How they do it in Sag Harbor.

The guys and gals who comprise the Sag Harbor Europe dinghy fleet pretty much sail year round as long as the bay doesn't freeze solid.  Now Sag Harbor, New York is way out on the eastern tip of Long Island and is a hard day's drive north from diarist HQ.  Your diarist normally doesn't sail after about mid-November unless we're talking Florida.  I once asked one of the main proponents of the fleet what they did to stay warm.  Was it dry suits, wet suits, Armani suits?  Perhaps all three at the same time?  Nope.  Turns out the answer is revealed in the photo below.

Pine Barrens single malt whisky  is their secret for insuring a good fleet turn out.  Now at $45.00 for a 375 ml bottle this little mid-winter warmer is a bit too spendy for your thrifty old diarist but it works for them.  My other observation is that the name "Pine Barrens" seems out of place for Long Island.  I think there may be a couple pine trees on display in a Museum of Natural History somewhere up there, but really folks, the name "Pine Barrens" should have been reserved as a southern New Jersey appellation!  Bottoms up!  Photo credit: Nick Gazzolo.