It Is the Best of Times, It Is the Worst of Times . . .
This present-tense modification of Charles Dickens’s classic opening line from A Tale of Two Cities might aptly describe the state of alcohol and writing today. For the modern writer, it may seem like the worst of times. Today’s authors (and publishers) must contend with the decline of print, a public that no longer reads as much as they used to, and consumers accustomed to getting their culture for free.
The intersection of the drinking life with the writing life was a product of simpler times. For writers of bygone eras who spent extended periods working in seclusion, booze was not only a muse but also an antidote to loneliness, depression, anxiety, and stress. The fraught process of creating a book with a large publisher was not for the faint of heart, with its share of setbacks and detours that had authors reaching for the bottle on more than a few occasions.
Drink was also an excuse to get away from the typewriter and commune at the local watering hole with kindred spirits. Today, in the age of social media, decentralized cultural centers, and pharmaceutical abundance, the typical modern writer (with certain exceptions) no longer hangs out in bars and has likely supplanted alcohol with the chemical support of Adderall, Zoloft, or medicinal marijuana.
For the modern drinker, however, it is the best of times. The sheer number of quality offerings available today in every spirit category is unparalleled in history. And to help navigate the sea of booze, the savvy dipsomaniac with a smartphone can pull up spirit reviews and buying advice on the fly, while browsing the aisles of the local liquor emporium. The “ombibulous” H. L. Mencken, a man who enjoyed all manner of drink, wouldn’t have known where to start.
We hope you’ve enjoyed the spirituous and literary abundance in these pages. As always, please drink—and read—responsibly.
—Greg Clarke and Monte Beauchamp