The Bourbon Drinker’s Guide to Coping with February

Does anyone other than Hallmark, chocolate makers and florists like February? February gives us cold weather, a mere 11 hours of sun, Valentine’s guilt (or not), Super Bowl overload (unless your team is playing) and President’s Day, which passes largely unnoticed.

To help our readers cope with this dreary weather month, we’re sharing some tips to navigate it less grumpily atop the brown waters of America’s native spirit.

Since Super Bowl is the only remotely February fun day, what bottle are you bringing to a Super Bowl party?

Erin: I’m not one of those girls who says “sportsball,” but I really don’t care about professional sports. So, since I show up at Super Bowl parties for the occasional junk food binge, I want something that won’t exacerbate the heartburn and is sessionable but not too boozy for school night drinking. Something simple like a Maker’s & Ginger (ideally Ale-8-One) or a wintry smash with apples and thyme and Evan Williams or Old Grandad BIB. 

Pops: My Super Bowl tradition is to stay at home and watch the game with my daughter while eating pizza and Doritos. That said, if I did venture out for a Super Bowl party, I’ll bring a bottle of Wild Turkey 101—an absolute classic. It’s got enough spice and kick to keep things interesting, whether your team’s lighting up the scoreboard or fumbling in the 4th quarter. Plus, it’s affordable enough to share without side-eyeing how fast it’s disappearing.

Brent: I’m more concerned about the food during the Super Bowl than the bourbon being served. If I’m at home, I’ll have my pick of anything bourbon I want. If I end up at a friend’s house, I typically won’t bring anything too rare or allocated since it would pain me to see someone emptying our most recent Four Roses Private Barrel pick into a 32 oz cup of Sprite or Coke.

Steve: The bottle I’d bring is Evan Williams 1783. It’s delicious, it’s a bargain, it’s widely available and it’s a great gateway bottle for bourbon newbies. Plus, why bring a pricey bottle only to see it poured into Diet Coke? 

Since Super Bowl halftime shows are dreadful, what magic whiskey would be in your glass to help you endure halftime or embolden you to execute an Irish goodbye?

Erin: I’m really bad at keeping up with the musical Zeitgeist so, I’ll be lucky if I even recognize half the songs. If something does keep me seated through halftime, it will have to be something really delicious and challenging, like a pour of Larrikin’s wheated rye whiskey. 

Pops: That’s a job for something barrel-proof and unapologetic, like Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. It’s high-octane, hazmat-adjacent, and guaranteed to either power you through the spectacle or give you the courage to call it quits and raid the snack table instead.

Brent: I’m here for the party so I’m not leaving. Unlike Steve, I don’t have a curfew or a standing bedtime. Halftime is for bathroom breaks, bourbon refills, and another trip to the food spread to see if anything new hit the table while I was watching the game.

Steve: I’m with Erin. I need something really solid to make me sit through that. So, a 120-proof, 15-year-old Knob Creek single barrel pick I helped choose in 2018. Lots of complexity and oomph, the perfect pour to get lost in.

If card shops—or let’s be real, CVS—allowed  you to sip bourbon from a flask while grinding through the Valentine’s selections, what would it be and why?

Erin: This is a task that needs to be pre-gamed. You need to feel nice and toasty before reading all of that saccharine drivel. Something strong with a quick onset, like a nice pour or Booker’s or Four Roses Small Batch Select. Paired, of course, with a few of those big Reese’s cup hearts. 

Pops: Let’s be clear: I don’t shop for Valentine’s Day cards, ever. But if someone held a gun to my head and dragged me into that sea of overpriced, glittery nonsense, I’d have a flask of Old Forester 1920 on hand. The rich, bold flavors would be my only lifeline while I tried to make sense of why grown adults still write bad puns in tiny envelopes.

Brent: The practice of drinking in public places may be frowned upon, but you can still technically do it until someone stops you. Just know there may be consequences to your actions. FYI, this is NOT legal advice, a suggestion or a challenge. Also, I don’t buy Valentine’s Day cards so you shouldn’t ask me this question.

Steve: Fortunately, my wife of almost 30 years never gave a rip about Valentine’s, so that would be my first return to that gauntlet in decades. Assuming those cards remain fatuous as ever, I’d have a full flask of a lowish-proof sipper to ease into the task. Limestone Branch Distillery’s Minor Case Sherry Cask Finished Rye (95 proof) would work nicely. 

If you dine out on Valentine’s Day, is it a special-enough occasion to warrant a pricey pour with dinner, or do you dislike Valentine’s enough that you’ll spend extra to get a “reward pour” for the effort?

Erin: I like to do Valentine’s at home, but if I go out, I always sidle up to the bar and grab a nice cocktail. I love everything pink and glittery, so I will be a sucker for any kind of cute Valentine’s cocktails on special. If not, I’ll order something on the Vday color palette like a Boulevardier or a New York Sour.

Pops: Going out on Valentine’s Day? Rookie move. But if you’re braving the chaos (for the one you love), it’s definitely a reward-pour kind of night. Something like Michter’s 10-Year Bourbon to remind yourself that no matter how bad the steak is, at least your bourbon is perfect.

Brent: If you must go out, go late. That way most of the amateurs are already home and buzzed from their fancy bottle of wine they splurged on. Luckily, my wife regards holidays as just another day. We also have twin boys and sometimes all of us go out and grab a casual dinner then. If I choose instead to make a nice dinner at home for the family, I usually reward myself with a nice pour from a private pick or an allocated bottle I don’t drink from regularly.

Steve: Eleven years of working in restaurants on Valentine’s Day convinced me I’d never join those crowds. So, while the lovebirds are still stuffing their beaks, I’d slip into a nice bar with my wife and order some celebratory cocktails or pours. 

If your spouse or significant other still expects a gift, would bourbon be a good replacement for flowers and candy?

Erin: Don’t get me bourbon unless we’re drinking it that night. Love and bourbon are about sharing wonderful experiences together. If a bottle is the gift, make the whole package be about enjoying it together. Bonus points for making me a cocktail with it. 

Pops: Absolutely, but skip the gimmicks and stick with a bottle you know they love. If it’s your first Valentine’s together and you’re still figuring it out, Four Roses is always a safe, thoughtful choice. Flowers and candy wilt or get eaten, but good bourbon lasts—well, as long as they can resist opening it.

Brent: SURE! I love getting bourbon as a gift. My wife, not so much.

Steve: No doubt. My wife is practical and knows flowers will be gone in 72 hours, but that a good bottle of bourbon will be there for a while. A good bottle of whiskey is the gift that keeps on giving.

President’s Day was created to celebrate George Washington, but later Abraham Lincoln, another noteworthy prez, was added to the mix. Since Washington owned a sizable rye whiskey distillery and Lincoln drank little of anything, does that influence what you’re drinking that day?

Erin: I think Steve is trying to convince us to get hammered all February long. Even though Abe was born in Kentucky, he came of age in Illinois. The only appropriate thing to do is take a big shot of Malort.

Pops: I’d go with George Washington’s spirit of choice and pour a rye, specifically Pikesville Rye. It’s got the spicy backbone Washington’s distillers would’ve admired, but with modern refinement (and a Kentucky-style rye to boot). Lincoln might’ve approved of it had he picked up a glass.

Brent: This year my kids will be out of town that weekend and I’ll have to drive to the airport that night to pick them up. No drinking for me on President’s Day.

Steve: Definitely rye whiskey in tribute to George; an Old Overholt if I have it. But in tribute to Abe, I’d go dry early that night since this year’s President’s Day is on a school night.