MONTREAL ― Down a short flight of basement steps, Grumpys bar is well stocked with vodka, scotch, gin and other assorted spirits. Beside the bottles of booze, a sign commands with typical Canadian politeness: “A whiskey please.”
The Old-Fashioned is the first drink on the menu at this dark-paneled neighborhood dive, where the regulars can listen to live music and test their mastery of minutiae on trivia night.
“Make me an Old-Fashioned,” I instruct the bartender in an accent that has softened over the years but still points to my Kentucky roots.
A minute or two later, he slides my drink across the long wooden counter. The taste is familiar, but slightly different: Simple syrup, bitters, twisted orange peel and whiskey. Canadian whiskey.
Just a bluegrass-pickin’ minute. An Old-Fashioned without Kentucky bourbon?
