Liquor is not
simply a drink of choice, it represents
part of the history of food development, culture and the organic
environment through to women & men’s enjoyment.
Such as –
Grapes = wine
Wheat = distilled liquor
Fruit = brandies
Sugar = rum
Rice = Saki
And so on, or as we say in Greece "και το α'λλο"
At a bar,
restaurant, or friends home, beyond the liquor bottles, you’ll see a country’s
food and culture narrative on display. It’s no accident that some great liquors
made from lemons come from Italy’s lemon-growing region. Likewise for others,
such as – it was not some accident that the farmers in Normandy, growing
apples, to become a dominant player in the apple brandy “Calvados” world.
A little
experimentation in life, food and drink behooves us all pitifully when we
travel, be it California wine region, Québec’s fruit & vegetable region Ill
d’Orléans, or Bavaria and its apples.
So next time you
are out and about with your favorite girl, harken up to the bartender and ask
“what’s local” … you may be surprised and entertained.
I was in Glasgow’s
Palomino Bar when served the barman’s choice of Dalwhinnnie scotch, for which
he presented to me in a crystal whiskey glass, warmed with hot water and then towel-dried, before pouring in the dram of scotch whiskey, smooth as silk.
It won’t take
long, as my son-in-law discovered on travels to Switzerland and was introduced
to the local Appenzeller Alpenbitter. And you’ll be pleased with the fruits of
your effort, not only in your choice of drink but the cultural interaction you experience
during the search – as you make new friends.
Santé
Boîte
Calvados (warmed
glass)
Sliced apple and
cheese
France bleu
Strasbourg (streamed live)
