For relaxing times...

...make it Bushmills Irish Cream time.

I never thought I'd be hawking alcoholic beverages for free but here's a product endorsement worth hawking. It was Sunday night and we needed a holiday house warming gift--the kind that would bring in some yuletide cheer. In other words, a bottle of wine just wouldn't do. But perhaps a cordial? I asked my local liquor salesman for a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream. He laughed. Then he says, "May I suggest something a little different like Bushmills Irish Cream?" I didn't know Bushmills even made Irish cream. "We've been selling it for the last six months," he points out. "And it's not as sweet as Bailey's."

And for $18.99, why not?

Not that I expected our always gracious dinner hosts to open the bottle in our presence. But thank God they did. (There's nothing better than enjoying your own gifts to others!) We all had it on the rocks with two dashes of nutmeg. It was like a chocolate shake plus 17 percent alcohol--a match made in heaven. Bushmills recommends consuming the opened bottle within six months. We did even better, polishing it off in an hour.

I know, you have questions:

You say you don't endorse products for free. Didn't you promote The Famouse Grouse and Courvoisier?

True, but I did get a t-shirt from one and a dress shirt from the other (the latter of which I'll wear once I become a blackjack dealer at the Borgada).

So you like Irish cream? Hope you didn't stain your skirt!

Every man is entitled to drink his choice of cordial in the privacy of his home, as long as the blinds are closed and the door is locked.

You really aren't expecting anything in return for this shameless plug?

Expecting? No. Hoping? Praying!