Food Booze in the Playground [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

Roxxy

2013-09-09, 06:08 AM

For all of you who choose to drink alcohol, what are your favorite drinks? Personally, I love the idea of cocktails, but I don't have the money to buy a lot of ingredients or a place to store them, and I don't have the money to go to bars very often (if I could afford to, I would), so I rarely drink them, and when I do it's highly simple, like vodka and limeaid. I generally drink my alcohol straight, whether it's beer or hard liquor.

I am a great lover of beer. Specifically, I like craft beers, and I love looking for new ones to try when I have the cash. It's not a matter of disliking mainstream stuff (I quite like Guiness), I just like trying out different combinations and inventive ideas, and I'm a sucker for a fun name and label.

I also love whisky, and I spell it like that because I currently drink Canadian whisky (Crown Royal, to be exact), though I'm thinking of trying out a scotch or two (Glenfidditch sounds amazing) when I have the money, or maybe a Japanese whiskey.

For vodka, it's all about Absolut. Their product is affordable and reasonable quality, and the advertising campaign has me sucked in.

I'm considering experimenting with rum, schnapps, sake, and tequila, but I haven't done so yet. I dream of trying mead, but have no idea where to find it (if anyone knows of a source in Santa Clara County, California, please tell me).

Though I'm a California native, I have little experience with wine, and don't see myself becoming a wine or brandy drinker. I have no specific problem with wine, it's just never caught my interest and I haven't done much experimentation with it. Last time I had wine it wasn't bad, but it wasn't that good, either. To be fair, it was a cheap wine.

Archonic Energy

2013-09-09, 06:35 AM

I enjoy a good whisky every now and then. I'll admit that I would like to try a Japanese one but I can get hold of the good stuff from oop north pretty easily. I started drinking pretty late so I never acquired the taste for beer.
My only problem with whisky is that the measures are small and I drink pretty quickly.
Though a good cider over ice on a hot day is pretty good too.

Roxxy

2013-09-09, 06:37 AM

I tried cider once, and didn't like it. To be fair, though, it was cheap and drunk warm, so I very well may like cider once I get my hands on a good one at the right temperature.

With whisky, it can take me a couple hours to finish sipping a shot. I drink pretty slow (which, given the family history of alcoholism and my love of drinking, is a good thing). I'm drinking Crown Royal as I type this, and I've been working on about two shots worth with milk (first time I've ever tried this, can't decide if it's better or worse than drinking it straight) for over an hour.

Tebryn

2013-09-09, 06:41 AM

I like my beer room temp. quite honestly, you taste it better. I generally just drink beer/hard cider (because cider in the U.S isn't alcoholic) but enjoy a nice whiskey sour if I have to drink something mixed. Also like anything with creme de minth though that's more for a dessert-y drink. I prefer porters or a good lambic as far as beer goes, as well as lighter more yeast-y beers. Used to drink things like King Kobra when I was in college but now that I can afford to drink better stuff...I do.

Roxxy

2013-09-09, 06:43 AM

Creme de menthe is another thing on my list of stuff to try.

I prefer expensive alcohol, but I am a broke college student, so I drink less than I'd like so I can go a bit more upscale instead of always drinking cheap stuff. From a health standpoint, I reckon that's probably a good thing, because it's hard to get plastered all the time when you splurge on stuff like Glenfidditch.

Traab

2013-09-09, 06:52 AM

I drink something that im fairly sure is only produced in my state, onyx moonshine. Its 80-90 proof (forget which) but is unbelievably smooth. I mix it with this odd juice I have, apple peach mango and I can put in a few shots before the taste of the booze becomes very evident. So its a good way to get blitzed without making faces at foul tasting crap. I pour a mug of juice, (about 2 cups worth) add 4-5 shots, and then repeat till im drunk enough to be done.

Spanish_Paladin

2013-09-09, 06:54 AM

As good metalhead, beer is one of my choices (I drink spanish marks, like mahou and Estrella Galicia, but i also like german beer, specially black). I also like vodka and i agree with you in the Absolut thing :smallsmile: .

On the other hand, here in Spain we have a drink with red wine (low quality, of course, that is not a thing to do with a decent wine) and coke, called "calimocho".

Roxxy

2013-09-09, 06:58 AM

That moonshine would technically be illegal in California (this state generally has very liberal liquor laws, but bans the sale of stuff over 60% abv), but from what I hear that law isn't enforced much. 80-90% does sound a bit strong to me.

I do like how California lets warehouse stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations sell pretty almost anything as long as they have a liquor license. The grocery store that's a five minute walk from my house has three fourths of an isle devoted to beer, a large portion of it craft beer, and another two and a half isles devoted to wine and spirits. The drug stores are pretty well stocked, too, and Target has a respectable offering. The gas stations could legally carry wine and spirits, but the ones where I live only carry beer. Aside from the gas stations and convenience stores, I don't get why a lot of other places are very strict with who can carry wine or hard liquor, or in some places even beer. Especially grocery stores. I just don't understand why most places won't let them sell spirits.

Traab

2013-09-09, 07:02 AM

That moonshine would technically be illegal in California (this state generally has very liberal liquor laws, but bans the sale of stuff over 60% abv), but from what I hear that law isn't enforced much. 80-90% does sound a bit strong to me.

I do like how California lets warehouse stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations sell pretty almost anything as long as they have a liquor license. The grocery store that's a five minute walk from my house has three fourths of an isle devoted to beer, a large portion of it craft beer, and another two and a half isles devoted to wine and spirits. The drug stores are pretty well stocked, too, and Target has a respectable offering. The gas stations could legally carry wine and spirits, but the ones where I live only carry beer.

Thats pretty cool, the grocery stores in my area carry beer and beer type drinks (mikes lemonade, twisted tea, etc) and stuff like margerita mixes, but no hard stuff. Luckily I have two booze superstores, (Seriously, massive warehouse sized package stores) and a number of regular booze shops. The superstores are awesome because they have every type of alcohol from straight drinks to pre mixed, and a dozen brands and several sizes of each. It really lets you experiment to see what you like.

Also, its called moonshine, but its only around 40% by volume. Basically the same as tequilla. It just tastes way better.

Roxxy

2013-09-09, 07:04 AM

Thats pretty cool, the grocery stores in my area carry beer and beer type drinks (mikes lemonade, twisted tea, etc) and stuff like margerita mixes, but no hard stuff. Luckily I have two booze superstores, (Seriously, massive warehouse sized package stores) and a number of regular booze shops. The superstores are awesome because they have every type of alcohol from straight drinks to pre mixed, and a dozen brands and several sizes of each. It really lets you experiment to see what you like.We don't have anything like that here that I've seen, but I have seen some small liquor stores. Haven't been inside any yet, though. I should probably start going to them. Something tells me they may have lower prices than the grocery store or Target. Also, if I want something really hard to find, California allows sale of alcohol through the mail, so long as someone 21 or over signs for it upon delivery, and the strong stuff travels by ground, not air, so I can go online and place an order for something if I want to.

Roxxy

2013-09-09, 07:05 AM

Also, its called moonshine, but its only around 40% by volume. Basically the same as tequilla. It just tastes way better.Oh, sorry. I got proof mixed up with alcohol by volume. My bad. Regardless of whether the figure is 80 or 90, it'd be legal.

I looked it up online, and I found a website that carries Onyx Moonshine and ships to California.

Feytalist

2013-09-09, 07:28 AM

Heh. Funny how a thread like this pops up every so often.

Okay, here we go. Beer: for all that I say I like the microbrewed stuff, I'll very happily guzzle down any old mass-produced stock that's put into my hand, especially on a hot day or around the fire with my friends. Although we do make a point of trying all the microbrews manufactured in the area. I'm partial to a local brewery's concoction with the amusing name of Naked Mexican. A light corona with a sort of a smokey, whisky-ish aftertaste.

Speaking of whisky, I'll gladly drink a nice smooth Scotch when I can get my hands on it (Glenfidditch is quite good), but I'll drink a decent blend without complaints. Although, for some reason, I drink whisky only at home, never in a bar or similar. Dunno why. Whisky I like since I can drink it easily the whole night long with little problem. Little bit of water (brings out the nose), no ice.

And then, wine. I grew up right in the middle of our local wine district. On a wine farm, as a matter of fact. So you could say I enjoy wine, if you wanted to make the understatement of the year. Our grape stock is of French origin, so our wines are generally full-bodied Cabernets, Pinotages and Syrahs (Shiraz). Suffice to say, those are the ones I enjoy. When I can get a woody, ruby-red Cabernet Sauvignon, I am very happy indeed. Preferably from 2011 or earlier.

My uncle has a farm in a wine district known for its grapes with high sugar content (South Africa has like four distinct wine districts), and also known for its high quality ports and Muskadels. I quite like that as well, occasionally. Cold nights around the fireplace, sort of thing. They make (made?) brandy as well, but I'm not too partial (and if my uncle heard that, he'd shoot me himself). Brandy is widely mixed with Coke in these parts (sacrilege, I say), but I'd rather have it clean (if it's good brandy, that is).

I don't drink white wine. White wine is anathema.

Traab

2013-09-09, 07:42 AM

Brandy is pretty good stuff. If you can find the right brand of it to work with. Of course, that holds true for everything. Its just crazy to see how widely something like, whiskey, brandy, tequilla or whatever can vary from brand to brand. Its one thing when you are talking about stuff like say, flavored vodka. Of course grape will taste different from apple, but the sheer variety of plain vodka or whatever is mind boggling. Its honestly a downside because a new drinker might not get the right brand for him the first time or two and swear off it forever, not knowing that brand x would have been awesome for him.

Roxxy

2013-09-09, 07:43 AM

Aedilred

2013-09-09, 08:19 AM

I have a reasonable cocktail set and assortment of spirits, but they're so much of a faff I rarely drink any. It seems a bit indulgent to make them for one, and they're labour-intensive to make in large numbers especially if people want different things... It also turns out that it's not collecting the spirits that's the problem so much as the mixers and the ice - it's difficult to do spontaneously.

When out at a decent cocktail bar I will have some. I like a good Old Fashioned, although I've had some that are extraordinarily bitter. Singapore Slings range from the sublime to the disappointing. After an overindulgence with Long Island Ice Teas a few years ago I no longer drink them - or any cocktail that resembles them - and I've stopped drinking Coke in any case, so they're off the table. I've come to like Bloody Mary recently too (and its sister the Bloody Maria, which isn't quite as good, but I have a lot of unused tequila).

But most of the time I'll just go to the pub and drink beer. I don't really like lager, and I can take or leave stout and porter, but I love pale and ruby ales (on the whole). I tend to drink that at home too from bottles (unless I'm lucky enough to have a minibarrel) since they come in handy single servings. Sometimes I'll substitute cider for beer if I can find a good cider, but, although I'd happily drink cider in the absence of anything else, I tend to prefer beer, and cider's being up to twice the strength of beer is often a dealbreaker.

I like wine, red more than white, and rose only really in certain situations, but a bottle is usually a bit much for one so only tend to drink it socially. I've gone a bit weird with sparkling wine; I'm happy to drink it when offered (and will offer it myself at celebratory events or special occasions) but I always think it's at its best as a breakfast drink.

I've recently got into whisky, and have always enjoyed brandy - armagnac more than cognac, and Calvados is a pleasant compromise. I'm also a big fan of port, but then, who isn't.

Feytalist

2013-09-09, 09:22 AM

Eh, never cared much for cocktails, or shots or shooters or any of that nonsense. I'll drink tequila if I have to ("we don't drink it because we like it, we drink it because we have to"), but without the salt-and-lemon silliness.

I've generally got a bottle or two of wine in my cupboard. I'll drink a glass with dinner even if I'm alone. Probably just because of my upbringing, though.

Cider, eh. Not something I've ever bothered to seriously try. We do have something similar here locally though, something we call mos. Made from fermented grape skins, after they've been pulped for wine. It's thick, it's strong, it's not filtered or anything. It's wonderfully earthy, and it's almost certainly not good for you.

I don't care about any other sort of drink, really.

Kalmageddon

2013-09-09, 01:11 PM

I've been a beer drinker for a long time, until recently I had some troubles digesting it (not an euphemism, I've become intolerant to it somehow) and switched firmly to wine.

Specifically I mainly enjoy Caberné and Pico and I like non-sparkling white or amber wines in general.

Archonic Energy

2013-09-09, 02:25 PM

With whisky, it can take me a couple hours to finish sipping a shot.
sorry to be pedantic but not a shot a measure. a shot is something you drink in one.

because cider in the U.S isn't alcoholic
ah yes, not the first time i've been caught out with us terms.

I've recently got into whisky, and have always enjoyed brandy - armagnac more than cognac, and Calvados is a pleasant compromise. I'm also a big fan of port, but then, who isn't.
that reminds me, really should get a bottle of armagnac... and i haven't tried port myself so until then i can't say i'm a fan.

Castaras

2013-09-09, 02:27 PM

Cider and Mead for me. Merrydown is my cider of choice, although Jacques is delicious as well. The latter goes to my head a bit quickly, however.

Meadwise, Drunken Monk meads are amazing. Reenactment fairs always seem to have the best drinks for sale.... :smalltongue:

Kneenibble

2013-09-09, 02:29 PM

This is making me so thirsty, dammit. Since my incident three weeks ago I've been on antibiotics and I haven't been able to have a drink. Oh, for one measly snifter of tawny port... ;___;

Traab

2013-09-09, 02:31 PM

sorry to be pedantic but not a shot a measure. a shot is something you drink in one.

ah yes, not the first time i've been caught out with us terms.

that reminds me, really should get a bottle of armagnac... and i haven't tried port myself so until then i can't say i'm a fan.

Cider CAN be alcoholic in the states but its called hard cider then and im not sure how easy it is to find. I know I have had it a time or two.

snoopy13a

2013-09-09, 02:46 PM

Cider CAN be alcoholic in the states but its called hard cider then and im not sure how easy it is to find. I know I have had it a time or two.

Woodchuck is an American brand of cider that is fairly common.

Personally, I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer . . . :smallbiggrin:

Aedilred

2013-09-09, 03:09 PM

Cider can vary quite widely. The big commercial brands - Strongbow, Blackthorn, etc. I find very sickly. I think they're made from dessert apples rather than cider apples, which is why they taste more like fizzy apple juice. White cider is to be avoided at all costs. Proper cider (scrumpy) tends to be more difficult to find, especially in pubs and bars - Weston's and Aspall's are the most common, I think. That's the only stuff I'll really consider drinking. There's usually some good cider available at beer festivals and the like.

Rather like beer, cider has varying optimum serving temperatures, which are often got wrong, especially since cider is less common than beer and therefore less well understood. The Strongbows of the world tend to be drunk cold, like a lager, and there's a current vogue, thanks to Magner's, for serving it over ice. A decent scrumpy, though, should ideally be served at roughly the same temperature as ale - slightly below room temperature, but not served from the fridge, and definitely with no ice: you wouldn't put ice in beer, would you?

Mauve Shirt

2013-09-09, 03:14 PM

Definitely a beer person. Becoming more fond of the hoppier beers; the lagers I used to drink now taste kind of boring and smell pretty bad. But I can still appreciate a good lager, a lambic, a wheat beer on a summer day.
I'm meant to be a wine person judging by my upbringing and by the rest of my family, but I'm just not. Especially not red wine, it hurts my head. And unlike the rest of the world, I just don't think it tastes as good as white (seriously, so many people are like "I'll drink wine but only red wine.")
Clear liquor is better than brown liquor. Mmmm, gin and vodka.

BWR

2013-09-09, 03:59 PM

In theory I'll drink just about anything alcoholic. In practice I demand some minimum level of quality of the drink.
Primarily an ale person, but porter is perhaps my favorite. I prefer one good beer to 4 mediocre beers and will not touch bad stuff.
Cider is a nice alternative if I don't feel like a beer; my sister introduced me to Bulmer's/Magner's.
Of harder stuff a dark rum like Meyer's or Captain Morgan is my 'everyday' tipple, though cognac and Irish whiskey are close seconds (Bushmills all the way). Glenfiddich is good, too (pronounced 'glen-FID-ick').

Of wine I prefer rioja, with chianti a close second, but I'll drink just about anything red.

Though I can drink it I never acquired a taste for sparkling wine, and it took me 10 years to be able to touch white wine after I was russ.

Liqueur is fun to try every now and then, and my parents have a modest collection that we dip in to every now and then when I visit. Problem is, we don't really drink all that much, so the collection keeps getting bigger and dozens of bottles have been opened once and put back to gather dust for a decade or so.

Archonic Energy

2013-09-09, 04:21 PM

Proper cider (scrumpy) tends to be more difficult to find, especially in pubs and bars

proper cider comes in 5 liter plastic bottles from the farm... oh god that takes me back!

the joys of having family in cornwall! :smallamused:

Remmirath

2013-09-09, 05:52 PM

I enjoy beer, particularly darker ones, although there are a variety of lighter ones that I like as well. Most of my favourite beers are local craft beers, but I tend to also like German beers (dark and light), Guinness, and Negra Modelo.

