Test post after so much inactivity.

I have a dumb technical question: how do you crush ice from cubes for stirred drinks? I’d hate to take a hammer to it. — Wolf Young fellow, in the past, I have done exactly that–wrapped ice cubes in a dish towel and hammered away until it was limp and soggy and my latent aggressions [...]

I like to drink — a lot — and I’m good at it. I’m not so good at talking about drinking. But more and more often I find myself at parties stuck talking to guys who want to discuss where the grapes were grown or what grain goes into which whiskey. My general inclination is [...]

Why do Americans insist on taking their beer so cold that it kills off half the flavours? Could it be that some of the American beers taste so bad…? — I. C. Double Your name seems familiar to me. Perhaps you come from the Hampstead Doubles? Surely you’re not Makeit A. Double’s son? Well met, [...]

How do I become a regular at a bar? — Dave Young fellow, I should skewer you for the sheer dunderheadedness of your question. Americans, however, are wont to say that “There is no stupid question.” That assertion is patently false, but in the spirit of happy society I’ll instead answer the subtext of your [...]

Some prick at my New Year’s party told me that I couldn’t call the stuff I was serving “champagne” because it didn’t come from France. Is he right? And if so, who the fuck cares? I still call my facial tissue “kleenex” even if it’s the store brand. — Darren Young fellow, your guest was [...]

I don’t like egg nog. But it seems like everyone’s trying to get me to drink it. What do I do? — Kevin Young fellow, the social contract has many clauses, and none of us wish to initial all of them. But we don’t get to pick and choose, and that is a fortunate thing. [...]

This is pretty last minute, but what kind of wine should I serve with Thanksgiving dinner? We’re having the usual stuff. — Todd Young fellow, first be sure that, whether muscatel or Margaux, the wine is wine you like. There’s nothing sillier than running off and buying six bottles that some critic has anointed (even [...]

Do you have any advice for someone (me) who tends to drink their drinks too fast? I can’t help it — I’m a gulper. (Advice about how to SLOW DOWN, that is. I don’t want to deal with any underlying issues.) — Kirstin An excellent question, young lady, and one that has plagued sober-minded drinks [...]

My long-lasting bottle of gin has given up its last gin and tonic. If I drank this thirst-quenching summer drink more frequently, I’d undoubtedly have settled on a favorite brand by now. Rather than an indeterminate period of experimentation, however, I am turning to you. What are the middle-of-the-road gins (for party situations, say, when [...]