Boozers and Winos unite!

[PeterL22]

Just noticed phantom spell check in above post - "reshape" in pink gins should read "rosehip"!

[PeterL22]

Taking requests here, if you want any recommendations for spirits or beer let me know - might do rums later in week!
Watch this space

[Maggie Green]

Sadly I have to cut back on my drinking. It's not that I do it that much, I'm less of a drinker than I used to be, but I had a wake up call from the doctor about my heart. Everything is fine, at least for now, but my triglycerides are elevated and heart disease runs rampant in my family. I am prone to it. So he wants me to work on my diet before we talk about medication. One thing that he said to cut was alcohol as this can cause them to be higher, same with fatty foods. I eat pretty healthy but I do like to have fried bar food and cheese from time to time so it's good bye to that. I'm not going to go crazy about it but I am going to make some changes. My mom almost died from a massive heart attack and the only reason that she's alive is she was fortunate enough to have a heart transplant.

So time to be a little more heart healthy!

[PeterL22]

Sadly I have to cut back on my drinking. It's not that I do it that much, I'm less of a drinker than I used to be, but I had a wake up call from the doctor about my heart. Everything is fine, at least for now, but my triglycerides are elevated and heart disease runs rampant in my family. I am prone to it. So he wants me to work on my diet before we talk about medication. One thing that he said to cut was alcohol as this can cause them to be higher, same with fatty foods. I eat pretty healthy but I do like to have fried bar food and cheese from time to time so it's good bye to that. I'm not going to go crazy about it but I am going to make some changes. My mom almost died from a massive heart attack and the only reason that she's alive is she was fortunate enough to have a heart transplant.

So time to be a little more heart healthy!

That is reasonable advice Maggie - I'll keep posting if that's OK with you.
If you do want to enjoy a little glass now and then suggest avoid beer and go for red wine (good stuff) or a small shot of good spirits. The spirits I suggest are all good quality and (apart from gin - cos no sane person drinks gin neat) can be enjoyed by sipping!

[PeterL22]

Its update time!

Just discovered funky new spiced rum!
Do you like fruit? Do you like cherries? (not THAT kind of cherry DrD)

Well how about cherry spiced rum - very complex taste with lots of cherry, followed by hits of spice and caramel! and aftertaste of lime! Scrumptious
Try Admiral's Old J cherry spiced. It even looks red in the bottle.

[Maggie Green]

I don't sip alcohol, I'm not that hard core lol!

Cherry rum? Hmmm! I don't like spiced rum but the cherry sounds intriguing.

I have been drinking some red wine, nothing fancy. And just one of my favorite beers...Kona Big Wave Ale!

[PeterL22]

Great for sipping is Sharka Blue - tastes of blueberries (honest) - had it in Cooperstown in Phoenix.
God Bless Alice!

[PeterL22]

Gin time - I go on and on about Monkey 47 - the German gin (Oh yes it is). The one that comes in a bottle based on an old medicine bottle and has 47 different botanicals in it. Truly great.
There is a holy grail of gin by Monkey 47 - the gin in question is Monkey 47 Distiller's Cut 2016 (they do one each year). Extra special, but the problem is only 4000 bottles of it are made each year - that spreads very thinly over the world!
Can't locate a bottle of the 2016 even at the price of £125 ($152). But am looking out for the 2017.
Nectar I'm sure.
However, if you ever see a bottle of the Distiller's Cut in a local booze store - get one!

[Maggie Green]

You are such a connoisseur!

[blatts01]

Beer and lots of it..

[PeterL22]

Beer and lots of it..

Ahblatts, but what sort of beer - if you are in USA, you are spoilt for craft breweries! Don't tell me that Bud & Coors = beer, please!

[blatts01]

Beer and lots of it..

[PeterL22]

Japanese whiskey - now there's the thing. Tried it for first time yesterday - I do like a nice single malt, but have shied away from Japanese as no tradition etc. However, its actually pretty good - smooth and mellow and slides down a treat
My humble sugesstions to try are Nikka (taketsuru was really good) and Yoichi. Both can hold their heads up with good Scottish distilleries.
Talking of which came across Dalmore yesterday and that's nice - I had their Cigar Malt (quite pricey at £9.50 a measure = $11.65) which I enjoyed . A bottle sets you back £75 ($92) but if you think that's expensive, they have a 25yr old at £725 per bottle ($890). It better be good at that price - but don't think I'll find out.
Still Japanese whiskey - don't be afraid!

[PeterL22]

Monday I will spill the beans about a gin that is literally out of this world!

[PeterL22]

Sorry Its Tuesday - whoops

But really cool gin to be launched (almost literally) in early April - Moonshot Gin. It is by That Boutique-y Gin Company and is made with botanicals that have been sent into space! Probably just a gimmick, but how cool is that!?
Their botanicals were sentient the stratosphere (at least 24Km) where they were exposed to the extremely low pressures - at 19Km water boils at body temperature! Plus, the added bonus they use moon rock from meteorite as a botanical in this gin - just keeps getting cooler!
In all honesty, I have no idea how good it will taste, but I have ordered a bottle - you would be a lunatic not to!

[Maggie Green]

I have never met someone who knows so much about booze!!

[PeterL22]

And you've never met me!!!!
I may sound like an alcoholic, but the secret is quality NOT quantity. Its great to try different things - and I do!
Not too good on wine I'm afraid.

[PeterL22]

tomorrow the difference between London gin and Plymouth gin

[Maggie Green]

And you've never met me!!!!
I may sound like an alcoholic, but the secret is quality NOT quantity. Its great to try different things - and I do!
Not too good on wine I'm afraid.

No I didn't think that you're an alcoholic, just very knowledgeable when it comes to booze. Which is a good thing! I enjoy reading your insights.

[PeterL22]

So here goes - Plymouth Gin first - strictly speaking only one company can legally make Plymouth gin - surprisingly called Plymouth Gin (owned by Pernod Ricard). This is because the EU (bless em) in 2008 awarded Plymouth gin Protected Geographical Status (like Cornish pasties). To satisfy this only gins produced in the city of Plymouth with minimum alcohol/vol of 37.5% and with mainly juniper flavour (one of things I like about Plymouth Gin)could be called Plymouth Gin. Now "Plymouth Gin" is registered as a trademark so the clever blighters from Pernod have put a stop to any other distillers making gin in Plymouth and calling it Plymouth Gin! This may be a good side effect of Brexit - PGS no longer applying in UK!
London Gin - can be made anywhere (not just London) - Generally London Dry Gin as after the Coffey still from 1831, it was possible to obtain a nearly pure spirit and removed the nasty flavours often found in earlier "gins". The new gins could then be sold unsweetened or "dry"It has other botanicals not present in Plymouth gin so has different flavour
My favourite naming story is Old Tom gin. This is a sweet/cordial style of gin - it was popular in 18th & 19th centuries where raw gins a bit rough and pungent, so the taste was masked by flavouring (lemon or aniseed) or adding sweet botanicals such as liquorice (or indeed sugar). "Old Tom" started as general term but became associated with particular style of gin. The story goes that a cat fell into a vat of gin at an unnamed distillery, giving that gin a distinctive flavour! But it probably is just related to a guy called Thomas Chamberlain, an early gin compounder.

Tomorrow - Part 2 on gin - Dutch Genever!