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What're you drinking this week?
We've had a what're you listening to?, a what are you doing, etc...
I am interested in what you're drinking this week.
I've discovered a fascination for Whiskey. I've been drinking an odd collection of Whiskey drinks, a couple of Scotch's (Glenfiddich, Monkey Shoulder) and some cheap Bourbon (Evan Williams, Ezra Brooks). I tried Irish (Jameson, Tulamore dew) too, but I can't get into it.
Not all this week, obviously.
This week it's been pretty much just Ezra Brooks. It's pretty good for a cheap Bourbon. Pretty heavy Oak flavor that I quite enjoy, not much complexity, but you know. It was 20 bucks.
Are there any fellow Alcohol hobbyists? What're you into this week?
Currently a little blasted on Soju, which is hilariously dangerous I must say. This stuff really goes down like water. I made a bunch of kimchi last week and figured i'd make Bulgogi tonight, and got some Saan Soju and Chum Churum to go with it.
Was looking for a bottle of Mekhong but unfortunately couldn't find it at my closest ABC Store. If y'all havent tried it, it's a delightful Thai golden spirit kind-of-like a rum, kind-of-like a whiskey. Very interesting, very delicious in a sour.
Grabbed a bottle of Jager as well, as I've recently found out I love the stuff straight.
Okay. I consider myself fairly well versed in alcohol. And I have no idea what you just said.
I'm going on an adventure this week apparently!
I never really thought about the fact that the drinks I tend to drink are all clearly European and American in origin. I'm assuming those are all from a more Eastern direction? Gonna have to go look at what's out there now! New horizons...
If want another Asian liquor to try, get your hands on a bottle of Chinese Baijiu. Although be careful with it. It’s way stronger than soju is.
I live in China and I drink both pretty regularly. You're absolutely right. Baijiu is a real motherfucker. Buckle up, OP.
Are these like those alcohols that are deceptively delicious and non alcoholic tasting, where you drink them happily for a bit and then can't stand up without help?
Soju is a Korean white spirit usually made from rice or sweet potato. The ones I grabbed were about 20%, and $4–5 for a 375ml.
They're not very complex; slightly sweet with some mouthfeel, but mostly taste very neutral and really has little-to-no alcohol taste. The first time I tried Soju I went through a bottle, decided I was pleasantly buzzed and got up to go the restroom—only to stand up to realize what an ordeal I put myself in. Definitely the kind of thing you drink with a meal, and pairs fantastically with spicy things. I usually have it at room temp, but when my apartment building lets the A/C break, I'll chill it in the refrigerator first.
I'm not as familiar with Baiju, but I understand it's something like twice the average proof as Soju, and has much more going on in the complexity department.
When I was first starting drinking, we had a few bottles of something that I think was called zombie?
It was delicious. Like drinking a good fruit juice. So me and my buddy drank like a bottle each... Sat down playing video games the whole time, seemingly no effect... Until I needed to get up.
I swear the wall attacked me. Jumped right up into my face. My Buddy jumped up to save me from the viscous unwarranted attack, only to have the floor jump him...
My poor wife spent the rest of the night preventing us from accidentally killing ourselves...
Soju is pretty tame and delicious. It’s stronger than wine and you can still taste the alcohol. Baijiu is like Chinese vodka. Do some shots and you’ll be very drunk.
Thanks, gonna have to see what I can find at my local total wine!
I've just tried Short's Citra Local's. It's like the Local's Light, which is a great light lager, but with way more hops. Good stuff.
I've never seen anything from them. But it looks like they're pretty local to MI, so that makes sense, since I'm quite a distance away. I really enjoy trying craft or local beers, so I'm kinda sad I can't even get it near me apparently. Hah.
Michigan is lucky to have a fantastic craft beer scene right now. Where are you at?
If you can't get Short's, then Bell's, Founder's, and New Holland might be near you. Bell's being the most likely, since I think it's the most popular brand of the 4.
Also keep an eye out for Old Nation's M-43 N.E IPA. It's probably the best beer I've ever had.
I'm in Florida. Lots of craft beers round here as well. I dunno about the rest of the US, but it feels like the whole craft beer thing really only got into it's swing around here fairly lately. So a LOT of new places popped up. Cigar City Brewing has most of my favorites. Maduro which is a Brown Ale is freaking fantastic, then tocabaga which is a red IPA. So good.
I've had Founder's. The Porter is amazing. Not tried the others. I'll keep watch for them all!
J Wakefield J Wakefield J Wakefield.
I heard if you say their name three times ridiculously good sours, IPAs and stouts will make the long journey from FL to New England :p
Man, if that worked I'd be permanently drunk instead of only every other day...
Currently a Rogue 6 Hop IPA. Hoppy, floral, excellent Pacific Northwest style IPA.
I'm a whiskey drinker as well, and Scotch > Bourbon > Irish IMO, so you're off to a good start. If you want to explore Scotch a bit more, there's 5 distinct regions, and taste-testing one of each will give you a good overview of the breadth of different flavors.
