Every year I seem to get something where first I’m sick for awhile and then I just cough and cough and cough and cough and cough. It’s a dry cough that kicks itself off, like a bouncing ball: the first cough irritates my throat so I cough again, which irritates my throat so I cough again, and so on. And it’s way worse when I lie down. I’ve tried every cough medicine on the shelf, and the only thing that works is knocking myself out with a sleeping pill.
I went to the doctor and she said it’s “probably viral.” Well. Thank you. That’s useful information. She also gave me a prescription for codeine cough syrup, which I thought was going to be AWESOME because it’s a CLASS-C NARCOTIC and that sounds SEEKABLE, but it didn’t seem to do anything for the cough OR make me feel even lightly kite-like. (But DID make me feel like I was going to throw up. Free bonus.)
Alexa told me a mixture of equal parts whiskey and honey would make a nice cough syrup, so I stopped on the way home for a bottle of whiskey. This is when I learned there are KINDS of whiskey—that “bourbon” and “scotch” are not separate liquors like vodka and gin but are in fact WHISKEYS. This has been an educational day. But isn’t there a song that goes “One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer?” and not “Two whiskeys, and one beer”? So the liquor store clerk should not have looked at me SO weird. NOT EVERYONE SPECIALIZES IN LIQUOR, LIQUOR CLERK.
Anyway, I think Alexa was thinking a tablespoon or whatever, but I think I’ll start with a cup each and sip at that until I can’t remember why I was sipping it.
Also, my lower eye lid has been twitching for weeks. WEEKS. Is that something I can die from? Because I’ve gotten kind of distracted by the cough and haven’t fretted about the twitch for awhile.
There! Isn’t it EXACTLY like having lunch with an old lady, except no lunch? Now YOU talk about all YOUR physical woes, and then we’ll split an entrée!
1. Obviously, you’re not asking for advice. If you were asking for advice, you’d say that.
2. Nevertheless.
3. I’ve had this problem, and the thing that works the best but not perfectly for me is gargling with salt water. Both in a preventative sort of way and in the OMG middle of the night I just want this cough to stop so I can SLEEP way.
4. I’ll shut up now.
5. I hope you feel better, Swistle.
While this does not have the added benefit of alcohol, I have found this to work wonders (with my boys, especially): http://nancyvienneau.com/blog/articles/home-remedy/
Hope you feel better soon!
Ah, I love you. :) I recommend Werther’s. They have no medicinal value, but it seems like a good reason to try them.
My Old Lady woe: I finally went to the doctor about my phantom hip pain, and she wrenched my leg into all kinds of weird angles and positions and told me it wasn’t arthritis or a joint issue, so I should just put ice on it. Which doesn’t help. Back to (Granny) Square One!
Also, my cat is now on valium. Which isn’t related to anything at all, but I needed to share it because: Cat. On Valium. (Pssst…it actually seems to be helping.)
I had a lower eye twitch that twitched constantly for about 3 weeks. It darn near drove me crrrraaazy. But then it went away. I’m sure yours will too!
Melospiza- I AM TAKING ADVICE. I think of it as, if I bring up the subject and don’t say “I’M JUST VENTING, DON’T GIVE ME ADVICE,” I’m implicitly leaving the floor open for advice. *writes “salt water gargle” on list*
Ugh, the neverending cough is the worst. I’m one of those weirdos who needs very extreme circumstances to medicate (more out of laziness than anything else), so I am of no help there.
My old lady woes include:
1) sore throat
2) sore hip whenever I run more than 2 miles (so I stopped running, duh)
3) sore knee that hurt so bad it woke me up last night (I have never, ever had knee problems before – no idea what that’s all about)
4) sore butt that is probably related to the birth of my child 15 months ago but I’m still hoping will go away if I ignore it long enough
Sarah Lena- Ooo, I have all four of those ingredients! …And maybe I’ll mix it with a little whiskey!
