I’m not much of a drinker although like a certain Supreme Court Justice, I do like beer.  But other than that, I’m pretty much a lightweight when it comes to alcohol – Asian genes.  When I was younger, a teaspoon of Robitussin would turn me bright red.  Underage drinking?  Twice.  NYC and North Carolina.  I won’t count the champagne at a wedding and the wine at a Shabbat dinner.

What I do find fascinating is the process involved in the brewing of alcoholic beverages.   The ingredients involved are few (source of sugars, water, yeast), but the end products are diverse.  Beer, wine, whiskey. The last of those is especially of interest.  That saying about men and wine – that’s from a pope – some turn to vinegar, the best get better with age. 

It occurred to me a few years ago that whiskey is similar as a metaphor and in some ways, better.

Wine is grape juice that is fermented.  The best takes years or decades to mature.  But it still can be drunk relatively quickly.  Not so much with whiskey.  Whiskey is undrinkable from the get-go and the maturation process is a must.  

What stands out in the process is the use and choice of barrels.  A barrel with mild wood is inadequate to mature the whiskey; it is too weak to impart any flavor and will be overpowered.  Conversely, a barrel with harsh wood will overpower the whiskey and detract from its natural flavor.  You need to pick just the right barrel.

I read about a Japanese whiskey where the initial brew was so harsh that the brewery dumped it into a barrel with rare wood and let it sit in a corner for years.  When they finally tasted it, it was magnificent and now a bestseller.

I made the connection with how people grow.  The barrels we choose or are chosen for us matter (work, friends, social organizations, etc). It’s the interaction with these barrels that form us.  And a lot of time.