“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

There comes a time in our journey where we meet someone who is just stepping onto the path. Perhaps the most important lesson that can be shared is that there is no wrong way to whiskey. Just enjoy what you like and share it with whomever will tolerate your ramblings. That being said, there are preferable ways to introduce newcomers to the water of life.

First start with whiskey, something that is of a relatively low proof, not crazy expensive, and “smooth.” You want a bottle that is easily recognizable but will not elicit any adverse reactions from that one time where bad life choices were made. If you have multiple whiskeys for your guest to try, do your best to start with the most friendly and mild bottle and work your way up in complexity and proof. There are some people who are naturally drawn to bold and vibrant flavors but that is not always the best plan for introductions. 

If you are on your home turf when introducing someone new, feel free to break out your preferred glassware – Glencairn. The nose is quite possibly the most important of the introductions. It will be the first impression of the whiskey and there is a good chance the alcohol will play Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots with the newbie’s nose. It is important to ease them in at this point by wafting the glass by the nose in a similar fashion to a science class. 

Your first sip should be similar to taking a sip of hot coffee; just swallow the whiskey and don’t think too much of it. This sip is to acclimate your palate to the alcohol content of the whiskey. After that sip, continue to nose the glass – you will be able to discern more smells and tastes as you acclimate to the alcohol. 

Water, ice, and mixers or cocktails are all options to help explore a whiskey. Water is probably the best to use to open up and explore the whiskey in the glass while ice will suppress some of the alcohol burn and flavors. A cocktail is an excellent way to introduce whiskey to someone who may not be interested in whiskey as a standalone beverage. It is also nice to have a few cocktails up your sleeve to round out your whiskey knowledge.

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