Alcohol Thread!

[JonStark]

The cold brew pumking that just came out is amazing. 

[bigbadbuff]

On 8/28/2020 at 9:02 PM, JonStark said:

The cold brew pumking that just came out is amazing. 

This sounds incredible

[Tugboat]

On 8/28/2020 at 3:40 PM, MrDrew said:

Best gin I’ve had is St Augustine Distillery New World Gin. It’s a little juniper forward, but it still balances nicely. You’ll probably have to order it, unless your in Florida. Worth it though. I made gin drinkers out of people that thought hated it by letting them try this. 

For stuff that’s available pretty much everywhere, I like Big Gin over the rest. It’s clean, and balanced. Aviation and Hendrick’s are both respectable too. 

Check out some local distilleries. The smaller places are doing better with gin than standards, by a lot. I used to hate gin because I thought it all tasted like Blue Sapphire or Tanqueray, then I tried St Augustine, and my world was changed.

I mean, more "boutique" gins are gonna taste better, and have a bunch of other interesting botanical flavours and stuff...but fundamentally, unless you're just like making martinis all the time, are you kinda advocating an all or nothing approach?

Like, if you're not going "fancy gin", at what point do you just go Vodka?

[MrDrew]

6 hours ago, Tugboat said:

I mean, more "boutique" gins are gonna taste better, and have a bunch of other interesting botanical flavours and stuff...but fundamentally, unless you're just like making martinis all the time, are you kinda advocating an all or nothing approach?

Like, if you're not going "fancy gin", at what point do you just go Vodka?

What do you consider "fancy gin"? I didn't list anything that costs more than $33 a bottle. Even the big names are around $25.

There are a lot of gin cocktails where the type of gin really isn't that important. A Martini is going to make the gin shine, so you might as well use a good one. It's the same with any spirit though. If you're having whiskey and Coke, the whisky really doesn't matter, but if you're making an Old Fashioned or sipping it neat, you want something that stands on it's own. So I guess you use vodka when your option for gin is Segram's. If you like the big botanical flavors of Blue Sapphire, or the huge juniper of Tanqueray, use those. If you want something smoother, spend $5 more and get something that's more balanced.

[Daniel]

20 minutes ago, MrDrew said:

What do you consider "fancy gin"? I didn't list anything that costs more than $33 a bottle. Even the big names are around $25.

There are a lot of gin cocktails where the type of gin really isn't that important. A Martini is going to make the gin shine, so you might as well use a good one. It's the same with any spirit though. If you're having whiskey and Coke, the whisky really doesn't matter, but if you're making an Old Fashioned or sipping it neat, you want something that stands on it's own. So I guess you use vodka when your option for gin is Segram's. If you like the big botanical flavors of Blue Sapphire, or the huge juniper of Tanqueray, use those. If you want something smoother, spend $5 more and get something that's more balanced.

Yeah, if I'm making a gin cocktail that isn't a martini, Gordon's is fine.  Gin and tonic, Tom Collins, Gordon's cup, whatever it is, it works.  A martini is a different animal, since it's mostly gin.

Thanks for the advice everybody.  Via your advice about smaller distilleries, I'll probably just start with a bottle of Corsair.  Maybe afterwards I'll try Ford's if I can find it, and some of the others after that, see what I like best.

[MrDrew]

1 hour ago, Daniel said:

Yeah, if I'm making a gin cocktail that isn't a martini, Gordon's is fine.  Gin and tonic, Tom Collins, Gordon's cup, whatever it is, it works.  A martini is a different animal, since it's mostly gin.

I actually think a gin and tonic should be treated the same way. Use a good gin, a good tonic syrup, and it's a totally different drink than what you'd get at a regular bar.

[Daniel]

3 minutes ago, MrDrew said:

I actually think a gin and tonic should be treated the same way. Use a good gin, a good tonic syrup, and it's a totally different drink than what you'd get at a regular bar.

I've seen the tonic syrup stuff, but never used it.  Plus, I'm a lime squeezer when it comes to gin and tonics, so the gin doesn't really come through that much.

[MrDrew]

2 minutes ago, Daniel said:

I've seen the tonic syrup stuff, but never used it.  Plus, I'm a lime squeezer when it comes to gin and tonics, so the gin doesn't really come through that much.

Try the syrup, keep using the lime. It comes out so much better. Here's how I make mine:

In a shaker/mixing glass with ice

1.5-2oz gin

.75oz tonic syrup

Squeeze a lime wedge in, and trim it down to the peel after

Stir

Strain into a rocks, or Tom Collins glass. Express the lime peel, rub it around the rim of the glass, and drop it in

Top the glass off with club soda, and stir just enough to mix

I use Jack Rudy, or Strong Tonic, for the syrup. I've been told by the best bartender I know to use Small Hands. It takes a little more work, but it's well worth it.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

That sounds like a nice drink.

[Mega Ron]

I've been drinking a Honeycomb Pale Ale from Seven Brothers Brewery in Manchester.

It's a gorgeous drop and I've been doing my bit for independent UK business by drinking caseloads of it. The 7% version is a bit too drinkable to be 7% though.

[MrDrew]

5 hours ago, Mega Ron said:

I've been drinking a Honeycomb Pale Ale from Seven Brothers Brewery in Manchester.

It's a gorgeous drop and I've been doing my bit for independent UK business by drinking caseloads of it. The 7% version is a bit too drinkable to be 7% though.

We have a brewery here that has a golden ale that’s real easy to drink. Easy enough that you watch people stumble after a couple. Then you see it’s 8.7%. Very dangerous

[TOUCAN]

Cousins got me a a bottle of Redbreast 12 for a wedding gift. I rarely drink whiskey so I’m hesitant but also excited to try it.

[fretgod99]

On 8/28/2020 at 4:40 PM, MrDrew said:

Best gin I’ve had is St Augustine Distillery New World Gin. It’s a little juniper forward, but it still balances nicely. You’ll probably have to order it, unless your in Florida. Worth it though. I made gin drinkers out of people that thought hated it by letting them try this. 

For stuff that’s available pretty much everywhere, I like Big Gin over the rest. It’s clean, and balanced. Aviation and Hendrick’s are both respectable too. 

Check out some local distilleries. The smaller places are doing better with gin than standards, by a lot. I used to hate gin because I thought it all tasted like Blue Sapphire or Tanqueray, then I tried St Augustine, and my world was changed.

I’ve ordered that before. Never drank it though. Got it as a thank you for some jackass I know on the interwebs.

[fretgod99]

On 8/27/2020 at 3:43 PM, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

@MrDrew

Also I believe @Heimdallr is a gin guy, but I could be wrong. Maybe it was @fretgod99?  

Whiskey, man. I drink whiskey. Gin is turrible.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

Just now, fretgod99 said:

Whiskey, man. I drink whiskey. Gin is turrible.

Thanks for the speedy reply 😂