1. Your blog: I love it! — so glad I found it!
2. I pulled a muscle in my butt which just makes people laugh so I get no sympathy.
I have had this same cough for approx. 6 weeks. But, luckily, it got much worse and became something that the Dr. would finally give me prescriptions for…so now it is SO SO SO much better and (knock knock knock) almost gone. So, maybe I’m wishing the same for you, even though that sounds kinda’ mean.
I should have mentioned that if you PREFER, you can probably add some hot water and lemon to the slurry, though not sure it will be as effective at coating the throat that way. If anyone (Paul) gives you the side-eye about your MEDICINE, there have been several studies indicating that plain honey was more effective to stop a cough than any over-the-counter cough medicine, and alcohol is a cough suppressant, so you can say with confidence that my slurry is APPROVED BY SCIENCE.
When things get really bad, I keep those cube-shaped Ricola cough drops by my bed (they have to be the natural cough/foul tasting COUGH ones, not the throat lozenges) and will basically fall asleep with one in my mouth. This ensures that one day I will choke to death and end up in the newspaper as Local Woman, 33, Dead of Own Stupidity, so I only start the cough-drop-sleeping once things are so bad that death sounds infinitely preferable to continued coughing.
uuuuuugh swistle. neverending cough is the WORST. THE. WORRRST.
I had what I called The Plague two years ago that was basically a neverending cough (COUGHCOUGHCOUGH SO MUCH COUGHING). Doctor kept saying viral, and all the drugs I begged for (codeine cough syrup! TWO rounds of steroids!) did nada. The only thing that helped (and this is loco, I know) was the neti pot. I went to a new doc eventually who is basically a big hippie and I left her office crying when all she told me (after 3 months of nonstop coughing) was to use the neti , but by good god. It was a hippie miracle.
That being said, I also drank a lot of whiskey. I was 27 and that was my MO, so, you know. (When in doubt, go bourbon. If you are feeling fancy/young, go rye whiskey. And the whiskey+honey tonic is especially good heated up in a comfy mug, which may also help facilitate day drinking not that you or I would EVER)
My eye twitched for well over a month while I was pregnant. I blamed it on the hormones. Assuming you’re not knocked up, it could be due to stress, lack of sleep, being sick, etc.
blarrrg i’m sorry. my dad has had a for-weeks cough as well, and the doctor’s advice was to stop coughing. apparently he was quite apologetic about it, but was like “dude, your body is now basically addicted to coughing and now everything on earth triggers your cough. you need to… um.. just stop coughing.” so! that’s helpful!
If it’s a post-nasal drip kind of cough (sounds like it) I highly recommend saline nasal spray and halls. I prefer cherry flavor, but you know what? You get to pick, as long as it has menthol, it’ll stop the cough once it starts. Saline spray might clear out some of that sticky drip that’s causing the cough. I like to think that a neti pot might help but I’ve never been brave enough. Please, Swistle, be brave enough and report back!
That’s the kind of cough I get every time I get a cold, once most of the sinus congestion has cleared up. I’ve been known to arrange pillows so I can sleep essentially upright. What works for me is blowing my nose, even though it doesn’t feel like there’s a sinus issue. In my case the coughing is caused by sinus drippage tickling the back of my throat (EW) or something like that, so clearing out the sinuses usually takes care of the cough. Maybe it’s the same for you? I’d keep up with that honey and whiskey though, too. Definitely.
My Old Lady Woe: eight days ago for no discernable reason, I got a killer muscle pain in my pack, right between the shoulder blades. It was really bad for three days (leading to much walking around stiffly and grunting if I had to sit down or get up.) Now it’s mostly gone but that spot still twinges if I stretch the wrong way. I’m trying to persuade myself that it will almost certainly go away someday and not become the first of many Permanently Creaky Spots.
Every year one or both of my children get what I lovingly call kennel cough.