They had a Rogue week at a local restaurant this week, But I missed it. Makes me sad. I've tried their stuff a few times, and it is pretty dang good.
I've been watching the whiskey vault on youtube, I mean. It's been a few months since I got interested, and it has inspired me, made me into an alcoholic, and broken my bank account.
Worth it though.
A friend is coming up from Atlanta this weekend, so we're going out at some point. I think I'll go with ol' reliable tomorrow - Jack and Coke. A lot of Jack and Coke.
Not sure where you live, but if you're a whisky drinker you should check out if there is a local brewery near you. Unless they're throwing old shoes or something into the batch, chances are it'll be some of the best whiskey you'll try. There is one near me, and it's the smoothest I've ever had at a decent price.
And if you have the chance to try Knox Whiskey Works, give it a go. You won't be dissapointed.
Jack and Coke was my default prior to going on this adventure into random whiskeys.
A lot of whiskey drinkers seem to look down on Jack a bit, but it was my first, and my favorite, so it'll always have a place in my heart...
Same here, man. Apparently, Jack tastes like gasoline to some people, but to me, it's a sweet and delicious dessert. Sure, it's not craft whiskey - but I think it's the best non-craft whiskey anyone can get.
It's also apparently a bit of a luxury item overseas. I roomed with a guy from South Korea a little while ago, and he was blown away that Jack only cost $25. He said it would cost double or triple that back at his home. So we shouldn't take it for granted.
I grew up in England, and it was pretty reasonable and common there. Not that I guess that means much. England is, or at least was when I was there, basically a US state that wasn't on the books.
That was basically my drink growing up... Jack and Coke. With an occasional Carlsberg. Good times...
Went to a get together at a bar last night wnd had a whiskey sour and a Coke and Kracken.
I love the art around kraken. I have a bit of an odd love for octopodes, and the kraken bottle always makes me smile.
Making a pitcher of gin-gin mules for a party later today. Somewhere between a mojito and a mule but with Gin (read, superior to vodka in every way). We have a locally made Ginger beer around here that is literally perfect for cocktails as well
I've never gotten in to gin, or vodka honestly. I don't dislike either, just haven't really ever gone down that road I guess!
I like how many options there are for this hobby.
I am an equal opportunity drinker, I love scotch, whiskey, and just about every other spirit, beer or wine you can name (or at least I've had a good version of most).
That said, Gin fizzes' are my ish, and my SO likes 'em way more than she does darker liquors (still working on that!).
If you wanna try a really frickin' good/fancy Gin fizz to see what I'm going on about, I'd recommend a Ramos Gin Fizz, it's about the equivalent of a lemon-lime creamsicle with gin and is ridiculously delicious (and whole foods or the like probably has your orange blossom water).
Man. This thread is gonna make me broke, but exceptionally happy.
My wife might be less than, but we all have our crosses to bear...
A Moscow Mule is a great way to drink vodka, but almost any kind of liquor would work with mule ingredients. We had Kentucky Mules (bourbon) at my wedding years ago.
The guys in the whiskey vault basically expressed my opinion on vodka perfectly... It's great of you want something that isn't alcoholic to make you drunk. Add a couple of shots and boom.
Now I'm gonna have to try it as it's own thing. You know. For science.
Couldn’t agree more. And it does that job incredibly well.
I’ve never met a mule I didn’t like. The formula seems to work with every genre of liquor.
Double Homestyle - DNEIPA is what I picked up this week. This brewery is printing money with their amazing beers. For a while, I was getting tired of NEIPAs and took a t-break. Picked em back up a month later and fell in love again.
I only recently started drinking IPA style beers, I was always a Porter or stout kinda guy. I'm gonna have to start hunting more down I guess.
Tbh I don’t even like regular IPAs much anymore, and I never liked west coast style. There are some bad NEIPAs now that it’s becoming more popular, but overall the style is much tastier. If you give me an approximation of what market you’re in, I might be able to recommend something.
Tampa, pretty much.
So like, I have a lot of SEIPA's hah.
I actually went to a couple breweries there almost two years ago: Cigar City and Tampa Bay Brewing. I don’t remember encountering any NEIPAs while I was down there, but maybe it’s changed a little. I did have plenty of other kinds of beer I liked though.
My usual tip for beer shopping is to google the name of it plus beeradvocate then look for anything 90+/100 within the styles I like.
I am a huge fan of Cigar City. I find all their beers to be fantastic... I've done the tour a couple of times, and I was super pleased with the pub back before they closed it.
