Aspirations of alcoholism

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Since my job has become a lot more stressful as of late, I've taken to enjoying a beer or two (Literally. I'm a lightweight but, sadly, only when it comes to drinking.) on Saturdays nights. I'm nearing the end of my monthly six pack and started thinking that instead of just getting another one I'd try broadening my horizons and maybe try something from the liquor isle. I'm not really looking to make mixed drinks so I'm thinking that anything I get should be something I could drink neat or on the rocks.

So, what does a life long beer drinker turn to when he's been watching too much Mad Men? Scotch? Rum? Something else?

I'm a big fan of a nice single malt scotch. Before you go out and buy a bottle remember a few things.

A) You always get what you pay for, but don't pay for marketing hype.
B) Just because its expensive doesn't mean you will or should like it
C) Each distillery has a different take on what a perfect scotch is like
D) If you find a brand you like, find out what region its from and explore the other offerings
E) My current favorites are Tomintoul, Lagavulin, and Isle of Jura

Find out if you're a vodka man, if you don't know already. Just make sure to get a quality brand and buy unflavoured. (You can't go wrong with Finlandia.)

The world's your mollusc really.

Scotch is a love-it-or-hate it kind of drink. If you're up for it, you can start the ball rolling with a mid-priced bottle like Glenfiddich, or go upscale with a nice bottle of single malt. There's a world of different tastes and styles, and you're only going to home in on what you like by trying. It's a personal thing, but I'll throw some names of stuff I like - Talisker, Glenmorangie, Dalwhinnie and Oban are all good. Bear in mind that Canadian and Irish whiskeys are also good (but different). Jamieson's is a staple of my booze cupboard.

In the last few years I've been turned onto nice tequila too. Patron and Herradura are both delicious, and work excellantly as sipping drinks. Again though, acquired taste.

If you're not looking for something a little more approachable, you could do a lot worse than a gin & tonic. Classic and delicious. I've recenly discovered Hendrick's, which has a hint of cucumber flavour to it. Super tasty. Otherwise, Gordons is my cheap brand, and Tanqueray is my pricier brand of choice.

Then there's bourbon, which I'm mostly ignorant of, but am slowly being educated by my American brethren. Basil Hayden's is superb, and next on my list to try are Bulleit and Knob Creek.

If your'e not really sure which way to jump though, what I suggest actually is to start off in the liquor store and buy a bunch of the tiny single-serving bottles. Get one of each of a bunch of different stuff and see what tickles your nuts. Bear in mind that you're not likely to find high-end stuff in those - it tends to be big-brands, the kind of 'bottom shelf' or 'well' stuff you'd find in a bar.

Oh, and drink responsibly

1) Stick to beer.
2) If you're ditching beer for taste, don't.
3) If you're intent on ignoring 1 and 2, don't jump into scotch or whisk(e)y straight. I realize this puts a wrench in your plan of avoiding mixed drinks.
4) stick to beer.

5) If you really, really want to be a classy Mad Men guy, the easiest drink I've found to get into is a vodka martini with super high quality vodka. I prefer Grey Goose, other people prefer grape based vodkas or vodkas with more of a grain flavor, like Chopin. I like my drinks salty as hell, so I go heavy on the olive juice.

But no really. stick to beer. You have an entire decade, at least, of exploring imports and micros and being a beer snob.

Or, buy a fifth of laphroaig 12 year. Mmmmm.

Mix Grey Goose vodka with Red Bull energy drink and sit back and watch the fireworks.

A scotch should be single malt, and have its age clearly marked. Every time that hasn't been the case, it's ended badly for me. Personally, I like Laphroaig, in addition to others mentioned here.

You may also want to look into Bourbons. When my brother was in town for Thanksgiving he turned me on to Buffalo Trace, and everyone loves Maker's Mark. Also, they're way cheaper than scotches.

Aaron D. wrote:

Mix Grey Goose vodka with Red Bull energy drink and sit back and watch the fireworks.

And for extra laughs, add Tequila to it for a TVR....just don't drink them yourself.

Seth wrote:

Or, buy a fifth of laphroaig 12 year. Mmmmm.

Dear God man! I love some Laphroaig myself, but starting someone off on it just seems... cruel

Seriously, Laphroaig is great stuff, but single malt Scotch in and of itself is a love it or leave it drink, Laphroaig is that to the factor of ten.

