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Celebrate with alcohol! (ITT WE BOOZE)
Shogun
Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get alongRegistered User regular
Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get alongRegistered User regular
With the holidays, particularly New Year's Eve, comes a special time when your inhibitions relax a bit and you say to yourself, "Self, lets get with some friends and have a few drinks and celebrate." The holidays are good time to celebrate if you're of age and maybe even if you aren't. Some kids have cool parents and whatnot.
So the purpose of this thread is to post and revere the best drinks out there. The OP will take some time to build as I want to cover every type of hard liquor available starting with the best each type has to offer and then some of each type's other alternatives. I'd also like to discuss beer as beer is pretty good. As long as you're drinking good beer. The first person to mention Natty Light gets hit in the face with sock full of pennies. However I am avoiding wine and champagne for this discussion. I'm sure lots of people do drink it and it may even have health benefits but I do not plan on covering either in this thread unless people strike up their own conversations.
So, Shogun you fuckface, what exactly is hard liquor? Of course we look to Wikipedia because we're lazy and its probably accurate enough to get the point across.
"A distilled beverage is a consumable liquid containing ethyl alcohol (ethanol) purified by distillation from a fermented substance such as fruit, vegetables, or grain. The word spirits generally refers to distilled beverages low in sugars and containing at least 35% alcohol by volume. Absinthe, baijiu, brandy, gin, grappa, rum, tequila, vodka, whisky, and traditional German schnapps are types of spirits. Distilled beverages with added flavorings and a relatively high sugar content such as Grand Marnier, Frangelico and American style schnapps are generally referred to as liqueurs. Fortified wines are created by adding a distilled beverage to a wine. The term liquor may mean spirits; spirits and liqueurs; or all alcoholic beverages, including wine, sake, beer, and mead."
Well that is cool. I'm not stupid, but what exactly is beer?
"Beer is the world's oldest and most popular alcoholic beverage. It is produced by the fermentation of sugars derived from starch-based material — the most common being malted barley; however, wheat, corn, and rice are also widely used, usually in conjunction with barley. Less widely used starch sources include millet, sorghum and cassava root in Africa, potato in Brazil, and agave in Mexico, among others."
So now that we've got the afterschool special part out of the way let us get on to the types of hard liquor most readily available at your local booze store.
Gin
Vodka
Mix it up
Tom Collins
So ITT we shall discuss your favorite spirits, beers, etc and your favorite mixed drinks. As I continue to do research I will add to each liquor's section suggested good brands and cheaper alternatives. I'd also like to hear about people's crazy concoctions they've made as I'm sure we've all gotten creative with what we've had at one point. If you'd like to contribute to the OP feel free to post or PM me with your information/pics/links or whatever and I'll get right on it.
Also someone came through and did a ninja edit in my post. I can only hazard to guess who it was.
So the purpose of this thread is to post and revere the best drinks out there. The OP will take some time to build as I want to cover every type of hard liquor available starting with the best each type has to offer and then some of each type's other alternatives. I'd also like to discuss beer as beer is pretty good. As long as you're drinking good beer. The first person to mention Natty Light gets hit in the face with sock full of pennies. However I am avoiding wine and champagne for this discussion. I'm sure lots of people do drink it and it may even have health benefits but I do not plan on covering either in this thread unless people strike up their own conversations.
So, Shogun you fuckface, what exactly is hard liquor? Of course we look to Wikipedia because we're lazy and its probably accurate enough to get the point across.
"A distilled beverage is a consumable liquid containing ethyl alcohol (ethanol) purified by distillation from a fermented substance such as fruit, vegetables, or grain. The word spirits generally refers to distilled beverages low in sugars and containing at least 35% alcohol by volume. Absinthe, baijiu, brandy, gin, grappa, rum, tequila, vodka, whisky, and traditional German schnapps are types of spirits. Distilled beverages with added flavorings and a relatively high sugar content such as Grand Marnier, Frangelico and American style schnapps are generally referred to as liqueurs. Fortified wines are created by adding a distilled beverage to a wine. The term liquor may mean spirits; spirits and liqueurs; or all alcoholic beverages, including wine, sake, beer, and mead."
Well that is cool. I'm not stupid, but what exactly is beer?
"Beer is the world's oldest and most popular alcoholic beverage. It is produced by the fermentation of sugars derived from starch-based material — the most common being malted barley; however, wheat, corn, and rice are also widely used, usually in conjunction with barley. Less widely used starch sources include millet, sorghum and cassava root in Africa, potato in Brazil, and agave in Mexico, among others."
