We were more than ready to welcome 2016. Why not make a visit to the Cotswolds? One of the perks from our decision to plunk some retirement money into the new Cotswolds Distillery, is that we get our very own cask of whisky. This gave us a lovely excuse to revisit our favorite neck of the English woods. Brent got to personally hand-fill his cask while getting informed of the latest business developments from distillery owner Daniel (affectionately known by us as, “Daniel my brother” sung musically, a la Elton John). It was great fun to get another tour of the distillery (now as big time investors) and to sign our names to the cask which will pass the next 10 years under Dan’s thoughtful guardianship. Careful with that cask!

Moving on from the hard stuff, we visited another local attraction, Hook Norton Brewery. This brewery, dating back to Victorian times, has a sweet little museum upstairs showcasing its history. There is still a large brick tower, which once held the steam engine that powered the brewery. There are also lots of old black and white photographs of the gentlemen who once labored here, remarkably every single one of them mustachioed.

Other than this, we indulged our fantasy of country life living by visiting a few homes for sale in the area. We discovered our dream cottage in Ebrington, our favorite village in which to stay. Fortunately, someone else discovered it first, as who knows what sort of impulsive decision we may have made if given the opportunity. For now, we remain faithfully, just visitors.