If you're seriously interested in trying out Scotch, I second the recommendation above for a mid-priced Glen Fiddich, or perhaps Oban. Both are relatively mild Scotches compared to something like Laphroaig which literally jumps out of the bottle and smacks you with it's Scotch-ness as soon as you pull the cork.

davet010 wrote:
Aaron D. wrote:

Mix Grey Goose vodka with Red Bull energy drink and sit back and watch the fireworks.

And for extra laughs, add Tequila to it for a TVR....just don't drink them yourself.

FACT - one of the most hilarious nights out I've had was as a result of drinking nothing but vodka and red bull. Your brain gets drunk, but your mouth doesn't.

FACT - one of the worst nights out I've had was a result of drinking nothing but TVRs.

Fact: Wild Turkey = fight juice.

boogle wrote:

Fact: Tequila = fight juice.

FTFY.

SallyNasty wrote:

Stay away from cheap Tequila. Anyone who offers you some is not your friend.

FFY

Vodka will always treat you right. You can get a home-wrecker (1.75 liter) of Svedka for around 20 bucks, and if you are mixing it, it tastes as good as anything twice the price. Take it from a guy who lived in Russia - Svedka is the best bang for your buck, especially in bulk quantities:) Make a couple Dirty Martinis, and you are going to be ready for an adventure - Don Draper style.

All the above tips on Scotch are great ones. If you want to keep it around the $20 price point, I stick to Dewar's and Bushmill's. Put a lemon wedge in there with them, and a splash of club soda, and you are ready to get sassy.

Stay away from Tequila. Anyone who offers you some is not your friend.

Don't be afraid to sample wine! You can get a lot of great bottles for under $10 bucks, and you will really feel classy when drinking wine.

*Edited to add the following PSA*

Drinking is great fun, with friends and alone (don't you judge me!) - but should not be used as a stress reliever:)

VicD714 wrote:
boogle wrote:

Fact: Squeezed fight fruit = fight juice.

FTFY. ;)

There. Now we can all agree.

Nothing wrong with vodka. Little lime juice and you have yourself a gimlet.

If you're going to try a scotch, I'd recommend The Dalmore. It's a little on the sweet side but goddam it's tasty.
There's a thread around here somewhere recommending single malts.

Jonman wrote:
SallyNasty wrote:

Stay away from cheap Tequila. Anyone who offers you some is not your friend.

FFY

Ditto that. Good tequila is really nice to sip on.

Jonman, have you ever tried Aha Toro? Soo delicious. The Anejo and Reposado are both good, but expensive. I do occasionally find the Anejo (red bottle) in little sample bottles for $6 or so. Good way to try it out before dropping the cash on a big bottle. Since we're both in Washington I'm guessing you could find them if you look out for it.

fleabagmatt wrote:

Jonman, have you ever tried Aha Toro? Soo delicious. The Anejo and Reposado are both good, but expensive. I do occasionally find the Anejo (red bottle) in little sample bottles for $6 or so. Good way to try it out before dropping the cash on a big bottle. Since we're both in Washington I'm guessing you could find them if you look out for it.

Not yet I haven't. I'll keep an eye out for it. Thanks for the tip.

I'm a big fan of that demon gin.

Jonman wrote:

Jamieson's is a staple of my booze cupboard.

+1
I've been a fan of Jameson's for a couple years now. It's a pretty good place to start with whiskey. Bushmill's is also a favorite of mine. Both are fairly mild.
For Scotch I really like Glenfiddich. It's the bee's nuts as far as I'm concerned. If I'm feeling cheap though, I'll go with Dewar's.
I've never been a fan of bourbons. They never do anything for me but give me a stomach ache. Which is odd because I like whiskey and scotch so much.

I know you said no mixed drinks, but I've been really enjoying White Russians recently. They are super easy to make. Ice, Kahlua, Vodka, Half & Half, done. Do a little Tai Chi on your rug, that totally ties the room together, and you're set. I can't stand vodka on it's own though, a white russian is the only thing I can drink that has it in it. I generally use "Three Olives" vodka to mix. I've used Smirnoff too, I likes Three Olives better.
There's also Scotch and Soda, Whiskey and Coke, Captain and Coke (one of my favorites, especially with Cap'n Morgans Black label and throwback Pepsi, mmmmmmmm...) All of which are really easy to make.
If you're near enough to country, make friends with a good ol' boy and see if you can get yourself some moonshine. That'll put hair on your chest.

boogle wrote:

Fact: Wild Turkey = fight juice.

Truth.

Oh, yeah. And whatever you do, don't drink and dial.

Shocking news for proud scotch drinkers.

Well crap, my long post was eaten by the bit bucket ...

