James first began the drink early in life when, as a 10 year old in Montana, he snuck a mug-full of the cooking wine his mother bought but once a year to make her New Years Eve cheese fondue. Not learning from reprimand, his taste (and punishment) improved two years later on a family cruise when he drank the bottle of wine left in the cabin by the travel agent. Now decades later, a relocation to Chicago to pursue musical theater at Roosevelt University and a choice in drinking selection, his tastes have further improved to a solid “Dewars on the rocks”, although quite often that seems to come with its own punishment. Along the theatrical road there seems to be a drink for every show: Angry Fags at Steppenwolf Garage – Bulleit neat. Les Miserables at Drury Lane – white wine and lots of it. Mary Poppins at Paramount – champagne and Irish car bombs (not together). The only thing I wouldn’t recommend – an entire bottle of Goldschlager (NEVER AGAIN I DON’T CARE HOW PRETTY THE GOLD FLAKES ARE). Dewars and Irish car bombs happily accepted tonight. To life!!