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Randomosity
Sep 21, 2003
My stalker WAS watching me...

I love beer.

In my ~10 years of drinking, I've become something of a (wannabe) beer snob. IPAs, Porters, Stouts, Pale Ales, Lagers... I love them all. I can down a few PBRs at a dive bar, snuggle up with a Guinness, or just drink a ton of craft beer. Nothing's better than coming home after work and cracking one. More than once in my life I've thought, "Well, poo poo. At least I've still got beer."

I've developed a gluten allergy. My motto has proven unhelpful. Sure, there's gluten-free beer, but I've dated enough hipster celiac girls to know that I don't love it or them. So now it my beverage choices are down to water, soda, wine, or the hard stuff.

Let's talk about the hard stuff.

As a result of being almost exclusively a beer drinking, I'm realizing I know almost nothing about hard liquour. I've had shots or a mixed drink here or there, but for the most part I'm blind. I don't even know what I don't know. I'm currently trying to some experience with whiskey and scotch... Macallen 10 and 12 year seems to be up my alley.

Mainly, I'm wondering what's good out of a bottle, what good (yet masculine) cocktails to start off with, as well as a good way to keep branching out in blends and brands.

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LogisticEarth
Mar 28, 2004

Yeah pal? Well, you don't have a tongue but that don't stop me having to SHUT YOU UP!

There are a few dedicated spirits and cocktail threads over in GWS/Goons with Chickencheese, I highly suggest you swing over there and check those out.

As for non-girly cocktails, it's good to start off with the classics:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fi...f_Mixing_Drinks

PT6A
Jan 5, 2006
GET FUCKED


Randomosity posted:

Mainly, I'm wondering what's good out of a bottle, what good (yet masculine) cocktails to start off with, as well as a good way to keep branching out in blends and brands.



In terms of spirits drank by themselves, you should try:

Scotch (tons of variety; learn about the different regions and their typical qualities). I think Highland Park 12 is a good starting place, as it's well-balanced. I tend to like Islays, but not all the time -- and definitely an acquired taste.

Rum. My favorite rum available in the States is Zacapa 23 or Zacapa XO; I don't know if there's any good "value" rums in the US, but outside the US you can get Havana Club 7 year old which is pretty much the best thing you can get for the price.

Cognac/Armagnac. These are both terms for grape brandy based on the areas they're produced. WIthout getting into too much detail, cognacs have a tendency to be blended to achieve a consistent taste, whereas Armagnacs are often vintage products. They have distinct qualities, so explore both. The statements of age on most cognac go: VS, VSOP, XO in ranking of quality. You probably want a VSOP or XO -- but these are pricy. I think the best values available at the moment are Chateau Montifaud and Leopold Gourmel Age du Fleur. Armagnac I know less about, but I've enjoyed it when I've had it.

Tequila. Yeah, you've probably had bad experiences with tequila; we all have. But the upper echelon of tequila is delicious and completely different from the lovely shots you get at a bar. I'm from Canada, and we get a fairly poor selection, so I can't offer much in the way of niche advice, but my personal favorites are Don Julio Anejo and Don Julio 1942. Asombroso is actually pretty good too, if you can get over the fact that it's pink and comes in a bottle shaped like a cock and balls.

Assorted other whiskeys: I don't like bourbon, so I can't give you any advice on that. Rye is good, but you can't go for mass-market poo poo. All the best stuff is stuff I've only been able to find locally. It's usually pretty cheap compared to the others, though, so you might as well try it out. Irish whiskey is quite decent to my taste, especially once you get into the more-aged productions.

Vodka: Drinking vodka straight is both disgusting and a waste of time when there's so many tastier things to be imbibed.

Highballs

Let's face it, you're not always going to want straight liquor, and a lot of places aren't going to have anything worth drinking by itself (or the ability to pull off wicked cocktails). I would say the most common highball is rum and coke, but personally I find that too sweet. I prefer whiskey and ginger ale (you can use pretty much any kind of whiskey you want, even a blended Scotch for a bit of a change), gin and tonic (a classic, obviously), or gin and pretty much any kind of juice you can get.

