Whiskey & Movies: TV Series Edition - One Day At A Time + Glenmorangie Milsean
One Day At A Time + Glenmorangie Milsean
When the thought occurred to blog about two things I spend a lot of time doing (drinking whiskies and watching movies/television), I immediately knew what TV series I would write about. Sadly, after my initial excitement to write about One Day At A Time, Netflix has canceled the show in its third season. So tonight I sat down with a glass of scotch that is a whimsical dram to say goodbye to a brilliant show that will leave the air far too soon.
Watched on Netflix
According to IMDB, One Day at a Time follows three generations of the same Cuban-American family (the Alvarez family) all living in the same house: a newly divorced former military mother, her teenage daughter and tween son, and her old-school mother.
Of course, a show about a family came highly recommended by my own family! My sister was the first to recommend it and then my mom binge-watched the entire series in less than a week (this is not common behavior). I immediately put on the first episode and flew through the entire series. Initially, the show was relatable since I come from an extensive Spanish family. I laughed at the similarities between the Alvarez family and my own. Now I can't stop watching and talking about how great the show is. More importantly, not only is it a family-friendly comedy but it tackles major issues that all of us deal with. They dive into conversations about being a Latina/o in America, PTSD, fears of going to therapy, LGBTQ issues, gender identity, racism, sexism, gentrification, family wounds, and the Baby Boomers vs Millennials just to name a few.
One brilliant way they tackled several of these issues was pitting Abuelita versus Elena. Abuelita represents an older generation as well as a thought process of accepting the world “as is" without pushback. Cubans live a particular way, a woman has a certain place, and the Pope’s photo is everywhere. Elena is the Millennial archetype that is so “woke” it is annoying. I belly laugh one minute and am in tears the next (but in a good cry way, not a This is Us torture kind of way). In the second episode of the series, the conflict of wearing makeup (Abuelita's view) versus not wearing makeup (Elena's view) as a female came head-to-head. At the end of the episode, I had laughed/cried my way through and I knew this show was uniquely special.
For the final episode, I selected a whisky that is as gleeful and fun as the show, and it is also a dram that reminds me of my family.
Drank in a neat whiskey glass
Since discovering my love for whisky, Glenmorangie has become a staple brand for my collection. This particular bottle is a personal favorite for the sole fact that my mom will drink it! When I began doing Silver Coins’ Private Whisk(e)y Pop-in Tastings, I knew my goal would be to find a whisk(e)y for my mom’s palette. One that she would really enjoy. Like a blessing from above this dram was the winning ticket - Glenmorangie Private Edition 7: Milsean.
The story behind the bottle: Milsean (Scots Gaelic for 'sweet things' and pronounced 'meel-shawn') is a single malt whisky. Dr. Bill Lumsden, inspired whisky creator, was firmly set on enhancing the sweeter notes in Glenmorangie Original, really bringing out the vanilla, the almond and the butterscotch. Inspired by traditional Scottish sweetshops (those old-fashioned confectioners you still occasionally find, the ones stocked with large jars of ‘Midget Gems’ and ‘Soor Plooms’ and ‘Humbugs’), Dr Bill began to dream of taking the sweetest elements of a whisky’s profile to a whole new level.
I love to drink this bottle as a substitute for dessert. For custom tastings, this dram has become a favorite for those who are not as familiar with scotches and typically drink white wines and/or refreshing citrus types of cocktails. That is not to say aficionados of scotch won't enjoy this bottle as well. It is a bottle to be savored and retails at $100+depending on the store. It was the perfect fit to cheers goodbye to a great television show.
Photo from the Glenmorangie website
Little sis was right in her recommendation of the show. Now I pass that recommendation to all of you. Watch One Day at a Time not just for the laughs, but because the Alvarez family teaches us all how important it is to have conversations with one another. True growth happens when we listen and learn from the people around us.
We live in a world where most people are sinking their feet into the sand and are too stubborn to hear anyone with a different opinion. Well, if your feet are stuck in the sand you’ve got nowhere to go but further down. Forward movement can only happen when we come together and meet in the middle to hear and learn from one another. Abuelita never lost her Cuban vivacious flare, and Elena never became less woke after their conversations. They instead became stronger better people after hearing and learning from one another. We can learn a lot from each other, but it requires us to listen One Day At A Time. So come on over, let’s drink a good dram, belly laugh, and dance to Cuban musica! And yes, I have made a Cuban music playlist tilted Abuelita on my Spotify account!
One Day at a Time: 🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃/5
Glenmorangie Private Edition 7 Milsean: 🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃/5