Now I am a man of brevity at my best (this is not my best) and few people want to hear an over-zealous, self-proclaimed, hobby-enthusiast rattle on about the technicalities of a certain distillation process or the pH of a given brach water while they are working on an early evening buzz. I always seem to end up mumbling something about the mood I am in or the depth of a given bottle. I consistently have trouble putting together an appropriate retort for this question not only on-the-fly but even with advanced contemplation and preparation. This has (comically) tortured me to no end for a number of years.

My recent revelation albeit relativity insignificant has solved this personal conundrum and I believe Mr. Watman puts it best:

“To say a whiskey is the best I’ve ever had is impossible–an absurd exercise. I’ve had twenty-five-year-old Macallan, George T. Stagg, Adberg 10, twenty-year-old Pappy Van Winkle, Corner Creek, an Early Times mint julep as the gates clanged open at the Kentucky Derby, and Elijah Craig eighteen-year-old Reserve while skinning and butchering a deer with a Swiss Army knife in the headlights of a pickup on a dark, cold December night. I drank whiskey on my wedding day, and on the side of a Virginia mountain when the clock ticked midnight in 1999.

I’ve never sat in a lab to taste whicky; my whiskey history is all tied up with my life. The best whiskey I’ve ever had is like the best horse race ever run: the next one.

There are drams, however, that arrest you and grab your attention. Whiskeys that make you stop talking. When a serious whiskey passes my lips, I find myself chewing on it, moving my tongue around, slapping against my palate and exploring the flavors. When I find in my hand a real, deep, layered whiskey, I am always tempted, for the moment that my head is lost in the drink, to close my eyes, let go, and declare that this is the best whiskey I’ve ever had.”

- Max Watman, Chasing The White Dog

A TALKING match lately came off for five dollars a side. It continued for thirteen hours, the rivals being a Frenchman and a Kentuckian. The bystanders and judges were talked to sleep, and when they awoke in the morning they found the Frenchman dead, and the Kentuckian whispering in his ear.

- The American Joe Miller

A couple impressive matrons to consider:

Rachel Maddow’s interview with Imbibe Magazine:

Imbibe: Where’s your favorite place to grab a drink, and what do you order?

RM: I like making drinks even more than I like drinking them—so my favorite thing is to make drinks at home.?But in NYC, Pegu Club lures me like a siren song.? And my local, Daddy-O, has a great, great cocktail menu and great bartenders.?At either, I’m likely to take a bartender’s suggestion, but barring that, my first recourse is usually a rye Old Fashioned, no fruit.

(full article)

Christina Hendrick’s interview with Esquire Magazine:

ESQ: Do you drink while you cook? Watching Mad Men always makes me want to drink.

CH: I love cocktails. My specialty drink is a gimlet with a little egg white in it so it gets frothy. I really like rose water — sometimes I’ll add it to champagne. I was at a bar recently and the manager came up to me and said, “We have a drink named after you!” The Joan Holloway. There was Campari in it. People are throwing these Mad Men — themed parties because, I think, it’s an excuse to get dressed up and drink and smoke.

(full article)

2nd Ave. Subway: Estimated for completion between 2017-3090.

While We Wait: A little transit infrastructure retrofit. Not such a terrible idea. Take notice Orlandos of the country.

A revised/enhanced edition of the common proposal for nationwide HSR (high-speed rail) from America 2050. Once again, a beautiful map with a viable concept, but I tend to think that the majority of Americans are misinformed in regards to why and how rail will help address our looming infrastructure and economic problems. However, the latest issue of Newsweek published a great (“A Need for Speed”) on the common HSR proposal featuring work from the America2050 project.

The American 2050 group has also crafted a number of fantastic maps helping visualize the current state and growth of “megaregions” across the U.S. These maps are of great benifit and should be incorporated into primary eduation curriculum across the nation to prepare the next generation for critical thinking about smart growth.

Rather then using the current state-by-state planning heuristic, Freemark proposes a nationalized, government owned rail system coined as “NatTrack.” This system, funded in theory by grants and bonds, would establish rail standards nationwide and balance freight and commuter train priority. Amtrack, currently profitless and federally subsidized, would own trains and lease operation rights on a given track.

Freemark, using analysis of ridership and distance, has visually mapped out what such a system should/could look like down the road.  All things considered, the proposal helps the movement. To read more, check out Freemark’s blog.

It almost seems that each grid design matches the common personality of each city.  Compare Paris and NY.