If you are making one of these at home, it's crucial to follow this one rule: fill the glass full of ice. You don't want too much mix, and the ice takes up valuable space in the glass which would otherwise be filled by mix, making the alcohol almost unnoticeable.

Cocktails

If you want cocktails done right, you have to be in the right place. A nightclub or a dive bar is not the place for a cocktail. I'll confess to not knowing a great deal about cocktails, but I'll tell you a little bit about the ones I drink frequently.

Manhattan: 5 parts rye, 2 parts red vermouth, 1 dash bitters, garnish with a cherry. This, for me, is the best cocktail.

Martini: The classic martini uses gin and dry vermouth. It should be made with both of these ingredients, as far as I'm concerned. The standard ratio is 11:3, according to Wikipedia. You may adjust this if you find it necessary. You want to use a good gin, like Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire or better. The top of the line, in my opinion, is Tanqueray No. 10, or Citadelle if you can find it.

Mojito: Learn to make this one yourself, and never order it when you go anywhere, because they'll gently caress it up. It's a built drink, so it's important that you do everything in the correct order. First, put your mint leaves and sugar in the bottom of the drink, with lime juice. Fresh-squeezed key limes are the best for this, but I get lazy as gently caress usually and just use RealLime. Some people like to use simple syrup instead of sugar -- this distributes the sweetness better, but I find it's insufficiently abrasive to the mint. Anyway, muddle these things together. Now add your rum. I recommend using a lightly aged rum, but not a golden or dark rum. If you look at Havana Club 3 Yr., it's got a light straw color -- that's what you want. Bacardi is revolting and will ruin your drink. Stir to dissolve the sugar a bit. Now fill the glass with ice, and fill with sparkling water to the top -- personally, I actually prefer a mineral water like San Pelligrino, but this is a matter of taste. Next, you must add a dash or two of bitters. This is very important! Hurray, your mojito is ready to get you drunk!

Caesar: Another excellent cocktail/mixed drink, which renders the Bloody Mary completely outclassed and superfluous. Start by filling the glass with ice, then add your shot of vodka. Frankly, you don't want that much vodka in a proper caesar -- a shot will suffice. Add a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce, some pepper, some hot sauce (traditionally Tabasco), and some horseradish if you have it. Next, fill the glass with clamato juice and stir.

The glass classically is rimmed with celery salt, but it's a pain in the rear end to do at home for one drink. Garnishes vary, but I'm partial to a pickled bean or pickled asparagus.

Well, that's all I can think of. Hopefully that's a good start for you.

Der Luftwaffle
Dec 29, 2008


I don't know much about gluten sensitivity, but you may want to be careful with whiskies since they're made from grains. Not sure if the distillation process gets rid of all the proteins.

Thuryl
Mar 14, 2007

all teeth, all the time

PT6A posted:

In terms of spirits drank by themselves, you should try:

I'd add ouzo for consideration as well (or sambuca, which is similar but from Italy instead of Greece). It's intensely anise-flavoured, so your feelings on it will probably mirror your feelings on anise: if you happen to like the stuff, give it a try. The traditional way to drink it is deeply chilled at the start of a meal -- it pairs well with seafood and with preserved foods like salami or pickles. Fair warning: the high sugar content means that the alcohol can sneak up on you, so keep track of how much you're drinking.

robotastronaut
Aug 6, 2012



If I'm in the mood for something other than beer when I'm out, and I don't want to drink anything straight, my standby is a Jameson and coke with a lime. Pretty simple, hard to gently caress up, and the lime adds just enough complexity to make it enjoyable. Plus, while Jameson is pretty good (if you're into that sort of thing), you aren't losing too much by mixing it.

For the record, distillation does generally remove any glutens, and many distillers don't use wheat in their mash.

At home, I generally drink bourbon. My standby here is Bulleit, though I have Maker's Mark in the house nearly as often. It's a bit of an acquired tasted, but not as much as scotch, and can make a great cocktail if you do it right.