So now that we've got the afterschool special part out of the way let us get on to the types of hard liquor most readily available at your local booze store.
Gin
"Gin is a spirit flavoured with juniper berries. Distilled gin is made by redistilling white grain spirit which has been flavoured with juniper berries. Compound gin is made by flavouring neutral grain spirit with juniper berries without redistilling and can be considered a flavoured vodka.
The most common style of gin, typically used for mixed drinks, is London dry gin. London dry gin is made by taking a neutral grain spirit (usually produced in a column still) and redistilling after the botanicals are added. In addition to juniper, it is usually made with a small amount of citrus botanicals like lemon and bitter orange peel. Other botanicals that may be used include anise, angelica root and seed, orris root, licorice root, cinnamon, coriander, and cassia bark.
Distilled gin evolved from the Dutch spirits jonge- and oude- Jenever or Genever (young and old Dutch gin), Plymouth gin, and Old Tom gin. Compound gin is gin where the juniper flavouring is added to the neutral spirit and there is no redistillation. Sloe gin is a common ready-sweetened form of gin that is traditionally made by infusing sloes (the fruit of the blackthorn) in gin. Similar infusions are possible with other fruits, such as damsons.
A well-made gin will be relatively dry compared to other spirits. Gin is often mixed in cocktails with sweeter ingredients like tonic water or vermouth to balance this dryness."
A lot of people love them some Tanqueray and even more love this shit called Bombay Sapphire. Neither of them compare to Plymouth. The first person to say otherwise dies a most painful death because gin is my favorite spirit and if you haven't had Plymouth you haven't lived a full life yet. It costs around $20-25 for a 750ml bottle. I've only found it in a single liquore store in my entire city but right now it is on sale for $15/bottle. This stuff is amazingly smooth. Think of Plymouth as the Grey Goose of gin.
Rum
The most common style of gin, typically used for mixed drinks, is London dry gin. London dry gin is made by taking a neutral grain spirit (usually produced in a column still) and redistilling after the botanicals are added. In addition to juniper, it is usually made with a small amount of citrus botanicals like lemon and bitter orange peel. Other botanicals that may be used include anise, angelica root and seed, orris root, licorice root, cinnamon, coriander, and cassia bark.
Distilled gin evolved from the Dutch spirits jonge- and oude- Jenever or Genever (young and old Dutch gin), Plymouth gin, and Old Tom gin. Compound gin is gin where the juniper flavouring is added to the neutral spirit and there is no redistillation. Sloe gin is a common ready-sweetened form of gin that is traditionally made by infusing sloes (the fruit of the blackthorn) in gin. Similar infusions are possible with other fruits, such as damsons.
A well-made gin will be relatively dry compared to other spirits. Gin is often mixed in cocktails with sweeter ingredients like tonic water or vermouth to balance this dryness."
A lot of people love them some Tanqueray and even more love this shit called Bombay Sapphire. Neither of them compare to Plymouth. The first person to say otherwise dies a most painful death because gin is my favorite spirit and if you haven't had Plymouth you haven't lived a full life yet. It costs around $20-25 for a 750ml bottle. I've only found it in a single liquore store in my entire city but right now it is on sale for $15/bottle. This stuff is amazingly smooth. Think of Plymouth as the Grey Goose of gin.
"Rum is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane byproducts such as molasses and sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak and other barrels. The majority of rum production occurs in and around the Caribbean and along the Demerara River, Guyana in South America, though there are rum producers in places such as Australia, India, Reunion Island, Mauritius, and elsewhere around the world.
Rum is produced in a variety of styles. Light rums are commonly used in Cocktails, while golden and dark rums are appropriate for use in cooking as well as cocktails. Premium brands of rum are also available that are made to be consumed neat or on the rocks.
Rum plays a part in the culture of most islands of the West Indies, and has famous associations with the British Royal Navy and piracy. Rum has also served as a popular medium of exchange that helped to promote slavery along with providing economic instigation for Australia's Rum Rebellion and the American Revolution."
I am not much a rum drinker however my best friend is. He as well as several other people have highly recommended 10 Cane rum. I've only had it a couple times but in comparison to the other rums I have had (Meyer's, Appleton Estate) this stuff was very good.
WhiskeyRum is produced in a variety of styles. Light rums are commonly used in Cocktails, while golden and dark rums are appropriate for use in cooking as well as cocktails. Premium brands of rum are also available that are made to be consumed neat or on the rocks.
Rum plays a part in the culture of most islands of the West Indies, and has famous associations with the British Royal Navy and piracy. Rum has also served as a popular medium of exchange that helped to promote slavery along with providing economic instigation for Australia's Rum Rebellion and the American Revolution."
