Pete's 2020 Bourbon Resolutions
The end of the year is always a quiet time for reflection. And having to come up with content every Friday certainly inspires me to capitalize on that reflection and write it down. So here's what I'm shooting for in 2020.
- Less is more - So if I buy less every day Russell's picks, then theoretically I can buy more fewer, more sought after bottles. Maybe I should try this...
- Limit the Facebook groups - As a deskbound worker, I do find myself on Facebook every now and then in order to escape spreadsheets, quotes, emails, etc. Unfortunately, I am a member of about a dozen or so different buy/sell/trade groups. I think I need to cut that down to two. Limit the temptation!
- I don't have to buy every single Russell's Reserve Single Barrel that I come in contact with - This one will be really, really tricky. The Turkey is my weakness and these are so good and such a great value. But I have more than I care to disclose right now...
- Open bottles can be stored - While I do make it my mission to get people to open great whiskey, I have the tendency to open great stuff and then finish it over the course of a month or so. My Four Roses Limited is about half way down and I got it last month...So, I will aim to continue to open great stuff and share with folks, but put it away for another great moment in 2020.
- I don't need another Glencarin - I really don't need another glencarin, but I want one. So I promise that I will only buy glencarin glasses from the picks that I participate on. And then the DBC ones, and distilleries I visit...
- Make more cocktails - I will be the first to admit that I'm a pretty big snob when it comes to bourbon straight. MAYBE some ice, but that's it. It turns out, I've been missing a great dimension of bourbon that I've never really touched on. This year I'd love to perfect an Old Fashioned and see how my beloved Wild Turkey stands up in one.
- Buy more wine for my wife - It's important to keep mama happy and a seemingly endless stream of recycled Amazon boxes, which are obviously bourbon packages showing up can get a little old. This year, I plan to buy her a few more Cabs in order to keep the scales even.
- Work on the NETWORK part of Bourbon/Network/Charity - I think this is an aspect we can do a little bit better on. Whether it's me sending out a Meet the Member email on Friday, or something more involved, I think we need to do a better job showcasing the diverse group of people we have in this club. To be fair, we are awesome at bourbon and charity, but let's not forget the social aspect of this thing too!
- Try more stuff from the new guys - This year, I kind of stuck to the bourbon blue bloods. Yes, they are the big guys for a reason, they make incredible stuff and they make a lot of it. But, variety is the spice of life so in 2020, I plan to drink and review
- Get Members more involved - One of the big focuses for me this year will be to get the rest of you involved in some of the cool stuff that we do. This includes your commentary on the emails, event planning, and even barrel picks. As this organization continues to grow from two dozen guys at Pat Donlin's house to a couple hundred people, it's imperative that member involvement grows along with it. So for this year, you can expect Brian and I to let members (who want to be involved) the chance to run point on some of the amazing things we continue to do. Those are my top ten bourbon resolutions this year. I think it's a pretty manageable list and one that will lead to a happy home and a great year.