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[Nikov]

I've run out of Carlo Rossi. Time to get another two month's supply in a single massive 4 liter jug.

[Tsarwash]

In my opinion, alcohol mostly sells itself. Any booze that needs to run national TV ads, is fundamentally spending money in the wrong place, they should be spending the money on good quality ingrediants and processes rather than advertising. I'm only talking about my UK experience here, but almost all TV advertised booze is usually bad quality rubbish. There are exceptions of course, but probably not many. Of course wine is different, because you cannot change the quality apart from moving your vineyards to a different location. But all of the well known national brands tend to be pretty bland boring wines.

[PrimusRibbus]

In my opinion, alcohol mostly sells itself. Any booze that needs to run national TV ads, is fundamentally spending money in the wrong place, they should be spending the money on good quality ingrediants and processes rather than advertising. I'm only talking about my UK experience here, but almost all TV advertised booze is usually bad quality rubbish. There are exceptions of course, but probably not many. Of course wine is different, because you cannot change the quality apart from moving your vineyards to a different location. But all of the well known national brands tend to be pretty bland boring wines.

I think a lot of the advertising has to do with building brand loyalty amongst drinking newbies. Back in the day when I was first trying out drinks, my first spiced rum was Captain Morgan because I had seen it on TV. The liquor stores' selections were poor, and I thought it was "the good stuff". While I ended up broadening my horizons, I know more than a few people who haven't been inclined to try anything outside of the highly advertised stuff that they first started on; generally due to brand loyalty and the unfortunate assumption that if they're popular enough for TV spots, then they must be quality.

[Tsarwash]

You are absolutely right, and unfortunately there are some people who never start thinking beyond the major brands.

In my pub, (if it all goes through) I shall try to have as few major brands as possible.

Vodka shall be Russian Standard. White rum shall be cheap rubbish, as it all tastes terrible anyhow. Blonde rum shall be Mount Gay or Havana 7, as they are both pretty nice and affordable. I won't stock cheap whiskey. Gin will be Gordons or Plymouth Gin. Those are the standards. The better spirits might be some good Scotchs such as Lagavulian, Auchentoch, Etc. A few Italian liquers for the girlie drinkers, some genuine Absinth from Praque. I don't know much about brandy, so some !!science!! might be involved. I will include JD and Cointreau for mixing. A few decent imported vodka's and some quality gins also. And some lovely carabbean rums will be involved somewhere along the line. I'm quite looking forward to it. Fingers crossed.

[Phmcw]

White rum shall be cheap rubbish

you couldn't possibly be more wrong.Try a glass of "trois rivières", a French brand. Delicious stuff. Nothing like the baccardi rubbish, those have given rum a bad name.

A few Italian liquors for the girlie drinkers

Are you putting grappa among the girly drink?  

[Tsarwash]

I don't know Grappa. If it is an aniseed drink, then I would probably choose Ricard above it. I shall seek out the rum that you mentioned. I am always open to recommendations and suggestions.

[Phmcw]

Grappa is an alcohol topical of the north of Italy, made from grape. It's similar to rakia, or raky if you know easter alcohol.
It's quite strong. Delicious too, because it's a dry, white alcohol with tastes of grape (faint or strong, depending of the brand.)

[Sir Pseudonymous]

I had a bottle of Red Seal Ale yesterday, which was great. Not much to say about it; it's a pale ale with a strong flavor.

I also had a bottle of newcastle yesterday, which was decidedly mediocre; it tasted like miller high life or somesuch, only it cost three times as much.

Just had a bottle of Spaten Optimator; great flavor and it hit my head like a brick.

Whenever I buy beer, I make a point of getting a bottle or two of something I like, and four bottles of shit I've never had. It's worked out pretty good so far.

[Bauglir]

-snip-

[Solifuge]

Totally making mushroom wine come Winter Break when my jug is freed up. No I'm not telling you how, but the two recipes from which I'm extrapolating are found easily via Google.

Be careful... you might start attracting bears or gnomes to your home.