Tampa Bay Brewing does the Bad Ass Beerfest once a year, and that thing is just amazing. I haven't managed to get to every one, but the couple I have managed have been great. I am horribly incapable socially in person, so I take my wife with me, and wholly hell you can get some great swag if you have a person that has the gift of the gab with you.
well yeah, having back pain. I haven't done anything today, literally nothing. Just waiting in bed to try and sleep and make it pass. I've had this a few times over the past few years. It really....really sucks. If I could relate pancreatitis it isn't pleasant. this escalates to 10/10 pain I just don't want it to go there. I haven't been to the hospital for this in 2 years
Ick. Sucks. Sorry to hear that. If it helps I'm pretty sure I'm spending the weekend watching my sister in laws kids? That means 90% of my time playing Fortnite.
It hurts less physically, but my soul feels pain...
Just sitting in my faintin' chair, drinking pink rabbits. The tequila is nothing fancy, but Cuervo Gold gets the job done.
Water.How'd you guys get into this hobby? I've always found the culture around drinking to be fascinating, but know very little around any specifics. Did you just start trying everything until you found something you liked?
Grab a friend and go out on a quiet night. Find a bar with a bored bartender and they'll often make up drinks for you. They'll ask how sweet you like things, do you like citrus, how about smoky things, etc. And then they'll throw stuff together. Try it. Talk about it with the bartender and your friend. Think about what you do like and don't like. It's a lot like any other interest: what about the experience are you enjoying? Ok, let's do more of that.
And on top of it you can get drunk, which is broadly appreciated.
I think in my case it was just people around me drinking. I assume that's kinda how it goes for most people. Down the pub, just turned 18, someone goes what're you drinking, you have no idea so it's just... Erm, whatever my older friend here is having, and next thing you know you're wearing a bra as a hat...
Then you kinda refine and learn your limits, figure out what you like and don't... Experiment. I dunno if it's a hobby that people SHOULD get into, it's obviously risky... But it's one I enjoy, and I try to be responsible with it.
Raspberry lemonade... mostly.
Citrus vodka, raspberry cordial, a little lemon juice and sugar.
Ice and water to taste.
Sounds fruity, but delicious!
Probably nothing. The other week I finished a bottle of umeshu I brought back from studying in Japan, and all I've got left are a bunch of fruity ciders which are nice but not a great fit for the late-winter weather here.
A couple of weeks ago my sister in law left a 6 pack of some strange rosé ciders in my fridge... I drank those one evening just cos they were taking up beer space...
It's a big week of work, so I'm saving my drinking for the Labor Day extended holiday weekend. There are a couple of bottles of very special Michigan wine saved up - I think it's time to break out the 2013 Brys Estate Cab/Merlot with whatever we throw on the grill.
Drinking tastes are partly the product of experience and partly the product of disposable income; most people don't "get" wine because they're exposed to the cheapest mass-produced stuff. I was very fortunate to be in Michigan before the wine and beer industries there were discovered nationally and started to escalate towards boutique pricing, so that region shaped my tastes pretty strongly.
We still go back every October to hike and drink our way through Leelanau County - it's wine closet cleaning season.
It's fair to say I've never drunk anything but the usual mass produced wine, whiskey is similar in that respect. People have only ever tried Jack Daniels and Jim beam, and think that's the extent of the experience. I'm open to anything though. I try to keep an open mind, so maybe it's time to revisit the wine selection.
Water is a classic. Sodas are good too. Carrot juice if you’re feeling adventurous. But seriously, aside from Welch's sparkling grape juice, I’ve not come across a good non-alcoholic anything.
Mocktails are a thing - you can get just as fancy without the alcohol, you just need to find something else to cut the sweet with. So sours, savouries, etc.
I've never tried any non alcoholic alcohol style drinks, if you find some that aren't terrible though, I'd be interested in giving it a go.
A bottle of self-made mead I brought home from a convention. It's such a small batch that the guy who made it wrote the number of the bottle on it with a pen. It's infused with raspberry, has the look of watermelon juice and it tastes like heaven. I won't get my hands on another bottle until next year, so I'll enjoy it one glass ata time.
That sounds... Delicious. And difficult...
I can't keep a bottle longer than a week or so. I started an infinity bottle, ran out of whiskey, drank the infinity bottle, then realized my mistake...
It's not very infinite if you just down it...
Yes, I thought I'd have more self control too, I already drank more than hald the bottle...
Hah. Yep. Sounds like what would have happened in this house as well...
Chocolate milk
A classic choice!
Sam Adams is one of those beers that I can never decide if I like or not. The default Boston Lager isn't bad. If I'm at a restaurant it's usually what I'll pick since Bud light isn't my scene and not many places have Cigar City. Some of their other varieties are just really bad. Well. I say that. Obviously taste is subjective. Personally I find the rest of their stuff a little less pleasant.
I cannot drink wine. I want to be able too. Everyone else around me loves it, but it tastes like candied vinegar to me...
I feel the same about wine and my miles get super nice stuff too
I've tried a lot of wine, but I won't claim to know ANYTHING at all about wine... So it's wholly possible it's all been utter trash.
I would never turn down a try of a drink, so I'm sure eventually I'll get something good.