Marked Bottles.

So, I really started enjoying whiskey after I graduated from college. As I began dabbling, I started making it my mission to find the best whiskeys (particularly bourbon) at different price points, by $10 increments. For instance, finding the best $15 bottle, or the best $25 bottle, or $35 bottle, and so on. I can tell you right now, you should skip over that $15 bottle range lol. I did begin finding some really awesome bottles at the $25 price point, but that’s not why I am bringing this all up, so I’ll save that for a future post. The point is, I learned that there is a lot of craftsmanship associated with producing a great bottle of whiskey and it's certainly worth exploring. At the time, one of my best friends had a side gig working for a small batch distillery in Baltimore (s/o Old Line), and I loved hearing how the process worked and about all of the qualifications associated with certain classifications.

What all of this taught me was that there is a world beyond Jack & Coke or a Seagram's 7&7. Today, in some of my friend groups, I am known as the guy to bring that really delicious whiskey to a gathering and have friends mildly shake their heads, sipping, and whispering, “man this is so good.” And it’s true, how much better is an experience made, while enjoying a quality food or drink, that is extra enjoyable for all who partake? Kicking the feet up and sipping an excellent bottle with my closest men has become a cherished hobby of mine. So, cherish things that are worth cherishing. Enjoy the little things in life that make every experience memorable.

Sort of related but in a different direction, my wife once told me about a colleague who would buy a special piece of artwork for her house every time a memorable event happened in her life. Art is pretty expensive, so I think the events she was referring to had to be pretty darn memorable. Nevertheless, I loved the idea and wanted to make it my own! And that is how my whiskey scavenging hobby became the catalyst for my collection. I began buying a bottle, previously researched and enjoyed, for every memorable life occasion that I, or my wife, or both of us experienced. On each bottle I write the occasion and date with a gold Sharpie, and then I store it away in a hutch in my office. Now I probably buy more bottles than Sienna’s previous colleague buys art, but I don’t over do it. I like to make sure the event is something impactful enough that it is worth reliving the memory at some point in the future when I pop off that cork.

What do these types of events look like to you? My wife has been an awesome teacher to me and has helped me learn and grow through life, but one of the greatest lessons she’s taught me is to celebrate the small things. If there are things in life to celebrate, celebrate! Life is too short to miss out on enjoying those little life moments shared with those closest to you. My hope is that 15-20 years in the future, I am able to sit down with my wife, relative, or friend, and open a whiskey bottle that I marked celebrating my first career bonus, or my wife getting her second job, or the day we got our Cavapoo Hudson, and reminisce back to that time reflecting on and appreciating what was, what now is, and everything in between.

Hope you enjoyed the week end read,

Dionisio III