Drowning our Sorrows, vol. 1

New Amsterdam gin is good for the price, and is my go-to gin.

How much drinking is too much drinking (mildly serious here)? I told my doc during my last visit that I drink 6-7 nights per week. She stated that if I was having one to two glasses of red wine then that was a-okay. I laughed at her. An occasional beer (when it’s hot outside), wine, but mostly whiskey. Usually only two drinks or so per night. How ’bout my fellow barkers?

I need to drink more gin. How do you mix your gimlet?

Whiskey of choice is usually crown or knob creek, and yes, I’m a little bitch and mix that with a splash of coke or sprite. If I want to drink alcohol straight up I’ll drink scotch (JW-black hits the spot, as do just about any single malt, but I hate paying $50 for a 750 mL).

Rum…meh, just one of the ingredients to put in a long island or mai tai (mai tais are wonderful, btw).

I’ll throw in more two cents that no one else cares about when we get to wine, I’m a bit of a diva.

Thanks, another total fucking moron.

I’ve been a Bombay Saphire fan for a while, and I don’t see a compelling reason to change.

Totally agree on vodka – it’s an intoxicant delivery vector as far as I’m concerned, and nothing more.

Would like to know more about tequila myself. I’m a novice on rum, but I do know that Bacardi is better than Ron Maarten. Ron and I had a bit of a rough time in South Padre long ago, as he and Captain Morgan kicked my ass and left me hanging over a commode.

I received some Johnnie Walker Blue Label as a gift – I’m not a scotch drinker, but I could be for this stuff. I seem to like the premium blends over the high-end single malt varieties.

Yes – Knob Creek makes for a nice sipping whiskey.

Lately? It’s been a lot of rubbing alcohol.

Johnnie Walker Blue tastes good to non-Scotch drinkers because it’s smoothed out and blended up to the point that it tastes like generic nothing. It’s what I imagine synthesized scotch would taste like.

Oban, on the other hand, is a fine dram. Anyone who says otherwise is posturing wit their Bowmore and Lagavulin, wincing in silence as the peat overwhelms them.

Not-too-strong starter scotches with some character include Clynelish, Glen Moray, and Balvenie DoubleWood.

But if you just want to have a good scotch and be done with it, go get a bottle of Macallan. The real stuff, not that “Fine Wood” crap they sell to save money on sherry barrels. 12 year, or 18 if you can afford it. Older than that is just showing off.

Generally I agree on vodka (I buy a lot of Dripping Springs), but XO Vodka is different from the other high-priced rubbing alcohols. It actually has an odd gin-like character to it due to the different grains it uses. Kind of a sweet, soft taste.

Blanton’s is my favorite bourbon, but Woodford will do. Makers tastes like they added maple syrup before bottling.

Haven’t drank tequila since I woke up half-naked on the 7th green of a golf course in Cancun in 1990.

@uthookem: I’m going along at the same clip. I’d say it’s moderate to moderate-heavy drinking, but hey, heavy drinkers live longer, and that’s science. Who am I to argue with science?

That Lopez motherfucker got the best of me one night in college, too.

My parents drink Lagavulin, and my grandparents drink Wild Turkey. I’m good with either. And I’ve heard a rum drinker say you should really just stick with dark.

I know a lot of people drinking vodka-waters these days. Anybody here? Care to explain the appeal?

Some day, bates horn, you will master the idea of rectangle lead pictures and tagging and categorizing your posts.
 
I’m confident that gin will help to get you there.

“I know a lot of people drinking vodka-waters these days. Anybody here? Care to explain the appeal?”

Maybe the ice melted?

Some people believe that water reacts with vodka the same as with scotch – that it “opens up” the true taste. I think i just calms the ethanol taste down.

I’m going to be a rum/travel snob here and say that Bacardi is absolutely crap. If you can get your hands on some contraband (pick it up at a liquor store out of the US), find some Havana Club rum. The Bacardi family likes to claim that they were chased out of Cuba by Fidel and that only THEY have the original recipe – but I’ll take whatever the Commies are producing any day of the week over Bacardi. The Havana Club white rum is a great mixer, but their aged rums are wonderful for sipping on the rocks.

If you want to stay on the right side of the law, I’d recommend Flor de Cana, out of Nicaragua. Very affordable, and the Gold and Black Label are great by themselves on the rocks or even mixed with a few dashes of Coke (plus lime for the Cuba Libre cocktail). I haven’t tried their white rum though.