As Seth said, there's a lot of good beer out there. Lots of good wine too.

If you want to try harder stuff neat you'll need smooth stuff that lacks the typical burn in order to really enjoy it. You can acclimate to it, but it doesn't make for a very enjoyable beginning. Kind of like chugging Natty Light in college.

In that vein my recommendation: Blanton's Bourbon. A bartender friend and bourbon aficionado turned me on to it. Outstanding and complex flavor, with almost no alcohol "bite". Really friggin smooth. My wife, who hates it when I ask her to try my neat bourbons, absolutely loves the stuff. If you can find it, it's generally around $40-50 / 750mL.

Everything else I can think of to recommend would fall in the "hyper expensive single malt Scotch" or "Don Julio tequila" category.

Rob_Anybody wrote:

Oh, yeah. And whatever you do, don't drink and dial.

...or text.

Don't be afraid of mixed drinks. There's no rule saying you need to use an actual shaker. There's a number of us that enjoy a good rum & coke during online multiplayer games.

I don't remember where you live, but go to a few liquor tastings if you can, or find a liquor store that gives samples from time to time.

Or just start asking to try things at parties.

Stay away from Jager.

Be careful with how you mix/shake though. A typical rookie mistake is to shake everything in a shaker. That's a great way to bruise your gin and end up with something undrinkable.

Al wrote:

Since my job has become a lot more stressful as of late, I've taken to enjoying a beer or two (Literally. I'm a lightweight but, sadly, only when it comes to drinking.) on Saturdays nights.

I just can't let you get away with the fact that your response to really stressful work is to have TWO beers a week. TWO.

I'm having two beers a week if I'm vacationing in Saudi Arabia. I don't care if it will get me executed, that's like the minimum my body runs on.

Jesus. Two beers.

Paleocon wrote:

Be careful with how you mix/shake though. A typical rookie mistake is to shake everything in a shaker. That's a great way to bruise your gin and end up with something undrinkable.

An inebriated friend of mine once tried to make a gin & tonic in a shaker. Not recommended.

muttonchop wrote:
Paleocon wrote:

Be careful with how you mix/shake though. A typical rookie mistake is to shake everything in a shaker. That's a great way to bruise your gin and end up with something undrinkable.

An inebriated friend of mine once tried to make a gin & tonic in a shaker. Not recommended.

A gin martini done properly is one of those classic cocktails every good bartender (amateur or professional) must know how to make. Whenever scoping out a new bar, it's the first thing I order. If they screw it up, I don't go back.

I love it all. Bourbon, scotch, gin, vodka, Teqila, rum, brandy, ouso, you name it and I will drink it.

I am not going to point you whole hog to hardcore drinking like 100 proof bourbon. But Maker's Mark or a bottle of Jack goes far. The maple syrup flavor is pleasant.

Good vodka tastes like nothing. It is just pure alcohol. Many have it straight, but it is bland. You need some lime or juice or soda water for flavor.

Gin, is very flavorful, often mixed with cranberry or soda.

Personally, I prefer Bourbon or Scotch. American Whiskey is amazingly complex. Scotch is less sweet and more earthy. My idea of relaxing is a smoke and a warm glass of Wild Turkey or some Glennfiddich.

Paleocon wrote:

Be careful with how you mix/shake though. A typical rookie mistake is to shake everything in a shaker. That's a great way to bruise your gin and end up with something undrinkable.

Fun fact: "bruising" is a horrible name for something that basically comes down to taste. Gin has many, many tiny essential oil sacs inside of it and fun chemicals like aldehydes that are ordinarily inert. By stirring your clear spirit, such as Gin, Rum, Tequila, or that other foul swill that shall remain nameless, you allow these to stay whole and the drink is smoother, a bit more viscous, and generally milder. Shaking, on the other hand, disturbs and oxidizes these compounds, ending up in a sharper, usually more citrus-flavored beverage. You aren't really damaging the gin, it's just a difference of taste. The more you know...

Oh, don't ever shake anything with bitters in it, though (i.e. any cocktail). It'll get cloudy.

I'm not sure jumping straight from beer to scotch or whiskey is the best advice, although I'm partial to Bourbon, being from Kentucky...you might want to ease your way in with some nice digestifs, like Grand Marnier or Drambuie. Still high-proof, not froo-froo sugary stuff like Midori, but has a more generally accepted flavor while still being plenty complex.

Or, just dive into the wonderful, wonderful world of Belgian high-gravity beers, like Delirium Nocturnum.

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