Adult Beverage Thread (Mostly Booze)

[andydp]

It'a about to get serious folks !!  Note: its not just Vermont !!

“It is a global issue. A lot of it has been exacerbated by the pandemic. It’s not going to be a quick fix,” said Vt. Department of Liquor and Lottery Deputy Commissioner Wendy Knight"


www.wcax.com/2021/07/08/vermont-experiencing-hard-liquor-shortages/

[Bact PhD]

You couldn’t have proven it by my experience in St. Pete the other night. The bar at the hotel where we stayed seemed to be well enough stocked —at least for what it was I had.

[andydp]

With the pending shortage of "adult" beverages looming I was presceint last year when I purchased twelve bottles of 100 Proof Rebel (Yell) (RY) Bourbon to go with my regular 87 Proof supply of Rebel (Yell) Bourbon.  The RY 100 is excellent neat or on ice.

For those of you not familiar with RY it was established "Fourteen years before the great victory at Chicamagua" by EL Weller.  I was introduced to RY around 1970 by an African American Major in our ROTC detachment. I have never looked back.  I find it much smoother than Jack Daniel's. ** (I also think George Dickel Bourbon is smoother.)  Up to about 20 years ago, RY was not available north of the Mason-Dixon Line.  Closest I could get it was Maryland.  Fortunately, cooler heads have prevailed and it is now available in the North.

The distillery also makes some premium bourbons under the name "Weller".  Lux Row Distillers has carried on the RY name and reputation.  

If you see RY in your local establishment I recommend trying a bottle.  I use the "regular" 80 proof for mixing or as a base for Bourbon Manhattans. 

** I took the Jack Daniels' distillery tour.  The guide advised us JD was NOT Bourbon but "Tennessee Sippin' Whiskey".  

[AnBr]

And even Dickel does not seem as good as it used to be.

[andydp]

Jul 10, 2021 21:50:32 GMT AnBr said:

And even Dickel does not seem as good as it used to be.

Our taste buds are getting jaded. Probably messed up from the MD 20-20

[indy]

If this thread, as the title indicates, is 'mostly booze', what are the other Adult Beverages that are going to be discussed? And, more importantly, do I really want to know?

[andydp]

Jul 11, 2021 0:19:09 GMT indy said:

If this thread, as the title indicates, is 'mostly booze', what are the other Adult Beverages that are going to be discussed? And, more importantly, do I really want to know?

The intro to this “chapter” says beer, wine and “other” fun subjects. “Booze” was missing its own thread.

Feel free to tell us about the most fantabuloso Martini, Margarita or Manhattan you’ve ever had.

Failing that tell us about your first WCTU meeting.

[andydp]

In June this year, I won a Bourbon Basket at a car show.  Among the bourbons, was a bottle of "Isaac Bowman Bourbon" aged in Port Wine Barrels.  Bowman has two or three bourbon varieties, the port wine aged one is a keeper.

During the summer, a super James Bond loving friend celebrated his 65th birthday.  Since he's such a Bond aficionado, in lieu of an Aston Martin DB5, I bought him a bottle of Old Grand Dad 100 and a bottle of I. W. Harper Bourbon.  Contrary to popular beliefs, aside from the "shaken not stirred" Vodka Martinis, 007 liked his bourbon and partakes of it in several of his adventures.  The famous Haig "Pinch Bottle" Scotch has also apppeared.

I am currently finishing a bottle of Jim Beam Devil's Cut and will start an in depth study of the I.W. Harper.

[LFC]

Coffee is a sorta' adult beverage, though less so with those froo-froo Starbucks "coffee" drinks. Here's more about some of the compounds found in coffee and whether they appear to be good for you or not.

[andydp]

A couple of weeks ago, some friends from NJ gifted us a bottle of "Jersey Apple Hooch" (19.5% ABV) from the Jersey Spirits Distilling Co.

I'm not a big fan of sweet or cutsey liquors but this one became an instant hit.  You can drink it plain with ice or mix with some apple cider.  Either way, its great.  Their web site provides all the details and you can order on line. 

www.jerseyspirits.com/

Since they do not sell in my area, I'll be forced to visit the distillery at some later date.

Happy new year to all.

[LFC]

I feel like such a slouch. Not on my best day. Maybe on my best week.

The animal kingdom is full of boozers. From moose who hoof down fermented apples and get stuck in trees to garden squirrels getting hammered on gone-off pears, and, of course, those weird naked apes who drink until swallowing spiky catfish, shaking hands with a lion and joining your own search party seem like good ideas. There is another, however, who scores pretty highly on the mammalian crunk chart: Hamsters.