And I can’t speak to any of the Jamaican / Caribbean “rhums”. But one last word – in case you’re out in full force, NEVER do shots of rum. It mixes well, it sips well on its own, but it is NOT a drink to ever be had in a shot glass.

“And I can’t speak to any of the Jamaican / Caribbean ‘rhums’.”

Rhum Barbancourt from Haiti is nice if you want to drink rum with some flavor.

Bacardi is crap except for 151, which got me through Texas football from 1988-1995. I will forever be in its debt for that.

I’m more a beer and wine guy, but I enjoy bourbon, gin, and tequila (from time to time).

I’ve actually learned quite a bit from others about bourbon from the UT interwebs, and if you are looking for an all-star list, here’s a start:
Rip & Pappy Van Winkle
Blanton’s
Elijah Craig
Bookers
Basil Hayden
Jefferson’s Reserve

Keep in mind that price and/or availability of these will vary some. And as already mentioned, Woodford Reserve is usually highly regarded as well. There are also some extremely small batch stuff out there but it’s tough to get a hold of unless you know when it comes out and are there to buy it.

The gin crowd already has that covered and I’m not expert on tequila, but I enjoy Don Julio silver in my margarita more than most (although Cazadores isn’t too bad either). I know there’s tremendous variability when it comes to this stuff though so I’m sure someone else can chime in here with greater detail.

I’ll second the motion on Don Julio silver.

And girl drink or not, a John Daly with lemonade and Firefly sweet tea vodka is the tits.

Nice Tuesday diversion bateshorn.

I am one of those that likes Plymouth English Gin in my martini; Noilly Pratt for the dry vermouth. Noilly Pratt changed its recipe a year or so ago which caused me some momentary panic, but the new version is good, too – though different.

For some reason, during football season I like to mix up Manhattans in large quantities, using Maker’s Mark.

I agree with you that blanco is the right tequila for a margarita. I like the Cazadores Reposado and Herradura Añejo, as well.

I take the fifth as to coeds, broken furniture, etc., while drinking any of the above.

Trips mixes Jack Daniels with margarita mix.

I’m not a fan of vodka for the same reasons; however when I drink it, it has to be from Austin. Big fan of Dripping Springs.

As for Rum, I’m always drinking Cuba Libras, so therefore it has to be Bacardi Gold; however I have found an amazing rum thats good for just sipping. Try Carlisle’s Reef Rum. Very good

And as for Whiskey, when it comes to Canadian, I always go with Crown and mix it with 7, but I prefer to sip Bourbon, and the best I’ve ever had is Rowan’s Creek Bourbon 100 proof.

Nordberg- New Amsterdam is great at that price point, but a bit light on the flavor for me.

Hookem- You are right in my wheel house amount wise (I’ve even had the same convo wth my doc). We’ll all do AA together.

As to Gimlet’s, I favor a ratio of 3 parts gin to one part Rose’s lime juice. It’s gotta be Rose’s. The gimlet is unque in that the mixer is so specific for the traditional recipe. You can eventually use real lime juice and simple syrup, but stick with Rose’s for starting out. I’d start with Plymouth if you’re new to Gin cocktails outside of G&T’s.

Gosling’s Rum from Bermuda is great — especially in a Dark ’n Stormy.

Personally, I like a good tequila on the rocks.

You can get real absinthe in America now. There’s nothing special about it. You have to order from out of state to get the better brands but it’s ok since it’s 70% alcohol and so long as we only have a year like this every 12 years or so it should last you quite a while. In Texas, the best brand available is probably St. George, although it’s very strongly flavored. Lucid is good enough to add to cocktails, but order something online if you want to louche it and drink it properly.

Oh, and tequila – if you can find it, Manik. I used to be able to get it at BevMo back in the Bay Area, so Scipio should pick some up. About $50 for a bottle of the anejo, but truly great stuff, and it comes in the cheapest looking bottle imaginable.

I think I’ll approach this by listing my common liquor cabinet residents.

Irish Whiskey – Tullamore Dew or Jameson. I do really like scotch, but I’m that guy that will mix a single malt with ginger ale because I paid for it and I’ll drink it however I like. This is a waste of money, so I stopped. I’d rather drink irish whiskey than blended scotch, so I go with these two. Although I was a big Johnny Black fan back in the day.

