I’m a fan of hard alcohol. I’m not sure whether it’s age or simply a natural evolution from being a wine drinker, but more and more I find myself scouring SAQ.com for new arrivals. I take regular trips to the Signature store in the city because it is the place for booze shopping in Quebec.

I am not into sweet things, rarely drink a cocktail if it isn’t a Bloody Caesar or a Mojito, and have a preference for clear alcohols that are not obscured by oak aging. So what have I been drinking? Well, lots.

Bourbon is back in my bar
I started drinking bourbon in 2010, but began to tire of the excess of vanilla and sweetness, and started drinking more rye, which I found less sweet and much spicier. Why is bourbon sweeter? There are two reasons.