I also like wine, both reds and to a lesser extent whites. No particular preference as to winery, although there are some local ones that are pretty good. Merlots and Cabernets are my favourites.

Rum, vodka, and sake are also things I like, although I'll have those less frequently.

I haven't yet encountered any mixed drinks I'm particularly fond of, with the slight exception of margaritas (and those I only like with a few specific foods, and only lime ones). Mostly they end up being on the sweet side or too fruity from what I've sampled.

Some sweeter drinks, such as kahlua, mead, and plum sake I enjoy from time to time in small quantities, but I never like drinking very much of them (as in, not even half a glass) at a time, so I usually stick to my preferred less-sweet things.

tomandtish

2013-09-09, 06:19 PM

Primarily an ale person, but porter is perhaps my favorite. I prefer one good beer to 4 mediocre beers and will not touch bad stuff.

Right there with you on the Porter. I like my beers dark and heavy, so Porters and Stouts are my favorites. If you get a chance to try Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout I highly recommend it (esp. on tap).

THAC0

2013-09-09, 07:31 PM

Rum and coke.

Good wine.

*stares into space dreamily*

It's been 9 weeks since my last drink, only 30 more to go. Not that anyone's counting.

Kneenibble

2013-09-09, 08:08 PM

Rum and coke.

Good wine.

*stares into space dreamily*

It's been 9 weeks since my last drink, only 30 more to go. Not that anyone's counting.

If I am picking up correctly what you put down, congratulations! When your condition has resolved itself, let us toast the results with some of each, which are my own favourite drinks as well.

Eulalios

2013-09-09, 08:10 PM

I drink something that im fairly sure is only produced in my state, onyx moonshine.

Hey! I've heard before that's good stuff ... but how is it different from straight grain?

For a different thing, since you're somewhere in the area, I recommend Priam Vineyards. Their Westchester Red is particularly smooth and ... umm. Goooood.

NihhusHuotAliro

2013-09-09, 09:19 PM

I never drink alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, or anything stronger than orange juice.

Krazzman

2013-09-10, 04:19 AM

Guinness is my favourite beer. My usual start the party mix was one Irish Carbomb (Half a pint of Guinness in that you down a shot of bailey's or other creme stuff and then down in one go) while waiting for my normal guinness to settle down.

Else on beer I drink Erdinger Weißbier or Bitburger (although I like their Bitburger Radler more than the normal one, can't drink too much of the normal stuff after having downed one Kasten of Stubbies (20 x 0,33 l) in half an hour during a "class trip"). Generally spoken I don't really like german beer that much but will drink it anyway. Yes even something horrible as Becks. Seriously it's horrible. Similar to Heineken in that regard.

For harder stuff:
I tried out Whiskey but the only one I liked so far is Highlandpark or how it is written. Neither Glenfiddich or Jameson nor Jonny or Jackie or whatever.

Vodka? You would need to force me to drink Absolut. I drank Parliament once and... didn't like it. Gorbatshow I take for mixing as that one doesn't have that terrible taste when mixed. Colleague of me from russia drinks only Premium Vodka and I like Vodka the most when it basically tastes and smells like nothing.

For wine I like sweet? (lieblich called in german) ones more. Mead too although it needs to fit in the grade of sweetness.

Tequila is another word for hugging the floor in my opinion and doesn't really taste that great (could be because of the lame ass stuff I can buy here).

Raki? Never tried but I had a bottle once and I think it is still at my parents place... no clue how to drink it properly.

We tried Sake once but had a faulty bottle and as such couldn't really drink it.
Ramazzotti is not really something I like.
Jägermeister on the other hand? as Shot, with Orangejuice as Longdrink or with Energy (although I don't drink energy stuff anymore) I really liked.
Ouzo? Only if given for free in a restaurant and I mostly choose tea instead.
In spain they have a really nice liquor. It's called Ponche and my parents (and aunt) bring a few bottles from every vacation with them.
Else we mix stuff ourselves sometimes. Like using some berries and drown them in Korn or Doppelkorn for a few weeks. Or mix Korn with Lakritz (Liquorice candy).

Feytalist

2013-09-10, 06:55 AM

Krazzman

2013-09-10, 08:42 AM

Oh hey. Erdinger Dunkel happens to be one of my favourites. The Weißbier not so much.

Our local Hofbräuhaus München recently closed down, to much dismay. Their Dunkel was one of the best I've tasted.

I never tried it out since my Father in law only has the Weißbier in his fridge most of the time. Also Kriek! It's awesome. Combine Cherries with beer... I really like it.

Also the Wine/Lemonade mix (Wine Cola too) is called Kalte Muschi in german making a reference about a cold kitty (but think more of the p-word for cat).
Tastes horrbile but what did you expect?

Also what my mother really likes to drink in spain is Tinto de Verrano (Summerwine) or Beer with lemonade (Called Clara there or Radler in Germany).

I know that somewhere in the Eifel(about 40 minutes from where I live) there is a brewery... I bought a beer from there once when we were there on a Chemisty class trip but I have no clue where it was or how it was called.

Also my advice for people really liking german beer: make a roadtrip through germany with a Caravan or similar. My parents-in-law did this through summer vacation a few years ago and visited quite some breweries. You get to know what it is that made that brand of beer different and hey you get beer, what's not to like? (Advisor is not responsible for hangovers and beerbellies)

Socratov

2013-09-10, 09:16 AM

Ok, as the self-proclaimed alcohol expert (see LGBTAitP) on the GitP I can't really miss out on this thread can I? But, listing all the things I like will take a very long time So I'll try to post some I have now, some others I like later and some whenever they come around.

currenlty I drink a lot of beer, Grolsch specifically, (student's lamentation of social calls), and I have a stash of Clontarf (1 part gone, other 2 still there), Captain Morgan Black Rum, La Chouffe blond beer, Some home made Mead (see my brewing thread about that), Some homemade (by my grandmother) orange liquer, Sloe Gin, young jenever, homemade (by myself) coffee liquer, Coal Ila 18 y/o (Yep, wehre I live that is whiskey old enough to buy itself).

I'll keep you posted...

(also, yes I'm a bit of an enthusiast :smallbiggrin:).

Morgarion

2013-09-10, 11:50 AM

I like a good drink. When I go out, which is infequently, I like to have an old fashioned. Brandy, of course. Nothing beats a g&t on a hot summer's day, though, made with Hendrick's gin and garnished with cucumber. I found myself on a Metaxa kick over the winter. I really like it, but it's a little syrupy and the flavor is a little too potent for me to stand more than one glass at a time.

At home, it's usually beer for me. I usually have a case of Summit or Sierra Nevada (or, less frequently, Schell's) on hand to have a drink or two when I'm hanging out in the evening. When I feel like treating myself, I'll pick up a six pack of Anchor Steam. If I know there's a pasta dinner in the future, I'll try and have a bottle or box of red wine. I like 'em dry, or failing that really interesting. Merlots, malbec, cote du rhone are my favorites. There's a good wine shop over in Northeast Minneapolis that carries a few fun Georgian wines. The name escapes me, but my favorite was this beautiful, deep garnet colored wine with these nice peppery and plum notes.

Apropos of that, I've got a special occasion coming up and I wanted to get a hold of a nice bottle of red wine. I was thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty dollars.

smellie_hippie

2013-09-10, 01:19 PM

I am a great lover of beer. Specifically, I like craft beers, and I love looking for new ones to try when I have the cash. It's not a matter of disliking mainstream stuff (I quite like Guiness), I just like trying out different combinations and inventive ideas, and I'm a sucker for a fun name and label.

What an amazing coincidence... I enjoy making craft beers! I have been home brewing for a few years now, and try to have at least 3-4 new recipes every year. I do have some odl stand-bys... mostly because I like them or my friends have requested that i make them again.

I mostly prefer malty beers (stout, porter, brown, etc) as opposed to the really hoppy beers. It hurts more in the summer, when something with a little less "body" is more refershing after mowing the grass...

I enjoy a good whisky every now and then.
I started drinking pretty late so I never acquired the taste for beer.

I have been very judicious about drinking the spirits you brought. It really is quite nice, and I want to make sure it lasts... I did try to help you enjoy a good beer, but to each his own. I may need to name one after you though... but something about *stabbing* sounds a little repellant in regards to something you plan on drinking. :smalltongue:

valadil

2013-09-10, 02:53 PM

I love me some beer. I'm not into the hoppy trend, but anything else flavorful and interesting is fine by me. Belgian trippels are the best. I'm particularly fond of Unibruoe and Smokestack Boulevard lately. Dogfish Head and Flying Dog are great when they give me something that isn't overly hoppy. I quite like Mayflower's porter, but I haven't tried much of their other stuff. The few germans I've had lately have been fantastic, but I'm not too well versed on the matter.

Aside from beer, I've really enjoyed Jager lately. It lives in the back of the freezer and I sip it straight from a wine glass. Not sure if this is just a phase.

Got a bottle of bourbon for my 30th and I loved that. Elmer T. Lee single mash. Still experimenting with other bourbons to see if it's something I like or if that bottle is the only one I like.

Kurgan

2013-09-10, 05:13 PM

In practice, if someone else is paying I'll drink most anything. That said, in spite of the efforts of my friends, I've only found about two beers that I actually enjoy (Guiness and Żywiec).

For the hard stuff, my alcohol of choice is vodka. Bison Grass and Sobieski in particular. Yummy all the way down, and in a pinch Sobieski mixes with most anything. I recently got my hands on a bottle of karamel flavored Sobieski, and it goes wonderfully with drinking chocolate.

Rum is also quite nice, though unlike vodka which I prefer straight, I need to mix rum with something. Admiral Nelson's is a nice cheap brand that does the job well.

Something a friend of mine recently introduced me to: Jezynowka. It is a blackberry brandy that is delicious. Funny I only learned of its existence about 2 weeks ago considering all the local bars apparently do 1$ shots of it constantly.

If I could find a reliable source of GOOD mead around where I live, I'd be down with lots of that. I occasionally find a nice bottle, but not as often as I'd like. Mead and wine are just so great when combined with a good book.

Socratov

2013-09-10, 05:28 PM

THAC0

2013-09-10, 05:49 PM

If I am picking up correctly what you put down, congratulations! When your condition has resolved itself, let us toast the results with some of each, which are my own favourite drinks as well.

You did, thanks, and we shall! :smallbiggrin:

Zach J.

2013-09-10, 06:06 PM

I love beer, particularly Heineken and Red Stripe, but generally I'm not picky. I'll try any kind of beer once. When it comes to the harder stuff I prefer whiskey. Jack Daniel's is a good friend of mine... I never mix my drinks. Where I grew up that was worth a punch in the arm.

CoffeeIncluded

2013-09-10, 06:09 PM

Beer: I can't do it. I can't drink it. It taste awful and when it doesn't, it's carbonated. I hate fizzy drinks. Can't stand soda, can't swallow seltzer. If it's a crap beer then I can't drink more than a swallow or two. Cheap stuff, I grimace, force down a few swallows, then push away the can and apologize. I can drink a little bit of good-to-decent stuff but it doesn't take long before the not-crap taste (which still isn't that good to me) is overpowered by the fizziness. Just...the fizziness. Gah. Blech.

As for other drinks, I rather like mixed drinks. Mixed vodka drinks are good as long as the vodka's decent. I rather like rum and brandy, also mixed in. I haven't tried too many different kinds of alcohol, but right now I'd have to say my favorite is tequila.

JoshL

2013-09-10, 08:33 PM

Yet another seasoned wetbrain chiming in (and a gold star to anyone who gets that reference!)

Beer. I like beer. I like dark beer. I like stouts, barleywines and porters, mostly, but always up for new things. Drink a lot of weird craft beers, local ones if I can get them. I love a good brew pub! Oh, and Irish Carbombs have Jameson as well as Bailey's in the shot. Lots of fun, chug it before it curdles! Oh, I'm also in favor of room-to-cellar temperature beer, doubly so with darker beers. And I am NOT in favor of all these over-hoppy stouts (the so called "west coast stout") I'm seeing these days. Glad other people like hoppy beers...but I don't.

I love whiskey, but usually drinking on the cheap these days so I don't buy scotch as often as I would like (I lean towards the Islays...I like them peaty!) Of the blended Irish, I lean towards Jameson (cheap enough that I can buy it regularly, but still tasty. It tastes like apples!) Bourbons I, generally speaking, can't afford anything I like. My cheap mixed drink at a bar/club is usually whiskey and ginger ale with whatever swill they've got, so a cheap canadian will do for a fun afternoon.

Vodka I don't drink as often as I used to, but Grey Goose was always my favorite. I don't like a vodka too smooth. Though any given strawberry vodka mixed with milk is DELICIOUS if you happen to love strawberry milk. Which I do. Rum I also only occasionally drink. I like it dark, but I hate spiced rum. I also enjoy a bottle of mezcal every Dia de los Muertos. A good tequila I like, but again, price range of anything drinkable....

But my absolute favorite drink of choice is absinthe. Since the restrictions on it have been lifted (and they were pretty silly anyway), there are a couple in the US that are really astounding, rivaling anything I've imported over the years. Generally speaking, French > Swiss > Czech. However, that is REALLY not cheap, which is why I tend not to have cash left over for other drinks....

thethird

2013-09-10, 09:01 PM

I come from a land of really good cheap wine, so I am surprisingly picky with it.

I normally settle for Bourbon (with a strong preference for Four Roses) or Whisky (in which case I am a Glenfiddich person). I also hold dry Gin in high regard, decanting myself for very old Bols, or if I can find it Gin Xoriger (but that one is hard to track). I try to drink my alcohol really slowly, because I am a really thirsty person and I might gulp it like its water and then it is not fun.

In case I drink beer I normally settle for Guinness although when I was younger I was enamored of Murphy's Irish Red and I miss it terribly, I used to drink that all the time.

If I am mixing I like the classical simple screw diver orange juice and vodka, the meatier the orange juice the better. Or perhaps a white martini with a note of gin and lemon fanta but due to the difficulty of accessing lemon fanta I haven't drank that in a long time. Finally Bourbon mixes surprisingly well with Sprite.

Yoink

2013-09-11, 12:05 AM

This thread is relevant to my interests.
Unfortunately, my wallet is not particularly accommodating to said interests, so when I'm out and about with an excuse to get drunk I usually find myself asking for 'whichever beer is cheapest'.
Not that that bothers me, really. :smalltongue:

Apart from beer, though, my drink of choice would certainly be whiskey.
I wouldn't call myself an expert on booze or anything, but it tastes like alcohol as opposed to fruit juice (vodka) and drinking it doesn't end with me barfing all over my comic collection (rum). Win-win, I guess!

My hipster friend tried to make a cider drinker of me when I visited him, but ehh I'm still loyal to beer.

Alanzeign

2013-09-11, 12:19 AM

I will admit, although I am currently a chef, my alcohol tastes are not overly refined.

I can't drink beer in any incarnation with any real sense of it tasting good.

I have a few wines, most Pinot Grigio and Cabernet do the trick for me, though little else.

As much as I love the smell of a good whisky, I can only drink Red Stag from Jim Beam straight (on the rocks after the ice has melted slightly, mmm). I realize I am a bastard for saying so, because Red Stag is only good at defying what Whisky is meant to be. Still, the smell of whisky plus a semi-sweet/fruity taste is perfect for me. I can't describe why it works when it shouldn't, but it does.

Straight liquor, other than Red Stag on the rocks, there is nothing that I enjoy. Jaeger is probably the closest for me because I love black liquorice, but straight is still a no (taste-wise, doesn't mean I won't drink straight Jaeger, heh).

Mixed drinks, well, I've had some very good ones in my time. One involved whisky with orange juice and several other 'taste elements' and was like a martini, very good. Generally if it looks like a martini, but isn't a straight martini it is good. That is unless it is made by a chain restaurant.

My favorite drink is a mixture of gin (1), rum (1), vodka (1), blue curacao (1/5), raspberry liqueur (1/5), sprite (1), cranberry juice (1), sour mix (/5), and ice (tons). It's called a Black Widow and tastes similar to grape Koolaid, though is very strong. I stopped asking bartender's to make it for me, because with so many ingredients it always comes out wrong (and disproportionatly expensive), so I generally just ask for a Whisky + Coke or something easy and fruity.

I would love, LOVE, to make my own strong liquor, but it is forbidden in the U.S. I made a delicious cider once (non-alcoholic) though when I decided to put rum in it it killed all the flavor! It was a very sad day for me, because the non-alcoholic version was super cool fun times, soooo good.

Archonic Energy

2013-09-11, 02:07 AM

I have been very judicious about drinking the spirits you brought. It really is quite nice, and I want to make sure it lasts... I did try to help you enjoy a good beer, but to each his own. I may need to name one after you though... but something about *stabbing* sounds a little repellant in regards to something you plan on drinking. :smalltongue:

I think I tried one of your brews. But as a said beer is a taste you get used to when you start drinking. Unfortunately I started pretty little so never had the experience. That being said I do try things when I get the chance but it all just tastes like beer to me. The same way wine all the same. If/when I can start tasting the more subtle flavours in a hoppy brew then I'll feel more confident in stating an opinion.