Bourbon – Bulleit. After so much jim beam in college I got turned off of the stuff for a long time, and that’s when I drifted toward dryer whiskeys like irish and scotch. However, Bulleit is amazing, and I can actually drink this stuff straight if I feel like it.

Rum – No. Too sweet.

Vodka – Dripping Springs. It’s good and cheap. Tito’s for bloody marys.

Tequila – Don Julio Silver. Expensive but worth it. I make sure to go to Goody Goody or another mega store so I can get it for under $40. I drink almost exclusively margaritas, so I don’t waste money on anejos.

Gin – Hendricks. I had the worst gin experience at a christmas formal and didn’t drink it again for years, but a friend introduced me to this. Gimlets are the way to go. Bonus – the wife likes it too.

Cachaca – Kind of like a very fiery rum. Any brand is pretty much the same. Caipirinhas are all the rage right now, but that doesn’t mean they are gay. I started drinking them in portugal on a graduation trip several years ago, and it is a good drink to serve to women since it has so much sugar in it.

Red Vermouth – haha, not to drink. It’s to dunk venison meatballs in before pan frying them. Makes an excellent crispy coating.

uthookem,

I just bought some Manik silver at Goody Goody a few weeks ago because it was on major sale. I think I like it.

I just bought an obscenely expensive bottle of Tesseron Grande Champagne Cognac XO, don’t ask me why, and I’ve got an order in with a good Hispanic friend to find the best tiny distillery limited distribution mescal she can lay her hands on while home.

Your Sazerac rye whiskey reference is a good segue to the original cocktail, the Sazerac, which uses rye, Peychaud’s bitters and sugar and an absinthe coated glass. The original concoction actually used cognac instead of rye and old Herbsaint absinthe.

Which brings up a point: why use an absinthe substitute in your recipe, when there a some very nice real absinthes now legally available in the US, such as the Clandestine La Bleue or even the Jade Edouard verte, which may be actually too fine for mere glass coating. Who cares? As the king proclaimed at his dining table, “Why, this is fit for me!” Tho I’m still not going to use my Tesseron in some steenkin’ cocktail. My Michter’s bueno enough.

Drinking makes the football good. Or atleast tolerable. Cool post, and comments. I have a friend that goes to Sayulita four times a year to surf and booze. He’s always trying to get me to go. Sounds like I should.

All the drinks mentioned serve a purpose but my go to drinks are Scotch and Vodka.

I’m with I Must Be Old on the Oban thing. Ignore your buddies, bates. But I differ with IMBO in that I like Johnny Blue (Levander, if someone gave me a bottle of Blue, I’d suspect them of wanting to get in my pants.) and am not a big fan of Macallan. The only Mac I’ve had was the 25 and I figured if I didn’t like that why try the others. The only reason I had the 25 was because a novice friend of mine ordered us a couple while I was in the bathroom. He learned that day to not buy Scotch that’s older than he is.

It’s like I’m in some tangent universe with all the rum talk. Rum is for pirates and women. Do you guys like your steaks well done too?

I had a Sapphire martini in the Dallas hotel the other night. Those never disappoint. Hendricks for the win too. Tanqueray is fine.

I think everybody here is underselling Vodka in a major way. If it played baseball it would be a five tool player. If it played football it would be Chuck Bednarik. If it had a voice it would range from Andres Cantor to Michael Winslow. Versatile, imo. You can drink it all day. Breakfast bloody’s (w/ pickled asparagus), Vodka sodas or tonics, nontraditional martinis, or one of those fruity drinks you rummy’s might like. You can do it all. It’s perfect for sport drinking, and for the reasons bates mentioned above, a decent Vodka can be had for cheap. Want a bottle that will bounce back to you, go with Gilby’s. Svedka is smooth as hell. If you want a flavored Vodka go with Absolut Citron. Throw it on the rocks and sip. It’s heaven. Chopin if you feel like dropping a little bit more.

I’m Mike Tyson on Tequila, either raping or fighting. Screw that shit.

Looking forward to the beer and wine one. Also, anyone smoke cigars? Surely srr50 does.

I doubt that the people I know who drink vodka-waters do it because the water opens up the vodka. I’m guessing the reason’s something more along the lines of it being the gets-you-fucked-up-fast drink of the moment.

Poll question: Mojito, gay or not?

I vote not.