Back in my foolish newer days of parenting I attempted to treat oldest’s kennel cough with cough syrup. Did nothing for the cough and made him bounce off the walls for hours. Did some internet research and found numerous people recommending honey. Consulted with pediatrician who acknowledged that honey seems to be just about as effective or more effective than cough syrup without the side effects. So, I gave the kids a teaspoon of honey before bed and in the morning when they had kennel cough and I’ll be darned if it didn’t keep it under control for the most part. As a result, the last time I got a cold with a bad cough I used honey in the morning before work (at night I used Nyquil because that stuff will stop a charging rhino, but is no good for day use).
Bottom line of this endless comment: teaspoons full of honey have worked very well for most of the persistent coughs here.
I am having a weird morning cough thing but it usually stops mid-morning but oh is it ever a pain while it is there so I really feel for you. I wish I weren’t pregnant so I could try the medicinal honey and whiskey tonic. I think my cough is related to how dry and now cold the air is around here.
I’ve also had the eye twitching last for weeks and it eventually just goes away.
I say if your cough, cough, cough, cough, coughing doesn’t end in you fully wetting your pants, you’re probably ahead of quite a few of us.
And Honey Whiskey. Evan Williams is my favorite brand. It saves getting a spoon dirty stirring. Just pour over ice. And have a couple refills.
Couple of tablespoons of honey to help the cough and the eye twitch could be either a vitamin deficiency (sorry I don’t remember which one) or eye strain.
Bethtastic- *whispering:* I am wearing pads EVERY DAY. Speaking of feeling like an old lady, SIGH.
Chloraseptic spray. It has a topical anesthetic that numbs that tickly scratchy feeling for just enough blessed cough-free minutes for me to fall asleep.
I also endorse the honey, whiskey, and any combination thereof. I bookmarked the home remedy that Sarah Lena linked!
I’m sorry you have the Never_ending Cough of Doom. That is how every one of my colds ends (well, really goes on and ON), and it drives my husband INSANE. I will be perfectly fine all day, and the MOMENT I lay down in bed, I ERUPT in coughing and can’t stop.
Like Alexa, I sleep with Ricola by the bed. I also liberally apply Vicks Vaporub to my neck and chest, which helps to some degree.
My Old Lady complaints are that (1) I have had a sore throat, on-and-off body aches, and runny nose for over a month now — I keep thinking it’s going away, but then it comes back a day later, in a most maddening way; (2) I have sciatica that comes and goes, and feels worst when I am sitting, which is 90% of the time since I work in an office; and (3) I have been having the 4am Worries big-time lately, and I would really just like to have a full night of calm, non-worry-filled sleep.
Hope you feel better, Swistle! The eye twitch could be just stress and lack of sleep, but when mine got nigh unbearable, I had some tests and was diagnosed with Vitamin B12 deficiency. (I don’t eat meat, so there’s that) The twitch comes back occasionally under stress, but it’s much better now that I take the B12 supplements.
I hate the hack hack hack cough and get it every year, so I am so sorry. Here’s some stuff that occasionally works for me….
1. Phenegran. Seriously. Supposedly the vomiting part of the brain is the one that is also responsible for the hacking cough.
2. Neti pot. Yes, I realize it’s dreadful. Sorry.
3. Hot apple toddy. Put enough honey in a mug to coat the bottom, put a dash of lemon juice in, put in 1-2 shots of whiskey, which around here is Jack Daniels. Then fill up the cup with hot apple cider. If you use the powdered cider mix, add it to apple juice instead of water because maybe the extra vitamin C will do something helpful, and stir it up. And yes you can make it with just water, but the apple keeps it from tasting quite so icky.