I am not much a rum drinker however my best friend is. He as well as several other people have highly recommended 10 Cane rum. I've only had it a couple times but in comparison to the other rums I have had (Meyer's, Appleton Estate) this stuff was very good.
"Whiskey refers to a broad category of alcoholic beverages that are distilled from fermented grain mash and aged in wooden casks (generally oak).
Different grains are used for different varieties, including: barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize (corn). Whisky derives from the Gaelic word for "water" (uisce or uisge), and is called in full uisge-beatha (in Scotland) or uisce beatha (Ireland), meaning "Water of Life". It is related to the Latin aqua vitae, also meaning "water of life".[1] It is always Scotch whisky, and Irish whiskey.
The first written record of whisky comes from 1405 in Ireland,[2] where it was distilled by monks.[1] It is also mentioned in Scotland in 1496.[3] However it is thought that whisky had already been around for at least several hundred years prior. When or where whisky was first distilled is unknown and the local, undocumented beverage production during the period makes identification of the drink's origin difficult. Additionally, it is possible that different groups discovered processes of distillation completely independently of one another."
Different grains are used for different varieties, including: barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize (corn). Whisky derives from the Gaelic word for "water" (uisce or uisge), and is called in full uisge-beatha (in Scotland) or uisce beatha (Ireland), meaning "Water of Life". It is related to the Latin aqua vitae, also meaning "water of life".[1] It is always Scotch whisky, and Irish whiskey.
The first written record of whisky comes from 1405 in Ireland,[2] where it was distilled by monks.[1] It is also mentioned in Scotland in 1496.[3] However it is thought that whisky had already been around for at least several hundred years prior. When or where whisky was first distilled is unknown and the local, undocumented beverage production during the period makes identification of the drink's origin difficult. Additionally, it is possible that different groups discovered processes of distillation completely independently of one another."
Vodka
"Vodka is one of the world's most popular distilled beverages. It is a clear liquid containing water, ethanol purified by distillation from a fermented substance such as potatoes, grain or sugar beet molasses, and an insignificant amount of other substances: impurities and possibly flavorings. Except for various types of flavorings, vodka is a colorless liquid.
Vodka usually has an alcohol content of 35% to 50% by volume. The classic Russian, Lithuanian and Polish vodka is 40% (USA 80 proof). This can be attributed to the Russian standards for vodka production introduced in 1894 by Alexander III from research undertaken by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev. According to the Vodka Museum in Moscow, Mendeleev found the perfect percentage to be 38. However, since spirits in his time were taxed on their strength, the percentage was rounded up to 40 to simplify the tax computation. At strengths less than this, vodka drunk neat (not mixed with other liquids) can taste "watery": above this strength, the taste of vodka can have more "burn". Some governments set a minimum alcohol content for a spirit to be called "vodka". For example, the European Union sets a minimum of 37.5% alcohol by volume."
Although vodka is traditionally drunk neat in Eastern European and Nordic countries of the "Vodka Belt", its popularity elsewhere owes much to its usefulness in cocktails and other mixed drinks, such as the Bloody Mary, the Screwdriver, the vodka tonic, and the vodka martini."
Grey Goose honestly is close to the best or the best vodka out there. At a high price of $27-35 per 750ml bottle it is pretty expensive. However it goes down like thick water. I don't drink it much but if I do its usually for a special occasion. Very good stuff.
Tequila
Vodka usually has an alcohol content of 35% to 50% by volume. The classic Russian, Lithuanian and Polish vodka is 40% (USA 80 proof). This can be attributed to the Russian standards for vodka production introduced in 1894 by Alexander III from research undertaken by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev. According to the Vodka Museum in Moscow, Mendeleev found the perfect percentage to be 38. However, since spirits in his time were taxed on their strength, the percentage was rounded up to 40 to simplify the tax computation. At strengths less than this, vodka drunk neat (not mixed with other liquids) can taste "watery": above this strength, the taste of vodka can have more "burn". Some governments set a minimum alcohol content for a spirit to be called "vodka". For example, the European Union sets a minimum of 37.5% alcohol by volume."
Although vodka is traditionally drunk neat in Eastern European and Nordic countries of the "Vodka Belt", its popularity elsewhere owes much to its usefulness in cocktails and other mixed drinks, such as the Bloody Mary, the Screwdriver, the vodka tonic, and the vodka martini."
