Whiskey can get expensive. And if you have the money, auction houses are happy to cash your checks. For example, Bonhams auction house recently sold Macallan Anniversary 50-years-old for $40,460. At 77 proof, the rare Scotch was distilled in 1928. At this same auction, the AH Hirsch Reserve 16-year-old sold for $595, $200 more than it’s offered at an online retailer.

The world’s most-expensive whiskey, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, was a $460,000 bottle of Macallan 64-year-old; it sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York in November 2010.

Chef Kipp Bourdeau
Pine Creek Sporting Club
Okeechobee, FL

Ingredients & Directions for Steak
1 Allow bone-in rib-eye steak (32 to 34 ounces) to come to room temperature.
2 Brush with olive oil and season with sea salt and course ground pepper.
3 Cook over medium heat and grill until desired readiness.
4 Set aside to rest.
Ingredients for Tomato Salad
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 red onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions for Tomato Salad
1 In a medium bowl, add tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil.
2 Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
Ingredients for Fries
4 cups clarified duck fat
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 X 1/4″ cubes
Directions for Fries
1 In a large stockpot, add duck fat and bring to 275 degrees. Carefully add potatoes and blanch for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove potatoes from duck fat and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.
2 Increase temperature of fat to 350 degrees. Place potatoes back into duck fat and cook until golden brown. Remove potatoes from oil and place on plate lined with paper towels, season with sea salt, and keep warm.
Ingredients for Salt
2 cups Cabernet wine
1/4 cup course ground sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Directions for Salt
1 In a medium-sized saucepot add wine, reduce over medium heat until a syrup-like consistency is achieved and wine is reduced to about 1/4 cup in volume. Remove from heat.
2 Add sea salt and sugar and stir well. Let cool.
3 Place salt mixture on a baking sheet lined with a non-stick mat. Let mixture dry overnight in a cool, dry place.
4 Place dried salt mixture in coffee grinder and pulse to a medium course consistency.
5 Set aside.
To serve, place rib-eye steak in the center of a large cutting board. Arrange tomato salad next to the steak, and fries on the opposite side. Sprinkle board with about 2 tablespoons of wine salt. Garnish with fresh herbs; serve immediately.

Rummaging in my hunting cabinet the other day, I came across a sheep bell. It is the one my dad used last century to keep up with his wide-ranging dogs. The sight of it brought back memories of old Sport tearing out through the fields, conjuring sounds of the William Tell Overture and images of the Lone Ranger. The bell was handed down to me, but I have never used it.

I am not usually the first to try new technology, but I bought an electronic collar soon after they came on the market. It was the only way I could keep up with ole Leukos. The remotely triggered beeper was a giant step in quail hunting. The ability to reach out and touch an errant covey-buster with a dose of Alabama Power was a new chapter in dog training. I have owned several such devices as they improved, the locator beeper being especially useful until my hearing got bad.