A friend and fellow whiskey lover - Scott Horenstein sent a copy of this to me this week. The author, sportswriter Wright Thompson took this project on as a joint venture with hero Julian Van Winkle, III. To say that he's a skillful or talented writer - is just flat-out an understatement. The story Thompson weaves here is about bourbon, Kentucky, elite horseflesh and the people that are immersed in each and it is, well - wonderful.
When he talks about 'the derby' - he says "it attracts new money people desperate for the lifestyle. Day trippers wearing gangster suits and outlandish patterns and hats inappropriate to the latitude, temperature or setting. The homogenization of America has left people wandering the land in search of a place to belong. We are a tribeless nation hungry for tribes."
"Opening a bottle of Pappy is a way for some people to signal they don't need to care about money, while for others it is a way to show a guest how much they are valued. When my friend, the great writer Charles P. Pierce, first came to my house to visit, I opened a bottle of Pappy 23. That was my way of saying: I am humbled and grateful for you to be in my home. A bottle of bourbon is a coded way for so many unspoken ideas to be transmitted and understood. In many ways, the most important ingredient in bourbon is added by the drinker once the bottle is purchased ... ".
I recommend you lay your hands on a copy of this - and enjoy it with a glass of something decent by your side (and then share it with a friend). \mf