Jamesons on the rocks for casual drinking.

Makers and sprite for hot days outside.

Laphroaig neat for serious drinking.

Pepe Lopez for days when you want to wake up on the bus to Boystown on the border with the only thing in your wallet is a polaroid of all your money and credit cards. Not that this happened to me or anything.

Thanks for the diversion Bates.

I’m mainly a vodka tonic drinker if I’m not drinking beer or wine. I’ll have to give gin a try again.

I mixed a “gin and juice” out of a buddy’s dad’s liquor cabinet in 9th or 10th grade. The only “juice” available was purple grape. I described the drink to anyone who would listen as tasting just like a Christmas tree smells. I choked that one down, and haven’t gone back since. That was only 20 years ago. Gimlet’s or tonic are probably better than my concoction.

Mojitos may be gay, but they will fuck you up. I’ve had them made the right way and they are a tasty drink.

I also endorse Sayulita. I went there two years ago for 12 days to surf and drink “ballenas” (think 40s of Pacifico). You can also find amazing chile rellenos there. I was surprised the water was as warm as it is, considering it is on the pacific side.

I wouldn’t go now considering that all port cities in mexico should be considered dangerous right now as a lot of the drug activity can be found there. There have been several shootings in acapulco, some even in broad daylight.

I can’t believe I used the word “considered” that many times in one post.

Mojitos are gay, but I also think Margaritas are too.

But don’t take my word for it since another reason I like Vodka is becuase it keeps the weight off. That’s pretty gay.

The only thing better than a 12 oz Pacifico would be a 40 oz. one. The best weekend of my life was spent in San Felipe Mexico in Baja. That’s not really a story for the interwebs. SHE SAID SHE WAS 19!!

Don Julio 1942, Herradura Anejo, and Cabo Wabo Anejo, imo.

Macallan. On the rocks. Two cubes. Why two? Because, dammit.

Old Fashioned. With Maker’s, not Canadian Club. Preferably while pitching an ad or nailing a secretary.

Mexican Martini at Trudy’s. Cazadores Silver. Because college was fucking awesome.

Tanqueray and Tonic. Rolls off the tongue.

Rum is acceptable only if you’re in fucking Pirates of the Caribbean.

And a Shiner Bock. Just to piss off HenryJames.

Rum – Myers Dark, I like mixing it with orange juice
Vodka – No, I like something with taste
Whiskey – Black Velvet is the best for mixing anything, cheap and smooth. Why waste something expensive with coke? My best friend in college.
Jameson and Glenlivit both inhabit my cabinet.
I’ve been drinking something called Sam Houston Reserve Bourbon since the Nebraska game last year… sipping until this past weekend when I decided to drain it in one pull. Good stuff I guess, but I bought it for the name.
Tequila is deadly

Ah. Jameson. Nectar of the service industry. I enjoy it as well from my days back of the house.

Bateshorn,

Like NDS from over at Boomer and Sooner, I also sling booze for a living.

I must applaud your taste in Gin. Boodles is a fantastic product. I used to sell it. Highly underrated! I disagree though about Bombay Sapphire. IMO, Tanquery is a better representation of Gin in that price range.

As a marketer of Super Premium Spirits, I have to challenge your argument on "high priced" super premium vodka. Yes, the definition is odorless, tasteless, and colorless. However, there is still a difference between well made and shit. Even if you are mixing juice based cocktails, you still need to start with a premium spirit. Think of your spirit as your O Line. If your foundation is shit, your performance will be shit. Not to mention a scalding hangover from drinking harsh ass grain vodka laced with fusel oils that have not been properly distilled out. I recommend you stick with Belvedere but don’t ever venture south of Smirnoff.

Tequila- I don’t have a dog in the hunt here but Don Julio Silver is my personal favorite. Gran Centenario is another good one. I personally think that well made 100% Agave Silver Tequila is the true essence of Tequila. Anejos are too masked in oak.

Bourbon – I am based in TN and cover the KY market so I know a thing or two about Bourbon. My personal favorites are Four Roses Single Barrel and Four Roses Small Batch. If you ever get a chance to drink Sazerac 18yr old Rye, don’t pass it up.

Scotch – Glenmorangie or Ardbeg. Depends on your peat level. Almost no peat in Glenmorangie, Ardbeg is a peat monster!

Jameson = in my golf bag flask.

