I gave a tour to a group of people at Midway Village Museum in Rockford, Illinois. Of course, when they heard my accent they told me about their trip to Ireland. They had gone on a hill-walking vacation. That is an extremely popular activity with locals and tourists alike. There are lots of hills to walk in Ireland.

A member of the group told me they were surprised to find small bottles of whiskey left on the breakfast table. I figured some distillery saw a marketing opportunity to promote its product. What better for a group of hill walkers on some remote and misty Irish hill than a shot of whiskey to warm them up? They may develop a taste for the product and purchase full-sized bottles later. The cost of the miniatures was probably included in the vacation price.

However, the members of the group did not figure it that way. What did they do with the whiskey?

“We poured it on our corn flakes,” the guy informed me.

To give credit where it is due I remained poker-faced on receipt of that knowledge. I thought of the proprietors of the accommodation places. Did the distillery company call them to inquire as to the reaction of guests to their little promotion? Was there a spike in sales? Do those folks start their days with a sprinkle of whiskey on their corn flakes?

Do not be surprised if someone who has visited says to you: “The Irish sure like their whiskey. They pour it on their corn flakes at breakfast.”