Just had a bottle of Spaten Optimator; great flavor and it hit my head like a brick.

My folks are beer snobs, and they tend to keep Spaten Optimator in their stockpiles. Never tried it, but if it's good enough for a discerning alcoholic, I'd wager it's pretty good.

[RedKing]

I'm quite partial to Gosling's Black Seal Rum. Had a buddy in my dorm in college who was from Bermuda who introduced me to the stuff. It's much darker than the usual range of rums, with a nice touch of molasses to the flavor. The Bermudian way is to mix it with ginger beer, but I found that mixing 1 part Gosling's, 2 parts irish cream and 3 parts milk actually made a fantastic drink. Since it was similar to a White Russian, I took to calling it a White Mongol. They were very popular amongst my friends, especially the ones who didn't drink a lot, since the sweetness of the black rum and the richness of the irish cream and milk masked most of the alcohol, yet the drink still probably topped out around 40 proof.

I had a bottle of Old Rasputin last week. It smelled like rubbing alcohol, and tasted a whole lot like Guinness spiked with vodka, only sweeter and harsher. I'd probably drink it with preference to Guinness, considering it hits like a brick. I prefer Black Toad, though, which also happens to be the only dark beer that doesn't make me feel the least bit ill from drinking it.

Also tried La Maudite, a refermented beer from some Canadian brewery that had a very dark color but tasted like a pale lager, albeit a good one, without a hint of hops. It was alright, if not to my tastes, but sure as hell not worth the $3 the bottle cost.

I like Old Rasputin, although it's kind of the Yuengling of Imperial Russian Stouts -- decent, cheap (comparatively) and readily available, but nothing to write home about. Now if you want an Imperial Stout that will ready grab your tongue and demand attention, there are three that come to mind:

The Czar (Avery Brewing, Boulder, CO) - BEST IRS EVER. I cellared mine for six months before drinking it, and it was like someone had mixed up cherry cordial and Black Forest cake and port and then distilled all those flavors into a velvety smooth reddish-black elixir. Mad love for this beer. It's also around 11% ABV and only sold in 750ml bottles, so it's a session beer -- the kind you have one of, and you take slowly.

Storm King (Victory Brewing, Dowingtown, PA)
Oak Aged Yeti (Great Divide Brewing, Denver, CO)

The latter two are technically Imperial Stouts as opposed to Imperial Russian Stouts, so they're just a percent or two weaker but still extremely full-bodied and complex in flavor (and look and pour like 10W40 motor oil).


As for La Maudite, the brewery in question is Unibroue, one of the best Belgian-style breweries in North America. We're lucky to have a several great micro-breweries in this area--Duck-Rabbit, Mash House, Big Boss, Natty Greene's and others.

[GlyphGryph]

The chardonnay I am drinking right now is not very good but it appears to be rather high proof as a bottle has made me half inebriated (to the point where I am relying on firefox spellcheck).

I am not sure what type it is, just felt compelled to post in this thread. Also, you guys have convinced me I have to try this "mad dog" stuff, I will be looking for it on my next trip to the state booze store drive through.

[Onlyhestands]

Right now drinking cheap ass vodka. Tastes like shit, but $10 for a handle of 80 proof isn't all that bad considering I only have $4 dollars to my name right now.

[Sir Pseudonymous]

The chardonnay I am drinking right now is not very good but it appears to be rather high proof as a bottle has made me half inebriated (to the point where I am relying on firefox spellcheck).

A bottle of wine got you half drunk? Was it a small bottle, or do you just have a crazy alcohol tolerance?

Right now drinking cheap ass vodka. Tastes like shit, but $10 for a handle of 80 proof isn't all that bad considering I only have $4 dollars to my name right now.

Just about everyone I know drinks Burnett's vodka, which is generally $13 for a half-gallon bottle.

[Nikov]

Vodka out of a plastic bottle is just a crime against neutral grain spirits. I had some blue label Dark Eyes earlier and found it very tasty right out of the freezer. Cheaper than that and it tastes like utter crap.