There are a lot of reasons to drink whiskey. Some people like the way it makes them feel fuzzy and warm, when laughing comes a little easier. Maybe it takes the edge off a long day or helps hype the anticipation for what might be a long night. For me, the reasons why I love whiskey are much more than that.

Why I Love Whisk(e)y

Whiskey Tells A Story

Whiskey tells us a story. It tells a story of a certain time and a certain place, of a distillery and those who work in it. I love the idea that an entire team of people worked every day to grow barley, distill whiskey, maintain a distillery, patiently watch over barrels, and the million other minute tasks that go into creating a single bottle of whiskey that is then transported (sometimes to the other side of the world) for me to enjoy.

And it tells a story on an individual level, too. What inspired me to buy the bottle and where I got it. Maybe it starts with how I learned about it or where I first tried it and weaves until here and now, to who I’m drinking it with and when.

Whiskey Keeps Me In the Moment

I love the way whiskey forces me to be present in the moment. Twirling the glass in my hand while the liquid dances around, sniffing as the liquid resettles, metaphorically grasping for any memories or reminders the scent conjures up. Maybe it’s dusty leather or warm sugar cookies, maybe it’s smoked bacon with flakes of salt. Sipping it reinforces the here and now; feeling its warmth in my mouth, trying to dissect the story it’s trying to tell with my tongue.

I don’t know of any other dish or drink I savor quite so slowly as I do whiskey, thinking about it with every one of my senses to interpret the story it wants to tell. Drinking whiskey is one of the few moments in life that I slow down and throw myself into the exact moment I’m in.

Whiskey Transports Me Across Space and Time

But while I’m focused on the feelings, tastes, and smells of the moment while I’m sipping on whiskey, my mind is simultaneously flying around the world, to other places and other time periods. I’m wondering about where the grain was grown and the liquid distilled, then matured; about the climate and the scenery, about the air and the water.

And the time, too. The year it was distilled and the time it spent hugged by wood, patiently weathering the seasons year after year. The other night I drank a 21 year old whisky from Glen Scotia Distillery in Campbeltown. It was beautifully creamy, wonderfully heavy with vanilla and warm with spice, all topped with a touch of salt. I imagined vanilla ice cream with a light sprinkle of sea salt and dash of spice. It transported me both to the rugged island of Campbeltown in Scotland and back to 1992, when the first liquid of this bottle dripped from the stills. It’s incredible to think of the 21 years the whisky patiently matured, while the rest of us lived our lives.

Whiskey Connects People

As I sipped on the whisky, falling into my happy place, I swapped glasses with my friend. He was enjoying a 19 year old single cask whisky from Springbank Distillery, a lovely salt-laden gem of a whisky. Together we shared what we smelled and tasted, what it reminded us of — both in the whisky world and the real one — and compared and contrasted stories.

Of all the reasons why I love whiskey, the way it connects people is my most favorite. The way it binds us through our senses, the way it bridges our experiences, the way it brings us into the same moment, even just for a few sips.

Whiskey is More Than a Drink

I love that there is a worldwide whiskey community and that I’m somehow part of it. That I’ve met some of my favorite people through a whiskey-focused event or by chance while enjoying a dram. I love the way we obsess over the tiniest details of it: how and where it was made, and who it was made by.

Whiskey is a collection of stories — of those who make it and those who enjoy it — intertwining into one singular story over space, time, years, and more all into one glass. There are so many reasons why I love whiskey, but the connection of all of it is my most favorite.

So… why do you love whiskey?

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