BizzaroStormy

2013-09-11, 04:44 AM

Personally I try not to drink any of the cheap crap. I'm lucky that I stocked up well before I got laid off but It tends to run dry in a hurry when the only thing friends bring to drink is Redds and thats usually gone in a hurry.

I'll say one thing on tequila, never buy the cheap stuff. If you can't afford some silver patron, you're better off being sober for the night. Same goes for anything out of a plastic bottle.

EvilJames

2013-09-19, 03:01 PM

I like beer. I live in Wisconsin though; I think it may be required by law.
unfortuantly I'm picky about my beer. I can drink the cheap stuff most of the time but i generally don't like dark beers and I just can't stomach Pale ale of any sort. I'm not sure if much of the stuff I like can be found outside of our borders. I'm quite fond of New Glarus Brewery, particularly Spotted Cow.
Hard ciders and fruit bears are also good.

Whisky and I are not friends.:smallannoyed:

Tequila and I are good friends.:smallamused:
So long as it's 100% tequila and not the cheap mixes that is.
Everclear is fun now and again as well so long as I don't want to feel my face.

Mezcal and I are only passing acquaintances but I hope we can become better friends in the future.

Karoht

2013-09-19, 03:19 PM

What booze would one recommend for lamb burgers?
I imagine something greek will be recommended, bonus points if so.
If beer, what beer in specific?

As for what I am currently enjoying?
Beers-Steamwhisle isn't bad. Gas Lamp does an awesome Maple Dark Ale. And Fernie Brewing Co has some kind of black ale that I swear looks like motor oil but my goodness is it smooth and robust without being overly bitter.
There was this Berry Beer on special one night. Tasted great, looked like I was drinking wine coolers rather than beer, but amazing flavor and aroma.
I have not tried that watermelon beer. Yet.
Mead-Always been a fan of Chauncers, Fallen Timber, and Chinook Arch.

Hard stuff I really only use when mixing, that said I once had this remarkably oaky scotch once. Can't remember the name of it but it was quite enjoyable.

thorgrim29

2013-09-19, 03:29 PM

I don't know much about Greek booze, but depending on your tastes I'd recommend a good blond ale/lager, not too hoppy, probably around 20 IBU, or a fruity red wine, maybe a shiraz/cabernet blend or a red Zinfandel

Krazzman

2013-09-20, 06:55 AM

There was this Berry Beer on special one night. Tasted great, looked like I was drinking wine coolers rather than beer, but amazing flavor and aroma.

Kriek! Is a Belgish Cherries-Beer.
Tastes great. Kwak and Le Chouffe are good too when we talk about belgian beer.

Morgarion

2013-09-20, 07:29 AM

I like beer. I live in Wisconsin though; I think it may be required by law.
unfortuantly I'm picky about my beer. I can drink the cheap stuff most of the time but i generally don't like dark beers and I just can't stomach Pale ale of any sort. I'm not sure if much of the stuff I like can be found outside of our borders. I'm quite fond of New Glarus Brewery, particularly Spotted Cow.
Hard ciders and fruit bears are also good.

New Glarus is good stuff. It sucks that they can't distribute outside of Wisconsin. I'm a really big fan of the Two Women lager.

MrDirt

2013-09-20, 10:28 AM

I like beer. I live in Wisconsin though; I think it may be required by law.
unfortuantly I'm picky about my beer. I can drink the cheap stuff most of the time but i generally don't like dark beers and I just can't stomach Pale ale of any sort. I'm not sure if much of the stuff I like can be found outside of our borders. I'm quite fond of New Glarus Brewery, particularly Spotted Cow.
Hard ciders and fruit bears are also good.

I recently moved to WI and I LOVE that I can now get spotted cow everywhere I go.

Whiskey and tequila are great too! Gotta either have a whiskey old fashioned with my low quality booze or straight-up of anything medium quality or better. Shots of tequila are great, but usually lead to trouble.

Does anyone else in here like Gin?

Karoht

2013-09-20, 12:10 PM

Proper Gin is a requirement of any good martini. I'm not much of a fan of vodka martini's really. They just feel like they are missing something to me.

EvilJames

2013-09-20, 05:00 PM

Why is it that New Glarus can't distribute outside Wisconsin? I can get a Fat Tire here why can't I get a Spotted Cow in Colorado? I know many of our laws about alcohol are quite lax compared to elsewhere. Maybe that has something to do with it.

I don't care for gin. My sister drinks Gin and tonic; which smells like pine scented floor cleaner. I can't imagine it tasting good.

Dr. Bath

2013-09-20, 05:04 PM

Gin is the worst. Or sambuca is the worst. No wait! Tequila is the worst.

On balance gin is still probably the worst actually. Spirits seem to be a bad time in general for me, unless they're in a white russian.

Morgarion

2013-09-20, 07:07 PM

Why is it that New Glarus can't distribute outside Wisconsin? I can get a Fat Tire here why can't I get a Spotted Cow in Colorado? I know many of our laws about alcohol are quite lax compared to elsewhere. Maybe that has something to do with it.

I always heard that it had something to do with how it was pasteurized, or that it wasn't or something, but according to their website they just don't make enough to ship outside of the state.

EvilJames

2013-09-20, 10:45 PM

I always heard that it had something to do with how it was pasteurized, or that it wasn't or something, but according to their website they just don't make enough to ship outside of the state.

I have heard that they can only just barely keep up with demand within the state.

Gin is the worst. Or sambuca is the worst. No wait! Tequila is the worst.
Tequila is great. But only if it's 100% agave or blue agave. Unfortunately it's often cut with cheap vodka. Regular Jose quervo is this way, however Jose Tradicinal is 100% agave and pretty good, maybe not as good as patron but still good and considerably cheaper.

BizzaroStormy

2013-09-21, 01:55 AM

yeah theres nothing quite like a couple shots of chilled patron silver. it makes awesome margaritas as well

Dallas-Dakota

2013-09-21, 04:21 AM

Why yes, I like me some booze.

https://scontent-b-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/q71/s720x720/485487_517299625014798_772019543_n.jpg

But I'm also a lover of a good whisky and tequila.

Socratov

2013-09-21, 10:22 AM

Why yes, I like me some booze.

https://scontent-b-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/q71/s720x720/485487_517299625014798_772019543_n.jpg

But I'm also a lover of a good whisky and tequila.

You sir, as long as you refrain from pouring me tequila, could very well be one of my very best friends...

On another note, I've become a professional again: I've gotten a job as a bartender :smallcool:

Roxxy

2013-09-22, 04:42 AM

https://scontent-b-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/q71/s720x720/485487_517299625014798_772019543_n.jpgJEALOUSY OVERLOAD

Roxxy

2013-09-22, 04:43 AM

On another note, I've become a professional again: I've gotten a job as a bartender :smallcool:Grats! Is it in Santa Clara County? If so, I may patronize.

Roxxy

2013-09-22, 04:56 AM

Currently, my drink is Absolut SF (now called Grapevine), drunk straight. LOVE the bottle, and it's an okay vodka, but it's almost time to buy a new bottle, and I think I'll go with a different Absolut. I'm considering trying:

Citron
Ruby Red
Hibiskus
Raspberri
Vanilia
Mandrin
Pears
Mango
Apeach
Orient Apple
Cherrykran

I can't decide which one I want to try the most. I wish I could just buy them all and have a vodka bar, but I don't have the money, and I have limited storage space because my grandma and I have an unspoken agreement that I am to keep my bottles out of her sight.

Winter_Wolf

2013-09-22, 02:40 PM

I drink only mead anymore. Sure it's expensive, but no more than a bottle of decent wine would be, and lasts roughly as long. There's a Michigan based company called B. Nektar that supplies a local watering hole with currently four varieties of mead with inclusions. Some of the names can be (okay, they just are) corny: Zombie Killer, Black Fang, Necro-something or other which I've yet to try yet...I'm sure you get the idea.

Zombie Killer mead had a dose of cherry in it, and is quite a nice all-round sipping drink (though I prefer mine warm so I can actually taste it). Black Fang is a blackberry and clove infused mead which has a mild and pleasant clove smell and a pleasant flavor which reminds me a lot of the Russian tea I used to drink in Alaska. The Necro something is a mango and black pepper mead, which I've yet to try but sounds like it will be a good thing to end a night of drinking with, since I suspect it will kill flavors of anything else after. The lightest mead I can recall absolutely nothing about, other than it seemed like it would be the best one to start with because it had the lightest flavors and would interfere least with later drinks.

Cristo Meyers

2013-09-22, 03:16 PM

As much as I love the smell of a good whisky, I can only drink Red Stag from Jim Beam straight (on the rocks after the ice has melted slightly, mmm). I realize I am a bastard for saying so, because Red Stag is only good at defying what Whisky is meant to be. Still, the smell of whisky plus a semi-sweet/fruity taste is perfect for me. I can't describe why it works when it shouldn't, but it does.

The cinnamon Red Stag is one of my favorite discoveries in the past few months. I love it mixed with cola.

I prefer Maker's Mark if I'm drinking it straight. It's a bit smoother than the others.

In wine my wife and I have been looking for good bottles to keep around. We tend to prefer the sweet wines, Moscato in particular, though we've found some pretty interesting cherry and apple wine as well.

MrDirt

2013-09-23, 07:50 AM

yeah theres nothing quite like a couple shots of chilled patron silver. it makes awesome margaritas as well

Margaritas are pretty awesome!

I find that if I'm doing a shot of tequilla the 'standard' way, it doesn't really much matter what type it is. I think my favorite thing about tequila is that so many paeople can't seem to handle it.

Socratov

2013-09-26, 11:30 AM

Grats! Is it in Santa Clara County? If so, I may patronize.

nO, sadly for you it's in the great town that is Zwolle. And I have yet to get to my first day at work

Arcas Corricol

2013-10-02, 05:10 PM

As an Australian I can appreciate beer LONG LIVE VB

thorgrim29

2013-10-02, 10:00 PM

My favourite local microbrew started their oktoberfest celebrations today, they brew a special brown lager and serve it in one liter bocks with bavarian inspired dishes.... It's a good time of the year to live in sherbrooke

MonkeyBusiness

2013-10-04, 03:59 PM

*stares into space dreamily*

It's been 9 weeks since my last drink, only 30 more to go. Not that anyone's counting.

Congratulations! I think we are all counting now! :smallbiggrin: Here is a virtual toast with champagne (my favorite). Cheers!

I also like drinks that involve coffee, like café trasch: coffee "diluted" with local pear or apple brandy. Tastes pretty good after wandering around on the mountainside all day.

And I love me a good beer. Whatever is in season.

.

Darth Credence

2013-10-04, 04:46 PM

My people! It is good to have found you! :smallbiggrin:

I am mostly a whiskey person, although I'll drink about anything. My go to drink is Wild Turkey Rye, neat.

For the gin lovers out there, I just was given a cocktail that was amazing, but found that it greatly depends on the gin used. We were at the Salt Lake City Comic Con (awesome time - first year of the show and it was the 4th biggest con in the nation) and walked to the nearby Red Rock Brewery. They had a Red Rock Rickey, their version of a lime rickey. Bombay Sapphire gin, grape Pucker, Sprite, and half a lime squeezed in. It was just so refreshing on a hot day. Tried it at home with Gordon's, and realized that didn't work. Dragged out the Bombay and it was wonderful. Quality matters on gin as much as any liquor.

I see a lot of mentions of Glenfiddich, and I agree it is very good. If you are going for high priced scotch and want something else, I cannot possibly oversell the wonder that is Laphroaig. Wonderful stuff.

inexorabletruth

2013-10-05, 02:38 AM

I love whiskey or soco.

If you're looking to get from sober to drunk on a budget, I have a drink that is not for the feint of heart: The Texas Chainsaw.

A friend of mine, who was a bartender for almost 10 years, pooped himself after drinking 3 of them.

1 shot of whiskey
1 shot of southern comfort
1/2 shot of white tequila
1 glass of Shiner Bock beer.

I've tried this with other bocks and it's just not the same. Regardless of what kind of beer you mix it with, I'm just going to warn you... it's a rough drink. It'll put hair on your knees.

The drink tends to cost around $10 to $15, and (interesting note) is illegal to serve in one glass in Texas. However, 1 drink will get you buzzed. Two will get you hammered. Three, and you will s**t yourself.

You're welcome.

Trog

2013-10-06, 07:41 AM

*A Troglodyte comes stumbling in*

Let's see, I have a variety of favorites. Sort of all over the board. Guinness, Harp, Hendricks gin (with tonic and a lime, usually), a good white russian when I'm feeling Dude-ish, New Glarus here in WI as others have said already, makes some good stuff. Like Mauve I also prefer white wine to red and usually pick up a German Riesling of some sort. Margaritas taste lovely. I like the occasional Corona with lime in the hot summer days (but it's so hard to get a hold of any that isn't skunky it seems so less of that all the time). I've had some Grey Goose vodka chilling in my fridge for who knows how long, but I never really find a use for it aside from making white russians and that's a bit of a waste of decent vodka, I suppose, but oh well. Oh, and Hippie makes some of the best beer.

Truth be told I think the only alcoholic beverage I've had to drink this entire year has been a partial bottle of Riesling to go with some meal or other I made myself back in January or February. I typically only drink in social settings and I guess this year I've been more than a bit of a recluse. Plus I've given up drinking soda. It's been nearly 2 months now going from 4+ a day to zero. Bottled water is my friend.

But the world shall get my coffee when they pry it from my cold, dead hands. :smallannoyed: While looting my troggy corpse, I suppose. Hopefully I don't get picked for jury random encounter duty. </rambling>

Mauve Shirt

2013-10-06, 07:46 AM

Yesterday the meatshield in one of my games gave us pints of homemade apple pie moonshine. WOO BOY.

Trog

2013-10-06, 08:17 AM

Yesterday the meatshield in one of my games gave us pints of homemade apple pie moonshine. WOO BOY.
I've had that same sort of stuff. Made with Everclear. It tasted like apple pie and not a hint of alcohol. :smalleek: Dangerous stuff. The night ended with barhopping and a hot tub overflowing in a hotel room. Too many bodies trying to shove in at once. No one had bathing suits. It was a soggy mess.

Apple pie. Not even once. :smalltongue:

Winter_Wolf

2013-10-07, 08:12 PM

I'm always wary of drinks which are successfully designed to taste nothing like alcohol. Partly because I kind of enjoy that bit of bite, and probably mostly because unlike most of my friends and associates, I remember exactly how long and how miserable each and every one of my miserable hangovers were.

But I'll still do chocolate cake shots. :smallredface:

Bulldog Psion

2013-10-07, 08:53 PM

I may stray on occasion, but I always return faithfully to two favorites: good red wine, and almond amaretto.

Laurellien

2013-10-08, 05:50 AM

Johnnie Walker Black Label, accept nothing less.

My favourite cocktails are either the Bloody Mary, or alcoholic milkshakes (milk, irish cream, and either strawberry or banana liqueur).

I am also partial to black sambucca, strawberry and lime cider, and Crabbie's alcoholic ginger beer.

Mauve Shirt

2013-10-08, 06:43 PM

When I grew up I put aside childish things like vodka in soda. But as I drink it now, I can't imaginewhy . It's delicious, even if it calls one's class into question!

Socratov

2013-10-10, 04:24 AM

Johnnie Walker Black Label, accept nothing less.

Just for the sake of argument, It's not like people drink red label because of it's taste...

MonkeyBusiness

2013-10-10, 12:24 PM

Just for the sake of argument, It's not like people drink red label because of it's taste...

Henry Fonda agrees (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4QNBypC9vs) with your assessment of Red Label.

Now hear this: The "dumb little blonde" Frank (Jack Lemmon) refers to is shown, in the movie, to be far smarter and more sophisticated than Frank. That is all. :smallwink:

.

snoopy13a

2013-10-10, 02:53 PM

Johnnie Walker Black Label, accept nothing less.

Perhaps for ruffians. I only drink Blue Label. I also bathe in donkey milk and use Cristal in my breakfast cereal.

When I grew up I put aside childish things like vodka in soda. But as I drink it now, I can't imaginewhy . It's delicious, even if it calls one's class into question!

I've pretty much gone full circle in many years of drinking. Starting from drinking Beast Light or Vodka/Kool-Aid punches at parties to beer snob all the way back to just drink what tastes good.

Milo v3

2013-10-13, 04:55 AM

I drunk beer and vodka for the first time last night, started by spending the night watching movies like Deathproof, but in the end I was texting the girl I have a crush on.

Really surprised I didn't get a hangover or anything considering I had a fair amount for my first time.

EvilJames

2013-10-16, 02:34 PM

Cristo Meyers

2013-10-16, 02:49 PM

OooH! Drunk texting :smalleek:that tends to end poorly. good luck. However some first time drinkers don't get hungover the first time. My wife didn't but then what she considers "drinking a lot" is different from what I mean when I "drink a lot"

It also depends on what and how much you drink. There was even a Mythbusters episode on it.

Specifics elude me, but if you drink the same amount of alcohol in liquor as you do in beer, the hangover is going to be worse with the beer.

