Hitchens Drank More Dewar's Than He Ever Drank Wine

Hitchens and I used to while away a lunch into dusk at the Iron Gate Restaurant, across from the Middle East Institute where I was resident scholar.

Although this article in Slate has Chris drinking wine and being annoyed, as he is a dozen times a day from one thing or another, by the French custom of a waiter's refilling a wine glass. After living in France for two years, I can remember once being angry when a waiter did NOT refill my glass at a restaurant.

At any rate, Christopher used to drink Dewar's by the quart on my check---at the time I wasn't very well-situated---and fill his hollow legs, arms and other vesicles with the delicious Scotch without ever appearing even woozy.

The only time I ever saw him woozy was an intimate five-person Xmas dinner when he literally fell asleep at the table---after drinking wine!!!

Go figure...