Popular as pets and common throughout the world, there are 19 species across seven genera in the subfamily Cricetinae, which contains all the hamsters. Throughout the course of scientific discovery, they’ve also become a common subject for scientific research, some of which directly centers around their affinity for alcohol.

In an enlightening thread shared on Twitter, Dr Tom Lawton, critical care consultant for the Bradford Institute for Health Research, touched on some of the drinking talents of the humble hamster.

“In conversation with @microlabdoc [Dr Christine Peters] earlier, I discovered that not everyone knows of the hamster's prodigious capacity for alcohol,” wrote Lawton. “They love it so much they prefer to drink 15% ethanol instead of water and can tolerate relative quantities that would kill a human.”

Given the choice, they will consume up to 20g/kg ethanol a day - equivalent to a "standard man" drinking 21 bottles of wine each day.

[andydp]

Just had my first taste of Old Elk Armagnac Cask Finished Bourbon. 

A bit sharp at the beginning, but very smooth at the end.  (Perhaps due to its 108.5 proof.) Here's their "lineup".  Based on the quality of the Armagnac version, I'd say you can't go wrong, whatever your choice.

shop.oldelk.com/

[andydp]

Just made a Leopold Brothers Manhattan with their 86 proof American Small Batch Whiskey.

Super smooth !! Highly recommended either on the rocks or in a mixed drink (for company).  Definitely a "top shelf" item.

Here's the web site:

www.leopoldbros.com/home

I had the occasion to try their gin in a couple of Gin and Tonics.  Superb !

[LFC]

I like Ryan Reynolds and decided to try his Aviation Gin. It's pretty good with nice lightly spicy flavors and a little smooth something that reminds me a bit of vanilla. I guess I'm kind of traditional, though, and I prefer juniper to be the most obvious flavor in gin. BTW I'll take any recommendations for heavily junipered gin.

I did recently polish off a bottle of Sipsmith gin which was very smooth. Not quite as junipery as I'd like but still very good.

Just for fun here's a great video made by Reynolds and Hugh Jackman over their supposed feud. Aviation Gin features prominently.

[pnwguy]

Micro-distilling was the next step here in Portland after 35 years of successful micro-brewing. Aviation gets lots of publicity since Ryan bought into them. Since Portland has had so much bad press in the past 18 months, we'll take his cheerleading.

I was in Iceland in early October, and tried a cucumber-infused gin from Reykjavik that I like. I brought some back duty-free, but I've never seen any spirits from Iceland sold in the US.

[LFC]

Jan 5, 2022 22:25:08 GMT pnwguy said:

I was in Iceland in early October, and tried a cucumber-infused gin from Reykjavik that I like. I brought some back duty-free, but I've never seen any spirits from Iceland sold in the US.

My problem with gin these days is that it's becoming like vodka where it could be any flavored clear alcohol, making "gin" and "vodka" kind of meaningless. Then there's the abuse of the term "martini" which now practically means anything alcoholic served in a martini glass.

[goldenvalley]

Alcohol fads...my 25 year old was saying that all his friends order Old Fashioneds and have I tried Stolichnaya vodka? I said Old Fashioneds were the cool drink of his granddad's era and Stoli is sooo '90's.  Everything old is new again...

[pnwguy]

Jan 6, 2022 1:00:01 GMT LFC said:

Jan 5, 2022 22:25:08 GMT pnwguy said:

I was in Iceland in early October, and tried a cucumber-infused gin from Reykjavik that I like. I brought some back duty-free, but I've never seen any spirits from Iceland sold in the US.

My problem with gin these days is that it's becoming like vodka where it could be any flavored clear alcohol, making "gin" and "vodka" kind of meaningless. Then there's the abuse of the term "martini" which now practically means anything alcoholic served in a martini glass.

This Icelandic gin is still definitely gin.  Juniper is the dominant flavoring, with just a hint of cucumber in the finish.  But I know what you're getting at.  Look in any liquor store and there must be 20 different vodka "flavors" now.

If it's a martini I'm ordering, I want Beefeater, Tangueray, or Bombay Saffire in there, with 3 olives, and not much more than an aerosol spray of vermouth in the glass.

[LFC]

Jan 6, 2022 17:08:29 GMT pnwguy said:

If it's a martini I'm ordering, I want Beefeater, Tangueray, or Bombay Saffire in there, with 3 olives, and not much more than an aerosol spray of vermouth in the glass.

Reminds me a bit of Hawkeye's martini recipe in M*A*S*H:

"Five parts gin and one moment's silence for the vermouth."

