These are some of my favorite colors. Or rather, these colors are representative of some of my favorite things.

Black

There are three types of people in the world—people who love coffee, people who drink tea, and people who enjoy neither. I fall in the former camp as an absolute coffee fiend. The smell of fresh espresso beans is just one of the best aromas in the world to me.

As you may already know, I consider myself an ice Americano addict, and while I could explain lots of reasons for that, it’s simple really: I just love the taste. No cream required, just give it to me straight. I’ll drink it from anywhere, rain or shine, hot or cold.

When I’m at home, I really enjoy Califia cold brew for both its taste and price. Also at home, my family and I were quite glad to replace our Keurig with a Nespresso Vertuo, and I highly recommend it. Its milk frother alone is worth it. Last but not least, I don’t mind a good french press every now and again, too.

There’s nothing wrong if you prefer tea or drinking neither. But I’ll put it plainly: I just don’t understand you if that’s the case.

Brown

While I try to steer clear of smoking on the whole and I’ve only had one cigarette my entire life (in a Japanese karaoke snack, of all places), I do love a good cigar. Whether it’s an E.P. Carillo Pledge Prequel, an Alec Bradley Prensado, a Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series, an Oliva Serie V, or some no-name smoke I pick up at my favorite cigar lounge, Magnum’s, so long as the draw is good and flavor is bold, count me in.

I tried smoking a pipe a couple times, but it was just too much work for me. Maybe when I’m a grandpa, I’ll find the patience required for a good old-fashioned tobacco-filled pipe. I’ll never look like Gandalf as a cranial nudist, but I can at least pretend.

The other brown luxury I quite appreciate is a nice piece of camel leather furniture. From my West Elm mid-century swivel office chair that I (used to) sit in every single day at my (old) home office, to the classy, high quality sectionals, ottomans and benches we’ve been fortunate to pick up from Article’s wide selection of furniture over the years, I love how camel leather complements what seems to be any style or room.

Gold

While most people would attribute the color brown to certain liquors, I know the truth—whisky should always be considered gold. Other than the outright atrocity of Fireball, I pretty much love any type of whisky (or “whiskey” if we’re talking American and Irish flavors).

I enjoy a high proof, American-made bourbon. It’s hard to beat the taste or price on a bottle like Early Times Bottled-in-Bond. If we’re talking price, I won’t even complain about a nice bottle of Kirkland whisky, which are excellently rated while still being crafted stateside.

But my absolute favorite pours come from my absolute favorite destination—Japan. Though I started with Hibiki whisky by Suntory before it had been named the number one whisky in the world and it became relatively impossible to buy stateside, I appreciate many Japanese offerings. Even though Nicole doesn’t like most Scotch (she hates it too peaty), Nikka Coffey Grain is the whisky I knew would convert her—and it did. It’s a solid, smooth bottle that’s always enjoyable, and relatively reasonable in price for the quality.

But the Japanese whisky that absolutely ruined me for most other whisky is Kujira Ryukyu 20 Year Old Single Grain Whisky. I know the price is prohibitive for an everyday pour, but on special occasions, this is worth every single penny. I’ve never had a beverage that has made me swoon with every sip, yet this bottle did it. I took it slowly, and I’m glad I did, because…wow. I highly recommend you grab a drink of this as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

When it comes to places where I like to enjoy the finely crafted beverage, it’s hard to beat the Grey Hen Rx or Magnum’s Lounge, where the ambiance slips me right into relaxation mode. If we haven’t met up there together yet, I hope we do someday.

Red

While pink is my favorite color, I don’t mind the color red, either. Red is the color of a fine wine, and perhaps even more importantly, fire.

On the topic of wine, I can’t remember all of the labels I love, but I can share the flavor profiles. Anything that’s bold, even a bit peppery, is what I love most. From strong zins to full cabs, malbecs to chiantis, I much prefer these over pinot noirs and generally steer clear of merlots altogether. A Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel is one of my go-tos, but I’ll just as readily enjoy a glass of fine red wine with any dinner.

Though fire never complements the meal as it happens, I’m quite ready to retire to an outdoor fire with my friends in the later hours of fellowship, as our meals digest. The Solo Stove Bonfire has been an absolute dream for those gatherings, arriving at a solid, steady burn that never causes anybody to smell like a bonfire afterwards. The unique, patented design pushes all of the smoke up straight, allow everyone to enjoy the fire even more, without having to shift seats as the wind blows different directions.

Feel the glow.

Silver

While black, brown, gold, and red niceties are much more fun to appreciate, they’re more difficult to enjoy without the silver that comes with cigar cutters, lighting paraphernalia, and the ice ball spheres that only a good press or mold can create.

On the topic of cigars, it’s simple—the Xicar Xi2 cutter is the first thing you need when it comes to preparing your cigar correctly. While there are plenty of brands and types of cutters out there, this two-sided blade offers a cut which never disappoints. I much prefer it to any type of V-cut or punch cut, and if you enjoy the same, give it a try.

Once you have a freshly cut stogie in your hand, then it’s all about lighting it up. I have a couple types of torch lighters, from handheld torches when I’m feeling trigger happy, to pocket torches for when I’m traveling. But the accessory that gets me most excited is the Burner Lighter by Alec Bradley.

I’ve never experienced anything that feels so old fashioned and modern at the same time as the Burner Lighter. With its stout little frame in hand, there’s simply no better way to light a cigar. It gets the job done beautifully, and it’s a fun piece to talk about with friends. Even my manliest of friends won’t hesitate calling it both “cute” and “awesome.” Imagine that.

And with a finely cut, perfectly lit cigar in hand, now comes the final step—filling glasses with an ice sphere that can handle that beautiful golden whisky. I typically prefer my whisky neat, no ice required, but on the rare occasion that I’d like to tone down the burn just a tad, there’s nothing quite like an ice sphere to make you feel fancy. I’m kind of like a kid in that regard, as I just like spinning the thing in my glass.

To make a perfect sphere, there are plenty of ice ball molds out there. The Glacio Clear Sphere Ice Duo works incredibly well and was what I used for a long time, before my friends completely went overboard and splurged to buy me a Cirrus Press Package for the occasions that demand sophistication. It’s luxurious—and ridiculously priced, I admit. Thank you, friends!

They’re best when shared

Of course, I love the blue of the ocean, the green of the forests, the white of ski slopes, and all the other fantastic colors on the spectrum. But these recommendations are intended to be about the luxuries I enjoy whether on vacation or at home. I hope you might enjoy them as much as I do.

Better yet, if you ever want to schedule a get together over these niceties so we can enjoy them together, connect with me. I’m always game.