Know Who You Are

Last night I was sipping on one of the best bottles I've brought back from Scotland in years: the Naked Grouse, a sherry-aged version of the Famous Grouse bottled at 40% ABV that would absolutely be considered nothing special by most American whisky nerds were it available here. I bought it after talking to one of the girls at the Whisky Experience in Edinburgh who said it was her favorite whisky at the moment. "I like Scotch that tastes like Scotch," she told me. "Call me crazy," she added with a smirk. That girl knew who she was, what she liked, and what constituted a real glass of Scotch whisky. She didn't need validation from the internet, bloggers, or a professional critic to understand her palate. I loved talking to her and I thought about our conversation last night as I sipped that Naked Grouse in front of the TV. What a great memory.

I sense that same confidence and self-awareness when I talk to the Bai sisters, the twins behind Vale Jewelry in New York who have designed pieces for the who's-who list of Manhattan. Kelly Ripa, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lena Dunham, you name her! That Live necklace that Kelly wears each morning on "Live With Kelly" came from Vale, as did a number of pieces in my wife's personal collection. These girls know exactly who they are and what they're about and it's inspiring to people like me who search for that very quality in people today. They also know what they like to drink and why. That's what made talking to them recently so interesting. The D2D series is evolving. Check out my latest On the Trail interview with Eva and Ava Bai here.

-David Driscoll