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We neither live to drink nor drink to live, we just see a nip as one of the privileges one can enjoy now and again. And if you are going to have a nip, have a damn good one. No cheap plonk here, me bucko. A wine maven would probably disagree. Our taste runs to the $15 and under wine... very drinkable, and we just aren’t sophisticated enough to tell the diff between a good wine and a VERY good wine. When it come to beer and Scotch whisky, though, that is a different story. We stock around 20 different single malts, and half a dozen different beers... mainly English style ales: stouts, pale ales, bitter, IPA. Summer is gin season: Tanqueray, mainly. Doug Adams, in the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, found that the one common beverage on all planet systems was something called ginantonic. It is the summer shore drink and one that bartenders rarely mess up. Martini’s on the other hand, are probably the easiest drink in the world to make badly. We prefer ours with Tanquerray, the briefest dash of vermouth, shaken with ice, served in a cold glass, up, with olives, thanks so very much. PS: Don’t let it sit around in the shaker while you go looking for olives. The melted ice dilutes the solution too much. Must we explain everything?


	Work is the curse of the drinking class -- Ogden Nash


	*Moderation is my rule. Nine or ten is reasonable refreshment. After that it might become drinkin’-- overhead in a Scottish pub*

Scotch in stock -- taken neat, no ice, no water

Brand and Age	Tasting notes	Origin
Ardbeg 10 yr	Peaty and full bodied	Islay
Balvenie Doublewood	Floral, and malty	Speyside
Bowmore Legend	Earthy and slightly peaty. This is a great $17 Scotch	Islay
Bowmore 12 yr	Smoother than the Legend, but we like the cheap one better	Islay
Caol Ila 12 yr	A lightly smoked Islay.	Islay
Dalwhinnie 15 yr	*Smooooth*	Highland
Glenfiddich - Cask	*Stroooong*	Speyside
Glenlivet 12 yr	Classic malt; fruity and malty. Very pleasant.	Speyside
Glenmorangie Port	The port finish gives color and character to an otherwise average malt	Highland
Glenrothes 12 yr	Big flavor, silky smooth with a soft landing	Speyside
Lagavulin 16 yr	A huge whisky. Very smokey, salty and full flavored	Islay
Laphroiag 10 yr	What can we say about the frog? This is a challenging whisky which has hints of iodine, huge amounts of peat. Drink this last.	Islay
Laphroaig Quarter Cask	A very big whiskey. Strong peat aroma, without the iodine of the regular Laphroaig. Very long, satisfying finish.	Islay
MacAllan 12 yr	Oak, sherry, buttery. A classic. The 18 year is very smooth but Carmella prefers the punch of the 12 year old.	Highland
Old Pultney	Light and smooth. A refreshing malt.	Highland
Edradour 10 yr	The smallest distillery in Scotland produces a rich, caramel flavor. No longer available in USA.	Highland
Talisker 10 yr	One of our all time faves. Full body, some smoke. Big finish.	Skye
The Singleton 10 yr	Bronze color, light body, smooth	Highland

For more information on single malts, try:

Michael Jackson’s Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, Fourth Edition (Running Press)

Wallace Milroy’s Malt Whiskey Almanac (A Taster’s Guide) (Neil Wilson Publishing)

Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2006 (new edition 2008) Jim Murray (Carlton)

Single Malt Scotch Bill Milne & Roddy Martine (Friedman/Fairfax)

The Scotch Whisky Book Mark Skipworth (Lomond Books)

BEST BET: The Malt Advocate magazine. This is a marvelous, glossy mag devoted to malt, bourbon, beer, and even Canadian libation. John Hansell, the brains behind the outfit, is a world-class expert on the topic and a terrific guy as well. His Scotch lectures and tastings are a must.


	I always remember my first Martini. By the third one it gets a little fuzzy.


	See, in mixing, the important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan, you shake to fox trot time; a Bronx to a two-step time. But a Martini, you always shake to waltz time. Nick Charles. The Thin Man


	*I never go jogging. It makes me spill my Martini. George Burns*


	The Martini

This will be short and simple: Two measures of Tanqueray gin (or Boodles); a dash of dry vermouth; shake with ice (shake to waltz time for a better martini); strain into chilled martini glass; garnish with olives or lemon peel. Drink. Repeat. Best places to have a martini: Any of the Four Seasons lounges, but especially the Swan in Philadelphia; Bostons in Del Ray Beach, Florida; The Continental Lounge, Philadelphia; The Oak Bar, Plaza Hotel, New York or Boston; Old Ebbitt in Washington; the Tabard Inn, Washington. Worst places: any beach bar. Order a gin and tonic instead. Great book: Shaken NOT Stirred by Miller and Brown.


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