As I sit here writing the first entry on this blog, a glass of Clynelish 14 sits next to me; back on the shelf there are a few more bottles of single malt Scotch, and I can name at least one friendship that exists largely on the basis of Laphroaig.

I am a Scotch drinker and I am an American – and that is why I am starting this blog.

American Hooch exists as an impetus to learn more about the spirits from the land of my forefathers. Here, I will document the progression of my American whisky (to ‘e’ or not to ‘e’?) education.

It seems imprudent to use the first post to outline the posts that may follow – I know blogs well enough to say that they take courses of their own. However, if I were to venture a guess, I would say that detailed descriptions/reviews of my American whisky encounters would be the steak and mashed potatoes, with commentary on my research through already well-traversed ground serving as the steamed green beans of this all-American meal.

As for the name, firstly – it’s catchy. Secondly, perhaps it’s time we reclaim a derogatory term and taste it for what it is.

American Hooch. There it is.