Someone asked me the other day why I called my old podcast and interview series Drinking to Drink.
It’s because working in retail these days gives one the distinct impression that very few of the people seriously buying whiskey are drinking it.
What am I basing that on? Many, many things. But perhaps none more illuminating than the lack of general enthusiasm upon the launch of a new value-priced whiskey that delivers the goods for a bargain price. This week we’ve got one of the best new values of the year, so let’s go down the checklist:
Is it cask strength? No.
Is it collectable? No.
If I post a photo of it on Instagram, will anyone care? No.
Well….then what do you expect me to do with it? Drink it.
I remember ten years ago when most whiskey customers would throw gigantic fits if a new Bourbon or rye whiskey hit the market for more than $50 MSRP. Now it’s almost impossible to sell a bottle that’s under $50 MSRP. As we joke in the retail business: “it’s too cheap to sell.”
The difference is consumption. When you don’t actually drink, a $50 bottle can last you years. Hence, why people who don’t really drink are willing to spend $100 on whiskey without batting an eyelid.
But I fucking drink. So a $50 bottle might only last me three days depending on who’s coming over. So I’d rather spend $29.99 if possible.
So let’s talk about the Whiskey Advocate’s #7 Whiskey of the Year: the new Elijah Craig Rye Whiskey, brimming with character, bottled at 47% ABV, utterly drinkable, and priced right where it should be at $29.99. It’s so tasty, I’m expecting it to be near the top of my list for the best values of 2021, from any spirits category across the board.
But none of that matters unless you actually enjoy the act of drinking. Which, ironically, many of the folks buying whiskey today do not.
For those of you who actually like to drink whiskey, you’ll want a bottle of this.
-David Driscoll