Fathers Day. HG thought about late father, the beloved Hershele Zvi “Grisha” Freimann (this was anglicized at Ellis Island to just plain “Harry Freeman”). Harry was born in the Belorussian town of Smulovitch (HG wears with pride the lapel pin of the Smulovitch soccer team, a thoughtful gift from Antony and Claudia Cragg). An excellent horseman, young Harry raced to taverns delivering his family’s brewed vodka. (Harry never drank vodka. He had seen its devastating effect on the local peasants). While sipping a pre-dinner Negroni, HG recalled his father’s love (in moderation) of alcohol. He always had a big shot of Park & Tilford rye whiskey when he returned from work. This nip of P&T was always accompanied by a chunk of pumpernickel bread (and sometimes a bit of schmaltz herring). Harry would buy buckets of ripe cherries and brew Vishniac (cherry brandy) in the bathtub. Leftover cherries were soaked in the brandy and jarred. (young sneaky HG ate a handful one afternoon and was drunk for the first time. Alas, this wasn’t the last time alcohol in excess overwhelmed non-moderate HG). HG wishes Harry was still here to share love, whiskey and vishniac.
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