Whether you ate recently and if you're eating while drinking also matters.

ef87

2013-10-16, 09:23 PM

after an 18 hour day of work/school booze is the god that allows me to rest when finally getting home.

Evan Williams 1783 chased down with some Guinness Draught(s) helps me relax after such terrible days at work/school (i work for the school, so it feels like a prison being there from 8am to 10pm at night)

along with some other... medications when the time is right.

damn i hate my life. i honestly dont think all this 'schooling' is going to be worth it in the end. Especially with good old SALLIE MAE up my arse.

ugh

Milo v3

2013-10-16, 09:31 PM

OooH! Drunk texting :smalleek:that tends to end poorly. good luck. However some first time drinkers don't get hungover the first time. My wife didn't but then what she considers "drinking a lot" is different from what I mean when I "drink a lot"
The drunk texting was "relatively" fine, she texted me first and I told her I was probably going to be drunk earlier that day. So I think she was prepared for me to say she's beautiful and prettyful and stuff :smalltongue:

As for how much I drunk... I had about six or seven standard drinks I think. Which considering how I'm ridiculously underweight, it think was a fair amount for a first time. Not a lot but it seemed like a fair amount.

It also depends on what and how much you drink. There was even a Mythbusters episode on it.

Specifics elude me, but if you drink the same amount of alcohol in liquor as you do in beer, the hangover is going to be worse with the beer.

Whether you ate recently and if you're eating while drinking also matters.
It was mainly vodka mixers, because after the first two bottles I didn't like beer immensely, so I tried other stuff. So not having much beer might have added to the not having a hangover thing.

As for eating, I drunk the first beer during dinner so that could've been a factor.

Knaight

2013-10-17, 12:58 PM

I don't drink with any real frequency, but when I do I've found I consistently like drinks on the fruit and spice side of things. Specifically, I quite like Ouzo, Amarte, Hard lemonade, wines, and mead. As it happens, anise is my favorite spice by a healthy margin, and I also like lemon, grapes, and honey, so none of this should be surprising.

I've also had a sort of plum wine I accidentally made, and it was surprisingly good.

BizzaroStormy

2013-10-17, 01:16 PM

It also depends on what and how much you drink. There was even a Mythbusters episode on it.

Specifics elude me, but if you drink the same amount of alcohol in liquor as you do in beer, the hangover is going to be worse with the beer.

Whether you ate recently and if you're eating while drinking also matters.

This happens because more of the beer has much more water content than beer so you are more hydrated. If you decide to do some heavy drinking, whether it be liquor or beer (or in my case 6 bottles of sake) drinking a few glasses of ice water will help you to not be hungover the next morning ( or in my case, afternoon)

AtlanteanTroll

2013-10-17, 02:46 PM

So much bad beer at college parties. Weeeeeeeeeee!! PBR all the way, bro.

Morgarion

2013-10-17, 03:06 PM

Socratov

2013-10-17, 04:46 PM

Fatty, high protein foods before or during drinking help slow the rate of absorption.

Alcohol is literally a poison to the human body. Younger, more novice drinkers tend to have an easier time rebounding from a heavy binge because their bodies are in better shape. Even reasonable, casual drinking causes a little bit of damage.

Shouldn't that make the hangover worse with liquor?

OK, as far as I know, the following happens (insights gained though rudimentary research through google and experimentation):

beer contains salts and more water. This will lead you to urinate more and thus dehydrate quicker (even before the alcohol gets broken down by your liver). You won't have this problem with liquor b ecuase it does not contain the salts, or at least not so much and becuase it is less fluids and thusincites less to pee.

During the drinking (and for a fair amount of time afterwards) alcohol (through cheecks, esophagus and stomach) will be absorbed into the bloodstream. Once it reaches the liver, the liver will filter it out. Once filtered out the liver will process the alcohol (http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/AA72/AA72.htm) (using enzymes) into stuff the kidneys can turn into urine. For this process the liver needs water.

So, to recover from alcohol usage you need water to turn it into stuff you can pee. then you nee dwater to make the pee, well, pee. So drinking lots of water after drinking heavily is a great idea. Now if you dirnk beer you are going through your body water supply much quicker, leading to worse case of dehydration, leading to a worde or more intense headache.

AtlanteanTroll

2013-10-17, 04:54 PM

Of course, fatty, high protein foods don't work if they end up giving you food poisoning ... The worst part is you don't know you've been poisoned until it's too late.

To sum up: Beer + (Vodka * Sprite * V8 Fruit Juice) + Greasy Pizza + Subs = Throwing up 16 times in 12 hours.

Knaight

2013-10-17, 09:54 PM

Alcohol is literally a poison to the human body. Younger, more novice drinkers tend to have an easier time rebounding from a heavy binge because their bodies are in better shape. Even reasonable, casual drinking causes a little bit of damage.

Alcohol is a poison at some dosages, yes. However, the research at the more casual drinking level shows plenty of cases where it is arguably good for you. What distinguishes alcohol from the various other things we consume that are poisonous is that having enough to get poisoned is actually feasible. Whereas to poison yourself on, say, chocolate (theobromine being the active ingredient) you need to eat something like 5 kilos in a meal if you're on the small end.

thorgrim29

2013-10-17, 10:58 PM

BizzaroStormy

2013-10-17, 11:31 PM

Regarding beer vs liquor hangovers, I'm curious if I'm typical. Barring huge benders that all end in me being sick for half a day after waking up and then gradually working myself up to feeling alive for the remainder of the day, I usually get much worse hangovers from beer then liquor. When I drink mostly liquor, I'll get a small headache when waking up that lasts an hour tops, but when I drink a few liters of beer (even if it's spread over 6 hours and I'm never moe then a bit tipsy) I'll have a pretty bad stomachache the next morning, and it seems to be worse when the beer is especially bitter.

For example yesterday I went to a scotch tasting and drank maybe 4 ounces of liquor and a small beer over 2.5 hours and I was 100% fine this morning. But last week I drank 4 pints of 5% beer over maybe 4 hours and definitely felt it the next day

Is that the way it works for you guys?

Not really, for some reason my tolerance seems to be random. Some nights i'll be a lightweight and other nights i'll find it difficult to even get a buzz driinking varying amounts which are mostly liquor at about $40% ABV on average (frankly anything from beer to everclear) but I normally have at least half of my liquid intake being water that night followed by a powerade in the morning. My only hangover was after a night spend half-dead on someone's bathroom floor with minor alcohol poisoning. I was not up for doing anything pretty much the entire week after that.

Feytalist

2013-10-18, 02:46 AM

Mauve Shirt

2013-10-20, 11:03 AM

I'm the opposite, Feytalist. Red wine or brown liquor, instead headache. White wine or clear liquor, all day every day.

Socratov

2013-10-20, 05:35 PM

If I touch white wine, I'll be useless the whole next day. The headache even starts while I'm still drinking. Red wine I can drink the whole night long. Same with whiskey. Minimal hangover.

So I don't drink white wine.

I'm the opposite, Feytalist. Red wine or brown liquor, instead headache. White wine or clear liquor, all day every day.

and with your powers combined you are Captain Alcoholic!

Milo v3

2013-10-20, 06:45 PM

This weekend I went to a friends birthday party and it was my second time drinking. This time I believe I actually got properly drunk, because despite the lack of hangover I was half-way through a doggie door at one point. :smalltongue:

Feytalist

2013-10-21, 02:57 AM

and with your powers combined you are Captain Alcoholic!

Captain Alcoholic would be an awesome superhero.

Turn up sloshed, puke in a garbage bin before freeing the little kid trapped under the bus, fly away zig-zagging crazily before crashing headfirst into the Chrysler building.

Awesome.

Edit: actually that just sounds like Hancock so whatever.

Castaras

2013-10-21, 06:11 AM

Well, I'm planning on getting some green glittery fairy wings and antennae for halloween so I can get my boyfriend to dress up as the BOOZE FAIRY. :smalltongue:

Was also considering seeing if I can make some sort of straw wand that has the mechanics required to be able to use it to drink stuff. I'm lazy though.

Karoht

2013-10-24, 11:32 AM

Just came back from Veradero, Cuba. With 6 big bottles of rum and liquors in tow.
20 bucks, counting what customs charged me when I returned to Canada. Each bottle over a liter.

PS-Cuba is terrible at making Mojito's. Some places just used water rather than soda. Some couldn't muddle the mint. None of them used any lime. Not one. Even in Havana. That was odd.

Aedilred

2013-10-24, 11:59 AM

Tylorious

2013-10-24, 01:07 PM

I'm gonna keep it simple and say that my favorite drink is Kilo Kai on the rocks.

Karoht

2013-10-24, 01:19 PM

Over the last few weeks I've been watching all the Bond films (don't ask) and at the weekend I found myself at a friend's housewarming. He has a bar, and asked me what I wanted, so obviously...

It was horrible. It would probably have been better had he followed any sort of recipe, or actually measured any ingredients, rather than just throwing in what he thought would be appropriate. At least I didn't do as badly as a friend of mine who ordered the same and was given it in proportions of about 5:1 Martini Bianco to vodka.

I might have to make one myself just to see what it's supposed to be like.
Now, to be clear, did you try to make A martini or did you try to make THE martini? Namely the Vesper?
Either way, in my experience, guessing with martini's tends not to be the best plan. Google will provide one with a crazy amount of martini recipies and tips.

My personal favorite:
Pour the following over ice.
1 measure of vodka
1 measure of gin
1 measure of pear or melon liquor
twist of lemon peel
splash of lemon
top with gingerale
garnish with cucumber

Stir it, for love of god, don't shake it. I read somewhere that Bond was an idiot for ordering his shaken. Never ever shake a martini with gin in it.

Tylorious

2013-10-24, 01:28 PM

Never ever shake a martini with gin in it.

In real life, it will explode.

Aedilred

2013-10-24, 02:50 PM

Now, to be clear, did you try to make A martini or did you try to make THE martini? Namely the Vesper?

Stir it, for love of god, don't shake it. I read somewhere that Bond was an idiot for ordering his shaken. Never ever shake a martini with gin in it.
It was a normal vodka martini. I wouldn't have been confident in my recollection of the ingredients of the Vesper nor of their availability (especially since you can't get one of them any more).

From what I've heard/read, the only differences between a shaken and stirred vodka martini are clarity and texture; it doesn't affect the flavour so much as with a normal martini.

Karoht

2013-10-24, 03:15 PM

It was a normal vodka martini. I wouldn't have been confident in my recollection of the ingredients of the Vesper nor of their availability (especially since you can't get one of them any more).Actually, Kina Lillet, the only ingredient you couldn't get until a few years ago since the company went out of business, is back in production, or so I hear tell. If not, pear wine is supposed to be an excellent (and cheap) substitute.

From what I've heard/read, the only differences between a shaken and stirred vodka martini are clarity and texture; it doesn't affect the flavour so much as with a normal martini.False. You break up the ice, which has the effect of watering it down. It also bruises the Gin, which ruins the flavor and texture, though that is a matter of personal preference.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaken,_not_stirred

Aedilred

2013-10-24, 04:23 PM

False. You break up the ice, which has the effect of watering it down. It also bruises the Gin, which ruins the flavor and texture, though that is a matter of personal preference.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaken,_not_stirred
There's no gin in a vodka martini, so bruising isn't a concern.

Mauve Shirt

2013-10-24, 08:18 PM

and with your powers combined you are Captain Alcoholic!

I might be forced to sig this.

Socratov

2013-10-26, 03:56 AM

I might be forced to sig this.

go ahead dear...

Anyway, on the topic of shaken versus stirred:

the general rule is clear liquids are stirred, non-clear liquids are shaken.

Shaking will give a cocktail stronger cooling (reducing taste a bit), stirring will keep the cocktail clear and both dilute about as much.

Shaking also induces an airy texture while stirring keeps it smooth.

as for bruising the gin, that may be to taste. Some poeple like it, some people don't, and I think a lto of people can't taste the diffrence...

Karoht

2013-10-28, 10:31 AM

So I've come to a terrible realization.
When I drink too much, my stomach lining itself tends to not do well afterwards. I won't get into the icky details, suffice to say that what I am describing does not involve vomit.

As for 'too much' and how do I know when I've hit it? Two or three days later symptoms start.

So the next time I choose to imbibe, I'm going to ensure there is much more food in my stomach rather than less. Usually I have paired up alcohol with some snacking (food first of course). I'm going to try more carbs (breads) and less fatty foods, see if that does the trick.

Teln

2013-10-30, 08:36 PM

Bad news for all you fermented grape lovers: There's a wine shortage (http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/29/news/economy/wine-shortage/) on the horizon.

Feytalist

2013-10-31, 02:56 AM

Bad news for all you fermented grape lovers: There's a wine shortage (http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/29/news/economy/wine-shortage/) on the horizon.

Better start stockpiling now.

Then again, over here there's a distinct "keep it local" attitude, especially among wineries. So while the rest of the world might dry up, South Africa's wine cellars will stay stocked :smallbiggrin:

SilentNight

2013-10-31, 03:10 AM

JoshL

2013-11-01, 03:34 PM

Good sake should be cold. Heating it masks the flavors a little (which is why it's usually done with cheap sake...makes it a bit more drinkable). That said, I like hot sake better as well, because I happen to like hot beverages. So if you spring for some nice stuff, be sure to try at least a sip cold (chilled like a wine) to get an idea of what it really tastes like before you heat it. Besides, trying different things in different ways is always fun! There's a pear flavored sake from Oregon I've been getting lately...it's very delicious!

As for gin, I'm not much of a fan and usually sub in vodka, but I'd start with:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronx_(cocktail)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Sling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimlet_(cocktail)
and of course a Long Island Ice Teas are tasty, but that's more a kitchen sink cocktail than a gin cocktail! And, again, they all work with vodka if that's how you roll. Sloe gin makes a tasty mixer too, but not something you'd drink on it's own.

Tomorrow is Dia de los Muertos, so there's a bottle of mezcal at home with my name on it!

Flickerdart

2013-11-01, 03:46 PM

Gentlemen. I come to you in an hour of need. Well, nothing so dramatic, but still.

For a long time, I've laboured under the assumption that I didn't like beer, because the taste of hops is kind of gross. Then I had the fortune to taste one that I actually enjoyed (a microbrew from a restaurant called Heidelberg in Waterloo, Ontario). At that point, I embarked upon a quest to find other kinds of beers that I enjoyed, hampered only by the problem of knowing nothing about beers. My second beer discovery was a Belgian Abbey beer at a Toronto pub. While I don't remember the name, I distinctly remember that it was a dark beer with a very solid flavour transitioning quickly into some kind of fruity stuff and finishing with a strong alcohol kick. I've had every Belgian I could find after moving, but they don't seem to match up.

Any recommendations for beers that match this profile?

TubaMortim

2013-11-01, 04:02 PM

I'm curious about what people in different countries/cultures consider "being drunk". Assuming the standard they where I live (roughly 0.33l of 4.5%, 0.12l of ~12% or 0.04l of 40% being one portion).

I'm Finnish. In a lot of things like coffee, we often substitute quality with quantity. The same applies for alcohol. And as far as I know, we drink a lot. We used to drink a lot in short binges like weekends before, but it has evolved into drinking a lot in short binges AND drinking between those binges.

So, what is "being drunk" to you? We often have a laugh about tv-shows where two people share a six-pack as enough to drink after some rough situation. Personally, I feel the effect of alcohol after 2-3 drinks. When I feel it is really affecting me is way after six or more. If I want to really get drunk, I need more than 12-15 portions of alcohol.

Is this something cultural, something being downplayed by popular media or am I just an alcoholic?

Flickerdart

2013-11-01, 04:40 PM

So, what is "being drunk" to you? We often have a laugh about tv-shows where two people share a six-pack as enough to drink after some rough situation. Personally, I feel the effect of alcohol after 2-3 drinks. When I feel it is really affecting me is way after six or more. If I want to really get drunk, I need more than 12-15 portions of alcohol.
Sounds about right. I think it's tricky to gauge this sort of thing because alcohol takes some time to take effect, so by the time you're done with your tenth drink you might only feel the fifth coming in, or whatever.

TubaMortim

2013-11-01, 05:01 PM

Sounds about right. I think it's tricky to gauge this sort of thing because alcohol takes some time to take effect, so by the time you're done with your tenth drink you might only feel the fifth coming in, or whatever.

That is very true, after drinking something the highest blood alcohol level is reached somewhere after 60-90 minutes as far as I know. Therefore you must account for the total time of the "drinking". Which may be quite a few hours (8+ assuming the "let's drink more than we can remember" protocol) making only the last drinks unnecessary.

Jack Squat

2013-11-01, 05:04 PM

I don't really think that "being drunk" is easily quantified by ingesting an amount of booze, because tolerances vary so much.

Not even really on a person to person basis - if I haven't had a drink in a couple weeks, or if I didn't eat, I can get noticeably buzzed off of 2 drinks, and 4 will be where I become "drunk". But if I've been hanging out with some of my more booze-thirsty friends for a while, 5 drinks don't even phase me.

