I know I drink too much. I believe I’ve mentioned it before. But one way I justify it, is by learning a lot about what I’m drinking and how to order, so that I can enjoy my drinks for more than just the fact that get me drunk.

Now, anyone who knows what I’m talking about knows that there is a limitless number of drinks out there to try and understand, so it’s usually better to acquire a taste for a select few types of beer, winers, or liquors and stick to those. For example, my favorite type of beer is an IPA and my favorite type of wine is a Malbec. Now, my favorite type of liquor on the other hand, is still TBD. But one thing for certain is that I love a good scotch.

Generally I keep some Glenfiddich around, as its a good scotch at a good price, and goes well on its own or with a wide range of foods. I know a little bit about scotch but I was invited to go to The Brandy Library in Tribeca on Monday night for a scotch tasting (It was really a whiskey tasting but I’ll explain in a minute).

The Brandy Library has over 1,500 unique bottles of liquors, mostly of some kind of whiskey or brandy. But they also have tequila and few other spirits. There was a group of three of us and we had a personal guide who introduced us to all sorts of different types of whiskeys and scotches and gave a very detailed history of the spirit and how each unique bottle was made.

We started with a corn whiskey from Japan of all places. I had no idea that was even a thing, but apparently Japan makes some very high end whiskeys, but only a few are sold in the US due to tariff and tax restrictions. This Japanese whiskey went down very easy. Almost too easy because we had a new drink in about 10 minutes.

The night continued on like that with whiskeys from Japan, the US, France, and of course scotches from Scotland. And in reference to my note early, a scotch is only a scotch if it comes from Scotland. So, that means that every scotch is a whiskey, but not every whiskey is a scotch.

My favorite drink was an Isle of Jura Single Malt Whiskey. It tasted like a bon fire! It was like nothing else I’ve ever had. Our guide told us to take a very small sip and coat the inside of your mouth with the whiskey, then breath out through your nose, to get the full flavor. That was great at the beginning of the night, but damn near a disaster by the end!

Luckily for us there was some small finger foods and water brought out at various points so we could at least pretend like we weren’t getting as drunk as we really were.

We ended the night with a rare bottle from I believe France (I was a little tipsy at this point). It was 140 proof and from our guide’s private collection (I guess he liked us). It was hard to put down, but none the less all three of us finished our drinks. Then we took a few pictures, were told not to use the flash, and then stumbled our way into cabs.

All-in-all it was a pretty amazing experience and something I would recommend to anyone who enjoys whiskey, scotch, or just drinking in general.

If you’re like me, you’re a huge fan of  Mad Men. The fact that I work in an ad agency in New York is a big part of it, but it’s also just an awesome show (although I am currently 3 weeks behind. Not good).

When I’m watching, I like to have a drink. Partly because they are constantly drinking in the show, and partly because I drink too much already. A good glass of Scotch works well, but if you feel like taking the time to make a drink, a Manhattan does the trick! So here’s a simple recipe:

• 1.5 Parts Bourbon
• 1 Part Dry Vermouth
• 2 splashes of bitters
• 2 Maraschino Cherries and a spoonful of cherry juice

Mix well with ice, serve on the rocks.

Need the bitters? Yeah, that can take some time. Bitters are nonalcoholic (although some with alcohol do exist, these are not the norm), therefore most liquor stores do NOT sell them. But most big grocery stores will. The corner store might not though. So your bourbon and vermouth can be bought at one location, and the cherries and bitters at another.

So don’t get frustrated if you can’t find everything at once, and don’t give up and say “fuck it, I’m just not gonna use bitters.” You’re cheating yourself and you know it! If you’re going to make this drink, do it right!

Ok, so maybe wine of the week was a little ambitious. I admit I’ve been busy, and a little lazy, and after spilling coffee on my laptop, my “e” key no longer works. So I need to blog from work or my iPad until I get it fixed, or a new computer.

Anyway, I did try another wine that I did like, and being that I just mailed a check to the tax man today (no refund this year) I feel like having a drink. And since my wallet is a little lighter today than it was yesterday, I figured I’d talk about a wine that was good, and won’t break the bank.

Aroa is from Navarra and is a good blended wine. Cost about $14 and was great just to sip or goes well with a red sauce pasta dish. Not the heaviest wine I’ve had, but when I got it that wasn’t what I was looking for. I would give a good medium body wine with a good, but not overwhelming flavor. But what do I know? I’m still learning this stuff.

Anyway, if you want a good bottle for the weekend and you just took a hit on taxes like me, give this a try. Or if you’re really broke, Two Buck Chuck is always a quick fix.