Every Monday, NPR will run an essay from their This I Believe project. In these essays, they ask common people to recite (in under 500 words) what is at the core of their beliefs. I would never expect them to accept an essay like this, but I do think that it's an appropriate lead into a new blog.
This, I believe:
In many ways, I believe in alcohol. I believe that it's not a sin, rather a misunderstood vehicle for enjoyment and experience. That society has judged alcohol on its misuse rather than its moderated use. America, influenced by a Puritan perspective on enjoyment, has caused more damage through alcohol than if it had taken a reasoned and objective perspective on alcohol consumption. I believe that by making alcohol a taboo, we create dangerous habits in our youth that will make them irresponsible drinkers when they are adults.
As for alcohol itself, I believe that every person has a right to enjoy the alcohol of their choice and that there is no such thing as "bad taste" in drinking. Alcohol is both a sustinence and a mnemonic, allowing the drinker to refresh themselves and relive fond memories - or bad ones if they so choose.
In parallel to that, I believe there is no such thing as "bad alcohol". Every drink is a lesson for the next chance. It's possible that you might never drink that kind of alcohol ever again, but the experience is itself valuable to your character.
I believe that everyone should try their alcohol straight and at room temperature before embellishing it with mixers, ice, or heat. This creates a foundation for what the flavor could be and then any modifications would be additions rather than masking.
I believe that distilled drinks should be consumed in decreasing value. That is to say that one should not drink more than one glass of $70 Scotch in a night because the second one will be so muted from the first that a $35 bottle could be substituted without much notice.
I also believe that it is rare for a $70 bottle of Scotch to be twice as good as a $35 bottle of Scotch. A drinker does not need to ruin themselves to enjoy some very tasty alcohol.
At the core of this belief is that I believe in helping people experience alcohol. That through thoughtful suggestion I can expose people to alcohol that they might never have tried on their own. Through my experience I have taken the risks for my friends (and now strangers) in hopes that I can lead them down a path of enjoying alcohol's great diversity.
This, I believe.