Disclaimer: The TV series NCIS and its characters do not belong to me. There is no profit being made by yours truly. My only reward is the reviews you guys gift me with.

Authors Note: It's been almost a year since I've even thought about this story. But for some reason I opened my idea book and it fell open to this section. I looked over the research and a 'character study' started forming. Possibly because the Season 8 opener is Tuesday. I don't know. I'm also not sure about this 'character study'. It sounds good to me, but I've been fooled by my muse before. Hope ya like it.

Bourbon whiskey is an American whiskey made primarily from corn. It's been made in Kentucky since the 1700's. On May 4, 1964 Bourbon whiskey was recognized by the US Congress as a distinctive product of the United States.

"When I find the time, I'm going to write the social history of bourbon."- Rock Hudson as Col. James Langdon, 'The Undefeated', 1969

"How well I remember my first encounter with The Devil's Brew. I happened to stumble across a case of bourbon, and went right on stumbling for several days thereafter"- W C Fields

"A respectable amount of bourbon to pour in a glass is about two fingers worth. Lucky for me I have big fingers."- Fredrick Booker Noe II, former master distiller of Jim Beam

Gibbs house, present day, 0245hrs

Before February 28, 1991, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was a beer man. Growing up in Pennsylvania's coal country he drank either Iron City or Yuengling beer. Hard liquor was too expensive.

Even on that fateful day in 1991 Gibbs was drinking beer. His 'stick' just came off an arduous mission behind Iraqi lines. They'd been enjoying a case of beer provided by their CO. Just as the stick was breaking up, Colonel Ryan and Sergeant Major Matt Brown arrived, bearing bad news and Jack Daniel's respectively. Jethro still remembers how the whiskey burned all the way down.

Now many years later Gibbs knows that on that day he'd drank Tennessee whiskey, not bourbon. It doesn't matter though. The outcome is what is important. Numbness.

It was Mike Franks who'd educated Gibbs (big surprise). They'd hit the Code Four Lounge to unwind after a tough case. As they sat down at the bar Gibbs called out their order.

"A Corona with a slice of lime and I'll have a bourbon neat."

The bartender reached for the bottle of Jim Beam on the back bar when Gibbs' voice stopped him.

"Hey, Jack Daniel's"

The bartender shrugged and picked up the square bottle. As the drinks were delivered, Mike Franks turned to his Probie.

"Hate to break it to you Gibbs, but Jack Daniel's is Tennessee whiskey, not bourbon."

"What do you mean Boss?"

"Well, Jack Daniel's is sour mash that's filtered through maple charcoal before aging. It's made in Tennessee. Bourbon is fermented and then distilled, after which it goes into charred oak barrels for aging. Bourbon primarily comes from Kentucky."

So from then on Gibbs drank Jack Daniel's and Jim Beam Black Label interchangeably. Over the years Gibbs drank beer too. But bourbon was his poison of choice when he needed to get numb.

In 1999 Jethro came back from Europe, his life again in turmoil. He went down to Mexico to see his retired mentor, Mike Franks. They were sitting in Carlos' Cantina, Gibbs drinking Jim Beam and Mike in sympathy drinking Jameson Irish Whiskey.

"Been a long time since I've seen you drink Jameson Boss."

Franks looked bemused but serious.

"Sometimes Probie, beer just don't cut it."

Over the next decade the mantra "basement, boat, bourbon" kept Gibbs sane through deaths and upheaval. Now though it looked like 1991 may come back to bite him in the ass. He stood in the living room, a glass of Jim Beam in one hand and a slip of paper reading "Sometimes You're Wrong" in the other.

God, he hoped not.

A/N: Okay, I can finally put 'Lifer Juice' to rest. Only took a year. As I said above, I'm not sure about it. Let me know what you think.