Booze and the Doctor

Bitter beer is bitter. Stout is stout, as in strong (stout-hearted etc). But lager is beer that has been made to be stored, or in German lager-bier. A lager is a storehouse.

Claret is clear wine. Port comes from Oporto in Portugal. But brandy, which is more distilled, is burnt wine or, in Dutch, brandewijn.

Which brings me, of course, to Dr Johnson who said:

Claret is the liquor for boys; port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy.

Between the dictionary and the endless quotations, a chap is liable to forget that Dr Johnson was a fine poet. If you are just such a forgetful chap, follow this link.

He was not, though, a looker.