# Recommend me good "grown up" mixed drinks **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391 "2010-07-20T21:02:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/81 "2010-07-21T21:47:51Z")
_Waves Wand of Drinking Approval_ You were good, I just didn’t want to get even more quotey than I already did, and **ultra** ’s post was more thorough, so I figured quoting him was plenty to echo my general opinion. There. Anonymous internet approval granted. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/82 "2010-07-21T22:24:19Z")
::Validated:: ---
**Author:** ![Staver808](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Staver808](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staver808)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/83 "2010-07-22T00:59:12Z")
What? No one mentioned a Sceaming Viking? With the cucumber slightly bruised of course, really it’s the only way. Heh. Seriously though, before you write off wine (Ihad also until very recently) try it with dinner. I fine food drastically changes the taste of wine and now I’m not adverse to having wine with my meal. I’m a beer and whiskey/whisky drinker so i though wine could be consumed by itself, but I find I really need to eat something with it. So you might want that first before nixing wine altogether. That being said, I always thought that a whisky on the rocks (no more than three ice cubes as it’ll water down your drink) is classy. You’ll want to find one that suites your tastes, but a good whisky is like pouring liquid warmth down your throat. It should be that smooth. I don’t mind spending more on alcohol as I’m also single with no kids so I don’t have a lot of expenses either. Generally speaking, while you can get some really really great deals in cheaper whisky, the more you spend the better you get. Older whisky means aged longer (older does not always mean better!) in the cask and so interacts with the wood more allowing for chemical changes that alter the flavor. I happen to like that woody flavor, some people don’t. The nice thing is no one expects you to just slam down your drink, and it’s completely normal to sip at it slowly, rolling it around your tongue and enjoying all the subtle flavors. So an added bonus is not embarassing yourself as you’ll drink less, and also getting the good dirt on others. Oh, and whisky=Scottish and whiskey=Irish in case you were wondering what the difference is. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/84 "2010-07-22T01:21:37Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I \*must \*have the approval of an anonymous fellow message-boarder (who, granted, displays fine taste in booze…) Maybe this is just me, but I’ve always viewed a rum and coke as what a sad businessman pays way too much for at the airport strip club to dull the pain of his empty life. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/85 "2010-07-22T01:38:39Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > gin and tonic for sure. vodka/grapefruit juice (greyhound) is another personal favorite. soda mixed drinks are usually too sweet for my tastes. on-the-rocks and fruit juices are the best way to go. I came here specifically to say Greyhound. I think grapefruit juice brings a certain maturity to the mixed drink. It’s not sugary, it’s not as pedestrian as, say, orange juice or even cranberry juice. Something about it’s tartness seems to appeal to a more mature palate. I like mixing grapefruit juice with other things, like adding cranberry juice to make a Sunburn, or a splash of cherry juice or grenadine to my Greyhound (I don’t know what it’s called, but I refer to it as Death at the Track). ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/86 "2010-07-22T01:42:20Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > \ > :rolleyes: > \ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/87 "2010-07-22T02:07:19Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > YMMV. I worked for someone (for a short time) who did lines off the bar after my first day on the job. And where you left with the impression that he was displaying a professional attitude? I worked for a guy like that, too. But he never impressed me as a professional, and he was eventually escorted from the building by security. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/88 "2010-07-22T02:11:59Z")
OK, so here’s the scenario I have- You’re somewhat younger and singler than your workmates, and you’re all going out for a quick snort after work, and you don’t want to come off as the airhead and order a Sex on the Beach or a Slow Comfortable Screw _giggle_. I would suggest that you get a beer, which you like. If not then go with a classic, such as are described above - usually a drink that either has a single name (martini) or a couple of ingredients (gin and tonic, whiskey and soda). If I had to suggest a single drink I would suggest a Gin and Tonic - Tasty, not sweet or you’ll not realize that it’s alcohol, sophisticated enough that James Bond could order one, has a nickname (G&T), so you can order it that way. Also, it’s summer, the time that G&Ts rule. Get me one while you’re up. ---
**Author:** ![Acantha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@Acantha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acantha)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/89 "2010-07-22T04:33:14Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > Margaritas and daiquiris (YES, spelled it right the first time!) seem to be associated almost exclusively with their frozen versions, but they are both respectable mixed drinks when separated from all that shaved ice. > > My favorite mixed drink with some sweetness is an Old Fashioned.