Baccus might turn over in his grave at the thought, but some prefer whiskey to a pretentious glass of wine. The Bushmills family of Irish whiskey can be just as ostentatious, offering a wide and diverse selection from malty flavor to rich vanilla. The Old Bushmills Distillery is the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery and boasts that the water used from St. Columb's Rill contains special secrets that make its whiskey top-notch. Using malted Irish barley, triple distillation in copper stills and an extensive aging process in oak casks, the Bushmills has gained much recognition over the years. On January 9, Trinity Hall will host a whiskey tasting of these varieties starting with six years aged to Bushmills' 21-year-old single malt, and according to the Bushmills, this whiskey has a honeyed almond fragrance and a combination of fruit, spice and burnt raisin notes. Who would have thought whiskey could sound like a fruitcake! The cost is $20 per person. Trinity Hall is located at the northeast corner of Mockingbird Lane and Central Expressway in Mockingbird Station near the Angelika Film Center and Café. Call 214-887-3600. --Jenice Johnson
Living on a Prayer
1/11
In an era when any vestige of religious symbolism is feverishly scrubbed from the public square, we sometimes forget that religion is deeply embedded in Western culture. The first complete book printed in the West and the earliest produced via movable type was the Gutenberg Bible. Likewise, among the most significant historical artifacts from the medieval and Renaissance eras are the books of hours. Painted Prayers is an exhibit showcasing 58 of the finest books of hours accompanied by the Making Manuscripts video program A World Inscribed: The Illuminated Manuscript Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Kimbell Art Museum, 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth. Call 817-332-8451. --Mark Stuertz
Wigged Out
1/9
Gary Komarin learned "bad painting" at the spattered elbow of Philip Guston, known as the progenitor of "New Imagists," who gave up his Monet-esque Abstract Expressionist work in favor of witty, off-beat, primitively figurative paintings that critics called a "scandalous" fall into Pop Art territory. "I got sick and tired of that purity, wanted to tell stories," Guston said in the 1970s when he broke out. Komarin has pursued a parallel path, says Gerald Peters Gallery Director Holly Johnson. "Gary integrates conceptual humor and simplified forms of visual vocabulary," she says. Gerald Peters opens an exhibition of Komarin's work, including 15 new paintings, with a free reception for the artist from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at 2913 Fairmount St. Johnson says Komarin's use of quirky symbolic images such as cakes, vessels, hats and his personal favorite, "The French Wig," are wide open to interpretation. Call 214-969-9410. --Annabelle Massey Helber
