Being the ever responsible father, I seldom inbibe much more than a few beers or some red wine... I do live in the world capitol of bourbon making. For those who enjoy nice bourbon whiskey (whisky, for Altres), I highly recommend Woodford Reserve. Very complex and good for sipping, albeit a bit pricey. I'll procure it for anyone interested (email for arrangements).
Red wine, Australian reds, to be precise, are my main wine interest, though California and Oregon wines are better each year. I typically migrate to the $12 to $18 wines. Rosemount Shiraz is tried and true, virtually impossible to surpass. Black Opal Shiraz is nice. It was the first Aus red wine to get my attention. In fact, it was the only Aus wine on the shelves, at the time. I set the trend! Creeping up a bit in price, Penfolds makes some lovely wines. I recall enjoying their GSM (Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvedre). Penfolds wines are typically quite complex and more suited for cellaring than most Shiraz (famous for its ready-to-drink character). If I'm entertaining, which is increasingly rare, I like to serve Rosemount Grenache-Shiraz. Perfect for Christmas. Forest Glen is a good California winemaker. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot are all good FG wines. I enjoyed South African reds, for a while, but they've not been available regionally for some time. Perhaps instability in that country has stifled wine exports.... One cannot go wrong with reds. Shiraz, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Merlot (especialy with dark chocolate), and Cab Sauv. For dessert wines I like Essencia. Gorgeous drink in a gorgeous bottle.
Since I seldom (virtually never) touch the really hard stuff, I'll leave the sigle malt recommendation to someone else.
I like to sip Heather Creme or Bailey's on ice. I still get sentimental thinking of lovely glasses of Marula, a South African creme liqueur (Colm are you out there?!?!?). It has never been available stateside, as far as I know.
When a certain friend is in from far-away, he insists upon drinking Goldschlager with me. Very nice in Winter. Clear cinnamon Schnapps with (ridiculous) gold flakes floating in it.
Enjoy and be responsible.
Cheer cheers, Noel
...sound is like sweetgrass, it travels in between worlds...