I second the Ricola drops. Haven’t choked yet. Completely agree with the whiskey bits too, although I would stick to scotch. (It can only be called Scotch whisky if it is a product of Scotland, BTW. It’s whisk-e-y with an e if it came from, say, Ireland, Canada or the US). Drink it straight right before bed. Kills ALL the germies in the throat. If that sounds disgusting, sure, pour some honey into it and lick it off a spoon. Heat it up just a tad with a *splash* of water. Good times. It’s the penicillin of the ancient Celts, I think. You will sleep so good you’ll snore.
Yes to the whiskey and honey mix! We drink it hot, and I’ve always added honey and sometimes water. If I have to go somewhere and can’t actually drink the whiskey (or, like now, am pregnant), I add honey and lemon to tea, with A LOT of honey and lemon. Like 1/4th honey and lemon.
(And I always have liked the raw honey if you can find it when I am sick–I just eat spoonfuls.)
I think that trying the neti pot sounds like a brilliant blog post.
I also have the eye twitch, and am interested in everyone else’s experiences.
So, I neti and I get a dry air cough that nothing really works for but it makes me feel better to suck on something (jolly rancher, halls, whatever).
Also, do you or do you not want to know that Vodka and Gin are the same? Vodka’s the natural stuff (what is it, potato?) and Gin’s just been infused with aromatics (juniper berries and other stuff).
I tried whiskey once while watching Mad Men and wow, is that stuff nasty. But effective for knocking you out, I would think.
Considering that I’m both handicapped and homebound for my physical problems, it would take far too long to talk about them! But, you’re not the only one whom narcotics makes queasy. When I was 19, I had to have a test that involved injecting colored morphine into me. I waited for the loopy sensation, and to my dismay, all I got was nauseous!
You are so ridiculously entertaining, I would treat senile, old you to lunch every week!
Alyson- WHAT.
Have you considered acid reflux? I experienced something similar to what you are describing, especially with it being worse when you lie down…. it got so bad that I was put through CT scans of sinuses and chest and a few rounds of steroids, tried every cough remedy, and doc gave me the codeine cough syrup which only made me feel sick because turns out it only irritated my stomach which was the cause even though I had no other symptoms of heartburn which would have seemed logical. Took pulmonologist to suggest acid reflux, and Prilosec and unfortunately avoiding alcohol for a couple weeks. All better! But still torn, give up alcohol, or put up with the cough :)
from NPR today
http://www.npr.org/2012/11/27/166023496/global-cold-cures-rice-porridge-to-horseradish-tea
Whiskey will help with the eye twitch, too. Well. It will at least make you not care anymore.
so she might have been talking about a really sore throat but I swear I remember Anne Lammot saying in Bird by Bird to drink really really hot water. she was using it to make a point about emotional muscles etc but…
my Old Lady complaint is that due to multiple surgeries (to avoid arthritis) I have arthritis in my ankl, and I swear that the rest of my body aches too. its very weird, since I am 27. but going on 100, i go to bed at like 9 and always wake up early and hate loud noises and these damn kids and their damn parties.
i see no reason why whiskey (whiskey sours!) wouldnt help with any of that.
Ah, I too have a cough cough cough and I’m pregnant with #4. My pelvic floor is shot. Too bad I’m not closer to delivery. I could just cough this little guy out!
Sheena
Still Playing School- I’d probably tell you the same story each week, too!
Sorry about your cough! When I have a cough or sore throat I gargle with saltwater and down honey by the spoonful. I am really liking the bourbon honey idea! I will try that next time I’m sick!
Oh man! Obviously we are some kind of long-lost twins! At the beginning of this year I had weepy eye for months, and then I had a cough that went on and on and on and never ceased, and now I have a horrible head cold. So maybe when you awaken from your whiskey haze you will find yourself with a head cold:/ How is your bladder? (Because that is a whole other story with me, after having five kids, and you have had even more, so I imagine you must have some stories to tell in that department as well?)Let us know how the whiskey works!
