David Farnor | On 04, Dec 2015

This weekend marks the arrival of A Very Murray Christmas, a holiday special that sees Bill Murray drinking and singing with a group of showbiz friends. But Bill’s festive thunder has been stolen by Nick Offerman’s Yule Log – a holiday special that sees the Parks and Recreation star drinking. And nothing else.

The video of everyone’s favourite male man, which is endorsed heartily by Lagavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky, goes on for a glorious, uninterrupted 45 minutes – almost a whole hour of the handsomely bearded Offerman looking intensely at the camera, while a log fire flickers off his beige jacket and plaid shirt. It’s that quality drinking time you’ve always wanted to spend with Ron Swanson. That meaningful conversation with your wise uncle who doesn’t need words to promote his preferred brand of alcohol. That rare chance to linger in a stranger’s library and admire the leather-bound books, the leather chair, the wooden cabinets. And did we mention the beard?

In an age where John Lewis rivals compete to see who can come up with the most melancholic piano cover of a popular song to get the tears flowing, there’s something wonderfully uncomplicated about Scottish distillery Lagavul’s method of advertising. It’s no Fireplace for Your Home – our five-star review for that film, available on Netflix, is here – but there are some excellent twists along the way, like the moment when our subject crosses his legs or (spoiler) scratches his ear.

In other words, it’s a 45-minute video of Nick Offerman drinking whisky. And it’s everything.

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