Shamron Moore Talks Scotch

By Richard Thomas

As the meme goes, whiskey isn’t just for boys anymore. In my mind, the thing that makes “whiskey for girls” more than just a fad is not necessarily the emergence of high profile whiskey aficiondo women, but the spread of casual women whiskey fans. Never forget that the bulk of whiskey drinkers like rather than love the stuff.

And that’s how we get to Shamron Moore, author of Hollywood Strip, a gritty-but-witty tale of trying to make it as an actress in Hollywood. The novel is currently available for pre-order on Amazon and set for release on June 18. Moore is a former model and actress herself (B movie fans might recognize her as the antagonist in Zombie Strippers), as well as someone who enjoys a dram of whiskey from time to time.

RT:  You’ve described yourself as not being into sweet, frou frou drinks. What’s your choice of whiskey?

SM:  I’m not too familiar with Bourbon, though I’m always game to try something new.  Occasionally after dinner, I’ll unwind with a nice, smoky scotch.  I like it with a splash of Perrier or San Pellegrino on the rocks.

RT:  Imagine you’ve gone over to the bar with a hankering for whiskey, and you say to the barkeep, “Gimme a double.”  What kind of mood are you in?

SM:  I’d say I’m in the mood to get a solid buzz going.  And I see a cab ride in my near future.

RT:   You have a novel about to come out, and one of the stereotypes about novelists and writers is that we all like to get our drink on. Having been there yourself now, do you think there is any truth to that stereotype?

SM:  There’s a lot of truth to this.  I have to be alone when I write, and I’ll gamble I’m hardly the only one who needs solidarity.  Imagine being trapped with nothing but your thoughts all day, every day–be it sad thoughts, angry thoughts, whatever you’re experiencing at that particular moment in life.  A lot of soul-searching goes into writing, at least for me, any way.  It’s a deeply isolating profession, and yet the only profession I see for myself (at this point.)  Generally speaking, I don’t indulge unless it’s a social occasion, but I certainly used to–not in a Hemingway fashion, but sometimes pretty close to it.

RT:  There is still a bit of novelty to the idea of women and whiskey. Have you ever noticed that ordering a Scotch makes people go, “What’s up with that??” or attract more interest from guys?

SM:  I ordered a Black-and-soda once with a group of male friends and one of them said, “Whoa!  She’s serious!”  It was just the mood I was in.  There’s just something about a masculine–or what society deems masculine–drink that makes people do a double take.  Men find it intriguing.  When things fall outside the norm and there’s a dichotomy going on–the toughness of a stiff drink and the softness of femininity–it automatically causes interest.  And intrigue is definitely sexy.  But to clarify, I’m fully aware this is a one-way street.  If I were on a date with a guy and he ordered an apple martini, I would run for the hills.

RT:  As you said, you aren’t into frou-frou drinks. Let’s say you were trying to persuade a friend to try some whiskey with you. What would you tell them?

SM: It’s smooth, savory, and, honey, you only live once.