My BABY has had that same damned cough, including that it’s worse when she lays down, which SUCKS when I want her to go to the eff to sleep. Ahem. Enough about me. I want to say that my mom, who is crazy usually, had this bad cough and it wouldn’t go away and she got this stuff called Zarbee’s and raved about it and kept saying I should give it to my kids because it was made by a pediatrician! For his own kids! Blah blah blah! So I ignored her until *I* got a cough and finally I took some and it was really great. It has honey and I think maybe meltaonin in it? So you stop coughing and then you can sleep a little? I’ve given it to several people and they’ve all been equally amazed. I’m not telling my mother, though, ha!
Kristine Kirk- NOT GOOD. That is how it is doing. It OBJECTS to all the coughing. It makes its objections KNOWN.
Random anecdotal information:
1. Honey lemon tea is great for a cough. Honey lemon tea with a shot of whiskey is great for a cough and for making you sleep right through the cough. Also for kind of making you not care that you’re coughing anymore. Win/win. I prefer Jameson.
2. Codeine in pill form makes me happy-loopy and pain free. Codeine in liquid cough syrup form makes me ralph. You’re not alone. Sadly when I’ve requested something else, they’ve said to go buy Robitussin. This is not so much helpful.
3. Eye twitching – are you more stressed than usual? This comes and goes for me about once a year or so, and I finally put the pattern together that it happens when I am very, very stressed for some reason. Now I take it as a cute to chill the heck out, and perhaps have some whiskey. You won’t die, I promise. :)
Hope you feel better soon!!
Oh, I had that cough earlier and it drove me NUTS and I have never before had that experience and … ugh. For like 2 nights even my husband got no sleep because of my cough, it was horrid. I got on the internet and found that same homemade mixture Sarah Lena recommends (it is all over the internet, so it can’t be wrong — can it?) and it worked. I was, like, amazed. Actually, full disclosure, we had no honey and I was too paranoid to include the capsacin and also our vinegar wasn’t the right kind — I think what I had handy was a balsamic/red wine mix — but I used (real!) maple syrup in lieu of the honey and the vinegar I had handy and the ginger and it worked. I did later buy real honey and I also took to chewing or sucking on crystalized ginger (as well as using the syrup) because it seemed to help and I had it handy (also it tastes good and is covered in sugar).
I can’t imagine a whisky chaser would hurt.
I hope you feel better soon! A pointless, seemingly unending cough is the most annoying thing ever. You can gargle whiskey, too, you know. :) And have some whiskey for me. I sure miss it, at 31 weeks pregnant. Which, as you know, comes with ALL KINDS of complainables.
Oh. Swistle. If you ever, ever have a whisky question again, please come to me directly.
Ugh. My husband had a never-ending cough a while back. It was terrible. It was probably a four or five weeker. If you are going through what he did, you have all of my sympathy. Hope you get better soon.
Made me guffaw out loud hilarious (starting with a cup…*sighs and wipes a tear*). I am practicing preventative medication which may be why I guffawed as loudly as I did.
Makers Mark is a good option for tasty but not FANCY$$$. I have had an upper right eyelid twitch for a week, I’m thinking about cutting it off.
I hate that dry, nagging, gaggging cough that I get every winter at the end of a long cold. I cannot sleep lying down because I just cough all night long. My doctor last year told me to give up on the throat drops and sprays and syrups and go for a nasal spray. Apparently, even though my cough was totally dry and I wasn’t aware of any post nasal drip, that’s what was causing the cough reflex, which is obviously worse when you lie down.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Oh and this old lady is totally squinting at the captcha.
I came down with a sinus infection on Thanksgiving Day and I am getting worse every day. I tried to buy a neti pot last night (waited too long, only Wal-Mart was open and there were no neti pots there) and after reading the comments here, I’m getting one for sure tonight! My sinus infections always end in the nagging never-ending cough that you describe.
Other than that, my old lady complaints are: my foot hurts, my microwave broke and I can’t seem to get the lenses in my glasses completely clean – EVER.
