Tonight it’s a double pairing: first it’s the 1955 Royal HHE typewriter and an Isle of Skye 18 year old Scotch whisky and an almost perfect pairing of the Royal HH with my new (to me) brown vintage (1940s?) desk lamp with art deco styling.
Category: Drink
A lovely, well-balanced cocktail as I finish up this week’s reading and notes on The Notebook for this week’s book club meeting tomorrow morning. (The lemon twist really makes this.)
Negroni paired with a Royal HHE for tonight’s writing.

Circumstances have totally dictated that I chose the wrong year to try “Dry January.” In fact, it was the dry Southern California January that got us into this mess…
Ingredients: 1½ oz bourbon, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 1 oz sugar syrup, 1 barspoon powdered sugar;
Method: Shake well over ice cubes in a shaker, strain into a sour glass, add cherry.
Recipe: Whiskey Sour
I’ve had this bottle floating in the back of the liquor cabinet for more than a decade. I acquired it from a grandparent who got it as a gift sometime in the 1980s. I think it’s finally time to break the seal…
Based on the classic Brandy Alexander, this creamy cocktail with nutmeg makes for an excellent holiday cocktail.
Dry martini with pickled onions.
I finished off the Tanqueray Dry Gin last night. Tonight I’ve broken open a bottle of The Botanist, Islay Dry Gin 22 (46% ABV), which is new to me. On first breath, it’s reminiscent of Bombay Sapphire, but lighter and not as heavily dominated by juniper. The botanicals are more muted, but still complex when mixed with Vermouth (2:1).
Dry martini with pickled onions.
Tonight’s cocktail for some leisurely reading as an accompaniment.
at Yui Sushi
Normally I would be having a peaty single malt Scotch, but since I’m reading Graeber’s Pirate Enlightenment, I feel obligated to work on a bottle of white rum tonight. 📖🏴☠️🥃