You go first. No? OK, my all time favorite and steady pal is, of course, Bombay. I mean how could it not? Still, if I’m flush. I mean really flush. Or feelin my oats cause some jabbernow has called me the greatest genuis since Einstein or somethin (I know, I got to live with it ever dang day) then it’s Plymouth. Dear lord-gawd-on-a-soda-cracker how I love that stuff. Up with an olive and just a smidge of dry vermouth. Shaken not stirred. Big harry man, the end. I expect I’ll hear someone weigh in on “Hendricks” or “Millers” about now and, sure, them there is interestin an all but give yorself a break, will ya? And anyways I’m generally forced (no, that ain’t the right word…er…easily led, yea, that’s better)to drink Gordons day in and day out due to sheer level of gin consumption at the Riley household. So any a you rich moon-calves out there don’t go “big leaguein” me or nothin on this. OK?

Course I meant “big hairy man” not “big harry man”. Big Harry, man, works down at the fillin station.

Was that Hendrix and Miles … ?

Nah, unfortunatley neither Jimi or Mr. Davis. And quite honestly I don’t thank ol Jimi was a gin dranker but ol Miles had his share, you betcha. When I was comin up one a my mentors was the brilliant and well traveled pianist, Mr. Art Porter senior (you might recall his progeny and my friend, Art Porter jr., an up and coming saxophonist who died at a very young age) who taught me that ifn ya wanted to play well on stage then gin was the only drank for ya as it did not cloud the mind like “brown” liquors did. And danged ifn he wadn’t right! Which, for better or worse, along with my love and study of the wines of the world, made me a student, proponent and serious appreciator of the recipe known as GIN. If you have not studied them in the detail that I have, I encourage ya to get a fifth of Hendricks, Millers, Plymouth, Bombay and Beefeaters and the “cheap” gin of yor choice and have a tastin party. Not only will everone have a dangtastic time, but if you apply rigorous intellectual technique you will find the subtle nuances quite remarkable. Honest. Plus, you’ll get as drunk as cootie brown. Let me know how it turns out.