JoshL

2013-11-01, 05:32 PM

I also do not like hoppy beers (and it's a shame since that seems to be the way of a lot of micro/craft brews, so I've gained a bit of taste for it). Look for stouts (though stay away from anything calling itself a "west coast stout", since that'll be very hoppy. I mean, what the hell.) and you might dig scottish ales. They'll be sweeter, but still more malty.

If you want to try more belgians (I don't care for them much myself), and since you're here in the 'burgh now, go to The Sharp Edge. There's one downtown and one in East Liberty (Friendship Ave...that's where I usually go). They'll have a ton on tap, the staff knows their stuff and they should be able to steer you in the right direction.

Might want to check out barleywines too. As you can tell from the name, hops is not the dominant flavor, and they tend to be very complex and interesting. But they're a love-em-or-hate-em sort of thing, so maybe try one with some friends. Beer is for sharing!

Aedilred

2013-11-01, 06:08 PM

Flickerdart

2013-11-01, 06:56 PM

If you want to try more belgians (I don't care for them much myself), and since you're here in the 'burgh now, go to The Sharp Edge. There's one downtown and one in East Liberty (Friendship Ave...that's where I usually go). They'll have a ton on tap, the staff knows their stuff and they should be able to steer you in the right direction.
I've been there! Wednesday evenings half off is enough to attract any poor college student. Of the stuff I tried there, Brother Thelonius is the least objectionable, though it comes in a little too bitter and doesn't have much of an aftertaste.

Irenaeus

2013-11-01, 08:59 PM

I'm a lover of malt whisky, but I'm a little too drunk to make much of a meaningfull contribution to this thread.

With one possible exeption.

Lagavulin.

I'm curious about what people in different countries/cultures consider "being drunk".

I'm Finnish.Boozemonkeys, the lot of you.

JoshL

2013-11-02, 08:13 PM

If I've learned anything from my Bond film marathon, it's that the correct temperature to serve sake is 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit (body temperature).

I actually find that chilling drinks (and food) masks the flavour more than heating them, although I'm not particularly familiar with sake.

What you SHOULD have learned from that is that you shouldn't listen to anything you learn from Bond films :smallwink: This leads to the people who order martinis, specify mixing preference (bruising the gin makes a minute difference, but does nothing for vodka) but don't specify brand of drink. Gin from the well is crap, shaken OR stirred :smallwink: But, in general you are correct...complex beers for example are better warm or cool, and ice cold is only good for what you don't want to taste. But with sake (like wine) the flavors become more distinct while cold.

Flickerdart, glad you found the Sharp Edge! Brother Thelonius is one of my favorite beer name puns, though I feel much the same way you do about it. I can drink it, but not crazy about it. Again, if hops turn you off, I think you'd really dig the stout parts of life. Oh, and Bellhaven's Wee Heavy. Scottish ale, thick, rich and as the name suggests, a wee bit heavy. Once you've got a better hold on what you like, D's in Regent Square is your next stop. Have a beer or two (and get their fries...my favorite in town) and pick a six to go. Huge selection to choose from to build your own, and prices are pretty decent.

Oh, and if you like smokey, Balticka Porter (#6) is a good find. Dirt cheap, big bottle and very tasty!

Flickerdart

2013-11-02, 09:28 PM

Flickerdart, glad you found the Sharp Edge! Brother Thelonius is one of my favorite beer name puns, though I feel much the same way you do about it. I can drink it, but not crazy about it. Again, if hops turn you off, I think you'd really dig the stout parts of life. Oh, and Bellhaven's Wee Heavy. Scottish ale, thick, rich and as the name suggests, a wee bit heavy. Once you've got a better hold on what you like, D's in Regent Square is your next stop. Have a beer or two (and get their fries...my favorite in town) and pick a six to go. Huge selection to choose from to build your own, and prices are pretty decent.

Oh, and if you like smokey, Balticka Porter (#6) is a good find. Dirt cheap, big bottle and very tasty!
Damn, Regent Square is...not very close at all. I accidentally ended up living in Upper Hill, which has no buses, and it makes getting anywhere a pain. Is there anywhere in Pittsburgh that serves Bellhaven's?

I've also been looking around this place for mead. Got one from Arsenal, but it was too sweet for my liking (I might come back when they have a new batch of off-dry ciders though). Allegedly Piper's serves it, but it's too far to go.

Also, I find it hard to believe that Baltika is anything more than piss grade. Maybe export batches are better than what's sold domestically in Russia, but it has a reputation as poor man's swill.

JoshL

2013-11-02, 09:47 PM

If you're in Upper Hill, Piper's isn't too far. Just across the river...I used to walk from Oakland to South Side all the time (and later from McKee's Rocks, but that's a crazy stupid walk). Piper's is worth the walk though...probably the best scotch menu in town, and a pretty wide beer list. They usually have the regular Bellhaven's on draft, but the Wee Heavy in bottles, so if you're interested in mead, definitely make it out there. Just not on a Friday or Saturday, because the South Side becomes a frat boy nightmare.

Buses in the hill do sort of suck though. And Regent Square is a bit of a hike (if you take a bus into Oakland, I think the 61A will get you there....good to know since the theater there is one of the best in town). And the Baltika reputation as poor-man's swill doesn't surprise me (most of the others, including the #9 dark lager fit that description), but the #6 is definitely a gem in the rough.

Waxing on stuff that is no longer available: the local poor man's crap brew (Iron City) had a "premium" line called Augustiner. Nothing special, as you'd expect, but the Augustiner Dark was a really solid beer and dirt cheap. Better than Negro Modello, but in the same category/price range. Sadly, they don't make it anymore.

Socratov

2013-11-04, 06:47 AM

Anyone out there know some good gin cocktails beside the old faithful that is the G&T? Looking to expand my repetoire a bit.
Wait, let me grab my bible (http://www.amazon.com/The-Bartenders-Bible-Drinks-Everything/dp/0061092207)... Anyway, without having an inkling of what you like, i'll present some cocktails: Bernardo (2 ounces gin, 1/2 ounces cointreau or triple sec, 2 teasp lemnon juice, 2 dashes of bitters 1 lemon twist, shake, strain garnish), Fifty-fifty (1 1/2 ounces gin, 1 1/2 ounces dry vermouth, 1 cocktail olive, stir, strain, garnish) [this is the most basic form of the martini]. and there are a plethora of options. If you have a savvy bartneder (who knows what you like) you can ask him to make a couple of gin based cocktails, and if you like them ask for the recipe.

Gentlemen. I come to you in an hour of need. Well, nothing so dramatic, but still.

For a long time, I've laboured under the assumption that I didn't like beer, because the taste of hops is kind of gross. Then I had the fortune to taste one that I actually enjoyed (a microbrew from a restaurant called Heidelberg in Waterloo, Ontario). At that point, I embarked upon a quest to find other kinds of beers that I enjoyed, hampered only by the problem of knowing nothing about beers. My second beer discovery was a Belgian Abbey beer at a Toronto pub. While I don't remember the name, I distinctly remember that it was a dark beer with a very solid flavour transitioning quickly into some kind of fruity stuff and finishing with a strong alcohol kick. I've had every Belgian I could find after moving, but they don't seem to match up.

Any recommendations for beers that match this profile?
any belgian beer (there are thousands of them, just try them out one by one), try som egerman beers as well. Look for Weiss or the weird german letter instead of ss and you could be well underwayto a happy afternoon drinking german white beers.

I actually find that chilling drinks (and food) masks the flavour more than heating them, although I'm not particularly familiar with sake.
this is true, bu chilling the dirnk or food you effectively use the substance in question to numb the tongue, and thus reduce taste. By warming them you effectively (that is until it's too hot to taste) create the reverse effect.

I'm a lover of malt whisky, but I'm a little too drunk to make much of a meaningfull contribution to this thread.
been *ahem* assuring the quality of the goods *ahem* again? :smallamused:

With one possible exeption.

Lagavulin.

yes, it's nice, not the nicest I've had, but still nice

Boozemonkeys, the lot of you.
at your service!

Anyway, I've recently acquired a new bottle: Malteco Rum. The bottle features a 10, so I've been led to believe it's 10 years old. And it's a gorgeous rum. Not burning in the throat, but warming the senses and making love to your esophagus. I really advice the playground to get a bottle, and get happy.

Flickerdart

2013-11-04, 10:32 AM

any belgian beer (there are thousands of them, just try them out one by one), try som egerman beers as well. Look for Weiss or the weird german letter instead of ss and you could be well underwayto a happy afternoon drinking german white beers.

Weissbiers are too...bland, I guess? They're certainly drinkable, but they don't excite me in proportion to the price tag.

Socratov

2013-11-04, 10:36 AM

Weissbiers are too...bland, I guess? They're certainly drinkable, but they don't excite me in proportion to the price tag.

ok, have you tried the dunkelweizen? (which is the dark version of weissbeer) It's a bit stronger in taste and aroma...

Feytalist

2013-11-04, 11:05 AM

Socratov

2013-11-04, 11:21 AM

Not a fan of Weissbier either. Something in the flavour just doesn't do it for me.

Dunkelweize, on the other hand, I'll happily drink all day long :smallbiggrin: Not so sure about the fruity flavour; that's more pronounced in the weissbier, isn't it?

depends on individual brands, though the dunkel will be more sweet, while the weiss will be a bit more blossomy...

mowerplus

2013-11-09, 02:26 AM

I love a good wine or whisky. Whichever booze is available, I am fine with both. But if I run out of stock, I will just stick to water.

Milo v3

2013-11-09, 03:05 AM

It's disappointing when your the only one in your group of friends who isn't legally allowed to drink.

Hey everyone, lets party and go drinking tonight!
.... Except you Milo v3....

Tebryn

2013-11-09, 03:19 AM

It's disappointing when your the only one in your group of friends who isn't legally allowed to drink.

Can you not go and drink something non-alcoholic? I mean, that's really crappy to do to a person but is there no option for you to go and just skip the beer?

Milo v3

2013-11-09, 03:24 AM

Can you not go and drink something non-alcoholic? I mean, that's really crappy to do to a person but is there no option for you to go and just skip the beer?

They don't let minors in clubs around here, even if I said I wouldn't buy anything alcoholic.

Silverraptor

2013-11-09, 04:03 AM

I don't have much experience yet in different kinds of drinks. But my favorite drink so far is a Margarita on the rocks with extra salt on the rim. The clash of the different flavors of lemon and lime (even though I'm not much a sweet or sour person) mixed with salt (One of my favorite flavors) and often served together with spicy Mexican food (One of my favorite types of food). Getting to taste up to 4 different flavors at once allows my taste buds to rejoice in the deliciousness.:smallbiggrin:

However, the other kind of drinks I try are various kinds of white wines (I don't quite like red). My favorite of the bunch so far is Moscato though. I will probably never drink beer. I can not drink carbonation at all, due to the gag reflex it triggers once it hits my tongue. I've grown up without drinking soda, ever (Except the few times I've tried it before giving up).

Flickerdart

2013-11-09, 12:06 PM

ok, have you tried the dunkelweizen? (which is the dark version of weissbeer) It's a bit stronger in taste and aroma...
I...may have, I don't remember. I've been down to the Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh a few times, so I might have had it there, but if I don't remember then it probably didn't tickle my fancy. Are there any particular brands you recommend?

Socratov

2013-11-10, 07:56 AM

I...may have, I don't remember. I've been down to the Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh a few times, so I might have had it there, but if I don't remember then it probably didn't tickle my fancy. Are there any particular brands you recommend?

Well, I did enjoy Paullaner dunkel weissen a lot, as well as some other brand I forgot about and Grolsch Dunkel Weizen (I don't know if they export it to where you live though, I did see it being made :smallamused:) For the rest they pretty much have the wuality of amusing me... :smallsmile:

On another note, working at a bar, coming home at about 10 in the morning is one thing. A ringing telephone and waking up at 1 pm is not so good after that. Even downright annoying :smallannoyed:. I feel like a zombie now... Ah well, At least I socred a girl's phone number (and yes, it's really hers, I checked through whatsapp)

Mr. Turniphead

2013-11-11, 12:17 AM

I've always been a Cider man myself, specifically Woodchuck, or Redd's.

Feytalist

2013-11-11, 03:16 AM

Well, I did enjoy Paullaner dunkel weissen a lot, as well as some other brand I forgot about and Grolsch Dunkel Weizen (I don't know if they export it to where you live though, I did see it being made :smallamused:) For the rest they pretty much have the wuality of amusing me... :smallsmile:

Paullaner dunkel is very good yeah, one of the best I've had. Coincidentally I had the Grolsch dunkel for the first time yesterday (we were at a sort-of bierfest type thing). It's certainly drinkable. Also the München dunkel, which is quite heavy but really good if you like that sort of thing.

Also tried the weiß of a brand I can't actually remember now. Yeah, no, still not my thing.

Ortesk

2013-11-11, 06:30 AM

To me, cheaper the better. Im sure more expensive tastes better, but i dont drink to enjoy the taste. I drink to not remember whatever it is that caused me to drink. I know, its a horrible trait to have and could lead to being an addict, but i just dont drink for pleasure. So with that being said, i stick to some off brand whiskey (Think the price is 8$ american for a fifth) and call it a night. But also im a stout guy and can go through the fifth before im done in for the night. If a pint could do me in, i would probably buy a little better stuff. Though im curious, what kind of whiskey would match the whiskey from the old west days? Its always depicted as them drinking with ease, but with lack of modern distilleries would it be smooth or is that movies for ya?

Knaight

2013-11-12, 04:19 AM

Its always depicted as them drinking with ease, but with lack of modern distilleries would it be smooth or is that movies for ya?

Distillation can be done reasonably well even on very old equipment, though modern methods certainly make it cheaper (mostly because of what we can do with glass). As such, there were more expensive drinks which were fairly smooth.

There's also the matter of lots of practice behind people drinking with ease. Frontier towns and alcoholism went together fairly often.

Aedilred

2013-11-12, 09:35 AM

To me, cheaper the better. Im sure more expensive tastes better, but i dont drink to enjoy the taste.
This is probably circular.

The trick to sliding into alcoholic oblivion is to enjoy yourself while doing it, which means shelling out for a slightly better class of forget-me-juice. There's no point necking a load of meths to get hammered when you could get the same effect and not hate the stuff you're drinking. Before long you'll start getting home from work and fancying a drink just because you want one, not because you need one. At least, that's what you'll tell yourself.

Though im curious, what kind of whiskey would match the whiskey from the old west days? Its always depicted as them drinking with ease, but with lack of modern distilleries would it be smooth or is that movies for ya?
I imagine that would be rye whiskey, but I'm not by any means an expert on whisky and even less so on anything that's not Scotch. I imagine rye whiskey distilled in a boot in Tombstone would be rather rougher than the stuff available now, but there would have been good (smooth) whisky available then too.

snoopy13a

2013-11-12, 01:25 PM

I've always been a Cider man myself, specifically Woodchuck, or Redd's.

Redd's isn't cider. It is a beer with apple favoring.

Psinoob

2013-11-15, 05:29 PM

For all of you who choose to drink alcohol, what are your favorite drinks?

VODKA, GINGER BEER, FRESH GINGER AND LIME - Saint Bernard 7/10
REDBULL, VODKA - 3/10
OJ, GRENADINE, CHERRY, Amsterdam Berry flavor - If I did it 8/10

Amano666

2013-11-18, 06:58 PM

coconut water rum and gin, that is the calypso vitamin!

Milo v3

2013-11-23, 07:57 AM

Just wondering something, around how many shots of vodka would it take to normally get someone drunk or tipsy or anything?

Socratov

2013-11-23, 08:28 AM

Just wondering something, around how many shots of vodka would it take to normally get someone drunk or tipsy or anything?

just about the same as it would take glasses of beer (or any drink unit): it depends on the body type. Mostly bout 10 or so. 7-8 if you take them in quick succession

DarkLightDragon

2013-11-23, 08:29 AM

*discovers this thread as she is drinking a raspberry cruiser* Mmmm. It's like alcoholic cream soda.

Milo v3

2013-11-23, 08:37 AM

just about the same as it would take glasses of beer (or any drink unit): it depends on the body type. Mostly bout 10 or so. 7-8 if you take them in quick succession

Hmm... Ok... I'm trying to figure out why it took so long for me to get drunk recently... So the reason could possibly be my body type.

What traits would make you take longer to be affected? I'm ridiculously thin, which made me think I would be more effected by the alcohol.

*discovers this thread as she is drinking a raspberry cruiser* Mmmm. It's like alcoholic cream soda.
Cruisers are awesome.

BWR

2013-11-23, 08:41 AM

If you'd eaten a heavy meal recently, that can make it take longer.
A lot of grease also helps. My former supervisor at the U got a tip to drink a large glass (about a pint or half a pint or something absurd like that) of olive oil before going to a reception on a British sub that was in port. Apparantly he could drink quite a lot on a mostly empty stomach thanks to that. A bit unsure about why that worked, but we assumed the oil coated his intestines preventing the alcohol from being absorbed as quickly as it normally would.

