I got hooked on Scotch stuck in a sleeper train saloon when the cabin lights broke. We had to go from Fort William to Edinburgh which gave me enough time to sample Speyside, Islay, Highland and lowland single malts. It was a memorable journey with excellent company and excellent drinking. I have loved Laphroaig ever since.
The Rob Roy : the Scotch version of a Manhattan. And if you don't like the peaty ones, stay away from Islay. I find the Higland Scotches more drinkable. Having a NYE Scotch party with my besties this year. Enjoy!!
If you are ever in Edinburgh, there is a "Scotch Whiskey Tasting Museum" right outside of the old castle. It was a good introduction to the various regions of the country. I found I'm most partial to the Speyside whiskeys. They're less peaty and more fruit forward than other regions.
Scotch is what happens when patience beats sugar. No shortcuts. No fireworks. Just depth earned the slow way. In an age of neon cocktails and instant takes, this feels almost… subversive. Cheers to adult beverages for adult attention spans.
I acknowledge that scotch is generally too peaty for me…like sipping mud. I never claimed to have a refined palate. And I also admit that I buy Dewars, but only to put in my coffee. It would seem to be sacrilege to use good scotch/whiskey/bourbon in coffee…although I do make a good cup ☕️
One of these days I hope to come do an event at Hemingway's. While we're on the topic of Scotch and soda, it was the number one drink, in terms of frequency of mentions, in all of Ernest Hemingway's novels and short stories.
Don’t even THINK about ordering Scotch with ice or soda in Scotland. If you want that, go home, lock the doors, close the curtains, and drink your blasphemous beverage in shame, alone in the dark.
I have been drinking Scotch whiskey for over 50 years, and single malt nearly as long. My appreciation of Scotch varieties is deeper and more comprehensive than for any other alcoholic beverage. I don’t drink it so often now, but I drink it once a week with an informal group of men in my town who meet every Wednesday at a storefront after hours to taste five or six Scotches and a few bourbons or ryes. One or two of our number bring covered dishes: venison stew, home-smoked salmon, shepherd’s pie with mushie peas, haggis one day a year and middle eastern and Asian dishes. It’s a good occasion to catch up on what’s happening in town, what new restaurants and shops might be opening. The women in our lives like that we do this. One or two will come in and are always welcome. One wife is always there. She has Alzheimer’s and is comfortable around us. That allows her husband to keep coming. He’s a dour Scotsman, and his Scotch recommendations are always solid.
Quite honestly, Scotch treated me better than I treated Scotch. I let Scotch take the blame for things I said and did; nothing too crazy, thankfully. But Scotch took the blame in silence never once saying the truth that it was me who said some rude things or spilled a couple of drinks. I think I still love Scotch too much to allow myself to blame that lovely liquid for any more of my words or clumsiness. So, I’m sipping my water and just remembering the days when Scotch and I were a pretty good partnership. That relationship lasted longer than any I ever had with people!
Yeah, I was kind of live and let live, just let the old fella get some sleep, up to that point. On the other hand, they didn’t say what he was doing that led to the growling. If I had an upstairs neighbor acting like that, I’d be pretty grouchy.
The bear messed with the house's gas line, so now the owner has no hot water. It's like that movie, Pacific Heights, with the bear in the Michael Keaton roll as a very bad tenant.
Jo Ann Allen Boyce Dies at 84; Braved Mobs in Integrating a School
She was one of the Clinton 12, Black students who broke a race barrier by entering a Tennessee high school in 1956 in the face of harassment by white segregationists.
I think Scotch has “Jan 6 PTSD Survivors Club Meeting” written all over it. Gonna make one now.
I'm probably asking for it. But what is the group's favorite scotch?
I got hooked on Scotch stuck in a sleeper train saloon when the cabin lights broke. We had to go from Fort William to Edinburgh which gave me enough time to sample Speyside, Islay, Highland and lowland single malts. It was a memorable journey with excellent company and excellent drinking. I have loved Laphroaig ever since.
The Rob Roy : the Scotch version of a Manhattan. And if you don't like the peaty ones, stay away from Islay. I find the Higland Scotches more drinkable. Having a NYE Scotch party with my besties this year. Enjoy!!
