March 2010

The Lush Chronicles: Why We Drink- Family

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Cliches ought not to be taken for granted. After all, they became cliche by being common enough for everyone to recognize them. Unless you're one of those hopelessly corny idealists, the first thing that pops into your mind when thinking of family gatherings is excessive self-medication with unholy amounts of holy libations. Why do we drink until intoxicated when we're around our extended families? I don't think it's as simple as dysfunctional behavior. There are layers to this ritual.

The Lush Chronicles: Alcohol and College

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As some of you might have noticed, I didn't get a chance to live blog my St. Patrick's Day experience, but believe me when I say that it wasn't for a lack of trying. I had the damndest time getting drunk on St. Pat's, and though I'll have to consult a Catholic about this, I'm pretty sure that has got to be some kind of cardinal sin. My original plan involving a bottle of Irish whiskey took a back seat to the insistence of friends. No, it wasn't another intervention. I think that may be scheduled for a three-day block in mid June. Rather, my friends on various plots along the average sobriety spectrum insisted that I join them out in the world for what was promised to be a respectable night out of relaxing self-harm. It didn't go so well as that, though.

The Lush Chronicles: On Whiskey and St. Patrick's Day

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Next Wednesday, the international holiday of problem drinkers will once again descend upon the world. I don't really want to get into the uncomfortable racial stereotyping of an Irish celebration necessarily involving large amounts of liquor, but I will say this: Whiskey-making cultures have a right to drink in vast quantities. While I appreciate cold martinis, sensual liqueurs and woefully misunderstood glasses of tequila, my liver and I know that whiskey will forever be king of all potables. Complex but not pretentious, heavy but not filling, tough but refined, whiskey is a drinker's drink. And sure, I'll admit that if I had my choice of whiskeys, I wouldn't go for Irish varieties first. For the record, it's third in line behind scotch and bourbon. I still respect the Irish stuff and I plan on elevating it to the status of a ritual libation come St. Patrick's Day.

The Only Thing (drink) Is Good For

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Individual tastes being what they are, there's at least one person in the world who is happy to drink even the most ridiculously specialized item at the liquor store. Every super-sweet liqueur, weird flavored vodka and mysterious packaged mixer has a fan, but dedicated drinkers are still allowed to be snobs about the stuff they wouldn't let within a hundred feet of their own bars. So, if any of the following things are divine nectar according to your unique palate, I sincerely apologize.