Grey Goose honestly is close to the best or the best vodka out there. At a high price of $27-35 per 750ml bottle it is pretty expensive. However it goes down like thick water. I don't drink it much but if I do its usually for a special occasion. Very good stuff.
"Tequila is a spirit made primarily in the area surrounding Tequila, a town in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, 65 km northwest of Guadalajara and in the highlands of Jalisco, 65 km east of Guadalajara. It is made from the blue agave (also known as Agave tequilana azul, Weber's blue agave, and also called Maguey by the local people), part of the lily and amaryllis families, which is native to Mexico. Tequila is most often made at a 38–40% alcohol content (76–80 proof), but there are also several varieties of Tequila produced with 43–46% alcohol content (86–92 proof)."
Brandy
"Brandy (short for brandywine, from Dutch brandewijn—'burnt wine'[1]) is a general term for distilled wine, usually 40–60% ethyl alcohol by volume. In addition to wine, this spirit can also be made from grape pomace or fermented fruit juice. Unless specified otherwise, brandy is made from grape wine.[2] It is normally consumed as an after-dinner drink. Brandy made from wine is generally colored with caramel coloring to imitate the effect of long aging in wooden casks; pomace and fruit brandies are generally drunk unaged, and are not usually colored."
Scotch
"To be called Scotch whisky the spirit must conform to the standards of the Scotch Whisky Order of 1990 (UK),[1] which clarified the Scotch Whisky Act of 1988,[2] and mandates that the spirit:
Macallan Sherry Oak Scotch is apparently some dope stuff. Comes in 7, 10, 12, 18, 25, and 30 year variations. The 18 year will run you around $130. The 30 year will be about $750. If you have any of this please let me have a taste because I have never had good scotch.
Cognac
- Must be distilled at a Scottish distillery from water and malted barley, to which only other whole grains may be added, have been processed at that distillery into a mash, converted to a fermentable substrate only by endogenous enzyme systems, and fermented only by the addition of yeast,
- Must be distilled to an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8% by volume so that it retains the flavour of the raw materials used in its production,
- Must be matured in Scotland in oak casks for no less than three years,
- Must not contain any added substance other than water and caramel colouring, and
- May not be bottled at less than 40% alcohol by volume."
Macallan Sherry Oak Scotch is apparently some dope stuff. Comes in 7, 10, 12, 18, 25, and 30 year variations. The 18 year will run you around $130. The 30 year will be about $750. If you have any of this please let me have a taste because I have never had good scotch.
"Cognac (pronounced /ˈkɒnjæk/), named after the town of Cognac in France, is a brandy produced in the region surrounding the town. It must be made from at least 90% Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, or Colombard grapes. The rest of the cognac can consist of ten selected grapes. However, most cognac is made from Ugni Blanc only. It must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged at least 2 years in French oak barrels that are sealed air tight in order to be called cognac."
Louis XIII Cognac. This stuff is practically absurd. The best of the best. Aged 40-100 years in barrels that have been around since, you guessed it, Louis XIII. The price for the bottle in the picture is around $1,500. If you've ever had this you're better than everyone else simply because.
Louis XIII Cognac. This stuff is practically absurd. The best of the best. Aged 40-100 years in barrels that have been around since, you guessed it, Louis XIII. The price for the bottle in the picture is around $1,500. If you've ever had this you're better than everyone else simply because.
Mix it up
Tom Collins
2 parts gin
1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice
Drizzle with sugar syrup
Club soda to taste
Serve it on the rocks in a 14 oz glass.
Garnish with orange or lime.
Martini
1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice
Drizzle with sugar syrup
Club soda to taste
Serve it on the rocks in a 14 oz glass.
Garnish with orange or lime.
5 parts gin
1 part very dry vermouth
Serve straight up in a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with an olive or lemon.
Long Island Iced Tea
1 part very dry vermouth
Serve straight up in a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with an olive or lemon.
1 part vodka
1 part tequila
1 part white rum
1 part triple sec
1 part gin
1.5 pts lemon juice
2 pts Gomme syrup
Dash of coke
Serve in a 12oz highball glass over ice.
Garnish with lemon
Screw Driver
1 part tequila
1 part white rum
1 part triple sec
1 part gin
1.5 pts lemon juice
2 pts Gomme syrup
Dash of coke
Serve in a 12oz highball glass over ice.
Garnish with lemon
1 part vodka
2 parts orange juice
Serve in an 8oz highball glass over ice.
2 parts orange juice
Serve in an 8oz highball glass over ice.
