Every other week of the year, I write about saving money—about finding bottles that punch above their weight and feel more extravagant than their price tag. It makes sense. Money is tight for most people, and bourbon can get expensive in a hurry. Honestly, even the $40 ceiling I usually work within isn’t exactly cheap.
But if there’s one day of the year that isn’t about being a cheapskate, it’s Christmas.
This isn’t a day to be Ebeneezer Scrooge—at least not the Scrooge we meet at the beginning of the story. It’s the day after the ghosts have done their work. The day he wakes up brimming with joy, eager to use what he has to bless the people around him.
So on this Christmas, set aside the bottom-shelfers—unless that’s all you have, and that’s perfectly fine. But if there’s a bottle you’ve been saving for a special occasion, what day could possibly be more deserving than today?
Crack open something special. Share it. Don’t skimp.
Bourbon can always be replaced. Friends and family can’t.
This brings me back to the story I once shared about Freddie at Buffalo Trace and the bottle of Pappy 20-year he was given. What I didn’t include the first time was this: nine months after he shared that bottle with his father and brother, they were both gone.
Who knows what tomorrow will hold?
Today, at least, make a memory. Use the good bottle. Sit longer. Pour generously. Laugh louder. Love deeper.
We’ll get back to being cheapskates next time.
Merry Christmas. 🥃🎄
Copyright © 2025 by Doug DeBolt.
