I can honestly say that my interests in spirits came from my dad, Erby. He would always tell the story of when I was 3-4yrs old on a trip to see his mother and I wouldn’t be still and was really fussy. We only had about 15-20 minutes left in our trip when he stopped for gas. He pumped his gas, went into the store and came out with two beer cans (one large one and one small one) . He opened the smaller one just enough to break the seal and let the carbonation and a little foam out and hand to me in my car seat. I sucked on the top of the beer can the rest of the ride. Two things happened: I shut the f*ck up and as soon as he let me out of the car and ran towards the house screaming, “ Grandma, Grandma! DADDY GAVE ME A BEER!!!” I’m not sure if I actually remember it or that I have heard it so much that I have created the memory from the story. Either way…that’s my dad.
Fast forward to my adult life a few years ago, my dad came to Atlanta and spent a week with my wife and I. One night, he and I went out for dinner and sat a bar and had dinner and a couple drinks. I realized that was the first time that we he and I had ever sat as adults and had a drink together since that day when I was younger. It meant a lot to me. Ironically, that is the ONLY pic that I have of us together as adults.
On February 24th, my dad would have been 72 yrs old. He passed in April 2019. I knew this day was coming and wondered how I would feel and what I would I do now that I couldn’t call him to wish him a HBD. I decided I’d come to one of my favorite spots and have a drink with him. (Sorry, Dad, but nobody serves Segrams 7 anymore so I replaced it with Uncle Nearest 1856)
So as I sit here at this bar, with watery eyes looking like a weirdo, I want to wish you Happy Heavenly 72nd Birthday. I love and miss you, Pop. #cheers
