Sip Mightily turns three, a retrospective + a writing prompt you can use
Everything in my life changed three years ago. So what did I do as a result? Start this silly newsletter.
Let’s go back to November 2021.
I was just returning to work after taking two months off for paternity leave. My wife had given me the greatest gift of all, a newborn baby boy.
With his arrival, my daily routine changed drastically. Sleep became the daily gift to chase. Supporting my wife in recovery became my daily duty. Learning the nuances and intricacies of my son became my daily lesson.
Now it was time to be thrown back into the fire that is my day job.
Well, my day job isn’t exactly an inferno, it’s my dream job. I help create sports content for a living. It’s not rocket science.
What I didn’t realize was that my big boss had other plans for me when I returned to the gig. In the two months time I was away, some shuffling of the org chart took place, and there was an opening that needed to be filled…and I was encouraged to apply.
Four weeks later — on Friday, Dec. 10 — I was promoted.
Over the weekend following the promotion, I celebrated with the wife the only way we knew how — homemade cocktails. Specifically, I made a Mezcal Old Fashioned. It was the cocktail I grew to love during the pandemic era, as my desire to craft drinks spawned during that time.
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy making a good cocktail for the wife. It never fails. It always puts a smile on her face. That instant gratification of her taking that first sip, getting that “mmhmmm” with a cheeky smile, her way of saying she’s pleased without actually saying anything. It’s addictive.
That addiction led me down the path of exploration. I wanted to start documenting the cocktails I made along with the experiments I crafted. Moreover, our trips to our favorite distilleries, wineries, speakeasies and other watering holes always led to new learnings, experiences and relationships.
That exploration led to me itching to write down my thoughts. That “writing” turned into figuring out a way to express myself. That expression turned into starting this newsletter on Dec. 6, 2021.
I’ll be honest. Your boy was quite haphazard in starting this newsletter. I’ve been inconsistent in posting regularly. I’ve struggled to find a consistent voice. I’ve stumbled in trying to identify exactly what my lane is here.
However, what’s come from all of this is an understanding of who my readers are.
If you’re here, you either:
Have known me for a long time in real life.
Have known me for awhile via social media.
You’re just getting to know me because person 1 or 2 encouraged you to read this.
You’re genuinely intrigued by the words shared here.
For each of those groups, I’m thankful. I hope you stick around a bit longer.
Going forward, I encourage you to re-evaluate how you become better at this. Be it sipping spirits, crafting cocktails or otherwise, the best way I’ve found to go forward is to be intellectually curious. Keep an open mind, and have some tenets to lean on when you’re unsure.
From my 2021 resolutions, here’s five:
Buy more spirits, wine and beer made by distillers of color and women.
Try and buy local.
Splurge.
Make more cocktails (and experiment)
Drink your good stuff.
I’d add one more, because I think it might be more vital now than ever before.
Share in these experiments with friends, repeatedly.
One thing that I’d love to do more of is give the reader a chance to participate in the discourse. My tasting palette is not the end all, be all. My nose and tongue tends to lead me to childhood cereals, which might be helpful to many, but maybe not all. Therefore, I’m offering this free writing prompt to anyone who ever wanted to review a spirit.
Spirit reviews should be personable and useful. They don’t need to be super long, but they shouldn’t be robotic either. People want to know if this bottle that costs about the same as a pair of Nike Air Force Ones is worth their time.
If you think it is, tell them.
NOTES: MAKE A COPY OF THIS AND USE AS YOU SEE FIT. WANT TO SHARE AND POST IT ON SIP MIGHTILY? EMAIL ME AT ED@EDTHESPORTSFAN.COM AND I’LL EDIT, REVIEW AND PUBLISH IT HERE WITH YOUR BYLINE.
Sip Mightily: Writing template for spirit reviews
Headline -- Review: INSERT SPIRIT NAME HERE is INSERT TEASER HERE
Example -- Review: Michter’s US-1 American Whiskey Is The Perfect Bottle For Any Occasion
INTRO SECTION
Write anywhere from 3-5 graphs on what made this spirit worthy of your time. Be personal here. Are you a fan of the distillery? Did you get talked into the bottle while at the store? Is it a celebrity behind the brand? Whatever it is, share your personal details and deep dive where relevant.
*****
REVIEW SECTION
Key details: Add proof, age statement, mash bill, distillery and price details here.
Nose: Example -- Cooked pineapples. Like your auntie’s pineapple-upside down cake. Allspice. Nutmeg. Leather.
Palate: Example -- Vanilla wafers. Wheat toast. Cinnamon. A slight bit of oak? Yes. A slight bit of oak.
Finish: Example -- Slight but sharp bite, with tastes of dates and rum hints that lingers.
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS
Provide 3-5 sentences on your personal perspective on the spirit, what it compares to and whether you would recommend it given its value, availability and quality.
Appearance: 0/15 points
Nose: 0/25 Points
Palate/Taste: 0/35 Points
Finish: 0/25 points
Total Score: Add four scores up from above
Thank you for supporting Sip Mightily. Cheers to three years, and hopefully a few more after today. Peace and love.
-Ed.
Good luck on the journey. I get it. I started The Bourbon Resource on Jan. 21, took seven months off, and resumed in May '23. I found my voice, what readers wanted, and the frequency at which they wanted it (monthly, no more than 2,000 words).Good luck