I had the exact same cough. It SUCKED. I finally diagnosed myself with either bronchitis or walking pneumonia, and while that diagnosis did not do anything to cure the cough, it did make me feel slightly better. I told my husband my diagnosis and he laughed so I turned my attention to sneaky ways to kill him in his sleep, which has helpfully taken my mind off the cough.
My hip was hurting for some mysterious reason the other day, but in hindsight it might have been a new weird, PMS symptom. Is that possible? I already bloat, break out, have an aching back and get CRANKY–wouldn’t it just be lovely to add hip pain to that montly cocktail o’fun?? *pouting*
The whiskey thing – I tried that last year and found that I HATE WHISKEY. My dad used blackberry brandy for colds and I am guessing it’s because regular whiskey is HORRIBLE and that brandy is in the “family” of whiskeys? What I noticed from his use of that particular MEDICINE is that it knocked him out. But perhaps he used over the recommended dosage!
Kevin has a cough from everything that he went through. Although the person suggesting Werthers was joking, he uses them & it works.
Neti Pot or some reasonable facsimile is good too. Necessary grossness unfortunately.
Whiskey is rarely a bad idea.
Hot-as-you-can-stand-it washcloth on your eye for the twitch. It will also help your sinuses so: Bonus. And you get to lay on the couch with a washcloth across your eyes, all 50’s housewife style!
Sending good thoughts your way!
Four years ago I coughed for 6 weeks, until my abdominal muscles were so sore I cried when I coughed. Couldn’t sleep, tried EVERYTHING, including prescription codeine, steroid shot, antibiotics. Finally, in desperation, my doctor said call me crazy but try the new version of a neti pot–it’s made by NeilMed but it’s basically a squeeze bottle instead of an actual pot. http://www.amazon.com/Neilmed-Sinus-Rinse-Kit-Pack/dp/B001H54VP2/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1354127300&sr=8-8&keywords=neilmed+sinus+rinse (but I would get it locally, for speed. I got mine at Walgreens.) My doctor also recommended Mucinex to thin secretions, and TONS of water. I’m not exaggerating, in 24 hours this combination had almost stopped all symptoms. Amazing. Good wishes!
GAH! Just posted a long comment and I think something broke. Anyway, no time and haven’t read a single comment, so hope I’m not being a total asshat here. But it really sounds like maybe you have virally induced reactive airways. My fam has this. An inhaler clears it up pretty well. Can you call a doc? I know you hate that, so what I do is just suck on my daughter’s albuterol inhaler twice a day for a few days and it clears up!!! GOOD LUCK!
Taking magnesium helps eye twitches. Works for me, and for everyone I’ve suggested it to. Your mileage may vary, but it might help.
A sipping Whiskey would be nice. If you can find Sortilege (maple whiskey), it’s lovely.
I believe in whiskey too. My dad and grandma always gave me brandy when I was a kid . . .usually a tablespoon. I’d get this barking like cough and cough so much I’d throw up and the cough syrup with the magic codine never worked. Now I take a shot of brandy and sometimes two. Burns the throat and coats the lungs! Good stuff!
DB
Oh, I have this same issue. Every year I go to the doctor, and every year they tell me I’m “probably allergic to leaf mold or something”, as I always get it at the same time of the autumn (except this year, I got it late).
This year I have the added bonus of being 5 months pregnant, and can’t take any of the stuff that actually works. Delsym is my go-to cough syrup but alas, I can take only stupid doesn’t-work Robitussin this year.
Also, I’ve had a lower-eyelid twitch since high school. It particularly kicks up when I’m stressed, sleepy, or my contact isn’t sitting sitting right in my eye. It’s annoying but no one else seems to notice it. (Freshman year of college I got mono while I also had the lead in my theatre department’s play, and the stress/exhaustion/illness combo turned it into a full-half-my-face twitch. THAT was fun.)
Oh, the dreaded cough!