My favorite bourbon cocktail is the Kentucky Bed Warmer:

2 oz bourbon
1 oz Orange Curacao (Triple Sec works fine)
2 dashes orange bitters
Put this into a shaker with ice, stir until chilled, pour in glass. After this, you top it off with (and there is no negotiating on this) Blenheim ginger ale. This might be harder to find, and is something like ten bucks for a six pack, but one bottle makes at least two cocktails. It's a really high quality and very spicy ginger ale that works perfectly with all of the ingredients. You can add orange zest to it all if you want.

The Ferret King
Nov 23, 2003

cluck cluck

Der Luftwaffle posted:

Not sure if the distillation process gets rid of all the proteins.

It does. Or at least it drat well better because that's what everything I've read about the subject has told me.

I have celiac disease and as far as I can tell I do not react to distilled liquors derived from barley, rye, or wheat.

Haschel Cedricson
Jan 4, 2006

Brinkmanship


Don't worry about if cocktails are "girly" or not. Drink whatever is delicious.

BexGu
Jan 9, 2004

This fucking day....

The best way is to just go out and try it. To that effect, check Living Social in your area. They do a ton of Tasting classes for various liquor, so just pick something that sounds interesting. I just went to a Single Malt Whiskey Tasting that included a great review/breakdown on how each Whiskey was made and what makes them different.

Imasalmon
Mar 19, 2003

Meet me in the Hall of Fame

As a beer snob, I am so sorry for your loss. I do love scotch, though. Consider giving that a shot.

Eighty Seven
Jun 4, 2010


Echoing the "not sure about wheat allergies and whisky" from the previous poster but Scotch is simply a liquor you can't do without trying. For a very mild, inexpensive starter without too much peaty-ness(smokiness, I guess), you should give The Glenlivet 12 a shot. It can be had for around $30 (in my area) in a gift set paired with 18 and 21(?) in this season. It's where I started and gained my appreciation for the more complex flavored whiskys.

Makers Mark (a bourbon) and Bulleit Rye (a rye, of course) are also good, solid brand names to start with for drinking neat.

For mixing, I prefer Canadian Club, another rye because it's dirt cheap and has almost a buttery taste when drinking straight, though some whisky snobs won't touch it because of the shelf location.

Slayer0
Jan 14, 2012

YOUR SHINING BOY

I've had celiac for three years now, and I haven't had any problems with whiskey so far. I'm very interested in this thread though because I've really only had whiskey and rum.

Shaddak
Nov 13, 2011


PT6A posted:

In terms of spirits drank by themselves, you should try:

I may be alone in this, but for straight booze, don't forget about gin. It's delicious, and you should ignore anyone who says otherwise. As far as brands go, I'd recommend Hendricks, or Bombay Blue Sapphire. Top pick, though it can be hard to find, is Rogue Spirits Spruce Gin.

Firaga
Jan 4, 2005
WHAT YOU SAY

Vodka, best shot straight after chilled in the freezer. Russian Standard and Stolichnaya are the best ones.

The more expensive stuff isn't bad but it's not worth the money. Chase the shot with food like a piece of cured and salty meat like bacon or a pickle works too. Frozen vodka doesn't bite (exhale first) and the food will mask any flavour while still maintaining that warm feeling in your chest.

Firaga fucked around with this message at Nov 30, 2012 around 06:08

PT6A
Jan 5, 2006
GET FUCKED


Shaddak posted:

I may be alone in this, but for straight booze, don't forget about gin. It's delicious, and you should ignore anyone who says otherwise. As far as brands go, I'd recommend Hendricks, or Bombay Blue Sapphire. Top pick, though it can be hard to find, is Rogue Spirits Spruce Gin.

Frankly, though I don't mind gin at all, I find it's better with a little bit of tonic or dry vermouth. I have drank straight gin though, when I don't have dry vermouth at hand. It's not quite a martini, but it's still goddamn good.


