Literary Pairings – Lightning by Fred Stenson / Sortilege Whiskey

In a new department here on MikeBerard.com, I am pairing two things I love dearly; great literature and drinking. Being both an appreciative imbiber of fine spirits and a raging drunk (depending on the day), I’ve often felt that the emotions and imagery evoked by good writing deserve to be teamed up with good booze. What I’ll attempt to do is partner each book with one beverage (alcoholic or otherwise) that works well in conjunction with its reading. It may be an aged brandy with ye’ olde English literature, or a rough-around-the-intestines tequila for a historical account of Pancho Villa and his southern revolts. The basic premise is the pairing of great (or decent) drink to inspirational writing. Considering my experience in both areas, I hope I do it justice. In the spirit of camaraderie, please raise a glass and drink up my first attempt. Thanks for your attention. - Mike Berard

The classic western novel is an oft-misunderstood thing. While men (and a very specific kind of women) have long been attracted to the romantic (if inaccurate) notion of the wild west, the reality of the American, Canadian and Mexican frontiers has rarely been shown in an honest light. Personally, I’ve found most westerns have shallow story lines and little historically-accurate info to make me believe in the authenticity of the story. For years, I shunned the western, believing Louis L’Amour and his ilk to be below great fiction writers. Like a child who hates broccoli despite never having tried it, to this day I hold an aversion to the thin, weak westerns of my grandfathers bookshelf. Thankfully, I think I’ve found the real deal in Fred Stenson.

Stenson’s 2003 novel, Lightning, follows the story of Texan Doc Windham, a rancher’s son turned professional bowler turned verified cowboy. The narrative of the story switches from the past (starting in 1866) and the novel’s “present” (beginning in 1881). While the author makes talented transitions between the two time periods, it took this reader some adjustment to settle into the unique voice. Early on, Windham’s life is full of the trials and tribulations of a younger man; love, violence and the residual drama brought on by both. As he moves through the American west, from Montana, Colorado and Missouri, and back and again, he meets a tight cast of characters who figure prominently in his development. While the gap of the two timeframes narrows, a vengeful ghost of his past haunts him. On a cattle drive headed north to Cochrane, Alberta (Stenson is Albertan), the story weaves together seamlessly, and Windham’s loneliness becomes a character as integral to the story as Windham himself.

Lightning is a big book with big themes of revenge, lost love and the fickle nature of friendship. Played out on a visual and historical landscape of the frontier, this book provides a glimpse into life on the prairies in the formative days of Canada and the heady days of the American gold rushes. Stenson constructs his characters out of simple, down-to-earth archetypes, but fortifies them with authentic dialogue and a strong knowledge of the cowboy culture. Stenson has done his research and it shows in the little details – bits of history are interwoven with Windham’s story, bringing an air of validity to what could otherwise become a fantastical tale of revenge. There are also some interesting plot lines regarding the Stonemasons, the sport of bowling and the English settlers who brought their strange brand of imperialism to the Canadian wilds. One of my favourite bits of Lightning‘s learned history? Charles Dickens’ third son served as a Mountie in the late 1800′s, and has been painted as an incompetent drunk by many historical accounts.

The summary: Lightning is a fast-reading, entertaining book that goes beyond its simple western roots. It’s historical fiction at its best, weaving an engaging cast of characters, a driven plot, a small bit of sensationalism and a much larger base of authenticity together to create a book that disappoints only when it ends. Thankfully, Lightning is one-third of a trilogy, allowing this reader the chance to fall that much more in love with the western genre. Thanks Fred Stenson.

Literary Pairing:

Let’s get one thing out of the way: Sortilege Whiskey was not what the cowboys drank. In fact, they’d most likely poke fun at the cowpoke who sipped on a whiskey infused with maple syrup liqueur. But I chose this delightful Quebecois treat for a couple reasons; in Lightning, Doc Windham falls into a temporary state of drunkenness, indulging nightly in the fantastic cocktail creations of one of Golden City’s finest bartenders. He puts back “whiskey cocktails” and an “outstanding array of drinks” as he watches his girlfriend school gold miners on the billiard tables. I figured the sweet taste of Sortilege fit this part of the story well, while the rye whiskey base of the tasty drink lined up well with the massive amount of the booze the cowboys, Mounties and miners put back on the cattle drives and in the forts of Alberta. The Montreal-distilled liqueur is light golden in colour, not unlike the maple syrup used in its creation. Extremely smooth and almost buttery in texture, the butterscotch fragrance is followed by the strong flavour of maple syrup. It’s easy to drink…maybe too easy, and could use a stronger injection of whiskey in my humble opinion. I’ve heard it’s amazing over vanilla ice cream and I believe it, but it’s best served over ice in a tumbler glass, and lends itself to cool Autumn evenings. It’s now available in B.C. Liquor Stores or order it online. – Mike Berard