Yes to the squeeze bottle version of the Neti pot that someone else mentioned. My husband loves the Neti pot, but I just CANNOT get my head tilted right to let the salt water run through my sinuses. I can do the squeeze bottle though. Beware though – you will feel like you’re going to drown. Just concentrate on relaxing while you’re rinsing!
Have you ever tried Buckley’s cough syrup. It has ingredients like camphor, menthol, pine needle oil, and tincture of capsicum. I swear it is of the devil (tastes awful) but it works. Well, I’m not sure if it actually works, or if my body chose to stop the coughing to avoid taking it again!
Benadryl is also a cough remedy AND makes you sleep. I like the children’s liquid version because I feel like it coats my throat. Also, during the day I can take a smaller-than-adult dosage.
My Old Lady Woe: heartburn. Good grief, I thought it was bad during pregnancy but this is horrible! I cannot sleep for the heartburn. I have started having a glass of wine late in the evening and I think that is the culprit, but geez! I cannot stand it. (I bought some Pepcid AC tonight just in case it flares it’s ugly head tonight.)
Good luck with the cough. Keep us posted.
I think I had that exact same virus. My doctor said the exact same thing, even swabbed for strep. No strep, which I knew already. Dry throat cough that just keeps getting slightly worse. Reflexive coughing that makes your whole body hurt after a few days? Two things. I took an antibiotic anyway. Bactrim, for a week, and it had some irritating side effects. But when it was done I got better. Could be coincidental but I think not. Also, prescription only Tessalon Perles. Tiny wee little bath bead looking pills that help stop reflexive coughing. It’s not a coat your throat/expectorant thing, it’s a paralyze the muscles in your lungs responsible for reflexive coughing thing and it’s awesome. Just fyi.
Another vote for the honey whiskey. Delicious, if not medicinal.
I had something similar right after my third son was born – took three months and two useless trips to the GP to get rid of… finally my pediatrician just handed me an inhaler and said to use it twice a day… a couple weeks later it was all better. I’ve had to use the same technique a couple times since!
Swistle, the VERY DAY I read this (I’m behind on commenting) I’d been in the liquor store asking about whisky. Or whiskey. Am I even spelling that right? It looks weird now.) (Not drunk.)
I decided I wanted bourbon for my hot toddy. I have no idea why. So I asked the liquor store dude what the diff is and he told that that bourbon is a type of whisky, and that it’s called bourbon if it’s American, particularly Southern American and some people will even say it’s only bourbon if it comes from Kentucky.
I asked if Jack Daniels is bourbon, because I feel like I’ve heard that and he said “…sort of – but it’s from Tennessee so not officially” (or something along those lines.
Then I asked him the difference between scotch and whisky and he said those ARE interchangeable terms. Scotch is scotch whisky. I asked the difference between scotch and irish whisky and he told me one is from Scotland and one is from Ireland… THANKS FOR THAT.
But then he explained they do taste different – scotch is more “peaty”. When I said I didn’t know what that meant, he explained to me what peat is. YES, I ALSO KNOW THAT. I meant I don’t understand what peat TASTES LIKE.
Anywhooo. Bourbon, scotch & whisky are all the same thing, basically, but they’ll taste a little different because they’re made in different regions.
I’ve been having a shot of bourbon in a mug of hot water with the juice of one lemon and a LOT of honey and I find it’s helping.
My dad used to drink scotch and I didn’t like it. I’ve tasted his REALLY EXPENSIVE scotch and I don’t mind it, but am not interested in developing a taste for booze that is $100+ a bottle, thanks. I will say I find the bourbon a bit nicer. It’s not as harsh as scotch? It’s quite nice in the hot toddy.
So there you go. A lesson in whisky from someone who is completely trusting the words of one random liquor store dude in Canada.
(I didn’t realize my comment was so long and also, but Southern American I mean the South of America. Not Southern America. I’m not sure the correct way to word that, it turns out.)