Whiskey Network will be on a break for the next few days so our staff can enjoy food, family, and fun for the next few days. We’ll be back next week with more!
For now, I offer you my annual message for this holiday.
It is that time of year when traditions rise to the surface like steam off a good gravy boat. Rituals passed down from generation to generation take center stage, stitched into the fabric of the holidays like Grandma’s quilt. It is a little frayed at the edges, but still holding strong. Topping that list of values, as ever, is gratitude.
I often think of the wit and wisdom of Mark Twain this time of year. On more than one occasion, I’ve fended off a tipsy distant relative with an arsenal of Twain quotes, wielding them like a literary flyswatter. Twain wrote, “Tell me about a person’s family, friends, and community, and I’ll tell you what his opinions are.” And he wasn’t wrong. We are, after all, the products of our environment. This isn’t all bad… it’s just a little fuzzy when there’s booze involved and you’re surrounded by people you only see once or twice a year, all of whom have strong feelings about cranberry sauce or sweet potatoes.
In all seriousness, I do hope you spend this Thanksgiving with those you love. It’s a time to reflect, to look past our differences, and to celebrate the strange, beautiful mess of being together. As Twain also said, “Thanksgiving day. Let us all give humble, hearty, and sincere thanks now, but the turkeys.” For the birds in question, let their sacrifice be honored in rich brown gravy, pillowy mashed potatoes, and stuffing beyond your wildest dreams. Can you tell what I’m partial to?
Incidentally, it’s noted that Twain (not the turkey) was a Scotch drinker. One might assume he’d be a devout student of bourbon, but alas, not so. Scotch drinkers would call this a mark of refinement. Bourbon drinkers would say his palate had gone soft. The truth, I suspect, lies somewhere between a heaping plate of seconds and a divine slice of pie.
Share. Give thanks. We’re not as different as we think we are.
Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!
Mark Pruett
Editor-in-Chief, Whiskey Network
