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(No offense to active Mormons; I am eboldened by the beer thread, and am trying to get landpoke more active.)
For me there is red wine, single malt scotch, vodka, champagne at discretely defined times, and little else. A few rules of thumb: I like wine and spirits accompanying food, and at celebratory moments, even extremely quiet and subtle celebratory moments. Alcohol is usually not a good thing as a stress or sadness releiver. Avoid drunkennesss. The initial onset of buzz is more pleasurable (my body is pretty good at indicating the bright line). Don't drink if you are in trial or doing surgery or playing organized sports or operating heavy machinery, even if it's not until the next day.
Except occasionally sangria in summer with spicy food (almost no one makes a sangria, and fewer still do it right), I virtually never drink mixed drinks. I like the taste of wine and spirits, if the brand is good, especially with food. Thus, another rule of thumb, this one crucial: drink a good enough quality wine or spirit that you don't feel you have to mix it with juices or sweet drinks. This is one part of life where upgrading is definitely worth the money. It's better even to scrimp on cheese, steak or coffee. Avoid blended scotches like poison except maybe Johnny Walker black. Never add ice to a good single malt scotch.
I think Balvenie and Macallan are the best values in single malt scotch, especially the 1.75 litre Macallan. But it's always fun to experiment with a new scotch. I like Chopin and Kettle One vodka, nothing less. An icy cold vodka martini (shaken and no vermouth!) is a great wind down tool after an intense and rewarding day, and a great pre-dinner cocktail, maybe with appetizers. The dilemma is that scotch is the perfect after dinner drink, and mixing vodka and scotch in your stomach is not a good thing. Vodka and then wine or wine and then scotch is fine. Maybe in part because vodka is mixed with water in varying degrees in a martini, I find martinis wildly divergent in how they affect me. Sometimes or usually one is enough; sometimes it hardly has an effect. Food intake and sleep quotient are also factors.
I love the idea of cognac. It's like scotch but distilled champagne instead of distilled beer. But I like the taste of scotch a lot better. I blame myself.
Yes, I know, martini snobs prefer a high end gin martini. But I remember Tolstoy and Dostoevsky when I drink vodka, and for me smooth is always preferable to complexity. Yes, I know, I'm a bumpkin.
I am somewhat romanced by high end bourbons, but notice that even bourbon lovers usually put in ice. Speaks volumes. It's a very sweet, noisy drink. Smooth single malt scotch is way better. But if your bar doesn't have good scotches or vodkas (this happens a lot at big gatherings) drink Jack Daniels (by all means with ice) and/or red wine.
For me there is red wine, single malt scotch, vodka, champagne at discretely defined times, and little else. A few rules of thumb: I like wine and spirits accompanying food, and at celebratory moments, even extremely quiet and subtle celebratory moments. Alcohol is usually not a good thing as a stress or sadness releiver. Avoid drunkennesss. The initial onset of buzz is more pleasurable (my body is pretty good at indicating the bright line). Don't drink if you are in trial or doing surgery or playing organized sports or operating heavy machinery, even if it's not until the next day.
Except occasionally sangria in summer with spicy food (almost no one makes a sangria, and fewer still do it right), I virtually never drink mixed drinks. I like the taste of wine and spirits, if the brand is good, especially with food. Thus, another rule of thumb, this one crucial: drink a good enough quality wine or spirit that you don't feel you have to mix it with juices or sweet drinks. This is one part of life where upgrading is definitely worth the money. It's better even to scrimp on cheese, steak or coffee. Avoid blended scotches like poison except maybe Johnny Walker black. Never add ice to a good single malt scotch.
I think Balvenie and Macallan are the best values in single malt scotch, especially the 1.75 litre Macallan. But it's always fun to experiment with a new scotch. I like Chopin and Kettle One vodka, nothing less. An icy cold vodka martini (shaken and no vermouth!) is a great wind down tool after an intense and rewarding day, and a great pre-dinner cocktail, maybe with appetizers. The dilemma is that scotch is the perfect after dinner drink, and mixing vodka and scotch in your stomach is not a good thing. Vodka and then wine or wine and then scotch is fine. Maybe in part because vodka is mixed with water in varying degrees in a martini, I find martinis wildly divergent in how they affect me. Sometimes or usually one is enough; sometimes it hardly has an effect. Food intake and sleep quotient are also factors.
I love the idea of cognac. It's like scotch but distilled champagne instead of distilled beer. But I like the taste of scotch a lot better. I blame myself.
Yes, I know, martini snobs prefer a high end gin martini. But I remember Tolstoy and Dostoevsky when I drink vodka, and for me smooth is always preferable to complexity. Yes, I know, I'm a bumpkin.
I am somewhat romanced by high end bourbons, but notice that even bourbon lovers usually put in ice. Speaks volumes. It's a very sweet, noisy drink. Smooth single malt scotch is way better. But if your bar doesn't have good scotches or vodkas (this happens a lot at big gatherings) drink Jack Daniels (by all means with ice) and/or red wine.
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