Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 11:17 AM 7/16/03 -0700, Herbert Kanner wrote: >As long as we're on a slightly OT binge, I recall asking about a year >ago whether it was ok to drink Bushmill's, and I was told that it was >ok only if it was the 16 yr old single malt, "after all, we're Leica >users." I think it was likely Ted Grant who came up with that. > First, Bushmill's and Jameson's both come from the same company, but Bushmill's is produced in the Six Counties (Northern Ireland, part of the UK), while Jameson's is produced in the south of the Republic. Second, Irish Whiskey is made in sealed stills and thus lacks the peaty taste of Scotch Whisky. For the all of it, Poteen is still potent and wonderful stuff. Third, Jameson's son-in-law was Marconi, and it was profits made from the sale of his whiskey which funded the creation of radio. You can, thus, blame the Irish liquor industry for the blather which is broadcast today. Fourth, Irish whiskey sales in the US were much larger than were Scotch sales until Prohibition. The Irish respected US national law and worked to stomp out smuggling, while the UK had a much laxer "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" attitude towards the actions of certain, er, 'brokers' who ended up dropping off their goods at certain odd locations such as Portland, Maine, and Half Moon Bay, California. Irish has never managed to overcome the lead of Scotch since then, though it is cuting into the Scotch lead today. Fifth, the single best market for Scotch whisky of all sorts is Japan. While Scotch and Irish sales have declined throughout the world over the past three decades, the market in Japan remains strong. Sixth, Jameson's was the drink-of-choice of Michael Collins, the "Big Man" of the Irish Revolution and arguably the most brilliant guerilla leader of the 20th century. Many a midnight tryst was eased by the application of some of this delightful concoction. Me? I love Lagavulin but my sip of the day depends on what is on sale at my local Statist ABC emporium generally either Jameson's or Johnny Walker Red. But, then, I am a struggling alcoholic, so I do consume in quantity! Marc msmall@infionline.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bąs fir gun ghrąs fir! - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html