, and whiskeys.
After countless bad hangovers and terrible drunk stories, I realised that drinking does not release any pressure, or give happiness, or solve any problems. Now, I don't drink a lot, but from time to time, I like to have a glass of whiskey after dinner, and watch a classic movie.
Whiskey is not the easiest drink to appreciate. It is much stronger than most beer and wine, and some of the names, like those Scotch Whiskeys, are hard to pronounce. Whiskeys are rich and diverse in flavours, more than any other distilled spirit. But for me, whiskey is like an adventure. It invites me to explore and indulge in its diversity.
Whisky or whisky-like products are produced in most
grain-growing areas. They differ in base product, alcoholic content, and
quality.
- Malt whisky is made primarily from malted barley.
- Grain whisky is made from any type of grains.
Malts and grains are combined in various ways:
- Single malt whisky
- Blended malt whisky
- Blended whisky
- Cask strength (also known as barrel proof)
- Single cask (also known as single barrel)
My personal favourite is THE BALVENIE SINGLE BARREL 15, which is a 15 year old single malt Scotch whiskey drawn from a single
traditional oak whisky cask of a single distillation.
If you are interested in getting rid of premature drinker friends, introduce them to whiskey. There are much to learn.
Where is the piano bar? In China or the U.S.? Do you also smoke a cigar?
ReplyDeleteThe piano bar is in China. That's actually why drinking under age was not a problem (Chinese joke). I do also smoke cigar from time to time, but I do not know how to appreciate cigars. They all smell the same to me.
DeleteLucky you. I do not drink whiskey because I think that it is too strong for me. When I was younger, I had whiskey a few time but I felt that I got drunk to fast and the hang over was really bad. I am more of a beer person. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to drink lately.
ReplyDeleteWhiskey is stronger than beer or wine. For me, that is a good reason not to refill after the one glass. Beers are fun in summer, but whiskey fits every season. In summer I do prefer beer, but certain brands of beer give me really bad hangovers.
DeleteI have a whiskey story. My father was a heavy whiskey drinker. He even bought a "bar" at a thrift store once and brought it home one day. It was a size of a large cabinet and it came with two stools. We had a very small one bedroom apartment and there were seven of us living there. When my father came home with his bar, my mother was like, "Are you crazy! Where the heck is that going to fit?" Only she used curse words in Spanish when she said this. Somehow my father made it fit in the living room. He kept whiskey, brandy, and tequila in his bar and he put a chain with a lock and key around it so that we wouldn't get to it, which was ridiculous because none of us were interested in drinking his whiskey. Anyhow, my father loved whiskey so much that one day he came home with a dog for the family. This was not a nice cute puppy we could pet and cuddle with. It was a full grown stray (part German Shepard) who had sharp teeth and was afraid of us and us of him. Did you ever see the movie or read the book by Stephen King "Cujo"? Well, it was kind of like that. My father said, "This is our new family dog. His name is Whiskey!" And all of us were like "Oh brother. God help us."
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for you. I hope eventually you liked the dog. After all it was innocent, despite of its appearance. I was once very close to an alcoholic, drinking excessively every night and wake up everyday with a terrible hangover. I even thought about pursuing a career in 'night life agency', where I introduce and escort people to pubs and get commissions. Fortunately my family helped me. Now there is a little bar in my apartment that separates the kitchen from the living room, and I keep a lot of different types of alcohol in it, but I never drink more than I should anymore.
Delete