You Can Continue to Enjoy Your Drinking Relationship
It's not always easy to keep the relationship between you and booze interesting. She can be a difficult wife. An annoying husband. An inconvenient responsibility. An overburdening nag. Yet, we love alcohol and our goal is to keep the burning fire of romance strong. It's only natural after so much time with booze to start letting your guard down. You don't always put on make-up before mixing a cocktail. You let a fart slip out while you nurse that Bourbon rocks. Such is life the older we become. I not only live with booze, I work with her too. It can be a challenging interaction, but I work hard to make sure we keep things hot and heavy.
Our job at K&L is to make sure that your relationship with booze stays fresh and exciting. We can't always do it alone though. It takes an effort on both sides. You need to bring an enthused energy to the equation, while the liquor companies continue to challenge your conventional thinking and give you considerable options. My job as matchmaker is to help you decide which bottles are your best match. However, it's not always about what's in the bottle, but rather how you use it. Here are some tips that I've been thinking about lately to keep your relationship with booze strong:
1) Be Honest With Yourself. You can't continuously lie to yourself. People will eventually see through the facade and alcohol always knows the truth. In fact, the more you drink, the more you will be confronted with this reality. It's best to avoid any embarrassing, wasteful, or overindulgent experiences by knowing exactly which type of drinker you are before hand. Use your experience to guide you and don't be swayed by basic opportunity. If you don't like high-proof Bourbon then it doesn't matter that the George T. Stagg is sitting in front of you on the shelf. I know – you may not ever get the opportunity to buy it again. However, purchasing booze that you don't need (and don't even like!) is the fastest way to ruin a strong relationship. Eventually, you'll look at your bottle collection and say, "What the hell am I doing?" That's no good.
2) Spice Things Up a Bit. Forget Victoria's Secret or a romantic walk on the beach. Nothing strengthens a friendship like diversity. Go outside your comfort zone. Do something spontaneous. Grab a bottle of Scotch you might normally never purchase - like Scapa 16, Edradour 10, or Stronachie. If you like to buy unique, off-the-beaten-path spirits, then get a bottle of something totally basic. Buy some Booker's. Get some Maker's Mark. Make a date with Glenlivet. Find solace in the classics or expand your horizons with the unknown. I've been doing this with wine lately and it's been a complete blast. It forces me to re-examine my opinions and preconceptions about what quality means and - ultimately - why I value my relationship with booze. This leads into my next point...
3) Loosen Up. We don't all have unlimited means. I know that not everyone can afford to be loosey-goosey with their income. However, that isn't any excuse to be a cheap, spend-thrift, tightwad jerk who complains about every purchase and painstakingly analyzes every single review to make sure he never makes a mistake when buying a bottle. There are TONS of great options for affordable prices and I don't mean just at K&L. I went to Trader Joe's yesterday and they have an 18 year old private Speyside bottle for $25! That's crazy even if it tastes like shit! You can still drink interesting, exciting, thought-provoking, delicious booze on the cheap. Weller 12. Old Weller Antique! Buffalo Trace. Elmer T. Lee. Eagle Rare 10. Bulleit Rye. Old Forester. Larceny. Great King Street. Isle of Skye. Ferrand Ambre Cognac. Bowmore Legend. Campari. Cocchi Americano. Blue Ice Vodka. Tariquet Armagnac. I could spend two bucks a day and drink well for a month: A Bottle of Four Roses Yellow, a bottle of Bank Note Blended, and a bottle of Citadelle Gin – BOOM! I could live off of that if I had to. It's like a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter. If pressed for cash, I could still drink very well on $60 a month. But I don't have to. I'm guessing that neither do you if you're reading this blog. Despite the recent price increases on liquor we can still drink well all year long. Girls don't like guys who stress over every dollar. Booze feels the same way. The key is knowing how to spend your money well rather than complaining about it. You don't want booze to get fed up and quit liking you. At the same time you don't want to feel like you're spending too much money on it.
4) Make the Effort. You don't try hard enough anymore! You're satisfied with going home, plopping down in front of the TV, and drinking the same damn thing every single night. You're boring the hell out of yourself and your partner! Read up on something new. Go to the library and checkout a book about whiskey. Subscribe to the Whisky Advocate. Go get a drink at the Slanted Door and have Jennifer Colliau make it for you. Pull up a barstool at Heaven's Dog and talk to Erik Ellestad about obscure cocktail recipes. There is plenty of fun out there to be had with booze, but it's not always going to come to you. Sometimes you have to make the fun happen and your effort will usually be rewarded. It's amazing how envigorating a little interaction can be. If you can't afford a night out on the town, then invite some friends over and make some drinks on your own. Use your "Spice Things Up" or "Loosen Up" tips to surprise them with something out of the ordinary.
These are four easy steps to spicing up your booze life. Don't be worried if booze starts to overwhelm you or stress you out or make you agitated. These are symptoms of any healthy relationship. What's important is that you address these issues and take the necessary steps. I'll always be here to help you if you get confused or frustrated.
-Dr. Driscoll