Thuryl posted:

I'd add ouzo for consideration as well (or sambuca, which is similar but from Italy instead of Greece). It's intensely anise-flavoured, so your feelings on it will probably mirror your feelings on anise: if you happen to like the stuff, give it a try. The traditional way to drink it is deeply chilled at the start of a meal -- it pairs well with seafood and with preserved foods like salami or pickles. Fair warning: the high sugar content means that the alcohol can sneak up on you, so keep track of how much you're drinking.

This reminds me, if you enjoy that, a glass of Pernod (another anise-flavoured liquor) diluted with 2-5 parts water (depending on how you feel) is a lovely drink for a summer afternoon, and to be honest I feel like you should always have a bottle of Pernod around for cooking with anyway, so even if you don't like drinking it it's not a huge loss.

likeAboss
Nov 16, 2004

Ya'll people is cray cray!


Gotta try the Redbull/Vodka.. it will keep your rear end awake and the vodka doesn't make you feel like crap like dark liquors tend to do for me.

joeefsu
Apr 13, 2012


Try wine. It doesn't give you the stigma of a straight up alcoholic like drinking liquor drinks all day and it seems to me if you were a beer enthusiast this might be an easy transition for you.

Eikre
May 2, 2009


My favorite highball is the Dark and Stormy. Make it with black or golden rum and ginger beer; garnish with lime. It's respectable but sort of uncommon, which are good qualities for a social drink. It also has the distinction of a bitey mixer that benefits as much from having its edge taken off as the alcohol does, so if you like ginger beer at all you'll probably find it very complementary.

Windfall
Jul 9, 2005

Horribly Obnoxious.

I can relate, you might even straight up test negative for celiac disorder but still have a newfound sensitivity to gluten. What I know is, the one month that I carefully avoided gluten was the only month since adulthood that I've not had daily indigestion.

Also, beer is the most major trigger of IBS, and a lot of that is simply due to the carbonation (and, I hypothesize, the texture and sensation of drinking it).

NightGyr
Mar 7, 2005
I � Unicode

You sure about gluten free beer? I've found Estrella Damm Daura to be the most like a conventional beer.

The Ferret King
Nov 23, 2003

cluck cluck

Living in south Texas about the only GF beers I've been able to get my hands on are Red Bridge, Bard's (up until recently, I can't find it anymore) and those large pint bottles of Green's.

None of them are very good.

skipdogg posted:

Personally I tend to stick to the clear liquors (gin, vodka, rum), not much of a scotch or whisky fan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XepXmESQ4k

Ah, I'm just pulling your chain, I love gin, vodka and rum too.

The Ferret King fucked around with this message at Nov 30, 2012 around 15:39

skipdogg
Nov 29, 2004
Resident SRT-4 Expert


Shaddak posted:

I may be alone in this, but for straight booze, don't forget about gin. It's delicious, and you should ignore anyone who says otherwise. As far as brands go, I'd recommend Hendricks, or Bombay Blue Sapphire. Top pick, though it can be hard to find, is Rogue Spirits Spruce Gin.

Another vote for gin. A nice gin and tonic can be a refreshing beverage after a hard days work. I'm partial to Bombay Sapphire and Tanquery No. 10 when splurging. I haven't tried some of the nicer gins out there, I've heard good things about Boodles and want to try some of the newer American Gin's like Bluecoat.

Personally I tend to stick to the clear liquors (gin, vodka, rum), not much of a scotch or whisky fan.

Beardless
Aug 12, 2011

I am Centurion Titus Polonius. And the only trouble I've had is that nobody seem to realize that I'm their superior officer.

It's not liquor, but I'd look into hard cider if i were you. I'm partial to Woodchuck.

Giant Isopod
Jan 30, 2010

Bathynomus giganteus

Shaddak posted:

I may be alone in this, but for straight booze, don't forget about gin. It's delicious, and you should ignore anyone who says otherwise. As far as brands go, I'd recommend Hendricks, or Bombay Blue Sapphire. Top pick, though it can be hard to find, is Rogue Spirits Spruce Gin.

Another vote for gin. I like Hendrick's as well. I keep it around for martinis and use cheaper stuff for most other drinks. New Amsterdam is a good value for gin & tonics and drinks where you don't really care that much. Tanqueray Rangpur (the lime one) is the only gin I really like to drink on its own. Tastes like you just picked a lime off a pine tree.

