The young Melvil Dewey is supposed to have organised his mother's kitchen cupboards for her, showing the frame of mind that would make him the creator of the eneumerative classification scheme par excellence. For no very good reason, I decided to do the same with the drinks cupboard. I present my findings below. Every bottle tells a story.
Apéritifs
Creme de Cassis (two bottles) for kir and kir royale. One is notable for being made a few miles from here, at the Breaky Bottom vineyard
Campari (two bottles, naturally)
Fernet Branca
Gammel Dansk: Danish bitters, given to me by some veterinary library chums. 'Traditionally served at room temperature in small glasses for any occasion and at anytime throughout the day'. Am I alone in being a little alarmed at being told to drink it 'anytime throughout the day'?
Guignolet de Dijon: an apéritif made from wild cherries
Martini Rosso
Noilly Prat
Pedro Ximénez sherry
Pimms No 1 (two bottles)
Spirits
Bunnahabhain
Calvados (two bottles): apart from the trou normand, essential for faisan vallee d'Auge
Chivas Regal, a father's day present from my son, nearly empty
Cooking whisky
Gin: of course, I'm a librarian. This is Adnams Copper House
Quince vodka, of my own manufacture, two bottles from 2010, the last time I could find quinces in sufficient number
Vodka Limonnaya, nearly empty, bought in Moscow when the USSR was still the USSR
Wood's Old Navy rum
Digestifs
Crabbies ginger wine: my late mother had a prejudice against Stones. I think we inherited this bottle.
Creme de Menthe
Kirsch d'Alsace
Marsala
Orange Curacao: never opened
Oude Jenever
Poire William eau de vie
Port
Sundries
Angostura bitters (two bottles): we were one addicted to pink gins
A soda syphon
Two hip flasks, one tiny, one a decent size