Drinking bourbon with a newbie

[cowdery]

In a bar last week with a friend, who doesn't normally drink bourbon, she decided she wanted to try some with me as her guide. I started her out with Maker's Mark. I ordered water back and gave her "permission" to dilute it if she wanted to. She didn't. She tasted, we talked about it, and she did pretty well with it. I finished before she did (I know, isn't that just like a guy?) and, noticing they had Old Grand-Dad BIB, I got myself a pour of that. She tried some. Didn't exactly spit it out, but didn't warm right up to it either. You couldn't ask for a more striking contrast, Maker's to OGD BIB. When she was ready for another I went with Knob Creek. I told her about the rye v. wheat, about six years v. nine years. She did very well with the whole experience, had a good time, and pronounced the Knob Creek as her favorite. (As you might have guessed, the range of choices was pretty limited.) All in all, I think I did the brotherhood proud in giving a newbie a good first bourbon experience.

[wadewood]

Salute

[robbyvirus]

So when you give a newbie a taste of bourbon, do you have them try it straight up, or on the rocks?

[cowdery]

Give it to her straight but instruct her to take a very small sip. Then give her "permission" to dilute with room temperature water, if she wishes.