Virginia Beach, VA — back in the 80s, when bourbon was still sitting dusty on the shelves of state-run ABC stores. My dad and I were on a mission with a simple rule: $40 budget. My job? Keep track of the total in my head.
Dad grabbed two bottles of Old Weller — the original 107 proof — complete with those legendary red velvet bags. He tossed in some snacks too, and we headed to the counter.
The clerk rang everything up. I’d already done the math: total should be right on the money. But the register came up $1.04 less.
Why? The clerk never scanned the bag of peanuts. At a buck even, plus 4% sales tax, my calculation was dead on.
We walked out the door with two bottles of Old Weller and snacks for under forty bucks.
And that, my friends, is why I smirk whenever I hear folks talk about hunting down a bottle of Weller Antique 107 today. Back then, it was just Dad’s everyday pour — and for less than forty, you could grab two bottles and still have change left for peanuts.
Take that, bourbon snobs.
This picture means more to me than any rare bottle on my shelf.
That’s my dad, years ago — the man who first taught me the value of a good pour and an honest laugh. Beside him is one of those original Old Weller 107 red velvet bags, the kind he’d bring home from the ABC store in Virginia Beach. Back then, it wasn’t a “bourbon unicorn.” It was just Dad’s drink of choice.
I still have that bag today. Inside it sits a modern bottle of Weller Antique 107 — the same wheated bourbon, same 107 proof, but now hunted and hyped instead of overlooked.
Dad may be gone, but every time I look at that red bag, I’m reminded: bourbon isn’t just about what’s in the glass. It’s about the stories, the family, and the memories that come with it.
Two bottles and some peanuts for under forty bucks… and a lifetime of memories that were truly priceless.
Here’s to you, Dad. 🥃