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‘NCIS’: Palmer Actor Brian Dietzen’s Drink of Choice Sounds Like a Must-Order

Brian Dietzen made his screen debut back in 2002 with an appearance on Boston Public. Since then, he’s taken roles in a wide variety of television shows and films. However, most fans will know him from his role of Dr. Jimmy Palmer, the “autopsy gremlin” on NCIS. He landed that role just two years after his screen debut and is still going strong.

On the show, Brian Dietzen’s character is kind of a nerd and is the butt of several running jokes. At the same time, his dark and ill-timed humor often lands him in hot water. His personality might not mesh perfectly with the rest of the team but he has proven himself to be competent over his years. As a result, Ducky kept him on as an assistant until he stepped down from the position. Now, Palmer is the head medical investigator for the NCIS team.

Have you ever wondered what the socially awkward autopsy gremlin would order if he went to a bar? He seems like a hard one to nail down. However, if I were to guess, I’d say something mixed and possibly sweet. Then again, he might go for a crisp IPA. Who knows?  We do know what Brian Dietzen would order, though. He opened up about his drink of choice in a 2017 Q&A with Uproxx.

Uproxx asked, “You walk into a bar. What do you order from the bartender?” Brian Dietzen opened with a joke. “A round on the house. Everyone is happy. I make new friends. I don’t go broke. Boom.” Smart guy.

Then, Brian Dietzen got a little more serious. “Honestly I don’t drink a lot, but my wife has turned me on to a nice mescal once in a while. You know what? I change my answer: mescal, rocks, lime.”

Brian Dietzen’s Drink of Choice

So, Brian Dietzen likes a nice mescal on the rocks with a twist of lime. What, exactly, does that mean? Mezcal is actually a pretty broad term. Much like “whiskey” it encompasses a wide variety of drinks. To put it in the simplest terms, mezcal refers to any liquor made from agave. For instance, all tequilas are mezcals. However, not all mezcals are tequilas. It’s kind of like how all brands of Scotch are whiskeys but not all whiskeys are Scotch.

According to Food and Wine, one of the biggest differences between mezcal and tequila is how they’re distilled. Both liquors are made from the heart of the agave plant. However, they prepare it much differently. For instance, to make tequila, they steam the agave in large industrial ovens. Then, they distill it two or three times in copper pots. On the other hand, mezcal makers cook the agave in earthen pits lined with lava rocks and filled with wood. Then, they distill it in clay pots.

So, you could say that mezcal infuses more of Mexico’s traditions into the liquor. In short, Brian Dietzen has good taste.