Whiskey & Movies: Free Solo & Blade and Bow
New Series because RYE Not
Yep, kicking off a new blog series with a whiskey pun! Don't worry it isn't about whiskey puns, at least not yet. Anyway, I love watching movies and television. My little sister refers to me as the “Tv Guide”. I decided why not combine two of the things I love and write about them. I will write about what I am watching and the whiskey I am drinking. For the most part, it will be about movies & the whiskies I am pairing, but indulge me as I throw in a TV series or two.
Honestly, this blog is a way for me to I feel like I am accomplishing more than self-gratification of viewing everything on all streaming services. For those of you who want to come along on this journey, Welcome. In this blog, anything and everything is up for grabs so be expecting a few Hallmark Channel movies to be thrown into the mix from time to time!
Disclaimer: Spoilers will be written. These are my opinions. I am open for suggestions of both what to drink/watch. I am not a professional critic so don't come at me if we have differences of opinions. I am not trying to promote any films with a hidden agenda. This is a hobby, and we shall see how long and where it goes.
Ok enough of that... It's go time!
Whiskey & Movies: Free Solo with Blade & Bow
Let’s dive in. The first movie I shall talk about because bless the lady Lord up above, I NEEDED A DRINK while watching, Free Solo!
Free Solo watched on National Geographic App on Apple TV
Free Solo, WHAT IN THE BLESSED BE THY NAME is this?!?!
Back in the day, Rollins had a film series come through campus and I saw one on a free soloist named Alex Honnold. Therefore, I was mildly prepared for what as a viewer I would be watching in Jimmy Chin's documentary of Alex's attempt to free solo climb (free solo = no ropes) of El Capitan a 3000ft smooth granite rock!
The way Jimmy Chin was able to bring us along for the ride of this amazing athletic feat of sport is mind-blowing. I highly recommend MERU, another film Jimmy Chin made and was also one of the hikers participating in the climb.
The idea of being a free soloist is truly mind boggling to me. This documentary is bonkers only because being a free soloist is truly on another level of risk that I can’t comprehend… Let's be real, I get hurt putting my seat belt on and that pain was not okay!
I do love watching climbing documentaries and as I watched this amazing athlete do something remarkable, I sat on my sofa, drank whiskey, while eating Cheetos.
During this film, I drank Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon on the rock. Poured it on my Corkcicle Whiskey Wedge that somehow felt symbolic of the wall Alex was climbing.
Personally, I think Blade and Bow is a little overpriced retailing at around $50. However, their packaging is beautiful and their logo design is sharp. Diago really knows how to bring a story to life with their brands. They say that “The Blade and Bow brand is a tribute to the five keys that once hung on the door of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, which stands for the five steps of making bourbon - grains, yeast, fermentation, distillation, and aging."
It is a nice looking bottle that sits on top of my bar and this was a good companion to drink as I was stressed out watching some dude with no ropes climb up the side of a 3000ft vertical rock!
Drank on a Corkcicle Whiskey Wedge Glass. Also really enjoyed this bourbon in an old fashioned cocktail variation that a bartender friend posted about.
As an introvert the appeal of Free Soloing I can kinda understand. One with nature I guess… The way the documentary was shot I did not think it over glamourized Alex's lifestyle. The dude who was filming from the ground, his stress level was enough for me to realize this is maddening, and no one should ever do this! I recommend watching the documentary even though it made me sweat. I also recommend turning the Blade and Bow Bourbon into a cocktail. A friend posted on his instagram an Old Fashioned variation that I made a riff off of and enjoyed that cocktail a lot. Added Orange bitters, little grapefruit soda, and some elderflower liqueur.
Thanks for reading my first Whiskey and Movies blog. It was definitely an experience! -Cheers
Free Solo: 🥃🥃🥃🥃/5
Blade & Bow: 🥃🥃🥃/5