[pnwguy]

Jan 6, 2022 17:14:19 GMT LFC said:

Jan 6, 2022 17:08:29 GMT pnwguy said:

If it's a martini I'm ordering, I want Beefeater, Tangueray, or Bombay Saffire in there, with 3 olives, and not much more than an aerosol spray of vermouth in the glass.

Reminds me a bit of Hawkeye's martini recipe in M*A*S*H:

"Five parts gin and one moment's silence for the vermouth."

Of course at the 4077, you can make gin from potatoes, but vermouth starts with wine (or grapes) -- a more difficult ingredient to secure at an army camp.  You can't rely on Klinger for everything.

[andydp]

Jan 6, 2022 17:14:19 GMT LFC said:

Jan 6, 2022 17:08:29 GMT pnwguy said:

If it's a martini I'm ordering, I want Beefeater, Tangueray, or Bombay Saffire in there, with 3 olives, and not much more than an aerosol spray of vermouth in the glass.

Reminds me a bit of Hawkeye's martini recipe in M*A*S*H:

"Five parts gin and one moment's silence for the vermouth."

However... you can purchase vermouth soaked olives. 

I also remember one of Hawkeye's recipes as waving the Gin in front of a picture of the man that invented Vermouth.

I also have to make a plug for "Genever Gin".  Described as "what gin was like before the Brits got to it". 

The more famous version is from Bols (it used to come in a crockery bottle.) I have found a slightly smoother version called: Hofland Jenever.  I recommend either one as a change of pace from the usual London Drys

[andydp]

Jan 6, 2022 17:02:22 GMT goldenvalley said:

Alcohol fads...my 25 year old was saying that all his friends order Old Fashioneds and have I tried Stolichnaya vodka? I said Old Fashioneds were the cool drink of his granddad's era and Stoli is sooo '90's.  Everything old is new again...

I've stuck with Bourbon as a base for many years.  From Bourbon Sours to on the rocks, its been my go to alcohol of choice.  

If you've read my postings I use Rebel Yell** (RY) exclusively for mixed drinks.  Not a Scotch whisky drinker, but the many varieties of Bourbons are a constant exploration.  

I have mentioned before, I use "well" level vodka or gin as mixers.  No sense masking the good stuff with orange juice or tonic. For a quality vodka I've gotten used to Svedka Vodka from Sweden.  For Gin/Vodka and Tonic: whatever the New Hampshire state store is selling for $10/1.75L. I don't do martinis, but I would use the Irish or Jenever Gin in my basement.

I do have to add: my favorite line in a movie was said by Jim Backus in its a Mad (X5) World:  "What can go wrong with an Old Fashioned ?"

** Rebel Yell changed its name to RY for a while, but changed to "Rebel".  I'm assuming referencing the "great victory at Chicamagua" will not work in the current "environment".

[Bact PhD]

Jan 6, 2022 17:02:22 GMT goldenvalley said:

Alcohol fads...my 25 year old was saying that all his friends order Old Fashioneds and have I tried Stolichnaya vodka? I said Old Fashioneds were the cool drink of his granddad's era and Stoli is sooo '90's.  Everything old is new again...

The next thing I expect to hear out of Dear Daughter and her BF (he's partial to Moscow Mules) is whether I've ever heard of White Russians? Ohhh, yeeeesssss (grad school, '90s)...

[goldenvalley]

Jan 6, 2022 21:43:26 GMT Bact PhD said:

Jan 6, 2022 17:02:22 GMT goldenvalley said:

Alcohol fads...my 25 year old was saying that all his friends order Old Fashioneds and have I tried Stolichnaya vodka? I said Old Fashioneds were the cool drink of his granddad's era and Stoli is sooo '90's.  Everything old is new again...

The next thing I expect to hear out of Dear Daughter and her BF (he's partial to Moscow Mules) is whether I've ever heard of White Russians? Ohhh, yeeeesssss (grad school, '90s)...

Oh yeah I can't find it now but somewhere in the last week I read about '90's drinks making a comeback...Long Island Ice Tea, Blue Lagoons, Tequila Sunrise.  

[andydp]

Jan 6, 2022 21:48:11 GMT goldenvalley said:

Jan 6, 2022 21:43:26 GMT Bact PhD said:

The next thing I expect to hear out of Dear Daughter and her BF (he's partial to Moscow Mules) is whether I've ever heard of White Russians? Ohhh, yeeeesssss (grad school, '90s)...

Oh yeah I can't find it now but somewhere in the last week I read about '90's drinks making a comeback...Long Island Ice Tea, Blue Lagoons, Tequila Sunrise.  

I remember "Harvey Wallbangers" as being effective in getting your date "tipsy".  Later, I found that Grand Marnier and Hot Cocoa was pretty good at that too.