My consumption pattern took an odd trajectory. In the past six months or so, I've taken to a late afternoon's sherry or port, the cheap stuff from mass producers. At a rate of about a wine glass, or even a tasting glass, before supper, a 1500 ml bottle lasts about two weeks, though really a little longer when sherry and port alternate. In exchange for that I drink less beer. The craft offerings have accelerated in price, leaving me to alternate with a few favorite brands: Moosehead & Squirrel, Molson's, tried Lion's Head which I found too bitter. And since I never have beer with any other alcohol on the same day, the usual purchase of twelve bottles lasts a while, even though I've abandoned soda other than seltzer from my supermarket cart, irrespective of an attractive sale price. Spirits last even longer. In the winter, I will make a hot toddy after supper, though never in the same day as anything else. I am pretty good at limitation to a single serving in any day except when we have wine with dinner, when I am more generous with refilling my glass at the meal. Though dinner wine is a special occasion, other than weekly kiddush.
So it came as a surprise when the last drops of several of these things poured all within a week. Wine for my wife's birthday, Manischewitz at the last shabbos, last bottle of Molson's this week, sherry a couple of weeks ago not replaced since I still had about a liter of port remaining, and even the bourbon emptied in a recipe for coulibiac that I baked for my wife's birthday.
So off to Total Wine, my preferred megastore. Kiddush wine was first priority. Usually I get Mogen David based on price but they didn't have any. I bought Manischewitz plain Concord Grape, the type made from kitnyot that cannot be used on Pesach. Then more sherry, 1500 ml of cream style. For beer, I found Anchor Steam variety pack, $15 for twelve bottles. Interestingly, not only is price zooming, but availability of bottles seems to be giving way to cans, even among the better brands. Cans apparently have advantages of shelf life, storage, shipping, and production for the manufacturers and improvements in canning have enabled less effect on the product. I bought twelve bottles. And for real booze, I started with replacing bourbon. This has also gotten rather expensive, at least the brands I've heard of. I settled for 750 ml of one I've not heard but had a pleasant color and attractive rectangular bottle with cork top. While pushing my cart, I saw some Irish whiskey, something I did not have at home. Browsing the shelves for the lower priced offerings, again with the brands I've heard of mostly above my willingness to spend, I selected a 750 ml cylindrical bottle with attractive shiny green label.
Onward to the cashier, credit card debited about $75, then home. When I arrived, my wife's car was not in the driveway. Unknown to me she had gone out for her own replacement from a decent store around the corner. Her wine, my preferred Mogen David Concord. Since mine is not suitable for Pesach, we'll use mine now, then probably be ready to open hers for Seder. She also replaced sherry, same brand as the one I chose but a smaller bottle of the dry variety. And a bottle of dinner wine.
We are now fully stocked for a while. The novelty being the Irish whiskey, I screwed open the top last night, put a zets of sugar in a stem glass, three ounces boiling water with one ounce of Irish whiskey for a somewhat bitter but relaxing hot toddy while I watched a recorded travel show in my Man Cave. Decent ending to a mostly busy day.
