How to Drink Whiskey Without Looking Like an Amateur

How to Drink Whiskey

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Bourbon. Scotch. Rye. Irish whiskey. Tennessee sipping whiskey. Taiwanese whiskey. There are, by last count, roughly three gazillion whiskeys out there, from a whole lot of countries, made in countless different styles, aged in many ways, for differing lengths of time. How do you even start to make heads or tails of it all? Simply going “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe” or picking a brand because the bottle looks cool may land you a winner… or you may wind up with some foul-tasting rotgut and a monster-sized hangover the next day. Fortunately, you’ve got resources: your bartender, your liquor store salesperson, and of course, these ten handy-dandy tips. You won’t be the world’s foremost expert after reading them, but they’ll help you avoid the shame in your game that comes with being whiskey-ig’nant in social situations.

There's more than one kind of whiskey. You need to know at least these three.

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Ordering a cocktail with the most expensive whiskey on the menu doesn't make you look cool.

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You can't know everything about whiskey, so don't go around acting like you do.

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"White dog" isn't referring to your neighbor's poodle.

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Bourbon doesn't have to be from Kentucky.

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Whiskey isn't just a guy thing.

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The older a whiskey, the better it tastes... sometimes.

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Don't be afraid to mess around with whiskey—this stuff is versatile.

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There's a time and a place for every kind of whiskey. Learn how to get it right.

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Know what a blended whiskey is, what it isn't, and why it matters.

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Whiskey is a gentleman's drink. Don't disrespect it.

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