Conor McGregor’s Whiskey ‘Rule’ Enrages Dark Spirit Drinkers

Is it ever acceptable to 'shot' whiskey?

Conor McGregor’s Whiskey ‘Rule’ Enrages Dark Spirit Drinkers

Whisky (or whiskey, for our US and Irish readers) is a drink often associated with fine, established gentlemen; an alcoholic drink to be enjoyed after a day of hunting, or to have at the end of a fancy dinner party, along with a cigar – in fact, this video takes a perfect look at the traits that define a whisky lover.

We’ve previously discussed the ‘rules’ you need to know if you choose to pour yourself a drop of dram, including how to best smell your whisky before drinking, and which ones should be used to make cocktails, and which are best-enjoyed solo.

But we’re not here to talk shop: Irish MMA fighter and founder of Proper No. Twelve Irish whiskey Conor McGregor has now weighed in on how you should (and should not) be drinking whiskey, sparking a pub etiquette debate in the process.

Conor clearly has a love for the spirit, enough at least to found his own brand, although it’s been reported he recently sold his state to Proximo Spirits.

Taking to Twitter, the man from Dublin responded to another user’s tweet, which itself was a reply to another post of Conor’s. In that very original post, Conor says “My whiskey is the smoothest on the market, bar none! But I still do not recommend to drink fully straight.”

“One/two ice cubes is perfect! The ice opens the flavour inside the glass. Think of the liquid as a fist in the barrel, you need slight dilution to open it.”

Twitter user Robert Anthony replied, “I tried drinking it straight shots and let me tell you sum [sic]. Bar fights are fun. Lmao.”

McGregor took issue with this – but not the bar fight part. He was aggrieved with how Robert was drinking his whiskey. So he replied with a rule: “Whiskey is not to be shot! You do not do shots of Whiskey! It is to be poured. Savoured! And enjoyed fully! The Proper way.”

“You can drink straight, or my personal favourite, on the rocks, but never shots. What’s the hurry? Savour it all, life is beautiful!”

His claims divided opinion, with several Twitter users both agreeing with him, and others in disagreement, taking aim at his Proper No. Twelve brand in particular.

Some comments in agreement included:

“While visiting Ireland our bartender said the very same thing, what’s the hurry? He said I don’t understand why Americans are always in such a hurry. Great advice!”

“I tried it last week for the first time and it is more smooth and tasty than you could ever imagine.”

Another comment was: “Only whiskey I’ll drink, and it’s not for the name, not the owner, it’s because it is the smoothest whiskey I have tasted. You sir make one hell of a whiskey!”

However, some clearly haven’t been taken by the supposedly smooth taste of Conor’s dram. Many made comments such as:

“Shots are the best way to drink Proper 12. If it tastes like turpentine best to get it over with quick smart.”

“Whiskey is to be enjoyed how you like it, shots, neat, rocks, mixed…only rule of whiskey is to drink great whiskey with great friends and family.”

“That whiskey is garbage so the quicker you can stomach it down the better.”

Oh, and: “Conor bad news, I’ve been taking shots of whiskey.”

While we doubt these same users would make the same comments about Conor’s whiskey to his face, lest they be knocked unconscious, Conor’s claims certainly hold some weight.

While many whiskey-drinking bibles – such as the official website for whisky brand Johnnie Walker – will definitely tell you to drink it however you best enjoy it, these claims are usually followed with the likes of “neat, on ice, diluted.” You’ll rarely find any ‘experts’ encouraging you to shot it.

The general consensus seems to be that it’s a waste to shot a whiskey, unless it’s a bad, cheap one.

Of course, we’re not here to parent you, and force you to do something you don’t want to do. But, next time you’re at a bar and you order a dram, don’t be surprised if you receive some odd looks if you knock it back in one.

Check out Conor McGregor’s watch collection below