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The Alcohol Thread

Discussion in 'Permanent Threads' started by Blue Dog, Oct 20, 2009.

  1. Er yan

    Er yan
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    [​IMG]
    Croatian & Serbian Plum Brandy. Yum.

    [​IMG]
    Sex With An Alligator
    Midori & Pinapple
    Jager
    Chambord
     
  2. tweetybird

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    For the gin fans: do yourselves a favor and try 209 and Junipero. Both make a great dry martini (and by dry, I mean you swirled a couple drops of vermouth in the glass, dumped it out, and then poured in gin that had been gently stirred with ice).

    I have total old man taste in booze. Vodka/soda and bourbon/soda are my go-tos, and when I'm chilling out and want something tasty I gravitate to the charms of the Old Fashioned. Bourbon fans should give this a look. Not sure of the proportions, but it involves bourbon, bitters, a little sugar, water, a muddled orange slice, and a cherry.

    But then again, if it comes in a bottle and contains alcohol, chances are pretty good I"ll find it delightful. The only thing I've encountered thus far that I WILL NOT drink is Midori. Thank you, sorority sister that nearly killed me with the St. Patrick's Day punch from hell...
     
  3. Spoz

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    Sweet jesus this stuff is good. I'm from Croatian heritage and my grandfather has taught me how to ferment and distill sljivovica that tastes very similar to the one on the right.
    The Maraska brand is awesome too, they have a fantastic sweet rum - see picture. It comes in a few different styles of bottle but all the labels are the same. Maraska also make all kinds of nice spirits, apart from that one. Just stay away from the pelinkovac.
     

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  4. MisterMiracle

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    Guy I worked with in Miami made this drink, which is one of my all-time favorites:

    The Jackie Rose

    1 1/2 oz. Jack Daniels
    1 oz. rosemary simple
    1/2 oz. lemon juice
    2 dash maple syrup
    1 1/2 oz. apple cider
    Shake, strain over ice into cut-crystal rocks glass, garnish with rosemary sprig and Amareno cherry, and serve.

    Tasty, tart and strong, this cocktail goes well with any sort of steak. If you're looking to impress, this drink is where it's at.
     
  5. mad5427

    mad5427
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    I got some great advice from some people from the old board and have been trying as many as I can. I am very glad I tried a bunch in bars before I bought a bottle because what I originally thought I'd like from descriptions are the furthest from what I like to drink.

    Take that first $50 and find whatever local bars that have a variety of scotches. Go there. Try at least 4 very different ones to see where you are on the spectrum.

    Start with each neat with a glass of water on the side. Take a sip. Follow with a sip of water. Then add a very little bit of water. Sip. Maybe add a little more. Repeat. This will allow you to experience that same scotch a few different ways. The water will change it a bit each time.

    Try to find an Ardbeg or Laphroaig. Very smoky. My favorite.

    Find a Lagavulin or a Talisker. Still a little smoke, but a little richer.

    Macallan is much richer and woodsy and spicy. I'm not as much of a fan and this is what I thought I'd love initially.

    Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Isle of Jura seem much fruitier and lighter. Pretty good, but I just find that I prefer my scotch to be smoky, Smoky, SMOKY!

    You can find a bottle of each of these for between $30 and $60 a bottle. At least for 10-12 year bottles. But, what one person says is the best shit ever would be a $$ bottle of piss if you just don't gel with that style.

    Read online about the different regions and again, just go out and try some from different regions. They all have their character. Once you find out what you like and don't like, you can start broadening within that region. That's where I'm at now. I know what I like and am delving further down that path. Plus, when I can I'd like to try some older bottles from distilleries that I know I like.

    This is all about single malt as well. I haven't had a blended yet that I enjoyed neat or with a splash of water, probably because I haven't had any Isley blends. I don't even know if there are any blends that I'd like neat. I prefer blended scotch with a mixer.
     
  6. Sam N

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    I've been interested in brewing my own beer for awhile now, and I think now is just about the time to get started on it. Despite the interest, I have almost no idea what I'm doing. I've read up some on it online, and will continue to do so, but I figure there has to be some folks experienced in brewing beer on here. So give me some recommendations, keeping in mind I am a newbie. Good books on the subject, good websites, good home brewing kits, any good recipes (specifically for a dark ale), anything you wish you knew when you were just starting??? Help me out guys.
     