\* My favorite dry drink is a gin martini with a twist. > > \*Though the last time I ordered one in a restaurant, the waitress looked at me like I had nine heads. Do people not drink these now? Or did I order it wrong perhaps? I’m not too up on bar lingo. She may have been dumb, or she _may_ have been surprised that you specified gin. Usually, you only specify if you want vodka, because the standard is gin, and it isn’t a big deal to specify gin or vodka nowadays since so many people have switched to vodka, but that’s my best guess for her surprised look. Possibly it was the lemon twist that threw her. On another pedantic note, it’s always lemon _twist,_ lime _squeeze,_ which you got right, most people don’t. It used to annoy the shit out of me when people ordered a gin and tonic with a lime _twist._ Gin and tonic is standard with a lime squeeze, you don’t have to tell your bartender unless they don’t know what they’re doing. As a general rule, certain drinks come with certain garnishes and any bartender ought to know what they are. Only when you vary from the standard should you have to tell them, such as when you asked for the lemon twist instead of the standard olive in your martini. If your bartender doesn’t know that, they need another job. /end minor rant. ---
**Author:** ![valleyofthedolls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a4c791/32.png) [@valleyofthedolls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/valleyofthedolls)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/90 "2010-07-22T04:44:51Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Maybe this is just me, but I’ve always viewed a rum and coke as what a sad businessman pays way too much for at the airport strip club to dull the pain of his empty life. YMMV. I’m with you on rum and cokes or ahem, cuba libres. Actually, any drink with soda other than club is all sorts of wrong. I’m going to add two other drinks to this thread, both are very old-fashioned but can be quite nice to drink though I usually stick to martinis (w/ vermouth). Gin Rickey: Similar to a mojito but easier to make because there’s no sugar cane to muddle. Brandy and soda: a good drink to cure whatever ails you. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/91 "2010-07-22T04:55:55Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Maybe this is just me, but I’ve always viewed a rum and coke as what a sad businessman pays way too much for at the airport strip club to dull the pain of his empty life. YMMV. Rum and coke is for Newfies. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/92 "2010-07-22T04:58:32Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > I like to err on the conservative side. Check with your bartender first. If he’s got the setup, you could probably live off of Bull Shots well until after the scurvy really kicked in. Can’t get any manlier than that! ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/93 "2010-07-22T05:05:51Z")
> [@Acantha](#): > > She may have been dumb, or she _may_ have been surprised that you specified gin. The order attempted with this waitress was for a Manhattan. > [@Acantha](#): > > On another pedantic note, it’s always lemon _twist,_ lime _squeeze,_ which you got right, most people don’t. It used to annoy the shit out of me when people ordered a gin and tonic with a lime _twist._ > > Gin and tonic is standard with a lime squeeze, you don’t have to tell your bartender unless they don’t know what they’re doing. > > As a general rule, certain drinks come with certain garnishes and any bartender ought to know what they are. Only when you vary from the standard should you have to tell them, such as when you asked for the lemon twist instead of the standard olive in your martini. Right… which is why some people specify a lime twist in their G&T instead of a lime wedge. Lemons, limes and oranges can all be made into twists, wedges and slices. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/94 "2010-07-22T05:12:50Z")
Am I the first to mention a Long Island? That’s the drink of choice at a bar. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/95 "2010-07-22T06:02:09Z")
I’m fairly sure that at most bars near here, asking for a Long Island would result in an uncomfortable silence, at best. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/96 "2010-07-22T06:47:49Z")
Of course the ultimate in ultimate of grown up drinks is just scotch. There’s all sorts of territory there to explore… ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/97 "2010-07-22T10:23:51Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > …I don’t know what the current drink fashion is, but I don’t think of any of those as old people drinks, except maybe the Rob Roy. No, definitely the Rob Roy. Nobody drinks those anymore… Here in Houston, the fashionable [Anvil](http://www.anvilhouston.com/index.php) serves quite a few old-fashioned drinks (including the Old Fashioned). But their[List](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3448/3857165398_8677677677_b.jpg) of 100 cocktails one should try does not include Rob Roys. ---
**Author:** ![Baboonanza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@Baboonanza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baboonanza)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/98 "2010-07-22T11:12:31Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Rum and coke is for Newfies. If you like rum then Dark Rum and Ginger Beer (I don’t think this is the same stuff as US Ginger Ale) is where it’s at. Ideally it should be about 50-50 rum and GB with plenty of lime. Mount Gay is best for the rum, just because of the awesome name. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/99 "2010-07-22T12:13:27Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Maybe this is just me, but I’ve always viewed a rum and coke as what a sad businessman pays way too much for at the airport strip club to dull the pain of his empty life. YMMV. I can see that; I think of them, along with screwdrivers (vodka and orange juice) as “training-wheel drinks” - a genuine, non-foo-foo mixed drink, but with a sweet main ingredient a newbie is familiar with. I got started with rum and cokes (ahem, cuba libres - but in CA we called 'em rum and cokes) in college until I was abroad in Scotland and learned how to drink Scotch. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391/100 "2010-07-22T12:20:18Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I got started with rum and cokes (ahem, cuba libres - but in CA we called 'em rum and cokes) in college until I was abroad in Scotland and learned how to drink Scotch. It’s only a Cuba Libre if it has a lime wedge. Also, most people who drink “rum and coke” use a good bit more soda than a Cuba Libre would. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-good-grown-up-mixed-drinks/547391.md?page=6)