Old friends, old whiskey, and a good cause

The late Lester Strauser of Dexter had a good friend, Quentin Edwards. The two enjoyed their friendship, their mutual likes, good humor, and occasionally a good glass of wine -- but not just any wine.

"Lester and I made our own wine," explains his widow, Faye. "We really enjoyed doing it and Lester enjoyed sharing what we'd make with friends, especially Quentin."

Edwards always wanted to pay his friend for the homemade wine he was given, but Strauser would have no part of it.

NOREEN HYSLOP-nhyslop@dailystatesman.com Faye Strauser displays the bottle of 1996 Very Rare Irish Whiskey distilled by Master Distiller Barry Crockett. The bottle will be among the items autioned at the May 31 18 Fore Life Banquet.

"Lester used to tell Quentin that if he took money for his wine, that would be bootlegging," Faye recalls with a smile.

So, the giving continued without compensation, until one day about five years ago when Quentin showed up with a gift for his wine-making buddy -- a bottle of whiskey. But it wasn't just any old whiskey. Inside a wooden case bearing its name and date of manufacture was a bottle of Midleton 1996 Very Rare Irish Whiskey, distilled by Barry Crockett, Master Distiller of Jameson Irish Whiskey, who recently announced his intent to retire from the business in the East Cork town of Midleton, Ireland after 47 years of making the some of most valued whiskey in the world. The whiskey was very rare when it was distilled, and even more rare today since Crockett's work as a Master Distiller is about to end.

Crockett had been immersed in the craft of whiskey distilling all his adult life, having learned his craft as an apprentice to his father and Midleton Master Distiller Max Crockett. His Midleton Very Rare is a premium blended Irish whiskey that is considered by many to be the finest Irish blended whiskey available.

Strauser cherished the gift, even more so after his friend, Quentin Edwards, died of cancer in July 2009. Lester himself died of cancer as well in February 2013.

"Lester really wasn't really fond of whiskey," Faye says. "So, he just kept the gift, but he asked that I donate it to the Elks Lodge some day."

The Strausers were active members of the local lodge, and it was Lester's wish that the bottle be appreciated by friends there. His wife honored that request, but after discussing the donation with the current Elks Exalted Ruler, Davy Crockett, it was decided that the bottle should go to an even more significant cause.

Each year at the 18 Fore Life banquet held at the Elks Lodge the night before the charity golf tournament an auction is held. All profits from the auction support the 18 Fore Life foundation, which provides love offerings in $1,000 increments to those who are facing a cancer diagnosis.

"We decided that it would be a fitting donation to the auction," Faye explains, "since both Lester and Quentin both died of cancer."

And so, among the sports memorabilia, artwork, and gift certificates on the auction block at the May 31 banquet will be a very special, and very rare, bottle of Irish Whiskey, presented in memory of two dear friends."

"We really don't know what the bottle will bring," Strauser's widow says. "We just know that Lester would be proud to be associated with such a worthy cause."