  7. rei

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    I tried scotch for the first time last week actually. My grandfather's in a rough time and decided to bust out his 16 year old Lagavulin;

    I'm a poor college student, is there any way to get even close to the smoky taste it had without screwing me over for paying tuition? I dont care if its not as smooth or renowned because I'm broke, but I'd love to be able to have that smoky flavour on a more regular basis
     
  8. Sompletely Cober

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    Hello there!

    We really need a Homebrewing thread, but I guess this will do for now:

    Don't know what your doing? : Don't get caught up in the mystery surrounding homebrewing. There are a lot of techniques and standards that will help you design great beers, but it's as simple as making a dish for dinner, except this dish will get you drunk. Make a ferment-able concoction, add yeast, stowe away and enjoy. Rinse repeat.

    Books: I cannot recommend Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher enough. Excellent source of information for the beginner as well as the seasoned brewer wanting to pick up a few tips and anecdotes. If you don't want to spend money, give John Palmer's How to Brew [ http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html ] a look. Another great source of information.

    Good Homebrewing kits: Check your local homebrew store for a kit, they are bound to have something and should be able to throw something togeather for you. If not http://www.northernbrewer.com and http://www.morebeer.com are good online retailers.

    Good Recipes: "Dark ales" covers a wide spectrum. Stout, Porter, Brown Ales, maybe a heavy Amber. I would ask your local homebrew shop or look online for extract kits that fit what you want to brew. Darker ales for the most part will take longer to ferment and condition if they are sitting at a high gravity, so I would stick to something that will be ready within 3-4 weeks. But ultimately brew what you want to drink.

    Things I wished I knew:

    Sanitation, sanitation, sanitation: keep everything as clean as a pope's conscious and you will brew great things.

    Temperature control: If you do not have any way of cooling down your wort after boil (i.e. a large sink that you can stuff with ice around your boil kettle) purchase an immersion chiller or check out http://www.homebrewtalk.com for DIY tutorials. Getting that wort down to pitching temperature ensures less air borne microorganisms that can float into your beer and skull-fuck the shit out of your precious drink. Also, getting the temp down ensures less unwanted chemicals (read: bad tasting beer) from forming if your wort stays at a high enough temperatures for a long time. Temperature control also applies to fermentation. Make sure that you do not leave your fermenting bucket/carboy in direct sunlight or anywhere it might move above room temperature. Now that it's winter time, this should not be much of a problem. Make sure to have a thermometer handy as well.

    Saving empties: Start drinking more capped beer (not twist off) and save the empties. This is also a good time to explore craft beers that you have not tried before. You'll need around 50-52 if you are brewing a 5 gallon batch.

    Blow off tubes: If you pitched your yeast correctly, you might experience a mess in your fermenting room due to vigorous fermentation. It's always best to install a blow off tube (standard food grade tube that fits snugly into the place for the air-lock with the end of the hose running into a bottle/jug of water) and not have to clean up yeast shit off your walls.

    Boil Kettle: Go ahead and splurge for a nice large 6-12 gallon boil kettle. A full boil for extract brewing makes a noticeable difference. Aluminum is nice, but Stainless is awesome. Once you get the brewing fever your equipment will be the bottleneck.

    Join a Homebrew Club: There are lots of these. http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/listings.asp for a complete listing. Joining a club will help you with starting out and often results in you having a very fun time. Most clubs host cook-outs, competitions, local brewery tours, tastings, etc. which are great.

    Main thing: Have fun and don't worry. I screwed up a ton my first time, but it came out great.
     
  9. BaseballGuyCAA

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    Great minds think alike. I'm all about Admiral Nelson (Captain if you can afford it) and either cream soda or root beer. Gotta watch yourself though--I came very close to alcohol poisoning off of that this summer. It's like wop, in that you can't taste it even when you make it strong enough to pack a helluva punch.

    Speaking of which, wop. Hoo boy.
     
  10. Crazy Wolf

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    So, I can't remember a cocktail (shooter), it's called the "Fat Hobbit", with absinthe, Grand Marnier, and a third ingredient, possibly triple sec. Anyone heard of it?
     
  11. DrunkenCokeHead

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    For me a bottle of Glenlivet 12 year old single malt always does the trick.

    [​IMG]

    Decent quality for a decent price. My local liquer store sells 1L bottles for 20 euros, bargain!
     
  12. Stimpson J Cat

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    I'd second mad5427's recommendation of Laphroaig.