Milo v3

2013-11-23, 08:44 AM

Socratov

2013-11-23, 09:45 AM

Well I hadn't eaten anything that night, my friends warned me at the start that I shouldn't drink much because I hadn't eaten anything at all that day aside from two chocolate bars.

well, fatty and creamy foods (I once survived a night of drinking on a Berliner (the baked variety) line the stomach with fats and so on. That makes for a barrier for alcohol to be takenin by the stomach. Similar for the intestines. For the rest a quick metabolism can be of assitance as well as a generally strong liver (lots of enzymes). Usually the bigger you are the better you are at drinking (more blood to solve your alcohol into). Also, please note that the general opinion of drunkedness is not the same as perceived drunkedness... You always think you are more sober than you actually are :smallwink:

Milo v3

2013-11-23, 10:06 AM

well, fatty and creamy foods (I once survived a night of drinking on a Berliner (the baked variety) line the stomach with fats and so on. That makes for a barrier for alcohol to be takenin by the stomach. Similar for the intestines. For the rest a quick metabolism can be of assitance as well as a generally strong liver (lots of enzymes). Usually the bigger you are the better you are at drinking (more blood to solve your alcohol into). Also, please note that the general opinion of drunkedness is not the same as perceived drunkedness... You always think you are more sober than you actually are :smallwink:

I don't think the tiny amount of chocolate to be THAT fatty :smalltongue:
Quick metabolism likely could be a severe factor. My metabolism is annoyingly fast...
Though I'm definitely not big at all. Slightly below average in height and just above "medically underweight".
Finally, well I was drunk "eventually". It just took 7 to 8 beers (which I mainly sculled), three vodka shots, some straight vodka which was sculled, and a shot worth of something which was 40% alcohol... Until all of that I was still annoyingly sobber.

Eulalios

2013-11-23, 10:26 AM

It just took 7 to 8 beers (which I mainly sculled), three vodka shots, some straight vodka which was sculled, and a shot worth of something which was 40% alcohol... Until all of that I was still annoyingly sobber.

YCMV but that might be labeled as "binge drinking," which is a risk factor for mis-spellings, unplanned pregnancies, vehicular homicide, and JimiHendrixDeath.

That said - stop sculling, and you'll find it takes you fewer drinks to feel drunk. There's delays between ingestion, digestion, and intoxication.

Also, as you're in a relatively good location for it, try some quality arrack.

Milo v3

2013-11-23, 10:38 AM

YCMV but that might be labeled as "binge drinking," which is a risk factor for mis-spellings, unplanned pregnancies, vehicular homicide, and JimiHendrixDeath.
I'm completely aware that I went abit... overboard. Though when I noticed I was drunk I called my dad to pick me up immediately. Apparently he thinks that I obviously didn't drink much because I was only barely drunk, so I guess I choose a good time to leave.

That said - stop sculling, and you'll find it takes you fewer drinks to feel drunk. There's delays between ingestion, digestion, and intoxication.
Their was a considerable delay between the scullings, but I'll keep this in mind for the future.

Also, as you're in a relatively good location for it, try some quality arrack.
I have never ever heard of that drink before.

DarkLightDragon

2013-11-23, 11:09 AM

I seem to be a vodka person. I've tried beer and wine and think they're just nasty. I don't even like ginger beer!

That being said, though, I drink pretty rarely.

Cerussite

2013-11-23, 06:29 PM

YCMV but that might be labeled as "binge drinking," which is a risk factor for mis-spellings, unplanned pregnancies, vehicular homicide, and JimiHendrixDeath.

That said - stop sculling, and you'll find it takes you fewer drinks to feel drunk. There's delays between ingestion, digestion, and intoxication.

Also, as you're in a relatively good location for it, try some quality arrack.

I like how you put misspellings up front like it was the worst offender of the four :D

JoshL

2013-11-23, 10:06 PM

drunkeness is dependent upon so many other things (mood, diet, choice of drinks, etc) it's impossible to say at what point one SHOULD be drunk. It's one of those things you learn...some things will hit you harder than others, and sometimes you need to chug faster than others to reach a state of black-out drunk-faced-ness.

For example, as much as I've had today, I should be far more slippy than I am, were it not for real life things intruding. And, again, drinks will hit you in different ways. Learning what does and doesn't work for you is an important part of the process!

Aedilred

2013-11-23, 10:48 PM

I find I often get ambushed by drunkenness at weddings, and I think I've worked out the culprit. There just isn't enough food! I have a rough idea of where my boundaries are between "pleasantly tipsy", "merrily drunk" and "hammered" but these tend to assume that I'm not doing so on an empty stomach. Wedding food - even when you have a dinner or the like - tends to be dainty and, crucially, contain relatively little in the way of carbs, which means that a bottle or so of wine floors me.

In the event I ever get married, there will be copious quantities of hearty, booze-soaking food, and I'll hope the guests take the hint.

Another time when that was always a problem was work drinks at my old company. They'd drink heavily for several hours and only go for food very late. If you suggested eating you'd be sneered at - "eating's cheating!" I found this attitude rather depressing; I feel that I grew out of it when I was about twenty, to be honest.

Overkill

2013-11-23, 10:55 PM

At my parents house for thanksgiving break.

I just found out they had a bottle of bottled in bond bourbon that they did not drink because they do not even like bourbon. I am totally smashed on it.

snoopy13a

2013-11-24, 03:13 PM

Just wondering something, around how many shots of vodka would it take to normally get someone drunk or tipsy or anything?

There are tons of variables involved.

First, for blood alcohol content:

1) The alcohol content of the vodka. Many brands of vodka are around 40% (80 proof) but it can vary.
2) How big the shots are. In America, for example, "shots" are defined at 1.5 ounces (44 mL) of a 80-proof liquor.
3) How much you weigh.
4) Your sex. Because they have a higher proportion of body fat per weight, women will get a higher blood alcohol content from drinking (even if they are at the same weight).

In addition, other factors include:

1) Tolerance. Regular drinkers will require a higher BAC to feel drunk or tipsy.
2) How tired you are. If you are sleepy, you'll feel drunk or tipsy at a lower BAC.
3) If you have an empty stomach. Again, you'll feel drunk or tipsy at a lower BAC.

At one extreme, a petite woman who is not a regular drinker might feel drunk after two shots of vodka. A large, heavy-set man who is a heavy drinker might need ten shots to feel the same effect.

Tebryn

2013-11-24, 03:26 PM

Currently working on a Ghost Chili Vodka. I think perhaps I'm committing a war crime.

Juggling Goth

2013-11-24, 04:11 PM

I used to drink cask ale until I found out it mostly wasn't vegetarian. Now I drink bottle-conditioned ale, red wine or rose wine at home, and either lager or cocktails when I'm out. Preferably good lager - Sam Adams or Budweiser Budwar (that's the Czech Budweiser, not the American one) for preference.

Cocktail-wise I like Cosmopolitans, Sea Breezes, Mojitos, Dark 'n' Stormies and Tokyo Slings. The latter seemed to only exist in Scream chain pubs for a few months - it's vodka, midori, apple juice and lemonade. It's a lurid shade of green and it's delicious. Another one-bar-only cocktail I really liked was East of India - vodka, strawberry and pomegranate puree and grated ginger. Mmmm.

I only have one drink on an outing these days, so if somewhere has an excellent choice then I just have to make several visits.

I also discovered the other day that Funkin Mojito Mix tastes amazing mixed with apple juice. I think maybe you go to the special hell if you mix it with booze and claim it's an actual Mojito, but damn, it tasted good in apple juice.

Milo v3

2013-11-24, 09:36 PM

There are tons of variables involved.

First, for blood alcohol content:

1) The alcohol content of the vodka. Many brands of vodka are around 40% (80 proof) but it can vary.
2) How big the shots are. In America, for example, "shots" are defined at 1.5 ounces (44 mL) of a 80-proof liquor.
3) How much you weigh.
4) Your sex. Because they have a higher proportion of body fat per weight, women will get a higher blood alcohol content from drinking (even if they are at the same weight).

In addition, other factors include:

1) Tolerance. Regular drinkers will require a higher BAC to feel drunk or tipsy.
2) How tired you are. If you are sleepy, you'll feel drunk or tipsy at a lower BAC.
3) If you have an empty stomach. Again, you'll feel drunk or tipsy at a lower BAC.

At one extreme, a petite woman who is not a regular drinker might feel drunk after two shots of vodka. A large, heavy-set man who is a heavy drinker might need ten shots to feel the same effect.

1) Not sure, I didn't get a good look at the bottle.
2) Not sure, first time I've had shots. Didn't even know there was different sizes.
3) Don't know my exact weight. But it's close to being medically underweight for my height so that probably makes me much more susceptible to alcohol.
4) Male. So that's in my favour I guess.

1) Opposite of a regular drink. Third time ever drinking any alcohol. First time I had more than two drinks.
2) I was rather tired. Haven't slept well in months.
3) Empty stomach... well i did eat two chocolate bars... But I don't there enough to count.

Feytalist

2013-11-25, 04:15 AM

Over here we have what we call normal shot glasses, and "Imperial" shot glasses. The Imperial is roughly twice as big as the normal one, but I have no idea of their actual measurements.

Also, confirmed lightweight chiming in. I can get slightly sloshed on about 3 shots taken in quick succession. Which is why I generally stick to wine and beer :smallbiggrin: I'm also rather short and scrawny, so that's why I guess.

I'll also mention that it can depend on what you drink. Different kinds of alcohol can certainly have different effects on you (and anyone who says otherwise have never had to weather a brandy hangover). It's an acknowledged fact among my friends that milk stout makes you stupid drunk. And while I can drink red wine all night long, after a single glass of white wine I need to go have a lie-down.

Zrak

2013-11-28, 12:51 PM

I have never ever heard of that drink before.

It can refer to a wide variety of beverages, under several different spellings, many of which are mostly unrelated to one-another. The similarly-spelled arak, the name of which also varies slightly place-to-place, is an anise-flavored drink.

I used to drink cask ale until I found out it mostly wasn't vegetarian.

Just as a warning, isinglass and gelatin are both used as clarifying agents in other alcohol, especially wine. I think Rum is the only spirit you really need to worry about, but I never really looked into it since rum is a waste of precious whiskey space. :smallwink:

(and anyone who says otherwise have never had to weather a brandy hangover)

Really? I can't even remember ever getting a hangover from brandy, come to think of it, let alone it being particularly bad.

Socratov

2013-11-28, 01:03 PM

It can refer to a wide variety of beverages, under several different spellings, many of which are mostly unrelated to one-another. The similarly-spelled arak, the name of which also varies slightly place-to-place, is an anise-flavored drink.

I know it as Raki, Pastis, Sambuca, Ouzo. It's basically whatever mediterranian country names their too sweet to drink alcohol

Just as a warning, isinglass and gelatin are both used as clarifying agents in other alcohol, especially wine. I think Rum is the only spirit you really need to worry about, but I never really looked into it since rum is a waste of precious whiskey space. :smallwink:

rum is not clarified. You put molasses (i.e. sugarcane), water and yest into a bin, let it ferment, and distill the alcohol right out (no clarification needed after distilling). Oh, and good rum can be on par with and in some cases even better then a good w(h)isk(e)y. It's all a question of product quality. The kicker is that rum is a great deal cheaper then w(h)isk(e)y, which helps a lot as a student

Really? I can't even remember ever getting a hangover from brandy, come to think of it, let alone it being particularly bad.
product quality? :smallcool:

Zrak

2013-11-28, 03:17 PM

I know it as Raki, Pastis, Sambuca, Ouzo. It's basically whatever mediterranian country names their too sweet to drink alcohol
Some of the stronger, unsweetened varieties with a little bit of water are actually manageable.

rum is not clarified. You put molasses (i.e. sugarcane), water and yest into a bin, let it ferment, and distill the alcohol right out (no clarification needed after distilling). Oh, and good rum can be on par with and in some cases even better then a good w(h)isk(e)y. It's all a question of product quality. The kicker is that rum is a great deal cheaper then w(h)isk(e)y, which helps a lot as a student
Fair enough, I didn't really see why you'd need to clarify something distilled, but I assumed the people who told me knew better since, again, I tend to avoid rum.
I think the latter part depends on taste and where you live. It's pretty easy to find good, cheap whiskey and even good, cheap whisky here in the states, especially Rye. Rittenhouse, in particular, was a staple of my college days. I've had pretty highly-regarded rums without much caring for them, though I'll always take recommendations. It's never too late to be wrong. :smallwink:

Dilkington

2013-11-28, 04:06 PM

Half a bottle of JD poured into a portion of lime jelly mix. Serves about three normal people from experience. Or one shameless alcoholic, I guess.

Feytalist

2013-11-29, 02:52 AM

Really? I can't even remember ever getting a hangover from brandy, come to think of it, let alone it being particularly bad.

Brandy is sort-of the go-to drink of choice besides beer over here. So we consume a lot of brandy, mostly mixed with Coke (yeah... that happens). Also:

product quality? :smallcool:

This :smallcool:

Sub-par quality brandy hangovers are... murderous.

I know it as Raki, Pastis, Sambuca, Ouzo. It's basically whatever mediterranian country names their too sweet to drink alcohol

Word.

JoshL

2013-11-29, 11:02 PM

Socratov

2013-11-30, 07:17 AM

Hangover avoidance tip: before you sleep, chug a couple glasses of water. As much as you can. The only hangovers I've ever had have been when I did not do that.

It's been Tullamore Dew for me this evening, since the store was a) out of Jameson and b) the dew was on sale.

Tullamore Dew is a fine whiskey, no doubt (I even prefer it to Jameson). Among my close friends it is one part of the heart medicine.

Socratov's medicine for the heart
ingredients:

1 heartbroken person
2 or more close friends
1 bottle of Tullamore Dew (more if more friends are present)
1 case of cigars
1 evening
a number of glasses equal to the number of people present

Instructions:

apply Tullamore Dew to glasses. The fulles glass goes to the heartbroken person. Hand cigar to each person. Light cigars, sip whiskey and tell stories to help heartbroken person deal with predicament, emotional comments are encouraged here. Encourage heartbroken person to take another drink. Should the heartbroken person's glass near emptiness, refill to the dose marked 'a double whiskey'. repeat until bottle empty or until heartbroken person is sufficiently inebriated, whichever comes sooner. Make sure heartbroken person get's to bed in safe manner. Initiate hangover support tactics next morning (fried eggs with bacon on toast, cheese, fried tomato slices and spices optional).

This method has been tested only on male persons so far. Testing on female persons has yet to be done. (If you see opportunity, please carry out tests and report on results).

Juggling Goth

2013-11-30, 08:43 AM

Just as a warning, isinglass and gelatin are both used as clarifying agents in other alcohol, especially wine. I think Rum is the only spirit you really need to worry about, but I never really looked into it since rum is a waste of precious whiskey space. :smallwink:

Yeah, it's very frustrating. Thus my jump to cocktails! Especially when stuff that has no need to be fined with animal products (well, nothing does really - there are vegetarian and vegan things that will do the job) is anyway. People who fine porter, non-cask beer and lager with isinglass especially deserve my wrath.

Socratov

2013-11-30, 04:23 PM

Well, I'll be off in a couple of minutes to facilitate inebriety, encourage lewd behaviour and promote general debauchery. Wish me luck :smallcool:

(that means I will be working behind the bar within a couple of minutes)

Feytalist

2013-12-02, 03:58 AM

So we might have gone overboard with the Tequila Sunrises this weekend. But damn is it tasty.

And pretty.

Initiate hangover support tactics next morning (fried eggs with bacon on toast, cheese, fried tomato slices and spices optional).

In our case, this is preceded by a glass of flavoured milk. Soothes the heavily bruised mind and body :smallbiggrin:

Knaight

2013-12-02, 03:07 PM

I know it as Raki, Pastis, Sambuca, Ouzo. It's basically whatever mediterranian country names their too sweet to drink alcoholo
If by "too sweet to drink" you mean "best" then sure. Though I would note that Ouzo usually comes in much stronger and less sweet than the others, and all of them are amazing coffee flavorings.

Socratov

2013-12-03, 05:11 AM

If by "too sweet to drink" you mean "best" then sure. Though I would note that Ouzo usually comes in much stronger and less sweet than the others, and all of them are amazing coffee flavorings.

well, this might be a manner of taste, but I really don't like anis liqueuer, whatever the tyupe or brand. I'd rather put some irish in my coffee or grand marnier(/triple sec/cointreau)

Knaight

2013-12-04, 02:45 AM

well, this might be a manner of taste, but I really don't like anis liqueuer, whatever the tyupe or brand. I'd rather put some irish in my coffee or grand marnier(/triple sec/cointreau)
I'm somewhat biased in favor here, if only because anise is a serious contestant for favorite spice. Plus, none of the others work in liquor (unless I'm underestimating the versatility of lemon grass, lemon pepper, or cumin).

Socratov

2013-12-04, 04:15 PM

I'm somewhat biased in favor here, if only because anise is a serious contestant for favorite spice. Plus, none of the others work in liquor (unless I'm underestimating the versatility of lemon grass, lemon pepper, or cumin).

that would explain a lot. So, just to check, you must like fennel seeds as well? (if you don't know thewm, try them, you might love them to bits).

