Woods over whiskey

As one of the world’s leading cities in creativity, New York City is a remedy for the banal. While I don’t regret not paving a path in the Big Apple, it’s always refreshing to visit. The city that never sleeps also never disappoints, and I never leave uninspired.

My husband and I booked tickets to see the Austin-based psych soul duo Black Pumas at Brooklyn Steel for our fifth wedding anniversary. From a traditional perspective, the fifth-anniversary gift is wood-themed, meant to represent solid roots and an enduring relationship. While New York City and Black Pumas have nothing to do with wood, our circumstances lent room for creativity.

I’m a whiskey lover, so the first thing that came to mind aside from the physicality of wood, is spirits. Fun fact: It is estimated that wood is responsible for 60-75% of the taste of a finished whiskey. Another fun fact: Wood is one of the four raw ingredients in single-malt whiskey, along with barley, yeast and water.