Dear John

I’m so, so sorry, but I’ve been tipping your precious cocktail ingredients down the sink.

I sorted out your bottles for you a few months ago and they’ve been standing round in boxes.  I’m keeping the full bottles for the moment, maybe someone will want them.  But there was a massive box of half empty bottles of spirits and liqueurs.  They’ve all been standing round for years and although you used to say alcohol doesn’t go off – well, I just will never use them now, and there are so many other things of yours I will keep, those bottles are not one of them.

But I know it was an interest of yours.  I think you used to make cocktails for people in years gone by.  I was never much of a drinker, so you didn’t for me so much.  But you have all the paraphernalia, cocktail shakers and suchlike.  Books about cocktails.  Poor John, that you didn’t have the chance to make any more. It’s such a shame to tip them out – the whole thing is such a shame.