Knaight

2013-12-05, 02:34 AM

that would explain a lot. So, just to check, you must like fennel seeds as well? (if you don't know thewm, try them, you might love them to bits).

I quite like fennel. It's not quite at the anise level, but it's among my favorites. Plus, it works to eat straight.

Socratov

2013-12-08, 12:11 PM

I've got something to practise now:

some cool trick (http://9gag.com/gag/aAY02DL)

TheThan

2013-12-15, 07:15 PM

So I’ve got a stupid question:

About how much does a common bottle of wine hold? I’ve got none handy, to figure it out and wikipedia’s no help.

edit
never mind, I found it

Flickerdart

2013-12-15, 11:01 PM

Some good booze experiences and some bad booze experiences last night:
Good: Added Chimay Grand Reserve and Leffe Blonde to my list of likable beers, although the Leffe was almost too smooth and didn't really have the subtle undertones I was hoping for.
Bad: The worst Old Fashioned ever.

Don Julio Anejo

2013-12-16, 05:23 AM

My parents (well, mom) keep buying Henessey VS. I'm getting used to good things way too fast when I visit, and then despair at the sad state of my liquor cabinet (err, really more like a corner where I keep my 1.5 bottles of moonshine and a whiskey box full of bottlecaps).

Though I do have a mickey of Ouzo sitting there and waiting for my birthday, courtesy of a friend.

I really need to start buying better stuff.

Feytalist

2013-12-17, 04:00 AM

Bad: The worst Old Fashioned ever.

I think that's some sort of sacrilege.

I really need to start buying better stuff.

That's what I keep telling myself. And I'm probably going to keep telling myself that, right up until I buy that $23k bottle of Balvenie :smallbiggrin:

The silly thing is, I always spring for the good stuff when I visit my friends (the gift you both can use!), but my own collection is sadly underwhelming.

I got to try a local gin apparently made from the local fynbos this weekend. I don't generally do gin, but it was pretty darn good, actually.

Tebryn

2013-12-17, 07:55 AM

Made some Ghost Chili Vodka. Tried it out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM0yhkE_eSA). Don't do it.

Socratov

2013-12-17, 08:42 AM

I really need to start buying better stuff.

I keep wantign to buy better stuff, but fortunately my money-minded brain doesn't lose total control when in a liquor store. I spend max. €35,= on a bottle of booze. (Also, booze is expensive here, not lik ein scandianvia, but still expensive)

Mammal

2013-12-17, 01:07 PM

Socratov

2013-12-17, 02:43 PM

So I have discovered that I apparently loose track of time when I drink. 7 shots in 40 minutes was not my wisest decision ever, but at least I went to bed before I could do anything really stupid.

Also, it turns out I'm one of about 4 people on the planet who prefers straight gin to gin & tonic.

Funny, I swing the othwer way, I actually prefer tonic over other kinds of soda. though a measure or 3 of gin go a long way in improving it.

Nadevoc

2013-12-18, 10:31 PM

The Fury

2013-12-18, 10:52 PM

I mostly drink rum and Coke (or other soda) or, if I'm feeling less classy, Four Loko. Rum because it makes me a pirate and because I'm a complete wimp so I wanted something I could mix into something to cover it. Four Loko because it was a big thing at my best friend's college and he introduced me to it, so it's kind of a nostalgic thing (plus again covers the alcohol).

I can't drink whiskey; something about it disagrees with me pretty strongly.

I feel like I should venture into other things, but I'm not really knowledgeable enough to pick things out.

Just as full disclosure, I very rarely order a drink that doesn't start with "pint of," or "shot of," so take whatever recommendations I give with a grain of salt.

If you feel like trying other stuff, maybe I could suggest ciders? It seems like you might like a little bit of sweet with your booze, though a lot of ciders are a bit more dry than sweet. Pear cider though tends to be a little sweeter, give that a try if you haven't yet.

Nadevoc

2013-12-18, 11:04 PM

Just as full disclosure, I very rarely order a drink that doesn't start with "pint of," or "shot of," so take whatever recommendations I give with a grain of salt.

If you feel like trying other stuff, maybe I could suggest ciders? It seems like you might like a little bit of sweet with your booze, though a lot of ciders are a bit more dry than sweet. Pear cider though tends to be a little sweeter, give that a try if you haven't yet.

I actually have tried ciders. I probably misrepresented my experience; I've tried beer, cider, gin, and whiskey.

Amber cider I really like, though it's been a *long* time since I've had any. I just kinda forgot about it; probably since it's usually kept in amongst the beers, and I don't care for beer.

Now that you've reminded me, I think I'll find somewhere around here that sells cider and pick some up for this weekend/my week off, so thanks for that! I'll see if I can find any pear cider so I can give that a try, too.

The Fury

2013-12-20, 02:13 AM

I actually have tried ciders. I probably misrepresented my experience; I've tried beer, cider, gin, and whiskey.

Amber cider I really like, though it's been a *long* time since I've had any. I just kinda forgot about it; probably since it's usually kept in amongst the beers, and I don't care for beer.

Now that you've reminded me, I think I'll find somewhere around here that sells cider and pick some up for this weekend/my week off, so thanks for that! I'll see if I can find any pear cider so I can give that a try, too.

Let me know what you're able to find! Just about any decent bottle shop or taproom has cider available. Though I tend to forget that not everyone lives in a town that has those. Then again, like you said cider is generally kept and sold alongside beer, and I guess you don't like beer.

Now that I've gone back and read most of the thread...

And I am NOT in favor of all these over-hoppy stouts (the so called "west coast stout") I'm seeing these days. Glad other people like hoppy beers...but I don't.

This is a little embarrassing. I live on the West Coast, I drink beer, yet I'm not sure what a "West Coast stout" is. I gather it's more of a California thing? A cursory Googling seems to indicate it's dark and super-hoppy. I guess it's sort of like what we'd call a CDA, (Cascadian Dark Ale)?

JoshL

2013-12-20, 02:10 PM

I don't think "west coast stout" is an official name, as it were, but more slang among beersnobs. I don't know how common the usage is; maybe not so much if you haven't heard it. They're a bit different than the CDAs, which are still pretty thin-bodied like any other ale. They're definitely stouts, just more hoppy than malty. It's by no means a strictly west coast thing, but it started there. I've only heard the term bandied about in the past couple years or so, but mostly because of expressing my frustration at icky stouts around people who discuss these things more than I :smallwink:

Craft brewing (that term sounds more pretentious each time I say it, but it is more accurate than microbrew these days) in the US is getting over hoppy in general, so it only makes sense that people who like IPAs but don't like stouts would try to make a stout they like. But for those of us who DO like stouts and NOT IPAs, it can be a bit disappointing when you want to try something new. I mean, I'm pretty open to new things (I really hope the brew house near me does their mint stout again, though I'm the only one of my friends who liked it. They also did a "wheat wine" barleywine-style that is my favorite thing they've ever done. So delicious!) But if you bought an IPA and it was heavy and malty, you'd probably be disappointed that it was so far from what you were expecting.

What I learned this week is that a glass of absinthe will dull some of the sharp hoppy notes in the beer that follows. Had a Saranac Black Forest ale, which is a decent dark ale and pretty inexpensive so I often have it around. It's just on the edge of too hoppy for my tastes, but after the absinthe, it was wonderful. I will have to try the same method with both a rich malty stout that I already love and with a beer that I usually find too hoppy to enjoy. For SCIENCE!

Flickerdart

2013-12-20, 02:30 PM

What I learned this week is that a glass of absinthe will dull some of the sharp hoppy notes in the beer that follows. Had a Saranac Black Forest ale, which is a decent dark ale and pretty inexpensive so I often have it around. It's just on the edge of too hoppy for my tastes, but after the absinthe, it was wonderful. I will have to try the same method with both a rich malty stout that I already love and with a beer that I usually find too hoppy to enjoy. For SCIENCE!
Interesting...I have half a bottle lying around, I'll have to investigate. SCIENCE!

Also, had two more beers I didn't mind: another Belgian, which was kind of disappointing after Chimay, and Blanche de Chambly, which was very drinkable but a little bland; sort of like Blue Moon but better.

Milo v3

2013-12-20, 07:11 PM

..... Well... Drunk messaging the girl I like last night could've gone better.... *Facepalm*

Lady Tialait

2013-12-21, 05:44 AM

I have just joined a great DnD group. The guys have been playing sense the late 80's (like...'89) on one campaign.

The best part about this group is they always have a few bottles of alcohol to take shots of while we play. Everyone brings a bottle and we all enjoy each other's stuff.

Last week I brought some Vodka, and the week before I brought some Whiskey... Give me a suggestion for next time guys! Something we can take shots of and a Rum drinker, a Vodka drinker, and a Whiskey drinker can enjoy.

Socratov

2013-12-21, 06:37 AM

..... Well... Drunk messaging the girl I like last night could've gone better.... *Facepalm*
:smallbiggrin: Yeah, that happens. Lasst night I called my best friend while she was in bed already. It was half past 3 or something (don't look at me like that, when I'm drunk I don't know what time it is. )

I have just joined a great DnD group. The guys have been playing sense the late 80's (like...'89) on one campaign.

The best part about this group is they always have a few bottles of alcohol to take shots of while we play. Everyone brings a bottle and we all enjoy each other's stuff.

Last week I brought some Vodka, and the week before I brought some Whiskey... Give me a suggestion for next time guys! Something we can take shots of and a Rum drinker, a Vodka drinker, and a Whiskey drinker can enjoy.

Well, if it's a nautical campaign sort of thing, get The Kraken (it's a spiced rum) it has the added benefit of allowing you to say "UNLEASH THE KRAKEN!" when you open the bottle.

Oh, and now for my story: I went to a cocktail party last night. I am currently questioning what the flying fornication made me think that was a good idea. On another note, Rusty nails are seriously bad for you, trust me.

SowZ

2013-12-21, 06:45 AM

I like my beer black as sin, heavy and hoppy. My wine red and dry. Mixed drinks should not lack in alcohol and preferably have cream. Irish cream's even better. Mixed, rum is good but vodka's better. Rice drinks, from sake to horchata, are delicious served at the right temperatures and awful otherwise. Whiskey should be drunk bitter. Tequila with shaved ice. And mead is for those nights before a big battle.

Flickerdart

2013-12-21, 10:27 AM

Well, if it's a nautical campaign sort of thing, get The Kraken (it's a spiced rum) it has the added benefit of allowing you to say "UNLEASH THE KRAKEN!" when you open the bottle.
Seconding Kraken. Good rum, and the bottle also looks fantastic.

Aedilred

2013-12-21, 11:40 AM

Starting to build up a decent whisky collection, which will probably last until the next time I have people over. Including now a Japanese whisky called Hakushu which a friend brought over for me; I've no idea what it's like but looking forward to trying some.

Nadevoc

2013-12-21, 05:10 PM

Let me know what you're able to find! Just about any decent bottle shop or taproom has cider available. Though I tend to forget that not everyone lives in a town that has those. Then again, like you said cider is generally kept and sold alongside beer, and I guess you don't like beer.

Oh, I figure I can find pretty much any type of booze in my town, especially common stuff. It was just a matter of finding a liquor store, since I just moved like a month ago. And really, it was as much remembering where one was as finding one, since I knew I'd driven past a couple.

And no, I don't like beer, though admittedly I've only had cheap beer. In general, though, I don't like bitter things.

I ended up picking up three kinds of cider, since it's pretty cheap and decent enough to drink whenever. All from Woodchuck, which is the first cider I tried.

Amber, which I knew I liked.

Crisp, which I'm still not really sure what the heck it is. It seems like amber cider with a simpler, not as dry taste.

Pear, which again seems to be more straight-forward taste-wise. A touch sweeter, and maybe with a slight sour note to it.

I skipped the granny apple cider since I knew I didn't care for that so much. All three are good, but I think I still prefer amber.

Seconding Kraken. Good rum, and the bottle also looks fantastic.

I'll go ahead and back this up, too. Good rum with a fun name and cool bottle.

Lady Tialait

2013-12-21, 06:12 PM

I think Kraken it will be then. Given that today is my birthday and game day...it should be fun.

JoshL

2013-12-21, 07:30 PM

Happy birthday and happy D&D! (where at least one of the Ds is for Drinking!)

I want to love the Kraken (again, awesome bottle/label, and I do tend to like 'em dark), but it's a bit too spiced for my tastes. Definitely worth a try though, and very appropriate for a gaming group. And I love the idea of bringing a game appropriate bottle.

Zrak

2013-12-22, 12:12 AM

Kraken is one of the rums to which I least object; I would drink if it were given to me or otherwise offered for free, which is more than I can say for most rum.

Lady Tialait

2013-12-22, 02:33 AM

Kraken was not a hit. Luckily as it was my B-day I brought a bottle of Crown. Right now, I'm a little messed up.

Zrak

2013-12-22, 04:27 AM

Whisky: Saving parties from Rum and other mistakes since around 1405. :smalltongue:

Seriously, though, hope you had a good birthday and a fun gaming session. :smallsmile:

Socratov

2013-12-22, 09:11 AM

Kraken was not a hit. Luckily as it was my B-day I brought a bottle of Crown. Right now, I'm a little messed up.
sorry the Krake ndidn't work out. Happy Birthday :smallsmile:

Whisky: Saving parties from Rum and other mistakes since around 1405. :smalltongue:

Seriously, though, hope you had a good birthday and a fun gaming session. :smallsmile:

whisky at a party is great, so long as you all share the same taste in whiskies. While rum is generally less differentiating in that respect.

2xMachina

2013-12-22, 10:17 AM

Hmm, I generally dislike the taste of alcohol (tho, I only tried a few types)

Only one I liked was a mix of local palm wine and Guinness.

Aedilred

2013-12-22, 11:21 AM

Hmm, I generally dislike the taste of alcohol (tho, I only tried a few types)

Only one I liked was a mix of local palm wine and Guinness.
I'd suggest trying something with a low alcohol content, or something where the alcohol flavour is subdued in comparison with others. Low-strength ale (3-4%) or wine (>13.5%) might be a reasonable place to start. I've never met anyone who doesn't like port, either, although if you're very sensitive to the taste of alcohol maybe work up to that. (Good) whisky is great, with balance between the flavours and a relatively mild alcoholic taste, but is probably a bit formidable for a relative drinking novice. Steer clear of brandy, especially cognac.

Flickerdart

2013-12-22, 03:38 PM

Hmm, I generally dislike the taste of alcohol (tho, I only tried a few types)

Only one I liked was a mix of local palm wine and Guinness.
Give some wheat beers and Belgian beers a try. They tend to have a more fruity and aromatic taste without the prominent bitterness of most beer, and are very drinkable at a reasonable level of alcohol content. Ciders or mead might also be more to your liking.

Gnoman

2013-12-22, 04:23 PM

Try the Woodchuck seasonals. Autumn is particularly nice, though Summer's good too.

JoshL

2013-12-28, 08:50 PM

Just heard a local bar is going to crack open a cask of the Goose Island BCBS (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1146/10672) on 1.24. Haven't had it, but it sounds exactly up my alley so I'll have to check that out.

Right now, got that bottle of Jameson I wanted a few weeks ago. This is my new year's/goodbye 2013. Glad to see it go, but the drinks are nice.

Chambers

2013-12-29, 09:56 PM

About three fingers of Jameson. If I'm feeling froggy I'll throw an ice cube or two in there.

Yazoo (http://yazoobrew.com/) is my favorite local brew. Yazhoo Pale Ale goes great with pretty much everything, including Black & Tans.

Don Julio Anejo

2013-12-29, 11:19 PM

Give some wheat beers and Belgian beers a try. They tend to have a more fruity and aromatic taste without the prominent bitterness of most beer, and are very drinkable at a reasonable level of alcohol content. Ciders or mead might also be more to your liking.
So much this.

Good place to get started:

Konig Ludwig and Paulahner (sorry, can't do fancy German characters like umlauts) for wheat beer.

Leffe, Hoegaarden for Belgian blondes. There are a few other good ones, but prices rise sharply.

Flickerdart

2013-12-30, 03:22 AM

So much this.

Good place to get started:

Konig Ludwig and Paulahner (sorry, can't do fancy German characters like umlauts) for wheat beer.

Leffe, Hoegaarden for Belgian blondes. There are a few other good ones, but prices rise sharply.
When I had Leffe Blonde, it was almost too smooth. Curiously, I've never had Hoegaarden - is it similar?

Feytalist

2014-01-06, 03:53 AM

Socratov

2014-01-06, 04:23 AM

So I'm the first to admit I know precious little about white wine.

But last week I spent some time with a lovely lady with an astounding amount of wine knowledge, and coincidentally in a very winey region. Spent two very enjoyable days wine tasting and comparing, and I learnt so much. First of which is that I might actually get to enjoy the white stuff some day, and second is that Pinot Noir is really bloody delicious. Who knew.

I made a few strategic purchases and will explore this further, at my leisure.

