License to Drink

On October 2, 2025December 23, 2025 By Tom LindsayIn Adventure, Bond, Cocktails1 Comment

I have been a big fan of James Bond since I was a young teenager, back when Sean Connery played him. One day as a young pre-teen I was at the library with my mother, and I found some Bond novels, and checked out Dr. No, with my mother’s permission (if you have read Ian Fleming’s works, you know why) and saw how closely the movie followed the book. This led me to read as many novels as I could, and watch the movies in theater when they came out.

So, when the pandemic came around in 2020, and we were all stuck at home, I decided to do what I had meant to do for many years – watch all the Bond movies, in order. So I created a checklist of the James Bond movies, and got to watching. In a little offer 10 months, I completed the list.

Watching the movies, I took special interest in the cocktails served. While everyone knows about the Vesper Martini from Casino Royale, it was very interesting to see all the other drinks. So much so that while watching Goldfinger one afternoon from my back porch, I paused the movie, went down to my vegetable garden, picked some fresh mint, and made me a Mint Julep. This gave me another idea.

Watching the cocktail selections, I began to get an idea to add a tier to my Bond movie list, and list the drinks that Bond drinks, and then, to watch them again, and drink with him. So after some research, I created a checklist of the cocktails in all the James Bond movies.

So, coming soon, I will walk through each movie, with the cocktails and insights.

Introducing the New Fashioned

On September 24, 2025September 29, 2025 By Tom LindsayIn Alternatives, Cocktails3 Comments

Over the past few years I have had some discoveries in my life, two of which melded into what I consider an innovative cocktail – The New Fashioned.

First, some time ago I began to delve into the world of mixed cocktails. (Don’t worry, Gentle Reader, I will discuss this further in a future posting.) Over the course of my journey, I found I really enjoyed some sweeter cocktails such as White Russians and Old Fashioneds.

But then, to my chagrin, my doctor had the bad taste to inform me that I was borderline pre-diabetic, and that I needed to refrain from extra carbohydrates, such as added sugar. Well given that my sweet cocktails were filled with sugar, this led to some dismay.

So I started investigating artificial sweeteners that I could use to make a syrup, and after some attempts I settled on Splenda.

Now, as you may know, the standard simple syrup recipe is to mix even measures of sugar with boiling water, until the syrup dissolves. But after some time, I found my best mix was 175ml (3/4 cup) of water with 4 packets of Splenda, and stir until dissolved.

I then realized (as a recovering chemical engineer) that I could combine the bitters into the syrup, and just add a dram (4ml) of the mix.

And as it turns out, my mixing spoon holds 1ml, so I just add 4 spoons of mix, add a cherry, add bourbon or rye, and there we go – the New Fashioned.

And, by the way, since I started making these some time ago, my A1C level has been in the normal range.

So, enjoy a New Fashioned, and let me know what you think!

Let’s Get Going

On September 24, 2025December 4, 2025 By Tom LindsayIn AdventureLeave a comment

I have been an enjoyer of whiskey and cocktails for many years. I have also been quite a fan of Western movies, as one can tell from the titles of my other blogs, Fill Yer Hands and Skin That Smoke Wagon. My plan for this site is to intertwine my love for both.

For example, in some coming posts, I plan to describe some of my whiskey history, from my father’s connection to Jack Daniel’s, to my interest in modifying cocktail recipes to be more healthy. Plus, I will give my take on various brands and styles, as well as discuss things like bar equipment and mixing styles, using some western themes.

But please know, good reader, that I am not a whiskey connoisseur, and what training I have had in mixology and bartending has come from a start in a rather fast paced restaurant, and has been added to by my taking some online courses. My plan is to share more of a front line view of the whiskey world, mixed with good stories and an enjoyable theme.

Here is my first example of the cross-over: the Shifty Eye Saloon on stage 3 of the River Bend Gun Club Cowboy Action Range, in Dawsonville, Georgia. I have been shooting at RBGC for about 15 years. Inside the saloon on stage 3 is a piano, and over the years, many of us have brought collections of bottles. It has moved from this:

to this:

thanks to my enjoyment of Woodford Reserve and many others.

So, let’s get going!

Welcome to The Whiskey Trail

On September 23, 2025 By Tom LindsayIn WelcomeLeave a comment

Welcome to The Whiskey Trail — a journey through whiskey, cocktails, and the stories that ride alongside them. Inspired by the grit, gun smoke, and legendary characters of the Old West, this is where every glass tells a tale.

But first, an introduction . . .

I’m Tom Lindsay, a recovering engineer, shooting competitor, barbecue enthusiast, and blogger. Some may already know me from my shooting blog Fill Yer Hands, and my barbecue blog Skin That Smoke Wagon. A couple of years ago, I started writing posts about cocktails the barbecue blog, mostly about innovations I made to standard cocktail recipes. I have now started to notice some interest in those posts, so I decided to create a new portal to share my interest with fellow cocktail enthusiasts.

From the titles of my other blogs, you can probably tell I am also a western movie enthusiast. So I decided to name my new blog in the same realm – hence, The Whiskey Trail.

So pull up a chair, partner. The next round’s on me.