Yes, this golf prick has a golf bag flask, bitches. And the Jameson is great after birdies and double bogies.

shit! Double Bogeys.

Just started a new job so there’s been no kinda time, sorry for the absence… and I won’t be here for the beer/wine soirée, so sue me fucktards…

Bulleit or Gentleman Jack if daddy just wants some Hot Toddies.
Sapphire, dirty and stirred, never shaken, bruises the gin.
Jamesen in the bag’s flask, uthookem and I need a round together. I’m a 15. And a degenerate gambler.

Screw rum, screw vodka, screw scotch, but I have enjoyed a Laphroig 15-yr…

Newcastle Brown Ale, Oregon pinots or Australian Shiraz.

And I’m Out!!!

Tequila. A topic with which I am quite familiar. Okay youngsters, here’s your tequila lesson.
Silver or blanco: bottled out of the still, not aged. More of an edge.
Reposado: aged 6 months, mas or menos. A little smoother than blanco.
Anejo: aged at least a year. The great tequila distillers make really outstanding anejos, and the upper end ones are much like single malt scotches, with different noses and tastes.

I tend toward the anejos, but drink a fair amount of reposado. Moderately. Not.

Okay, as for brands: I agree on Cazadores. The reposado makes a wonderful paloma (tequila, Fresca, squeeze of lime – my drink of choice, esp in the summer). The Cazadores anejo is pretty good too.

My very favorite is Chinaco anejo. An incredibly smooth spirit. Straight, palomas, margaritas.
Since you can’t often find Chinaco in restaurants, the next best is Don Julio. Quality tequilas all. Blanco, rep & anejo.

Corraleo makes really good tequilas, again up and down the spectrum. I killed most of a bottle of anejo on the Lubbock trip this year.

Patron is pretty good, but does John Paul DeJoria really need more money?

I liked 1800 until they started featuring that screaming goose kicking the patron bottle off the table. What a flamer.

My first wife likes Milagro. Meh. On both counts.

Best cheap for making margaritas: Hornitos. Available almost everywhere, cheap, and good.

Do not drink house margaritas. They are made with a blended tequila (part agave, part grain alcohol), and some are horrible rotgut crap that is just a notch above distilled burro piss. Order a top shelf. It is worth the money. And, like single malt scotches, the 100% agave tequilas have, generally, fewer impurities. The impurities in both cases come from the cheap grain alcohol used to cut the base (single malt or agave). Trust me on this one: you can drink considerably more 100% agave and not have a hangover, or at least not a bad one.

If you want to blow some real money, try the Corraleo triple distilled reposado and the Don Julio 1942.

Salud! Bueno Suerte!

allan donald every day and twice on sundays. australians are competitive, but south africans will kill you for a win. now give me a tote bag!

difficult to disagree with you on vodka or tequilla. on the gin front, i am happy with anything that is actually gin – not gin flavoured ethanol.

if you fancy going off piste, try and track down some japanese whiskey (more scotch than bourbon) – in my limited experience, impossibly smooth.

if you have to drink rum, mount gay works. lambs british navy rum tastes of diesel.

what a great post.

my distillates of choice depend on occasion-

1. for social drinking, trying to get women, etc.: Rum. Mixed drinks with rum are delicious. As cheap as it is, Malibu brand rum makes things taste like freakin candy.

2. for goin nuts: Tequila. Tequila shots are very good. very enjoyable. I get a good drunkness from em. gameday drinkin game- shots for every time Texas scores or forces a turnover. Thats a newer one. If i wouldve done that during 05 that woulda been ruthless. but awesome.

3. for sorrow, or to just sip on somethin to relax (or after the last 2 games…): Scotch & Whiskey. Both drinks are great straight with some ice.

4. for getting absolutely fucked up: Everclear or absinthe. the Angry Trucker: Black coffee & hard grain liquor of your choice. dont taste the greatest. but you will absolutely get trashed after a couple.

Posts like this one greatly increase even non-Horns’ enjoyment of this site exponentially.

Gin — agreed on Boodle’s — terrific; Plymouth is a little smoother and less alcoholic — good starter gin.

Bourbon — Elijah Craig is the best cheap bourbon there is; up one level, Wild Turkey Rare Breed is actually very good, despite the association. Plus it’s over 100 proof, so you can drink less and still get fucked up. But really, every bourbon enthusiast should try a bottle of George T. Stagg. It’s hard to find and expensive, but there really isn’t anything on the market like it — proof varies, but generally is in the 140-150 range (my current bottle is 147); even so, you can (and should) still drink it neat. See above — doesn’t take much.

