Merry Christmas! If you’re like me, you’ll receive at least one present with that comforting sloshy weight. Also, it’s the anniversary of Jack Daniels’ Birthday. Thereabouts. Truth be told, nobody is certain on what day he was born, but today is a good guess. Born in 1850, Jack got into the distilling business at the precocious age of 13. Now, if you’re familiar with this magazine, you know we have a troubled history with the Brown-Forman corporation, the current owners of Jack. We launched a boycott in 2005 not so much because they lowered the proof of this legendary whiskey without telling anyone, which is their right as a private company, but because, to give cover to their treachery, they also launched a grossly cynical ad campaign asserting that, quote, “Some things should never change.” This while they were radically changing Jack’s recipe by adding more water. Absolutely outrageous. Recommended drink: Have an up-proof American whiskey with your Christmas eggnog, which of course rules out the current version of Jack.
