ENJOYING WHISKY AT AN OUTDOOR ACTIVITY

Camping/Hiking. Nothing like sitting around a fire enjoying a good dram with friends.

Looking for Northern lights to photograph, a hip flask of Ardbeg 10 year old made for good company on the cold nights sitting outside in the country staring at the sky.

At the end of the bicycling season, when the time changes and it's too dark to go riding, my cycling buddies and I take a camping trip. Usually not too far from home and usually not to hardcore. After the ride the set up camp, we build a big fire and grill some steaks. It's an end of the year celebration. The thing that sets it off is, each of us has to bring a favorite bottle of single malt. The cool of the late autumn, sitting by an open camp fire with a favorite single malt and good friends. It makes for a great weekend.

Summit Whisky. There's campfire whisky and there's trail whisky and there's summit whisky. Each member is assigned a whisky to bring for the journey. The campfire whisky needs to be solid, good and drinkable. The trail whisky needs to be replenishing and thirst quenching. The summit whisky is usually something quite rare and special. Highland Park 12 is great for the fire, Glenmorangie The Original for the trail, Brora 30yo for the Summit... Yeah. That, my friends, it an outing. Needs a trail suggestion? Mt. Nebo in central Utah. bit.ly/ibfsVt

Way back I would sit on the shore of Lake Michigan, watching the sun decend, with a fine cigar and a fine ale ... now I might replace the ale with a fine malt. Doesn't get much better !

@ Peatpete: I was surprised to read your post as I used to do the exact same thing. Dark February nights with glistering stars. The snow, the silence. Camera ready and just waiting for that magic light-show to start. Accompanied by a hip flask of... Ardbeg 10. Good times.

@Zanten And the Ardbeg takes the sting out of it if the light show doesn't arrive that night... (Had absolutly zero success with getting pics this year, but still had some very nice evenings!)

nhewson and I are going on the foothills trail in SC monday through Friday. Along with the necessary supplies we're bringing a flask of Glenlivet and Captain Morgan Spiced Rum.