Scotch — Highland Park 12 year for basic every day drinking. I tend to save the peatier varieties I love (Tallisker, Ardbeg, Lagavulin) for the cold months here in VA, but they are all great.

Irish — Redbreast. Getting more (too) expensive, but vastly superior to Jameson’s. Also check out Clontarf.

Tequila — Jose Cuervo Tradicional Reposado. I know, I know, Cuervo, but at the price point it can’t be beat.

Vodka is for girls and 14 year-olds.

Can’t believe someone beat me to the tote bag, but I have to disagree with one conclusion — the Aussies seem to me to be the ones who will choke the life out of you for a win — the Alabama of world cricket if you will. At least when McGrath was on top of his game.

Hendricks is not gin. It’s basically a cucumber and rose liqueur marketed as gin because, well, who the fuck wants to drink roses and cucumbers? I love Hendricks, just don’t call it gin.

Nothing better than getting amongst a bottle of New Amsterdam on a Wednesday night on the couch. By yourself. In the dark.

All that said, magnum bottle of Cavit Pinot Grigio FTW.

EnglishAg- Good on ya. It’s in the mail.

I love Donald’s pace and ferocity, but McGrath was so efficient and just ground batsmen down. Combined with Warne, the Ozzies just wore you out. I had a friend from New Zealand whose comment was always something along the lines of “I could never really pinpoint when the test would go south, just suddenly light would be fading and you were in a ton of trouble”.

I use Pernod because I don’t drink Absinthe and I need it as a mixer. The two are interchangeable if used in minute quantities, like lining a glass, but remember that Absinthe is significantly stronger proof wise and can not be swamped out in all cocktails. It’s fine for the Corpse Reviver #2, however.

Great comments on this thread. Nice mix of high class and degenerate drunks. I tend to qualify as both.

bates -

Your palate for gin is notably more mature than for any of the other liquors you listed. Let me make a few recommendations about the two liquors I am most familiar with.

Tequila:

First, sipping anejos…

Jose Cuervo Reserva de Familia is amazing. Yeah, I know. Ignore the brand’s affiliation with mostly corn-liquor crap apparently manufactured solely to be poured down the gullets of already-wasted coeds during spring break. This shit is for real. I’ve converted probably 15-20 friends from scotch to tequila solely by pouring them a glass of Reserva. It’s really amazing stuff, and not for bullshit tequila shooters. Drink it neat, and savor it.

If you can’t stomach the thought of spending over $100 on a bottle with “Jose Cuervo” written on it, try Don Julio 1942. It’s excellent as well, but in my opinion, not as rewarding as Reserva de Familia. I believe it’s also more expensive.

For a more reasonably-priced anejo, try Chinaco or Herradura. Both can be had in the $50 range, and both are excellent sipping tequilas. Don Julio anejo is also good.

In margaritas, I prefer a reposado tequila. Aged only a few months (as opposed to a year or so for anejos), reposados offer a woody, peppery flavor that works well with lime and salt. By far my favorite reposado is Chinaco. If you can’t find it, substitute Don Julio.

Rum

This is almost too complex a topic to discuss. The optimal rum (or rums) depends on the drink.

Making a mai tai? Go with a Jamaican, preferably Appleton Extra. A Jet Pilot? Well, you’ll need a good Demerara – preferably 151 proof -, a dark Jamaican (Coruba will work), and an amber Virgin Islands rum. Some drinks only work with a Martinique agricole rum – a rum that, because of its earthy flavor, is almost undrinkable straight and will ruin most rum-based cocktails. For rum and cokes and other half-assed fare, stick with a Virgin Islands rum. Cruzan is inexpensive and excellent.

For sipping, Railean is a remarkable bargain. Also, it’s distilled and bottled in Texas.

My Quality Rum Selections:
1. Mount Gay “Extra Old” (Bardados) – you know what they say, once you go mount gay…. Spend the extra cash on the Extra Old. You are worth it.
2. Cruzan Black Strap Rum (St Croix) – I don’t know what one is supposed to do with this stuff, but it’s fkn delicious and good in almost everything. You can also drink it over ice.

