Drink
DEFIANT
I
drinking by DAVID BURRIS
I DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT WHISKEY, BUT I KNOW ONE THING: IT IS good. Whiskey has inspired writers, musicians, and artists to strive for greatness. It has kept bridegrooms even-keeled before the altar. It has brought soldiers strength as they’ve faced the horrors of the battlefield. It has helped mankind battle the dis-ease of everyday living. It has made my belly warm at football games. These are all good things. The whiskey I am writing about here, North Carolina’s own Defiant American Single Malt Whisky, is a very, very good thing. It has a uniquely defined character and yet is still a whiskey of wide-ranging possibility. It’s also a product of North Carolina, which for me, being an unapologetically proud Tarheel, is a very good thing.
102 | WALTER
I’d like to point out that this fine Tarheel hootch is spelled “whisky” rather than “whiskey.” As far as my research goes, it seems to be the first American whiskey spelled without the “e” – as both the Scotch and Canadian varieties are spelled. Defiant indeed. No surprise from a whisky distilled here in the Tarheel state, born from our stubborn and defiant nature. This fine hootch has kept me company during an odd year in my life – many strange moments along many strange trails. I’ve circumvented the globe twice already, and my big takeaway so far is that I could use a nap. A slightly less profound takeaway: When I roam, I like to have something from home to provide a bit of a touchstone. Defiant Whisky has done the job. Three instances follow: #1 RALEIGH, N.C. Straight from the bottle My first movie, The World Made Straight, hit theaters on January 9. It was uncharted territory. It was nerve-wracking. The anxiety that was arabesque-ing its way around my noggin was only relieved by the cold fear that machete-ed its way into my gut. The premiere shindig was in Raleigh at the N.C. Museum of History. On the one hand, it was something I was excited about, because so many friends and family would be there. On the other hand, it was something I was anxious about, because so many friends and family would be there. There would be classmates from Chapel Hill, Broughton, Martin, Lacy. There would be friends of my parents from First Baptist Church and Meredith illustration by TIM LEE