(which is to say, I'll be drinking a lot of wine in the next few months :smallbiggrin:)

congratulations on exploring a new avenue of inebriation. And yes, Pinot Noir is delicious, though I must say that a red Saumur is my favorite thus far.

at new years I had the good fortune to celebrate my birthday and get booze, some bad (glen talloch, blech), some fair (jameson, yummie), and a trio of old whisky: Ballantines 17 y/o, Chivas Regal 18 y/o and Glenlivet 18 y/o (****ing fantastic) and 3 belgian beers: Pauwel Kwak, Brugse Zot en Steenbrugge Tripel. As if I wasn't happy enough, over Christmas my grandfather has his presents left: excellent beers like Gulden Draak and an assortment of other belgian beers. A good start of the year I'd say.

Feytalist

2014-01-06, 06:42 AM

We killed a bottle of Glenlivet 12yr on new year's, and that went over really well. I can just imagine what the 18yr tastes like.

We actually also went on a short beer-tasting trip (this holiday was... busy :smallbiggrin:), and I found another beer I quite enjoy; "made in the Belgian brewing tradition", called Birkenhead Pale. Deliciously malty. Very probably only available in my corner of the world, though.

Karoht

2014-01-08, 10:51 PM

When my brother turned 18 (legal canadian drinking age) I decided to encourage a bit of wisdom in the boy by making for him a bit of a special gift. I bought some Habanero peppers, and put them into a full bottle of tequilla. The idea that he was supposed to have a sip or two a day, maybe not every day, but often enough that he would eventually consume it all, and learn to appreciate it without guzzling it.

Nearly 10 years later, the peppers are bone white. The tequilla went from that mildly yellow tinge to a bright orange color. The stuff is liquid fire. It's very woody, tastes like you are licking the planks of an extremely hot sauna. He made it through about a quarter of the bottle at most. So we have 500 ml of the stuff left (two cups, give or take). I'm thinking of marinading some chicken in it (lightly marinading that is) and grilling it with the sweetest BBQ sauce I can find. Or just straight honey. Thoughts?

Or can anyone suggest some stuff to mix it with that might be fun? I've always enjoyed spicy booze but this stuff... we are literally playing with fire here.

So I'm the first to admit I know precious little about white wine.
But last week I spent some time with a lovely lady with an astounding amount of wine knowledge, and coincidentally in a very winey region. Spent two very enjoyable days wine tasting and comparing, and I learnt so much. First of which is that I might actually get to enjoy the white stuff some day, and second is that Pinot Noir is really bloody delicious. Who knew.
I made a few strategic purchases and will explore this further, at my leisure.

(which is to say, I'll be drinking a lot of wine in the next few months :smallbiggrin:)Please tell me that you'll also be spending time with the lovely lady too.

Don Julio Anejo

2014-01-09, 12:11 AM

When I had Leffe Blonde, it was almost too smooth. Curiously, I've never had Hoegaarden - is it similar?
It's actually.. even smoother than Leffe. It's also both less bitter and less sweet and tastes much closer to German Heffeweizen's. Still worth a serious try, though most people who aren't into Blondes would probably prefer the Leffe.

When my brother turned 18 (legal canadian drinking age)
You Albertans, you :smalleek:
Though I probably shouldn't complain since I had a Saskatchewan fake ID when I was that age.

Feytalist

2014-01-09, 04:04 AM

I'm thinking of marinading some chicken in it (lightly marinading that is) and grilling it with the sweetest BBQ sauce I can find. Or just straight honey. Thoughts?

Honey sounds good. It's a standard ingredient in our chicken marinade, but of course mine only includes salt and lemon juice, not death pepper tequila. Still, sounds like it could work.

Please tell me that you'll also be spending time with the lovely lady too.

Well, here's to hoping :smallbiggrin: Met her during the vacation, we'll see how it goes. I am rather infatuated, I must say.

Flickerdart

2014-01-09, 12:13 PM

It's actually.. even smoother than Leffe. It's also both less bitter and less sweet and tastes much closer to German Heffeweizen's. Still worth a serious try, though most people who aren't into Blondes would probably prefer the Leffe.
Had a Hoegaarden last night, didn't find it objectionable but not as good as Leffe - I don't think Blondes are my thing. Also got my hands on a bottle of Westvleteren 12, which was absolutely fantastic. I also had some Delirium Tremens which seemed okay, but by that point in the night I wasn't sufficiently sober to really gauge the flavour well.

Karoht

2014-01-09, 06:24 PM

It's actually.. even smoother than Leffe. It's also both less bitter and less sweet and tastes much closer to German Heffeweizen's. Still worth a serious try, though most people who aren't into Blondes would probably prefer the Leffe.

You Albertans, you :smalleek:
Though I probably shouldn't complain since I had a Saskatchewan fake ID when I was that age.Le GASP!

@Death Pepper Chicken
I think I might soak it for all of two hours, pull it out, cut off a piece and fry it, give it a taste, see how hot it is. I plan on marinading at least one piece for a full 12 hours, but no more than that. Chances are I will probably have to do a few test batches out before I do the actual recepie.
On that note, anyone ever cooked with tequilla before? What goes well with it? Mostly just citrus and sweet?

EmeraldRose

2014-01-09, 07:23 PM

Tonight, I'm having a lovely Toasted Head Cabernet. Truly nice and dry...

Talya

2014-01-09, 07:29 PM

irrelevant

How can a guy calling himself Don Julio Anejo not mention Tequila?

OP:
Alcohol and mixing is something of a hobby of mine. Now, I do like a decent scotch neat, but mixing cocktails is fun. Let me introduce you to a few great recipes.

Talya's Margarita

I've been trying to perfect the margarita for over ten years. It is not nearly as complicated as people think. First of all, a real margarita is not blended, it's on the rocks, and it doesn't use any mix.

What you need:
A good tequila blanco. Not gold. There's a reason for this. Gold tequilas are aged in wooden barrels to soften the agave flavor and provide richer flavor tones. They're for sipping. However, they taste terribly bland in a mixed drink. Silver tequilas are aged in steel barrels, so the agave flavor is still strong.

Avoid Sauza/Cuervo. Avoid anything that isn't 100% agave, and a lot of stuff that is. If you can afford it, Patron Silver is about the easiest to find decent quality tequila, but I'm of the opinion it's overpriced and not that spectacular. My preferred brand for mixing is 1800 Silver Select - careful, it's 100 proof. (Cuervo recently bought the 1800 distillery, but they didn't change how it's made. It's still pretty good.)

Triple Sec. I've noticed in America that triple secs can come in low alcohol content varieties. Avoid these. Cointreau is a bit expensive, but it's the type of thing you should be looking at. The triple sec you purchase should be no less than 36% (72 proof). Note: Some people use Grand Marnier here, and call it a "top shelf" margarita. This is a good drink, but it ceases to be a margarita if you're using Grand Marnier, which is actually orange-flavored brandy, not triple-sec. It changes the flavor slightly, and is very expensive.

Lime Juice.

Pour 4 parts tequila, 3 parts triple sec, and 1 part lime juice over ice. Shake. Pour. Perfect on a hot day. It will hit like a mack truck, and is easy to drink as juice, so be careful.

The Healthy Mojito

People don't realize that the mojito is actually one of the lowest calorie cocktails in existence. It is, however, a real pain in the arse to mix, so I tend to make it by the pitcher, rather than the glass.

What you need:
6 oz. White Rum
3 oz. Lime Juice
20 Mint Leaves
Diet 7-up/Sprite 1 can.
A single teaspoon of coarse sugar
Lots of ice.

Muddle the mint leaves with 3 oz. of lime juice and the coarse sugar (which helps grind/muddle the mint leaves.) Do this THOROUGHLY. (I sometimes sit there watching TV and muddling for 15 minutes.

Fill a pitcher with ice. Pour in the muddled mint leaves and lime juice.
Add 6 oz. white rum. Pour in the full can of diet 7-up/sprite. Stir.

Pour to your friends.

The REAL Strawberry Daiquiri

You don't need ice!
What you do need:
A lot of frozen strawberries.
6 oz. White Rum
3 oz. Lime Juice
3 tablespoons sugar (change to taste, if you want sweeter or less sweet.)
A blender.

put the sugar (instant-dissolving if you can get it), rum and lime juice in the blender first, and blend it until the sugar is dissolved. Start dropping in the still frozen strawberries, one at a time, while the blender is on maximum speed. Do this until the blender is full. Serve! The frozen strawberries keep the drink thick even if you drink slowly and they melt.

Note: If you like drinks made with Gin, always use Bombay Sapphire. I know James Bond swears by Gordon's, but no. Bombay Sapphire is the only gin that's remotely tolerable.

For neat/straight alcohol, my personal individual favorites:
Scotch: Glenmorangie 12 year sherry cask.
Irish: Tulamore Dew
Bourbon: Maker's Mark
Rye/Canadian: 40 Creek Copper Pot*
Tequila: Los Azulejos Tequila Anejo. (Don Julio is good too!)

* - As a Canadian, i feel obliged to point out...

I also love whisky, and I spell it like that because I currently drink Canadian whisky (Crown Royal, to be exact)

You're drinking the crap we export the most of. That's not the good stuff.

Lioness

2014-01-10, 02:50 PM

Speaking of tequila...

What can we mix it with that isn't a margarita?

Thinking soft drink, juice, etc.

I love tequila but I can't really imagine mixing it with anything to drink casually.

JoshL

2014-01-10, 03:27 PM

Juice is usually the way to go. I'm more for straight booze than cocktails, but I enjoy the occasional tequila sunrise (tequila, orange juice and grenadine).

Aedilred

2014-01-10, 03:46 PM

Speaking of tequila...

What can we mix it with that isn't a margarita?

Thinking soft drink, juice, etc.

I love tequila but I can't really imagine mixing it with anything to drink casually.
There is a variant on the Bloody Mary known as the Bloody Maria which replaces the vodka with tequila. I think I actually slightly prefer it to the classic Bloody Mary, although you need a little more tomato juice as the tequila has a stronger flavour which can otherwise be overpowering.

Here's a rough guide to how I make mine:

2 parts tequila
5/6 parts tomato juice depending on taste (if using vodka, use the juice in 2:1 proportions)
a generous dash of lemon juice
1 dash worcestershire sauce
1 dash tabasco sauce
1 pinch celery salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Shake/roll with ice, strain and serve with celery, lemon or (if feeling indulgent) skewered prawns sauteed in chilli and garlic.

Talya

2014-01-10, 04:16 PM

Juice is usually the way to go. I'm more for straight booze than cocktails, but I enjoy the occasional tequila sunrise (tequila, orange juice and grenadine).

Indeed. Tequila works with anything citrus-y.

(Note that the classic margarita is orange, lime and tequila.)

Good golden tequila anejo should be taken neat, like scotch.

Knaight

2014-01-10, 04:26 PM

Nearly 10 years later, the peppers are bone white. The tequilla went from that mildly yellow tinge to a bright orange color. The stuff is liquid fire. It's very woody, tastes like you are licking the planks of an extremely hot sauna. He made it through about a quarter of the bottle at most. So we have 500 ml of the stuff left (two cups, give or take). I'm thinking of marinading some chicken in it (lightly marinading that is) and grilling it with the sweetest BBQ sauce I can find. Or just straight honey. Thoughts?

This seems good to me. I'd be tempted to go the other direction though - marinade some chicken in it, then deep fry the chicken after it's been in batter. Ensure the batter has some chopped fresh jabanero, and deep fry it in oil that has some sort of hot pepper sauce added. I recommend naga viper pepper, but there are other options.

That said, I also consider straight japanero to be a good food, so I might not be the best source here.

Don Julio Anejo

2014-01-10, 07:45 PM

How can a guy calling himself Don Julio Anejo not mention Tequila?
Pschhh, my presence on the forum is mention enough! Don Julio is so good, it needs no mention.

Tequila: Los Azulejos Tequila Don Julio Anejo. (Los Azulejos Tequila is good too okay, I guess, if you don't have any Don Julio!)

There, corrected it for you!

Though in full matter of disclosure, I lost my taste for tequila over the years and am now a cognac-and-cigar type.

Xuc Xac

2014-01-11, 09:39 AM

Had a Hoegaarden last night, didn't find it objectionable but not as good as Leffe - I don't think Blondes are my thing. Also got my hands on a bottle of Westvleteren 12, which was absolutely fantastic.

You didn't even know what Hoegaarden is and you got to drink a Westvleteren 12? That's like giving a Ferrari to someone who thinks it's nice because they like red cars. I'm killing you with my mind right now. :smallannoyed:

Talya

2014-01-11, 11:52 AM

You didn't even know what Hoegaarden is and you got to drink a Westvleteren 12? That's like giving a Ferrari to someone who thinks it's nice because they like red cars. I'm killing you with my mind right now. :smallannoyed:

hahahaha...

Heck, even I would like to try a Westvleteren 12, but i'm not a huge beer fan. If I had the opportunity, I'd demand a sip and give the rest to my husband.

Flickerdart

2014-01-11, 06:58 PM

You didn't even know what Hoegaarden is and you got to drink a Westvleteren 12? That's like giving a Ferrari to someone who thinks it's nice because they like red cars. I'm killing you with my mind right now. :smallannoyed:
I had the Westvleteren after I had the Hoegaarden, so technically you are wrong. :smallamused:

Socratov

2014-01-13, 07:39 AM

I had the Westvleteren after I had the Hoegaarden, so technically you are wrong. :smallamused:

score :smallamused:

Anyway, Westvleteren 12 is fine, way better then the 8, but to me I'd take the 6 any time (I am a fan of blonds and triples and less a fan of doubles and quadruples...). Also, some time ago I tasted the Gulden Draak, and I must say it's pretty good.

Oh, and Jura 10. It's fantastic.

Flickerdart

2014-01-13, 01:51 PM

I'll try and track those down.

I also ran into St. Bernardus, which despite starting out as the same recipe as Westvleteren, actually tastes thinner.

AtlanteanTroll

2014-01-14, 05:08 PM

Smirnoff Ice Crisp Apple is very nummy. That is all.

Lither

2014-01-17, 03:52 AM

Everything at room temperature. I find that cooling it or heating it reduces the flavour.

I've always been a stickler for mid-quality drinks. I'm a spirit drinker mostly (nothing below 40% ABV when it comes to spirits), and when it comes down it it, rum for me, lots of rum (and I'm drinking some now, actually). Local or Cuban. Generally Beenleigh or Havana Club - they're both really good drinks that are quite underpriced for their value. Can't stand white rums, though, I much prefer dark rums. Don't get me started on how I hate bundy rums for poisoning the market.

If it's not rum, it's scotch. Good, single malt scotch. Generally I don't like too much smokiness in it, and too little doesn't feel like scotch.

If I'm not drinking spirits, I'll be drinking stout, generally in an area where getting very drunk is not an option. High-alcohol stuff is bottled around here, and it's pretty decent. I won't touch any other kind of beer, though. Sometimes apple cider, very rarely vodka, as I prefer something with a bit more flavour neat and flavoured vodkas usually taste like sugary alcohol. I've never understood their attraction, but then again I was never big on soft drinks beyond ginger ale as a child.

For wine, if there's only lager or wine available I'll drink red, port if it's on option.

Sometimes I've dabbles in liqueurs, in those cases it's usually been whisky/ wine and butterscotch/ cream. They're more for entertaining guests than anything else though.

I won't mix what I'm drinking. I've tried, but I've never liked the result. I like exploring the flavour.

I've wanted to get my hands on decent absinthe, though. The only "absinthe" where I'm from is just flavoured alcohol, not proper absinthe.

Flickerdart

2014-01-19, 11:04 PM

Having worked my way up through stouts to the Strom King, I must say that they're not my thing. I dig the whole "complex flavours, then alcohol kick" thing it shares with Trappists, but the coffee thing rubs me the wrong way.

Next step is to start branching our from hefeweizens into other German beers, starting with Unser Aventinus. I'm really surprised at the smell of this beer - it has a very complex profile that I haven't noticed in anything before. The taste itself is smooth like the Leffe was, and not really my thing, though.

Didn't get into it. Next up: Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen. This stuff smells like smoked cheese, which is interesting, and I look forward to the flavour once I let it warm up a bit.

Edit: Flavour is weird and salty. Germany, did you make a beer that tastes like bacon?

Zrak

2014-01-20, 12:59 AM

too much smokiness

I'm not sure what you mean. This phrase just doesn't make sense.

Zrak

2014-01-20, 01:08 AM

Having worked my way up through stouts to the Strom King, I must say that they're not my thing. I dig the whole "complex flavours, then alcohol kick" thing it shares with Trappists, but the coffee thing rubs me the wrong way.

If you'd like something with a little less coffee, try a few wood-aged stouts, some Imperial Stouts, or some of the stout-like winter ales. Great Divide's Oak-Aged Yeti Imperial Stout offers all of the complexity of the regular Yeti, but trades in the chocolate/coffee edge for some vanilla. A lot of imperials tone down the coffee aspects, simply for lack of room in the flavors, but some of them end up with a weird soy-sauce thing; Stone's Imperial Stout is a particularly egregious soy-sauce offender. I think Avery's winter beer (Jubilation), Pyramid's winter seasonal, and one of the random surprisingly-good-Sam-Adams-seasonals are basically stouts with spices.

Have you looked into barleywine at all? You might dig barlyewine.