So ITT we shall discuss your favorite spirits, beers, etc and your favorite mixed drinks. As I continue to do research I will add to each liquor's section suggested good brands and cheaper alternatives. I'd also like to hear about people's crazy concoctions they've made as I'm sure we've all gotten creative with what we've had at one point. If you'd like to contribute to the OP feel free to post or PM me with your information/pics/links or whatever and I'll get right on it.
Also someone came through and did a ninja edit in my post. I can only hazard to guess who it was.
Shogun on
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Shogun Streams Vidya
Oh no way I searched and found nothing. I even asked a mod! Link it up scotty I need to see this. I am going to be pissed too the OP took forever.
Shogun Streams Vidya
So, I'm big in Vodka. Loves me some Vodka. Unfortunately, my favorite cocktail is a drink that I have no idea what it contains. Anyway, it's called a Killer Kool-aid, and if you like sweet tasting drinks, it's the drink for you.
I've been trying beers lately, as I've never liked beer but am making an effort to expand my alcoholic horizons. I've tried Big Rock Traditional and Big Rock XO (Traditional is good, XO, not so much), Guinness (Meh) and today at the company Christmas lunch I tried Alexander Keith's Red Ale. That was pretty good. I think I'll be having that again in the future.
You forgot Kahlua. Mmmmm.....
I think I put the price in for the big bottle and not the smaller one. Let me fix it.
Shogun Streams Vidya
Scotch is fantastic, single malt, not blended (the irish do blended whiskey mostly, and are better at it). Highland Park 25 year old scotch is the pinnacle of man's achievement in alcohol as far as I'm concerned. Single malt scotch can get expensive though, so be ready to invest.
I must agree that Gin is amazing, whether I am enjoying a Dirty Martini, or my preferred Gin and Tonic, it's all good. A suggestion though, try putting a couple of slices of cucumber in your gin and tonic instead of lime...it's crazy sounding, but it works.
Rum is good, Meyer's being the favorite of mine. Mostly because it's cheap, but refined enough to not come in plastic bottles (a significant rule to be a snobbish alcoholic). I really only drink the dark stuff.
that's about my thoughts on liquor. I commend you shogun, on your good taste, and condemn all those who are men who drink fruity drinks. You will go to a very special place in hell.
"We believe in the people and their 'wisdom' as if there was some special secret entrance to knowledge that barred to anyone who had ever learned anything." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Am I the only person who pays $24 for a bottle of Grey Goose?
I also stand by the fact that Kool-aid is the perfect mixer.
Edit: I pay about $25 for Grey Goose and it's worth it when I do.
Possibly my favorite form of alcohol, though, is mead. I had some of the greatest strawberry rhubarb mead this last fall... it was awesome.
Shogun Streams Vidya
I've had some fantastic Polish Vodka that's blew every other vodka I've had out of the water. It wasn't flavored though, and I can't remember the name unfortunately.
If I visit you in Cali, you're buying me so much booze.
I like to think my alcohol is like a tiny zoo.
Do you save the bottles? For some reason I have to save bottles. Not multiples but anything I try I save one of the bottles to add to the collection. It seems foolish and takes up a lot of space, but I like looking up on my shelf at all the different stuff I've tried.
Shogun Streams Vidya
I use to do that. I called them my dead soldiers, being that they died in the war against sobriety.
Or failing that, vodka.
Or...
(Also, a small laugh towards our American cousins and their 21 age limit. Land of the free indeed...)
I hate to admit this but I love gin and juice. Yes, while I'm rollin' down the street smoking indo. But really some gin and some grapefruit juice because they go so amazingly well together. G&T is also good but not my favorite. Sloe Gin fizz is quite tasty. Almost like Sprite.
Shogun Streams Vidya
Though a friend of mine had a wall covered in beer labels.
Aye, wives seem to have a habit of doing that.
I just don't like the taste of alcohol. It's a rather disgusting little molecule.
However, I never really have those. I generally drink Gin and Tonics or Whiskey Sours. (I like Powers whiskey)
Whiskey and Scotch to sip.
Irish Car Bombs when I don't have anything to do for a few days :P
I'm mainly a wine and beer drinker, but I do love a glass of brandy or (when we're out for a super duper nice dinner) some cognac. I'll also drink some whiskeys, if they're good enough to drink alone (I don't really like any whiskey mixed drink I've ever tried.) Maker's Mark is pretty much the best, by far, I've ever had.
ughh
Bourbon
so fierce
crazy delicious.
Shogun Streams Vidya
Hennesy and Hypnotic.
Only black people drink them.
Ugh I can see why.
Shogun Streams Vidya
All you ever need is The Purple Box.