So the old school and slated way of thinking is buy the most expensive liquor and mix it if you are making a vodka or gin and tonic (not what I do, what most do). Most people will order a Grey Goose and tonic water or similar if they are out and they want a v & t. Or buy a Bombay and tonic if they want a g&t. You are basically mixing an expensive liquor with a high fructose corn syrup crappy soda with a lime that was probably picked a month ago.
We’re making g&ts tonight and mixing Q-tonic water with limes we pick off of the tree.
This stuff has a fraction of the sugar of a Schweppes or similar and tastes 10x better. Try it sometime:
I’ve had fever tree before- its actaully pretty cool, very refreshing.
When I was single only drank vodka and tonic or club soda. Tonic has as much sugar as soda, but the quinine(sp?) tames the alcohol taste. Most of the time I’d just opt for Soda water.
I really don’t like Gin. I only drank Kettle One or EFFEN back then. There’s a vodka company partially owned by Bruce Willis (just google Bruce Willis Vodka) that says that there’s absolutely no reason why good vodka needs to be expensive. Most of what you pay Grey Goose, Kettle, & etc goes into their marketing cost and the owner’s pockets.Pretty interesting if you read up on them. They’re kind of like Vanguard.
I haven had a mixed drink in ages though. Its been red wine or beer only.
Interesting note - I was in Pittsburgh once and ordered a vodka and seltzer. None of the bartenders knew what that was. Apparently, it’s called vodka and soda. Maybe it’s a NY thing, I don’t know. Also, the Avion tequila plugged in Entourage is real!
Both sides of my family are filled bourbon fanatics. So, that’s what I grew up on, and it’s still my go-to. My mood determines if I drink it with some coke zero, with diet coke, neat, on ice, mahattan, etc.
I’ve never understood why people will buy expensive booze, then mix it with pop. Assuming the premium you paid for the liquor is justified and the booze actually tastes better, you’re completely diluting the flavor profile and wasting the liquor.
Of course, I tend to think that price has a poor correlation with quality, except at the lowest end. I’m obviously not an expert, but I’ve had conversations with people that have been in the bourbon industry for 20-30 years, and they tend to agree. So, at least I know I’m not completely off my rocker.
A $15 bottle of Jim Beam is a much better value than a $35 bottle of Knob Creek. It’s more versatile, since I can enjoy drinking it neat, but I don’t feel bad mixing it with pop. As I move north in prices to something like Buffalo Trace, there is some additional quality but not much. Bourbon’s tough, though, since the flavor profile doesn’t deviate much from brand to brand.
I was at a bourbon tasting, and the instructor said his favorite bourbon of all time was a limited edition Early Times (a fairly inexpensive bourbon, for the uninitiated) back in the 80s. To each their own I guess
Scotch is a slightly different story. I’m a bit more of a novice with scotch, but I still think the poor price:quality correlation holds true. Although, I think it’s a tiny bit stronger. I’m still trying to figure out what I like, so I can’t say for sure yet.
I’m not a big fan of vodka. It just doesn’t offer me anything. I love me a nice g&t on a hot day while sitting outside, though.
^ Beam is usually what I keep at home to mix with coke. If I’m drinking a manhattan I’ll go for a nicer bottle, like my recent favorite is Bulleit bourbon.
Beam is a solid bourbon. Good for mixing. I have mint growing and we made a mint simple syrup and made mint juleps recently.
Take a handful of mint and mix it 50/50 with water and sugar and boil. When it cools strain it and you have a badazz mint syrup for making mint juleps or for ice tea.
Mint syrup for a mint julep??? The entire southeastern US just felt a shiver up their spines. Wanted posters with your picture on them are being circulated at Churchill Downs with instructions to shoot on sight.
It’s the same thing. Rather than muddle leaves in sugar you just use maybe a teaspoon of the syrup. It’s a lot quicker, the sugar is dissolved already, and no leaves floating around.
I am partial to Rum and single malt whiskey. My family just about lived at the origional Trader Vic’s in Emeryville and Hinkey Dinks as it was callled before that when it was in Oakland. I have pictures of me as a wee kid sitting with Victor Bergeron. I found a copy of 1948 edition, Trader Vic’s Book of Food and drink.
If you can find it get it. Every classic drink recipie you can think of and over the top rum punchs. Some of the punch recipies make you wonder how people got home at night. 1 quart dark rum…1 quart light rum…10 bottles of wine…dozen oranges…blah blah…serves 15.
He also sets people square on booze. Buy the good stuff and ALLWAYS measure.