Kingsley Amis’ Ten General Principles

G.P. 1: Quantity rather than quality

Over the next few weeks, I will be focusing on the general principles Kingsley Amis lists in his excellent book, Kingsley Amis On Drink. Sadly the book is out of print, but luckily it is included in Everyday Drinking: The Distilled Kingsley Amis.

I have purchased this book more than any other piece of literature in my life. I have given away more copies than I can remember, and I believe it to be one of the best volumes on drinking, in my opinion.

The book lists ten general principles, which can be summarized:

1. Quantity rather than quality

2. For drinks accompanied by fruit or vegetables, try adding juice

3. Cold trumps concentrated

4. Cheap alcohol for mixing with juices

5. Bubbly drinks act faster

6. Soak fruit in liquor before adding to a drink

7. Commercial mixes are okay

8. Wine preparation is important, but price is more so

9. He who believes he has a hangover does not

10. Eating fattens you

Why don't we start at the beginning?

G.P. (General Principle) 1:
Up to a point (i.e. short of offering your guests one of those Balkan plonks marketed as wine, Cyprus sherry, poteen and the like), go for quantity rather than quality. Most people would rather have two glasses of ordinary decent port than one of a rare vintage. On the same reasoning, give them big drinks rather than small-with exceptions to be noted later. Serious drinkers will be pleased and reassured, unserious ones will not be offended, and you will use up less chatting-time going round to recharge glasses.

It seems weird to agree with the idea of quantity, not quality, but I believe what Amis is getting at here is a little deeper than just that. Most of On Drink is about hosting and enjoying oneself rather than showing off, except of course, for G.P. 9. As a matter of fact, he despises the show-off attitude and is vocal about it throughout the book.

Over the past year, alcohol sales numbers show that most people are drinking a few shelves above their usual AND in quantity. Still, a time will come in the hopefully near future when we can all sit around a table, lean in the kitchen, or belly up to the bar for a few drinks, and at that point, we will settle back into our usual drinking pace.

At home, I use Tanqueray for Martinis. When it comes to a Negroni, though, I always pull out the handle of Costco gin because once I've added Campari and sweet vermouth, the intricacies of the Tanqueray would be obscured. I also usually like to have two Negronis! Certainly I am drinking quantity over quality in that example and also following G.P. 4, but his first principle is deeper still.

In the past, when choosing wine for a dinner party, I have stood in the wine aisle with one standard size bottle of killer juice in one hand and in the other a magnum of something of lower caliber but still respectable. My guests and I have always had a great night with the bigger bottle.

The same goes for pours of spirits, don't skimp! Everyone can tell the difference between a one-finger pour and a two-finger pour. I see hosting in a similar light as going out to eat. If you can't tip, you shouldn't be out to eat. So in that regard, if you are going to have people over, don't be chintzy with the booze. The only rule at my house for alcohol is: if you need to dig to the back of the cabinet or get a step stool to reach it, those bottles are off-limits; anything else is fair game. 

Honestly, I'd rather not do the pouring for my guests. I trust them plenty fine to pour exactly what they require. In fact, one of my favorite Kinglsey quotes from Everyday Drinking is, "I'll pour you the first one, and after that, if you don't have one, it's your own fucking fault. You know where it is."

I think the key to his first principle comes at the very end, "you will use up less chatting-time going round to recharge glasses."Getting together with good friends to enjoy a drink should be about the conversation. All too often, a party ends when the booze is gone, so instead of pulling out the one bottle of the fancy stuff, why not go for two of something a little more pedestrian? Most people can't tell the difference anyway!

Next week we tackle G.P. 2!

G.P. 2:
Any drink traditionally accompanied by a bit of fruit or vegetable is worth trying with a spot of the juice thrown in as well.

Thanks for reading!

Oh, and tomorrow on The Nightcap Show, my guest, Anthony, and I are drinking the oldest spirit I've ever had—some pre-ban Pernod Fils absinthe circa 1900-1910! We will be comparing it live with a pour of Jade 1901. It will be a great time, and I'd love to see you there tomorrow night live on Instagram at 9 pm ET.