Section Seven ~ Whiskey-Proof Positive
It is pretty evident from the length of this section that Mario likes his whiskey. I myself have always appreciated whiskey, but it is never the first bottle I reach for when I jaunt to the liquor store.
Recently, a few friends and I attended a scotch tasting, accompanied with hors d'oeuvres. The whole night featured only Johnnie Walker scotch: red label, blue label, green label, black label, and gold label (served in chocolate shot glasses). The evening was capped off with a sampling of a scotch that was quite old…I wish I could remember how old now. It was also very expensive. The point though, is I preferred the Johnnie Walker Blue to all of them. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive one to be the best to your taste buds. And the best pairing of the night were the Wendys’ French fries I had afterward. I’m not ashamed.
In this section, Mario conveys the importance of having more than one type of whiskey in your bar. You can get by with one gin, one vodka, one brandy, maybe two kids of rum…but whiskey should have four options, preferably five. We should have a U.S. blended, bourbon, Canadian, Scotch and Irish. And if you feel strongly about whiskey, two selections from each of those categories would make you a fantastic host.
The section goes on in great detail about the recipes and manufacturing of each type of whiskey, something I feel cannot be paraphrased with justice. I encourage everyone to buy a bottle of each of these whiskeys and host your own tasting party, complete with a bit of history behind each. In fact, I may do just this in the coming weeks.
