Willamette Week Published April 19, 2016 The first Christmas after I turned 21, my grandfather offered me whiskey. This was a big deal my grandma only let him have two bottles of Crown Royal a year for health reasons, so he guarded the stuff with his life. When I said I wanted it only with a couple rocks, my grandma couldn t contain her joy and hugged me with tears in her eyes. You re becoming a man! she exclaimed. You sit down with Dad or Granddad for that first beer, or Mom for a martini up with a twist, and it s like you ve crossed through the looking glass. You ve joined them in a new, adult world where everything is slower, funnier and a little more stupid. Finally, you re equals.