We've heard tell of mere monkeys making this drink deftly, but even in an unscouted bar , we still eye the bartender closely every time we order a whiskey on the rocks. Not getting it right can be crushing. In fact, we've tossed tables over less. Or they'll toss in more than a jigger of spirit, which makes drinking the last of the tipple a task, not a pleasure. Oh, and stars forbid they actually run out of our favorite brand of whiskey.
Fine bartenders struggling at establishments with damaged reputations, take heart.
And therein lies a hint to us mixers. It is a personal choice, and we will be damned for it, that we should pick one among the whiskeys over another. We're also well acquainted with the view that whiskey drinkers are moody. On more than one occasion, an irksome bartender has given us a pleasantly wide girth based merely on our order of whiskey on the rocks. But we're quick to distinguish ourselves from those who chug shots of whiskey.