O Canada

After eight years of W I can turn wistful for the Reagan years. The C.I.A. and the Clash were on the same page (Sandinista!), and flexing our imperialism meant taking out that country club Grenada so we could have incompetent doctors who couldn't get into a real medical school working in our hospitals.

During that time, my next door neighbor would join my dad on the back patio for a post-work drink, his bottle of Canadian Club and tumbler of ice in tow. This nostalgic tableau came rushing back to me at the first sip of CC recently.

CC is classic. Wonderful rye whiskey redolent of wood paneling, flattop haircuts and reactionary politics. Its taste is similar to bourbon, sweet but without the brawn of its American cousin.

Drink it straight on ice. You can use it in a pinch to make a Manhattan too, but I would use dry vermouth and an extra dash of bitters to add some complexity.

Oh, and an added benefit of drinking your father's whiskey: it's cheap. ~$12.99 a bottle. At that price, there's no reason you shouldn't have this in your liquor cabinet. --And call your dad while you're at it. I bet he would like to hear from you.