How was your "Dry January?"

Happy February Eve, drinkers!

It's been pretty quiet at Bourbony Central because I called myself participating in "Damp January," which is a version of "Dry January" that isn't quite so dry. The goal I set for myself was to only imbibe on weekends. Weeknights were for NA cocktails or just coffee.

I psyched myself up for this Herculean task by purchasing some NA "bourbon" and a bottle of The Pathfinder, which is a hemp-based NA spirit with a quirky cool label, a real alcohol mouth-feel, and a sweet flavor with a bitter finish that brings to mind Aperol or other herbal liqueurs.

The NA "bourbon" (I'm not even linking it here) was a huge disappointment. They infuse pepper to (supposedly) give it a bit of an alcohol-like burn, but I didn't notice any burn whatsoever. The flavor was nothing near what I associate with bourbon -- i.e., notes of vanilla, oak, caramel, chocolate, etc. Even mixed with some simple syrup and bitters, there was no there there. Most of these attempts were poured down the sink.

Well, anyway -- now that it's almost over, I plan to continue a reduced sipping schedule, limiting myself to weekends and the occasional weeknights that end in "y." And one of the cocktails I'm looking forward to enjoying more frequently is one I tried this month called the Busted Pipe. This is a dead-simple, 2-ingredient cocktail comprising bourbon and Amaro Nonino in equal amounts. Express a lemon medallion over it and man, that's nice. Thanks to the folks at The Speckled Palate for this delightful recipe!

I do have some unique cocktails on the way: some brand new, some attempts to put my spin on some new-to-me drinks I've tried over the last few months, and some classics from the Savoy Cocktail Book, so watch for those coming in the next few weeks!

Lastly, a housekeeping note: I am now exclusively on Bluesky. Follow me over there, if you please.