When was the last time you swallowed?

Wow. I guess it would be fair to say I haven't updated this blog very recently. I won't make any excuses about how busy I've been, how distracted I've been, or how lazy I've been. I won't

So, the only question left to answer is where I've been. Well I did go with family in tow to Monterey Bay area, first stopping in Santa Cruz for a day (just to say I've been), before moving on to Monterey/Pacific Grove for a few days off.

My comments on the vacation:
1. Santa Cruz. Well, now I can say I've been there.
2. Monterey - the aquarium kicks as much ass as a bottle of
vodka at a frat party. We had lots of family fun in Monterey.
3. Pacific Grove - absolutely gorgeous place. By far the best I've seen in my short California existence. If I were a rich man I'd love to have a summer
cottage there.
So overall, I had a great time, the family enjoyed themselves, the old lady got a bit tipsy on a few occasions and we even had a deer family a few feet from our hotel room. Good times, good times.

You know what else is good times? Bourbon.

I can't say it enough, folks. In today's world of wine-fanaticism, where subtle notes and floral yadda yaddas prevail, and everyone is an expert, Bourbon really gets a bad rap. There has always been that idea that a fine single-malt scotch has oodles of character, whereas the bourbons, vodkas, tequilas and gins of the world were designed more for their heat-transfer capabilities than for palate pleasures. In the last decade and more specifically in the last five years or so, these old fashioned ideas have been thrown out the window by those in-the-know and sort of put in the back of the cupboard by most others.

But there are others still, who simply, through stubbornness and possible ignorance, simply refuse to acknowledge the flavour capacity of a good Bourbon. It doesn't help that the most popular purveyors of Bourbon provide a harsh slap in the face to most who brave the stuff in their cup. When 80 - 90 % of the drinkers out there first introduction to Bourbon is Jim Beam or Jack Daniels or some well bottle with a variant of a turkey or a horse and cart on the label, it's not surprising that those palates can be lost forever.

So, Bar Owners, Restaurant Managers, and mixologists alike. Stand up for Bourbon. You stood up for gin and vodka. and most of you stood up for tequila as well. So much so that the stuff we considered "the good stuff" ten years ago, is now the "well stuff" in most discerning establishments. So why then do most bars not do the same for their Bourbon? Because the purchasing guy hasn't sat down with a fine bottle of the stuff at the end of a good night (you should never make judgments at the end of a bad night, you should always just WALK AWAY), and UNDERSTAND the difference. Bourbon is the next tequila, people. Get on board now!