Company is coming...

So, ...I guess that the discussion topic is "Is Whisky a Social Drink or Not?".

As far as I am concerned whisky is an excellent social drink. That said, most people don't have much experience with hard spirits with strong flavours consumed neat. Education and information sharing is required to develop a group of whisky lovers, which is much of what Connosr is about.

There will always be those who are not attracted to the stronger flavours and the more concentrated alcohol-containing beverages. But, no doubt, with our best efforts, we whisky lovers can most definitely help to expand the number of whisky lovers and whisky hobbyists by sharing our whisky-love with others through sharing both whisky and information.

Good topic. I socialize with someone from work purely through the love of Whisky, it's been a great mutual interest. My best mate also loves Whisky, but he drowns it in water (think half and half) and ice which makes me cringe.

In the near future I intend to stock up on lighter Whiskies (my collection mostly consists of single malts from Islay at present) to try as an introduction to my non-Whisky drinking friends. Hopefully it will be well received but I'm one of the only people I know who drinks spirits neat.

No way anyone is mixing my Laphroaigs or Ardbegs with coke!

For me the friends that come over most of the time have become whisky drinkers because I have also "opened" my bar to them.

When I have gone out with other friends I often get an Eye when I order a whisky especially a strong Islay one. What I have found is that it is a great conversation starter, they want to know what I'm drinking. When I offer the whisky to them they do take an interest and eventually I find them ordering one. Recently I went out with a group from work and their wives and I ordered a Lagavulin 16 after I was asked what I was drinking the other gents started ordering Jameson and Crown Royal.

In my opinion it is a social drink but it seems you need to have someone around with a working knowledge of whisky to act as a guide so to speak. If your guests are game touring some of the different whiskies can be alot of fun.

If you like them let them drink anything, if you don't why are they near your whisky?

When people stop by for dinner or a visit on a sunday afternoon, often I open my cabinet. I have found that when most people look at my cabinet, they tend to gravitate to the few nice vodkas, gins, or the mixed range of tequila that I like to have at home. When people do hit the whisky though, they seem to like to cut it down with squirt, ginger ale, or the a fore mentioned coke in a tumbler.

Really I find that a drink is a social thing regardless of the type of drink it is. My best friend's girlfriend loves gin. Hendrix with some tonic and lime is her social drink. My best friend is a whisky lover and happens to be the only person privy to truly anything in my cabinet including the hidden at the back. When one couple comes over then only drink wine, another beer, another pair is vodka and beer and lastly a great friend has taken to tequila neat to start and rocks as the night progresses.

So I guess in short, is whisky a social beverage... I think so, well at least no less then any other type of alcoholic beverage. Drinking is a social thing regardless of the beverage of choice.

@Wodha Haha, very nice :)

For me, I am offering my cabinet to friends of course and I enjoy sharing it. If they only would mix it with coke and actually don't like a fine single malt, that's another story.

My friend I think that any alcohol is a social drink, however straight whisky I dont think is for most people. Like Victor said before I dont think most people are used to drinking whisky, gin, rum, tequila, etc straight. High proof alcohol has flavors and the stronger the flavors the more people blink.

I leave my cabinet open for visitors if they want a whisky. Except for some special occasion bottles such as Snow Phoenix or Shackleton's Replica or Old Pulteney 21 yr old, etc. Those are closed unless I grab them. If they want a whisky and coke I have Canadian Club 12 yr old which is about where that whisky belongs, except I think it's a waste of good coke.

I most definitely consider whisky a social drink, but on a completely different scale. Inexpensive bourbons and other whiskies are social in the sense that one can get them at nearly any party, usually on the rocks or mixed with something. However, I consider the "better" whiskies social in the sense that they need to be savored not only alone, but with others (preferably a small group) who can appreciate and analyze the nuances and complexities of whiskies like Ardbeg/Laphroaig/etc. Others within your circle may pick up on flavors that you miss or maybe can't quite identify, and this may help you to more deeply enjoy the whisky. I would not consider sharing the contents of my cabinet with anyone who I felt could not enjoy all the flavors inherent in some whiskies.