    I've been a bourbon man since before birth (based on my father's preferences), and my first experience with scotch was pretty negative. I'd heard that blended scotches were easier for beginners than single malts, so I picked out a bottle of Dewar's White Label. I could barely finish a single glass, even on the rocks or mixed, so I decided that maybe scotch just wasn't my spirit.

    However, when my neighbor moved out last year, he left me the remnants of his bottle of Laphroaig 10 Year Single Malt. Despite my initial misgivings, I decided to give it a try (because who just wastes free alcohol?). I quickly found that not only could I stomach it, it's great neat or with a couple drops of water. The smokiness is almost overwhelming, but in a good way. Since then, I've tried a couple other scotches, but I haven't found any that I prefer to Laphroaig. At around $45 a bottle, it's at the upper end of the price range you gave, but it's certainly worth it.

    In more recent news, I'm drinking a glass of Schlafly's Pumpkin Ale as I write this. It's like pumpkin pie in a glass, and goes down smooth as Guinness. It's a perfect beer for a rainy, cold day like today is. If you can find it in your area, go out and buy some right now. Halloween is only a week and a half away.

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Brother J

    Brother J
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    The best vodka I've tried has to be Hangar One. It's usually tougher to find (at least in Canada), but is incredible on its own or with splash of soda. Their flavored stuff, key lime and mandarin is unreal, considering many lime flavored vodkas taste like Mr. Clean. I'm not too educated on the process, but I believe it's because the flavor is created by leaving real fruit in the vodka for a period of time, rather than just adding flavor.
    [​IMG]
    Has anyone out there made their own flavored vodka/gin? How would one go about doing this? I know a bit about the chemistry of cooking, and have bartended for quite some time, so I'd assume just leave some fruit or spices in a jar (or something similar) of vodka/gin until the flavor is right?
    If that is correct, how long would this take?
     
  14. MisterMiracle

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    1) Depends on what you want to use to infuse your vodka. Usually for one bottle of vodka you need about 3 apples (or any fruit around that size). For things like berries, you'll need at least 3 handfuls of the product per bottle of vodka. Fresh herbs, about 2 handfuls. For peppers and spices use as many as you want to flavor the vodka.

    2) Wash all fruits thoroughly. Slice any fruits finely in order to increase the surface area (which will speed up the process). Take off any stems for berries and lightly bruise them before putting them in the jar. If using herbs, crush them up to release their flavor.

    3) Place ingredients into a glass airtight container. Add vodka. Seal and place it in a cool dry space that will be away from direct sunlight. Use any vodka that you think could stand alone. Medium grade works well and won't cost much.

    4) There is no standard for the amount of time you need for these things, but generally most of these thngs take 3 to 5 days. Stronger flavors will infuse quicker (citrus and berries), whereas softer flavored/less porous ingredients will take at least a week or longer. At most, two weeks should suffice to infuse one liter of vodka. Remember to keep an eye on the fruit, if it looks like it's turning brown, remove it and place in fresh fruit. Ripened fruit will ruin the flavor.


    I've done infused vodka with Jolly Ranchers and Skittles before, but that's another story.
     
  15. kuhjäger

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    Fuck the suggestion above.

    If you want real class you will go, buy a 1lb bag of skittles, and separate them by color. Take about 25 per 750ml, drop them in.

    Let sit 20 minutes and then agitate. Repeat until there is no color left on the skittles.

    Chill for 6 hours, kick back and taste the rainbow:

    [​IMG]
     
  16. effinshenanigans

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    I had a few people ask me for my Limoncello recipe on the old board, so I figured I'd post it here in case anyone is interested.

    You'll need:
    -1 dozen lemons
    -a zester/microplane (http://us.microplane.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=4)
    -3.5 cups of sugar
    -1.5 quarts (6 cups) of water
    -funnel
    -coffee filters
    -at least 1 quart of Grain Alcohol
    -1 quart mason jar
    -storage containers

    Step 1

    Using the microplane remove the "zest" from each of the 12 lemons. The zest is the colored part of the peel. Make sure that you stop once you start seeing white. If you don't, that white part will make the limoncello bitter. I usually hold the lemons over a large mixing bowl or plate because the zest can fly off and go all over the counter. Once you're done removing all of the zest from each lemon, set them aside.

    Step 2

    Collect your lemon zest and put it all at the bottom of a 1 quart mason jar (Barilla pasta sauce comes in jars with the measurements etched in the glass, so I use those). Once that's done, pour your grain alcohol (I use Graves) into the mason jar so that it is completely full. I mean completely, too; you'll need a quart of it and the zest displaces it a bit. It will all fit in the quart-sized mason jar, just fill it to the rim.