My Quality Whiskey Selection:
1. Stranahans (Denver, CO) – Houstonians, you can find this at the downtown Specs. Austinites… I’m not sure about your Specs. This is expensive micro-distillery stuff, but way better than your Knob Creeks, Bookers, or “premium” or “reserve” versions of mass brands.

Generally, anything called “Rhum” instead of “Rum” is made the old-fashioned way, while “Rum” is distilled from a byproduct of the cane process, rather than from the cane itself. I tend to drink things as they are, or highballs. No fancy bartending for me, so I look for a rum that is palatable as-is. Former British territories tend to make darker rums, while Spanish territories make the cheap, clear firewater. Appleton is a good value. St. James is great.

Monopolowa is the best value in vodka, Russian Standard is the best of the inexpensive vodkas, and only Tito’s should be drunk by any true orangeblood.

Broker’s gin is a great value. Burnnett’s is the best of the cheap stuff.

Buffalo Trace is a great effing bourbon. If you haven’t tried it, log off, leave work early, go buy a bottle and you’re done for the day. No, really: go.

Spanish and Mexican brandies are underappreciated. Anything labled “solera” is worth a try.

Salignac is the best buy in cognac. Can’t understand why it’s so cheap.

Really enjoing dry gin martinis right now, garnished with the lemon peel and not an olive. I’ve been using Tanqueray, but will try Boodles next time I’m out. I’ve discovered something strange- there are more bartenders in NYC that can make good martinis than in Arlington, TX.

I like single malt Scotch fine (I took the advice to “train” on Laphroaig, and have settled on MacAllen), but prefer the Irish whiskey. Jameson’s is great, but I’m really enjoying a Bushmills that my dad gave me.

At home, I’m generally mixing two drinks- gin martinis and Amaretto Sours (for the gals).

I’ve always found El Jimador to be a great price/quality point for Tequila.

Same with Famous Grouse for Scotch.

Makers Mark for bourbon, and go with the Texas vodkas ( Tito’s / Dripping Springs ).

I don’t drink Gin, not after some bad experiences. I’ll have to go back to it sometime and see what I’m missing.

Capt. Obvious -

I’ve always found El Jimador to be a great price/quality point for Tequila.

El Jimador reposado used to be the best buy in tequila. At some point, they went to a less-than-100%-blue-agave formula (similar to the lower-end well tequilas like Cuervo Gold, etc.) and I gave up on the brand. The last time I was shopping for a tequila, I noticed that El Jimador was once again 100% agave. Maybe it’s time to give it another shot.

Taylor- I think that’s a culture of East Coast drinking. Mixologists out here tend to really focus on the classic drinks.

The original martini was made with Boodles at El Greco off Via Conditti in Rome just down from The Spanish Steps. It contained Boodles, dry vermouth, a dash of bitters and a twist. I know because they told me so the first time I went there to while away the early evening hours while my second ex-wife was just around the corner shitting out mucho Lire at Gucci, Prada, et al.

I would rank it even with or above any of the high end shit out there for martinis and/or gimlets, if accompanied by freshly squeezed lime juice and homemade simple syrup.

Excuse me, i’m thirsty and need to go now.

Good stuff!

Bottoms Up SirRon, or should I say Here, here. Spot on about Mount Gay. Used to live on Barbados and it is outstanding, both rum and island. Although I do tend to catch shit when I ask if the establishment serves it. But it does seem appropraite as the beverage of choice when watching our floundering O (similar mental images, if you know what I mean!!)

I have recently done extensive personal research in the bourbon arena. Woodford Reserve and Knob Creek are tough to beat, even by the excellent, yet more expensive bourbons, such as the Van Winkles, Jefferson Reserve, Booker, and Blanton. I have yet to try Bullet, but it is on my to do list.

I have to give a shout out to Evan Williams for the bargain price. It is top shelf taste at bar bourbon price. Even if you are a bourbon snob (if there is such a thing), you have to try it.

And I agree that Jack Daniel can’t compete with Kentucky.

Bates – being an avid cricket fan and long time player, I probably don’t deserve the bag, but I will take it all the same.

Mount Gay 151 and England against the West Indies in Barbados sounds like a great combination. As your kiwi friend hinted at – a cricket match can stumble along for 2 days and then out of nowhere it gets turned on its head by a change in weather or moment of brilliance.

Such a shame that the Mount Gay makes it impossible to remember that brilliance.

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