If you are ever in Edinburgh, there is a "Scotch Whiskey Tasting Museum" right outside of the old castle. It was a good introduction to the various regions of the country. I found I'm most partial to the Speyside whiskeys. They're less peaty and more fruit forward than other regions.
Scotch is what happens when patience beats sugar. No shortcuts. No fireworks. Just depth earned the slow way. In an age of neon cocktails and instant takes, this feels almost… subversive. Cheers to adult beverages for adult attention spans.
I acknowledge that scotch is generally too peaty for me…like sipping mud. I never claimed to have a refined palate. And I also admit that I buy Dewars, but only to put in my coffee. It would seem to be sacrilege to use good scotch/whiskey/bourbon in coffee…although I do make a good cup ☕️
One of these days I hope to come do an event at Hemingway's. While we're on the topic of Scotch and soda, it was the number one drink, in terms of frequency of mentions, in all of Ernest Hemingway's novels and short stories.
Don’t even THINK about ordering Scotch with ice or soda in Scotland. If you want that, go home, lock the doors, close the curtains, and drink your blasphemous beverage in shame, alone in the dark.
Scotch. It's what's for dinner.
That's because it's not just for breakfast anymore
I have been drinking Scotch whiskey for over 50 years, and single malt nearly as long. My appreciation of Scotch varieties is deeper and more comprehensive than for any other alcoholic beverage. I don’t drink it so often now, but I drink it once a week with an informal group of men in my town who meet every Wednesday at a storefront after hours to taste five or six Scotches and a few bourbons or ryes. One or two of our number bring covered dishes: venison stew, home-smoked salmon, shepherd’s pie with mushie peas, haggis one day a year and middle eastern and Asian dishes. It’s a good occasion to catch up on what’s happening in town, what new restaurants and shops might be opening. The women in our lives like that we do this. One or two will come in and are always welcome. One wife is always there. She has Alzheimer’s and is comfortable around us. That allows her husband to keep coming. He’s a dour Scotsman, and his Scotch recommendations are always solid.
Community is the best gift we can give each other!
A good Scotch or a good rum are beautiful things.
In my present state of total sobrietyScotch is the friend I miss most.
I’m reading between the lines there, and guessing that you were more of a friend to scotch then scotch was a friend to you.
Quite honestly, Scotch treated me better than I treated Scotch. I let Scotch take the blame for things I said and did; nothing too crazy, thankfully. But Scotch took the blame in silence never once saying the truth that it was me who said some rude things or spilled a couple of drinks. I think I still love Scotch too much to allow myself to blame that lovely liquid for any more of my words or clumsiness. So, I’m sipping my water and just remembering the days when Scotch and I were a pretty good partnership. That relationship lasted longer than any I ever had with people!
Have you ever seen the movie, the Angels’ Share? You might enjoy it.
A trap was set for a bear living under an Altadena home for a month. It caught the wrong bear --LA TImes
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-12-26/bear-has-been-under-altadena-home-for-month-trap-caught-wrong-one
“Growled at him through a living room vent” good lord.
Yeah, I was kind of live and let live, just let the old fella get some sleep, up to that point. On the other hand, they didn’t say what he was doing that led to the growling. If I had an upstairs neighbor acting like that, I’d be pretty grouchy.
The bear messed with the house's gas line, so now the owner has no hot water. It's like that movie, Pacific Heights, with the bear in the Michael Keaton roll as a very bad tenant.
That movie totally creeped me out. Michael Keaton was terrifying in that role (IMO).
He's good at being menacing.
lol. I thought of that movie, too.
Poor bear. Altadena got hit pretty hard by mudslides this week. They can't catch a break.
Jo Ann Allen Boyce Dies at 84; Braved Mobs in Integrating a School
She was one of the Clinton 12, Black students who broke a race barrier by entering a Tennessee high school in 1956 in the face of harassment by white segregationists.
(NYT) https://archive.ph/oOOfn#selection-501.0-505.166
She outlived them all. She gave them all heart attacks.
Bless her.
I can't imagine how brave she had to have been.
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Morning. Still pretty icy here.
https://substack.com/profile/1529833-vienna-woods/note/c-192132169?r=wsfd&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web
You misspelled "icky"!