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Happy Friday, Gentle Readers,

I pray this missive finds you well, having celebrated a blessed Christmas Day and looking forward to a Happy New Year. I’ve done the New Year’s thing before, and at this point in life, Mrs. Brown and I will likely split a bottle of bubbly and turn in around 10. If you’ve seen one New Year’s, you’ve seen ’em all. 

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Finger on the button

All things being equal, Donald Trump is set to make a triumphant return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in January. Although, as I have been warning everyone for the last year, the Democratic Party and its allies are horrified at the idea that the party might be over in more ways than one. The recent shenanigans from Evan Davis and Daniel Schulte illustrate that while their proposition is a long shot, there is nothing these people won’t consider, short of unleashing the Bubonic Plague on the nation, to remain in power.

Potential January surprises aside, according to the Post Millennial, the White House staff is getting ready to welcome back the president and first lady, which includes installing The Button on the president’s desk. No, not that button. As I understand it, that button is actually a set of codes in a briefcase known as “The Football.” The button, in this case, is a Diet Coke button. 

Apparently, when Trump needs a little refreshment, he presses the button, and voilà, an ice-cold Diet Coke is served up. Number 45/47 is quite the Diet Coke fiend, sometimes enjoying up to 12 cans a day.  Hey, you gotta have something to wash down all those Big Macs. If Trump had kept his day job at McDonald’s, he could have had all the burgers and cokes he wanted during his shift meal. I guess it’s all about priorities. 

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Fun fact I learned today: Once the transfer of power is complete, the White House staff (cooks, housekeepers, maintenance people, etc.) have approximately five hours to turn the residence over to suit the incoming president and family. That’s not a lot of time. You would need five hours just to find all of the cocaine left over from the previous first family. 

All in all, it’s a pretty fair trade. God only knows what kinds of buttons Biden had on his desk. All things considered, a Diet Coke button is downright wholesome. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to figure out how to install a beer button on my desk. 

Wine recommendation 

Because I’m installing a wine button next to the beer button this weekend.

I am skipping a sparkling wine/champagne recommendation despite the fact that New Year’s Eve is only a few days away. Instead, I offer the 2021 Vicente Faria Vinhos Animus Red Douro.


This Portuguese red is reasonably priced for what it delivers. Expect to get out of the store with a bottle for between $11 and $14. You would think that, at that price point, you would have to sacrifice taste. However, it consistently scores high marks from reviewers who, unlike your humble correspondent, actually know what they are talking about.  

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It is a bolder wine, leaning a little heavy on the tannins, with a good balance in acidity. Expect a healthy dose of red fruits. It is aged for 18 months in oak, so you may detect a little smoke, a hint of tobacco, and even a decent bit of cedar. You may even pick up a little chocolate and vanilla. It starts out strong and finishes nicely. As for pairings, this would go really well with a pizza heavy on peppers. It also works very well as a stand-alone bottle.

That’s it for me. Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you next time.