Pilsner
Nov 23, 2002



Call me a teenager if you will (I'm 30 though), but I've finally discovered that the formula for me are flavored vodka shots. Beer, with its bitter taste and bubbles upsets my stomach. Wine is okay in smaller amounts, but isn't something you can always get at bars, and it is sometimes bitter. Cocktails are expensive, typically carbonated, and contain a lot of soda and water that you have to piss out.

My favorite shots are with menthol or liquorice taste, or a mix. I don't live in the USA, so my brand recommendations probably won't help, but where I live (Denmark), there's a pretty good selection of these types of shots, most of them based on some sort of liquorice/menthol candy. If you ever come here, look for FISK (eucalyptus/menthol, very popular), Gajol (liquorice of various tastes), Westerhaws Olie (English liquorice) and Hot & Sweet (based on the Turkish Pepper liquorice), just to name a few. I also sometimes take a few bitters, which can pack a punch (up to 45%), but I can't down more than a few due to their... bitterness.

Most of them taste downright delicious, they're cheap, 30-35% alcohol (60-70 proof in US measures), bought anywhere, are easy to down, and I never get sick from drinking them en masse; at worst, a bit upset stomach for a few hours the morning after. Can't really get better, the way I see it, for when the focus is to get drunk and stay drunk. They're also great for sharing, everyone will always take a shot or two (or more).

Is there a market for such stuff in the US?

jimmie
Feb 4, 2006

Help! They are going to steal my identity!

Beardless posted:

It's not liquor, but I'd look into hard cider if i were you. I'm partial to Woodchuck.

Seconding cider. It's not the most common thing, but there's a wide variety and sometimes it's good to just have a cold pint of something with your buds. Woodchuck is gluten free and has a great winter blend. Fox Barrel, from what I've had, was more dry. Angry Orchard is my personal favorite for not being too dry or too sweet and being sort of common on tap, at least in my area. Pear cider/perry is good too, but don't let it get warm. Strongbow...well, it's really good with blackcurrant, but I don't drink it straight.

Apparently Hornsby cider isn't gluten free. Keep an eye out for those few odd brands that aren't.

DisgracelandUSA
Aug 11, 2011


While most people don't think it, Liquor is just as fantastic as a hobby to get into as Beer is. Within each type of liquor, there are a wealth of different distillers doing different things. There are also lots of small batch liquors starting to come out as well. I'd suggest tackling one liquor-group at a time until you've got your feet about you. Some of my picks:

Favorite Drink: Top shelf long island iced tea. Most people say that making a LIT with top shelf is a waste, but if you use nothing but liquors with exquisite taste, the drink itself has an exquisite taste. Every ingredient needs to be top shelf if possible. Experiment with it to find your favorite combination of liquors, as changing any of them changes the overall flavor of the drink. Make sure to note how the flavor changes as you drink it, as the ice melts, and as its mixed more. My favorite is Kettle, Mount Gay, a Don Julio of some sort and Bombay. The top shelf triple sec is key, and using good sweet and sour is key.

I drink Gin and Tonics when it's hot. Hendricks, Bombay, don't usually go for Tanqueray or the Sapphire.

Martini's when I'm dressed nice or feeling classy or out someplace nice. Beefeater (super dry, super pine needles) with dry vermouth. Stirred, not shaken.

The goto staples are bourbon and rye.

Rye, I sip or shoot, always straight up. Bulleit rye is a good bottle for $30 / liter. Jim Beam also makes a Rye, but I stopped drinking that several years ago.

For Bourbon, I've got two divisions. Mixing bourbons, drinking bourbons.

Mixing bourbons, in order from worst to best, are Beam, Mark, Turkey, Bulleit. Anything worse and you're getting questionable stuff (Old Crow is 51% bourbon, 49% grain neutral spirits). Almost always mixed with Ginger Ale. Mixing with diet pollutes the taste with artificial sweeteners, mixing with coke renders it too sweet.

