(Images: 1. Kate Spade, 2. August Morgan, 3. Etsy, 4. North Face, 5. NastyGal, 6. Urban Outfitters, 7. Chicago magazine)
Hey all, how was everyone’s Thanksgiving? I had a relaxing, low-key holiday back at my parents’ house. It was exactly what the doctor ordered—except that now I have a cold. Bah humbug. But I got to spend some quality time with brother who was home from college and my grandparents who came over for Turkey Day (and the velcro dog, of course), and for that I was very thankful.
Did anybody get any good deals at the sales? I didn’t partake in the Black Friday madness—crowds aren’t really my thing—but I did order a new pair of boots online. Is it just me or is it incredible hard to find a cute (but quality) pair of caramel/cognac/whiskey boots this season? I’m still not sure these will fit the bill, but we’ll find out soon enough.
What every Thanksgiving dinner needs: turkey cake. (For the record, I did not buy this.)
Speaking of whiskey, I toured one of Chicago’s distilleries last weekend! Koval Distillery is actually just up the street from me, and I’ve been meaning to go on a tour for over a year now. Finally a few friends and I made it happen—and boy, did we get our money’s worth! We got an Amazon Local deal so we only paid $5 each, and I bet we got to try 10 different products. Most were whiskeys, one vodka, a few liqueurs… made for an interesting Sunday. I was a fan of the Ginger Liqueur (would be awesome to cook with) and the Toasted Rye. My advice? Stay away from the white whiskey!
If you’re an Urban Nesting regular, I’m sure you’ve picked up on my affinity for the dark stuff. I ain’t afraid to hide it: I love whiskey. It didn’t really seem all that strange in college, perhaps because of Indiana’s proximity to Kentucky. But in Chicago, I’ve certainly gotten some looks over the years for ordering a whiskey instead of an appletini or coconut rum or some bull (ahem, Red Bull). Vodka is disgusting, except in Bloody Marys—there’s plenty of other crap (Worcestershire sauce, anyone?) in those to mask the taste.
Anyway, I’m happy that Chicago’s mixologist are embracing the tipple, and that it’s now picking up a following even among the lady folks (perhaps it’s more approachable served in a tiki drink like at Paul McGee’s Three Dots—haven’t been? GO. For any of their 
drinks, whiskey or not.). But according to Fred Minnick, a bestselling author with a thing for ascots, women are the unsung heroes behind whiskey (and whisky, and scotch, too!).
“Women invented beer and distillation, and they owned Bushmills, Dalmore, Laphroaig, Johnny Walker’s most important distillery and were instrumental in every aspect of the business, including Maker’s Mark’s Marge Samuels redefining packaging and Jacob Beam’s wife having the money for the first Beam distillery.”
Yeah, girl power! I had no idea we were so instrumental to the liquor. I plan to pick up his new book, Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch & Irish Whiskey ($16 on Amazon), tonight at a Whiskey Women event at Hungry Brain. The author is going to discuss the book as part of a panel with female whiskey specialists (including distiller Sonat Hart from Koval Distillery, just up the street from me!).
In the area? Join us! Click here for the details. It’s free! (But extra to buy the book, of course.)
Phew, now I need a drink…
(Image: Amazon.com)
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