A little stout

The back-to-school bustle messed with my iso routine yesterday.

I did a 30-minute return trip to drop the youngest to a bus stop in one direction, then picked the eldest up to do the 30-minute trip to their school in the other direction.

It meant there was no time to walk the dogs to the local cafe for my morning coffee. I’m going to miss that lovely, relaxed way to start the day.

Though I really shouldn’t complain. I know some people who are devoting two hours each day to ferrying their kids to school due to safety fears. Ermagerd.

When I finally returned, the house was very quiet as I tappety-tapped for the day, aside from the dogs going berko every time they heard a bird tweet and a few seconds of ominous scratching in the ceiling.

I worked my way through the pile of leftovers in the fridge for lunch and kept my puffer jacket on all day to save on electricity. Nah, not really, I just forgot to take it off after the school run. Sounds very responsible though.

The builder broke the monotony with a text to say he can probably do the mini reno within my budget, but there was a little grey area regarding windows that needs to be sorted out, so hopefully he’ll pop over in the next few days.

Last night, I had the best intentions of avoiding Hump Day drinking, but what’s a girl to do when she’s been invited to a virtual masterclass to try Westward whiskies?

I grabbed a couple of cheeses, instructed DD to procure a baguette and drove up to his place to share the experience with someone who’s an actual whiskey lover.

There were three nips to sip, including the new Westward Oregon Stout Cask Whiskey, which has been finished for up to one year in stout casks. We also got sent an actual stout to try. Again, I’m not a stout fan, so DD came in very handy on Hump Day.

The masterclass was led by Westward’s Head Distiller Miles Munroe, who took us through Westward White Dog (New Make Spirit), Westward Whiskey Single Malt, Westward Oregon Stout Cask and Batch Brewing Elsie The Milk Stout Beer.

Westward White Dog turns out to not be an actual retail spirit, it’s just what they use to make the whiskey. DD only heard that after he’d taken a big sip. It’s VERY high ABV and he started coughing a lot. Luckily we were on mute for the Zoom call.

Miles (above) was such a nice bloke, he’d have been happy to talk to us about his beloved whiskey for hours. He’s a former brewer who mixes the White Dog with beer to make his whiskey … somehow … I forget the full story.

I do remember that he said the Stout Cask Whiskey tastes delicious in a Mint Julep. Mint Julep is such a cute name for a cocktail. Miles didn’t strike me as the Mint Julep type, but he reckons the chocolately stoutness of the whiskey goes perfectly with the mint in the Julep.

You’ll have to wait for The Thirsty Travellers post for more details on the class after I do some research on the bits I’ve forgotten. Baited breath …

Geez we picked a bad time to launch a travel and drinking website.

When I got home, the kids had already ordered UberEats as a special treat and scoffed down Betty’s Burgers for their dinner. I powered through more leftovers in the fridge and asked if anyone wanted to watch some tellie with me. The eldest was keen, but had to finish casting a spell first.

As you do.

Post spell – I didn’t ask – we gorged on a few David Tennant Doctor Who episodes. Both kids were in bed by 9.30pm. It felt like some weird alterna-world as I pottered around the house by myself.

And now it starts all over again.

Song of the day: The Village People “Go West”