Drinking bourbons are things like Eagle Rare, Woodford, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden (Favorite). Usually straight up, sometimes on ice.

Scotches I'm not too fond of, but you've got a few different varieties. The important thing is you find a scotch you like and you stick to it. While price varies with quality to some degree, it is not indicative of your like. I have one friend that only drinks Glen Morangie, and I have another friend whose favorite scotch is Clan McGregor, $17 plastic bottle.

As for Tequilas, they come in three (main) flavors: Resposado, Anejo and Super Anejo. Find a type you like, find a brand you like and go for it. There's an ask/tell thread around about a guy who went on a tequilas distillery tour in Mexico that has a lot of good information.

Rum. I don't gently caress with rum. Don't buy Bacardi or Kraken.

bad boys for life
Jun 6, 2003

Nothing happens to anybody which he is not fitted by nature to bear.

I got diagnosed with celiac about two months ago and was also a craft beer snob.

Be very careful with liquor while you start your gluten free diet. Once you start the diet, the pain you get from an exposure is much, much worse than anything youve had before (I think because you start healing and actually start doing damage again).

I drank some liquor drinks like whiskey, rum, and a few others and got sick. If you get a mixed drink, be aware that any mixers may contain gluten (most bartenders dont know, so you need to ask what brand the mixers are and memorize which are safe.)

While liquor is distilled, I still get a reaction from most. I found vodkas that are made from corn or potatoes instead of grain (titos is a good fairly cheap vodka thats made from corn and is gluten free). I can drink those all night and be fine. Basically avoid any liquor that is made from grain or you risk getting sick.

The Ferret King
Nov 23, 2003

cluck cluck

Also realize that stuff that causes you discomfort may not be the gluten.

Everyone's sensitivity is different, but I found out that my celiac problem was a total red herring when it came to my gut discomfort. Remember that alcohol is an irritant to your system in the first place, so it could just be that.

Red_Mage
Jul 23, 2007

I should probably keep to posting about grognards in TGD, because when I discuss actual real-world politics with people who know what they're talking about, it becomes clear that I have trouble seeing things without a ruleset and character sheets.

Shaddak posted:

I may be alone in this, but for straight booze, don't forget about gin. It's delicious, and you should ignore anyone who says otherwise. As far as brands go, I'd recommend Hendricks, or Bombay Blue Sapphire. Top pick, though it can be hard to find, is Rogue Spirits Spruce Gin.

Cascade/Crater Lake Gin from the Bedistillery is also boss.

Red_Mage fucked around with this message at Nov 30, 2012 around 22:58

Snorkzilla
Apr 27, 2008


Tia Maria is a gluten free coffee liqueur. I mix it in with coffee when I feel like having a drink but not loving with anything hard or some fruity drink. It's a pretty good morning thing of course or nice with dessert after dinner. I do like scotch too but that's been covered already. Coffee drinks are just another option just as craft beer/PBR/domestic swill, etc are different options for different moods.

Shbobdb
Dec 16, 2010



If you liked Rauchbiers or any really strong flavored beer (particularly darker stouts), I'd recommend Mezcal. It is a cousin to tequila and has a wonderful smokiness to it that is just great. You can sip it over a long time so it is satisfying in a way similar to beer. Also, because of the strong smoke flavor you can't drink it too fast which, once again, makes it more "beer like" than some other spirits. If you've got money to burn, get Los Nuhales Reposado. It has been aged in french oak and is sex on wheels.

Speaking of French oak, French Brandy is awesome. Just plain awesome. Real brandy drinkers know that the best brandy comes from Spain. That means that French brandies are often overlooked and massively underpriced. I've bought brandies for $15 that, had they been whiskeys would have cost at least $50. Armenian Brandy is also good (Churchill traded Stalin all kinds of stuff for Armenian Brandy). Brandy is also fun because there are a lot of different varieties (Scotch is like this too but Scotch gets expensive quickly) so you can try all sorts of different things (like beer). As opposed to getting stuck in a rut with the same drink all the time.

