This is not an orchestra economics post...

One of the more salient contributions of cultural economics to the field in general is the formal conceptualization of "addictive preferences," or in non-academic terms, acquired tastes. Tastes for the arts, and fine arts in particular, often fall into this category because demand for these goods increases with past exposure. This has been shown both in individual case studies and in audience segmentation studies.

This is where all references to cultural economics stop, since I'm actually here to talk about another addictive preference today: alcohol! Specifically, how the hell did I become a whiskey (whisky for the Irish) man? Like the arts, whiskey drinking involves a lot of patience, experimentation, and in some cases, failure (do NOT buy Grant's unless you want to study last night's dinner!). What puzzles many is that whiskey, frankly, tastes kind of shitty the first time you have it; why go through so much work when there are clearly greater opportunities for pleasure? Even if you, the newbie (assuming you're one of my regular readers), were to sip the finest 30-year single malt, you wouldn't have the taste buds to make a clear, articulation distinction between this ostentatious luxury and a bottle (or as those collegiate plebians call it, a "handle") of Jim Beam.

FYI, Jim Beam's aftertaste resembles a mouthful of canned corn. Malts don't.

My only answer is that the process of experimentation is an investment to a much greater return. Nobody asks, for instance, why a dorky male would try so hard and fail multiple times to lose his virginity when there are easy substitutes out there (porn). Or why an investor would continue to work his money even though his past ventures have evaporated a small fortune (ok, some do ask). Put simply, however, the reward justifies the means.

This still begs the next question, though: how in the world could I possibly know that whiskey will be a good reward? This, I can only blame instinct. Maybe its an inherent appreciation for the subtle - I am an arts guy after all. Maybe I prefer the classy, yet masculine social context of whiskey over the trampling testosterone of beer and the starving, frigid revolutionist of vodka. But the reasons are buried in my subconcious. Who knows. Time for another glass of 'fiddich.