Welcome to Whisky Magazine

Well I don’t know about you, but occasionally I look at the world and think “why?” And the last few weeks have been packed with those moments.The most recent came with the announcement of a huge injection of cash into the drinking responsibly campaign by the United Kingdom government.Now fair enough we all need to drink responsibly and take care of our health but there is a part of me that worries about legislation coming from on high.Take the smoking ban. It was pushed through as a blanket ban in the UK and did not discriminate between premium cigars and mass-market cigarettes…see where I am going with this one?It feels, and I could be wrong because I have been before, that the health guard dogs are starting to sniff round our drinking habits and my fear is that life in the UK could become increasingly regimented from Darth Brown’s offices.We have already seen a tax rise, 55p no less when other prices are increasing – cheers Mr Darling. You just get the feeling something is afoot and it’s about as good as being stuck in a lift with someone suffering from acute flatulence.Why does it worry me? Well all you have to do is look at the smoking ban. There was no differentiation between the two ends of the market, for premium cigars read whisky. How many times have you seen the average binge drinker stumble out of a club with a bottle of decent malt?It will only need to start in one country then it will snow ball across the world. How this ban would be implemented I have no idea – ban alcohol in pubs and bars? Maybe.Rationing? Again, maybe.All I can say is just keep an eye out, we must protect our rights to drink where, when and how we like, within the agreed recommended daily limits of course and with a regard for others.Other “whys” have included: when you are doing the ironing, something I do with a decent dram and bad telly, and you put a batch of hangers down can you never pick one up on its own. The little annoying thing will stick to its mates and drag anything not tied down which it when you move it.Remember that game Jack Straws.Why, just why? We can send people into space...Recently I caught a train back from my dad’s in Rochdale to Norwich. I never knew British Rail trains had vestibules. How curious I thought. Does this mean that in first class you can be offered a decent whisky, a cigar and indeed your slippers once you have taken your shoes off in the vestibule.Curious place the world sometimes.