"And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey in rye..."

I can't remember the last time I had Scotch or Whiskey or Bourbon. Heck, I don't even think I know how to differentiate those. So, when Jake and I sidled up to the bar in Restaurant 1833 last night, having just dropped the boys off at their aerodynamics workshop for a few hours, I was more than a little surprised that he sat right down and asked Michael, the bartender, which Scotch he would recommend. What?!? Who was this man sitting beside me? Michael said that there were 10, 12, 18, and 25 year options. He ordered a 12-year Scotch.

But since I'm always up for learning something new. I swirled it, sniffed it, and took a swallow. I think what I actually did was more of a sip - and a timid one at that. I was expecting something harsh and was taken aback at how smooth it was. It rolled off my tongue, soft and warm, reminding me of pearls and cashmere. Okay, that's not a very manly image and Scotch is the quintessential Good Ol' Boys drink, right? But what I mean is that it was an elegant drink. I was surprised.

And, as I always do when I encounter something with which I am unfamiliar, I do some research. I found this article illuminating: The Art of Manliness Guide to Scotch Whisky though I'm not convinced that I fully understand these distinctions. Forgive any inaccuracies. And if you'd like to clue me in on something about whiskey, Scotch, or bourbon, feel free.

The differences between Scotch and Whiskey are geographic, ingredients, and spelling. On that side of the Pond, the Scots spell it whisky (no 'e') while the Irish spell it with an 'e': whiskey. Scotch is Scotch whisky made in Scotland; Whiskey is whiskey bourbon made in the U.S., mainly Kentucky. If you order a whiskey in the United Kingdom, you'll get a Scotch. Scotch is made mostly from malted barley while whiskey is made primarily from corn. Tennessee whiskey and bourbon are different because after distillation the former is run through a sugar maple charcoal. Add 'Rye Whiskey' - made with over 51% rye in its mash - to the mix. Oye. I am still, hopelessly, confused. But I'm happy to hum a few bars of Don McLean's American Pie and drink whatever's being poured. Cheers.

Comments

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy. Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the Bread Bakers home page . We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies #SundayFunday

Today the Sunday Funday group is celebrating childhood favorites. Thanks to Stacy of Food Lust People Love , Sue of Palatable Pastime , Rebekah of Making Miracles , and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for coordinating this low-stress group. Today Stacy is hosting and she's given us the following prompt: "Childhood favorites. Did you have a favorite dish growing up? It could be something your family cooked or a restaurant dish, even a Chef Boyardee canned good or packaged ingredients like Rice-a Roni or mac and cheese. Recreate THAT dish from SCRATCH for this event." Here's the #SundayFunday childhood favorites line-up... Chili Mac from A Day in the Life on the Farm Ham and Mushroom Breakfast Burritos from Making Miracles Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Homemade Wonder Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories K-Mart Sub Sandwiches from Palatable Pastime Kempakki Dosa from Sizzling Tastebuds Meat Chilly Fry by Sn

Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Search This Blog