Shbobdb fucked around with this message at Dec 1, 2012 around 00:56

Vivek
Jun 27, 2007




I know you're not really interested in the gluten free beers, but if you haven't I would try Omission Lager. I bought some without even realizing it was gluten free and I enjoyed it.

rangergirl
Jun 2, 2004
A shark on whiskey is mighty risky, but a shark on beer is a beer engineer

Eikre posted:

My favorite highball is the Dark and Stormy. Make it with black or golden rum and ginger beer; garnish with lime. It's respectable but sort of uncommon, which are good qualities for a social drink. It also has the distinction of a bitey mixer that benefits as much from having its edge taken off as the alcohol does, so if you like ginger beer at all you'll probably find it very complementary.

I love Dark and Stormys as well, I have never tried with lime though. I usually get Gosling's Black Seal which I think is a decent rum.

Gin is probably my favorite mixing liquor, but it just tastes like drinking a Christmas tree to me when I try to drink it straight. Tom Collins are delicious. I have no idea how masculine they are as I'm a woman and I don't think about that type of thing, I guess they have cherries in them so maybe they are too girly?? I like Bombay and Tanqueray for brands.

The fun thing about liquor is there are a million different types, just get a few bottles of whatever looks interesting and experiment. One of my favorite liquors is Barenjager, which is a honey liquor I bought for fun because it comes in a cool looking bottle.

Earwicker
Jan 6, 2003



I was in the same situation as you OP (well not a gluten allergy but beer started making me sick even in small amounts sometimes, other alcohol doesn't) and I stopped drinking beer and got really into bourbon.

My favorites:

Elmer T. Lee (from Buffalo Trace)
Willet
Four Roses Single Barrel (don't get the yellow-labeled one, which is common in liquor stores but is for mixing)
Eagle Rare
Blanton's

I found bourbon somewhat easier to get into than whiskey from Scotland or Ireland (though I do enjoy some) but there is an incredible amount of complexity in some bourbons. In my experience high quality bourbon is also a bit more affordable than good Scotch. Rye is very good too, though I'm not as familiar with it - I have a bottle of Willet's rye right now and it's great.

I've also started trying a lot of tequilas recently as there's a place down the street from me with a massive menu. A lot of people have bad associations with tequila due to college parties with a lot of Jose Cuervo. But there is a huge amount of range and complexity in the world of tequila as well and some incredibly good tasting ones, though I've done a terrible job of keeping track of the ones I like.

And yeah thirding that Dark and Stormy's are a great mixed drink, and I normally hate anything involving rum.

Earwicker fucked around with this message at Dec 1, 2012 around 03:35

Shaddak
Nov 13, 2011


rangergirl posted:

Gin is probably my favorite mixing liquor, but it just tastes like drinking a Christmas tree to me when I try to drink it straight.

And that's why it's fantastic!

rangergirl posted:

One of my favorite liquors is Barenjager, which is a honey liquor I bought for fun because it comes in a cool looking bottle.

I agree with you about the Barenjager bottle, though.
Awesome logo:

Omgbees
Nov 30, 2012


Yeah, really I think you should get into one of the sweeter bourbons, and don't worry about the stupidly peaty scotches etc unless you develop a taste for eating dirt.

So some of the Jim Beam Small batches, Booker Noes is a great one imho

Masonity
Dec 31, 2007

What, I wonder, does this hidden face of madness reveal of the makers? These K'Chain Che'Malle?


rangergirl posted:

I love Dark and Stormys as well, I have never tried with lime though. I usually get Gosling's Black Seal which I think is a decent rum.

It's not a Dark and Stormy without the lime. And don't just garnish... You should be squeezing out 2-3 wedges in there.


edit: As a Gin lover, I hope you are squeezing a couple of wedges into your G&Ts too?

nomad2020
Jan 29, 2007


This one requires coffee.

1 cup of coffee + 1 shot of whiskey + baileys cream liquor to taste = motherfucking Irish coffee!

Really can't go wrong there.

Coffee is manly right??

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Shbobdb
Dec 16, 2010



The only problem with Barenjaeger is how it tastes.

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