Boozers and Winos unite!

[PeterL22]

Just remembered - too much booze I guess1
Genever - this is the original Dutch Juniper spirit which came before gin! It definitely retains more flavour of rye, barley and maize and should be thought of as different to what we call gin! The bottle I am currently trying - Zuidam Single Barrel - is different from gins I have had in past.It is pale brown/saffron in colour and has the hint of a rye/bourbon taste. Trying it neat to start (perhaps any Dutch guys out there can give advice) and am thinking about which mixers - not sure if good old tonic will work!
Very different from ordinary gin

[PeterL22]

I was reading this book about gin when I came across the best ever pun related to alcohol - and the booze itself sounds quite good too!
OK - most of us know about the French pastis drink - the aniseed flavoured drink that goes cloudy with water (Ricard & Pernod are two brands).
There is a guy who makes gin in Cornwall called Tarquin (sounds like someone who should know about gin) who has started making Pastis.
Yes you've got it he makes Cornish Pastis! How cool is that

[PeterL22]

OK - I have tried the Cornish Pastis and to be fair its really good! If you like Pernod or Ricard, you'll love this.
All I need now is a pastie to go with my Pastis - LOL

[Maggie Green]

Why did I drink vodka last night?

[WalterB]

You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning. (From HotJulieJewel)

[PeterL22]

I can do vodka if you want

[PeterL22]

Crystal skull.jpeg (5.51 KiB) Viewed 35 times

Here are two cool vodkas to try!
Firstly, cos its really smooth and tastes so good (and has funky name) - Deaths Door - from believe it or not, Washington Island Wisconsin. Great smooth taste - lovely for neat shots.
Secondly, cos it has the coolest bottle and was made for Dan Ackroyd (its dark and we're wearing sunglasses - hit it!) - Crystal Head. It is great vodka too - especially if you go for vodka filtered through 500 million year old crystals and using Newfoundland water to dilute spirit. Also the cool Bruni (Italian) glass bottle shaped like a skull helps!

[Maggie Green]

You know I've seen that vodka before, very eye catching with the skull! But I never knew if it was any good or just a marketing ploy. Good to know!

[Kirstie]

My bf has one of those in his room, Peter. Lol.

I tried vodka for the first time a week or so ago...I tried Skyy Vodka first. Gotta say, kinda enjoy vodka a lot. ;)

[PeterL22]

Ok Kirstie - a great US vodka is Death's Door (probably seen me wittering on about it before). It comes from Wisconsin, and is really smooth - bottle old fashioned like something you would see in a chemists (pharmacy).
Another good vodka with cool bottle is Iordanov silver skull (again smooth with little afterburner - label is a skull design (the skulls also come as Christmas version - he has red hat on , and a Union Jack version).
If you are adventurous and like chillies - try Naga Chilli vodka - either 100,000 Scovells or 250,000 scoreless versions.
Final oddity that sounds great (but may be difficult to get in USA) is Black Cow vodka from Dorset in England - they use grass grazed cows milk to give a creamy smooth taste. They separate the milk into curds and whey (as per making cheese) and the whey is fermented to make a milk "beer" which is then distilled and treated "to out secret blending process".

[Maggie Green]

I am enjoying Titos lately, it's so smooth with club soda and a lime : )

[PeterL22]

Latest gin is a Japanese one - they do great whiskey, so I thought why not (apart from price - cos its expensive)?
Its called Ki No Bi - which apparently means "The Beauty of the Seasons".
Botanicals in it are regional and include yellow yuzu, hinoki, sancho pepper, bamboo leaf and gyokuru tea. I have no idea what the first two are but it certainly has a distinctive "oriental" taste - trying to decide how to describe it. When they said it was blended with "the famed waters of Fushimi" , I was doomed to try it.
So far it is really enjoyable but as I say, difficult to describe!

[PeterL22]

Wi'n Cymro - for you who are not blessed to be born in God's own country - I'm a Welshman!
So I have just by chance found a great Welsh spirit from the oldest distillery in Hen Wlad Fy'n Hadau (The Old Country of my Fathers)!
You lot in USA who have Irish forefathers will know about Potcheen (not sure if that's correct English version) which is alcohol distilled from potatoes.
Well we have Poteen in Wales - made from root vegetables and grain(48% proof). It has a lovely hazelnut/toffee (correct name for taffy - which is a slang term for a Welshman anyway!), flavour and is so smooth.
It comes from the oldest distillery in Wales on Sir Mon (for you Saes's out there Anglesey) where Merlin was supposed to have lived after Arthur died.
Great stuff - smooth, alcoholic and unique!
Cymru am Byth!

[Maggie Green]

Peter, do you have all of these bottles of booze? Or do you try them when you are at bars and restaurants?

[PeterL22]

Not sure if I should answer that.
Most of the ones I have recently mentioned I do have (or have had) in bottles in my dining room. Some of the bottles are fuller than others!.
One of my favourite restaurants in Southampton (Sadlers - free plug there!) has 4 challenges - Bourbon Jovi, Whiskey in the Jar, Born to Rum and Gins and Roses. Its an American barbecue/smokehouse place and they also have great craft beer (that's real beer for you US friends).
I have done the first three challenges (in instalments of course) and am about halfway through the gin one. Whiskey has 14 different whiskeys to try, the other three have 20 of each. I do use that to try different spirits - really liked Dalmore Cigar Whiskey (a whole bottle is £75 and I'm not a big whiskey drinker) - and if I really like something I will buy a bottle.
If you want a good guide to spirits (and wine & beer) there is a great website called Gifford's Guide (Odd Company of Sin) which has most things on it with tasting notes - cool name too! Never found their tasting notes to be too far off.
I do love to try loads of stuff - I suppose its an alcoholic version of ADHD really!
But I could host one helluva party in my house!
(And of course - you are welcome Maggie!)

[PeterL22]

Overdue booze update!
Back to rums - did you know Ron is Spanish for rum? Hence Ron Jeremy getting rums named after him. They are OK - I have the Riserva which is reasonable (but no better) and I know someone who tried the spiced version and liked it.
If you want a really nice caramel, vanilla rum that's reasonably priced (at least in UK) go for Dead Man's Fingers from St Ives in Cornwall. It is really smooth and slips down a treat - bonus is Pirate type skull on the bottle!
And on that note remember 19th Sept is Talk Like a Pirate Day!

[Maggie Green]

Peter, you need to have a booze blog!!!

[PeterL22]

Right then Miss Green - time to start the education!
You say you like Tito's vodka
You probably know all this but for the benefits of others....
Tito's vodka is made in Austin Texas by a Texan guy called Tito Beveridge (great name sounds right too!). He trained as a geologist at Univ of Texas at Austin and started working in South America. To cut a long story short he came back to Texas and started working selling mortgages, but made flavoured vodkas for friends. One day a guy came up to him and asked if he was "the vodka guy", so thereupon a career change occurred! He maxed out his credit cards and bought a distillery - or at least built one in Austin Texas around 1993 and has been going ever since.His vodka is hand made in small batches using old fashioned pot-stills. It is distilled six times and is gluten-free (if that is of use to you).
Oh and Tito likes dogs!
Just ordered a bottle myself to taste - so if its no good Maggie, I am after you!
Tomorrow - lesson is on vodkas in general - Polish v Russian etc.
Bottom's Up!

[Maggie Green]

I did not know any of that : ) I just know that it's a pretty smooth vodka and very popular. When I can't really taste it I am a happy camper!

[George B]

Tito's is my Vodka of choice, loving the liquor lesson Peter.