    Step 3

    Seal the jar and put it on your counter or somewhere out of the way. Let it sit for AT LEAST 8 days. I usually let it go for 2 weeks so that the citrus oils are pulled out a little bit more. This is also when I'll prepare the storage containers. I use the pint-sized Grolsch bottles because you can reseal them very easily and they can be reused a lot. If you're going to go this route, buy 2 of the 4-packs of bottles because you'll need 5 or 6 of them to store it all.

    Step 4

    After you've waited for however long you decided to, you now need to make some simple syrup. For this recipe, you'll be using 1.5 quarts (6 cups) of water and 3.5 cups of sugar. Bring the water to a boil and slowly mix in the sugar until the syrup appears clear. Then, let it cool completely.

    Step 5

    This part can be a bit of a pain in the ass. Open your jar of booze and zest and filter out the zest that's collected at the bottom, collecting the lemon-flavored alcohol in a separate bowl. I use a coffee filter-lined funnel for this. It takes some patience, especially since the coffee filter sometimes won't let the fluid flow through it very quickly, but this works best. Once you've filtered out the zest, squeeze out the coffee filter over the bowl to get the rest of that really concentrated citrus oil out of the zest. If you didn't know you had cuts on your hand at this point, you will very soon.

    Step 6

    Pour the bowl of lemon-flavored alcohol into the pot/pan with the cooled simple syrup and mix the two completely. Using the same funnel from before, carefully pour the limoncello into each of the bottles (or storage containers of your choice). Put the limoncello in the freezer. It won't freeze since it's basically all alcohol.

    Let it get good and cold before you drink it. You can drink it as soon as you want to, but the longer it sits in the freezer, the better (ie: smoother) it gets.

    Cheers.

    Sidenotes:

    -You can bacially use any citrus fruit you want for this. I've made it with lime zest and orange zest (which is actually called Arancello). I'm waiting for clementines to come back in a couple months so I can make "Clemencello."

    -Also, with the naked lemons that are left over from all of this, I usually make homemade lemonade. Just cut the lemons in half and reem/squeeze them into a pitcher. Then add water and sugar to taste.
     
  17. ghettoastronaut

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    Because my new kitchen cabinets allows me to do it, I've resurrected the dorm room tradition of collecting all the different beer bottles I've drank since I moved in. Within a month I had a case worth of different beer bottles up there (plus some extras that I didn't drink in my apartment), plus all the extra empties. September was a fun month. Some of my favourites have been:

    Cameron's Auburn Ale and Cream Ale
    Rickard's Honey Brown
    Robert Simpson Confederate Ale (kind of similar to Cameron's Auburn Ale, but still damned good)
    Affligem (a Belgian Abbey blonde - unlike most blondes, it's really viscous and full-bodied)
    Mill Street Pilsner
    Mort Subite - a Belgian lambic with raspberry juice added. I would normally disregard any suggestion for a beer that doesn't taste like beer, but unlike most fruity/flavoured beers, this one has enough complexity and solid natural flavour to not fall into the fruit juice category.

    Lastly, I spent my summer in a shitty town outside of Montreal. One of the redeeming values was a bar which had, for a dollar, the following, poured sequentially into a shot glass:

    1 oz tequila
    Lime juice
    Splash of club soda

    Fucking delicious. My ordinary big city life is unused to the concept of cheap bar alcohol, or a bar shot that isn't ridiculously sweet.
     
  18. Beer Me

    Beer Me
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    There was a time when I didn't drink, I told myself I would *never* drink.. but look at me now.

    I'm a big beer fan, possibly a beer snob, but I just had 4 Bud Lights.. well they were free so why not?

    As for beer, I am a big fan of beers from Quebec by Unibroue. Those are some of the best beers in the world! I could go for one right now. Especially their Maudite or La Fin du Monde (end of the world) beers

    [​IMG]
     
  19. iczorro

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    Hot damn, that's awesome, and I want to try it.
     
  20. FuckerTax

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    Question: In your guy's (and girls) opinion, is a Gin-Tonic a "girl drink."

    I had never thought this before. I often enjoy a Gin and Tonic when I got out. A couple of weeks ago my buddy was busting my balls about it (nothing usual about that, we do that all the time) but it got me thinking... How do you guys view the ole gin and tonic?