# So, I'm thinking of taking up drinking . . . **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429 "2005-05-04T19:27:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/21 "2005-05-04T20:25:29Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Ohhh, sherry, that sounds nice and Victorian ladylike! The other nice thing about sherries and ports is that they last. Most wines, once opened, will go bad before you finish them at the rate of one drink a night. That’s alcohol abuse. The downside is that sherries are a little higher in alcohol than you’re looking for – not like liquor, but 14 to 18%. If you can live with that, here’s what you do. True sherries come from Spain. As it happens, there’s a place called “Wines from Spain” on Lex between 42nd and 43rd. Go visit those guys and tell them the whole story – don’t drink, doctor suggested, avoid bitter, etc. and ask them for some suggestions. They should steer you toward Finos and Manzanillas, which are lower in alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/22 "2005-05-04T20:31:18Z")
> [@manhattan](#): > > As it happens, there’s a place called “Wines from Spain” on Lex between 42nd and 43rd. They should steer you toward Finos and Manzanillas, which are lower in alcohol. Oooh, lovely, I’ll go at lunchtime Monday (lunchtimes tomorrow and Friday are spoken for). Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/23 "2005-05-04T20:34:36Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Ice cream? I’m trying to keep my girlish figure! > > All this mixing and blending . . . I’m not Texas bloody Guinan! > > What about this “sherry” stuff? What’s it taste like? Good sherry is nice, sweet, and light. Bad sherry is… Well, I’ve had paint thinner that tasted better. Have you thought about a Belgian lembac beer. They tend to be light and sometimes fruity. Coffee and Bailey’s is good, too. > [@bouv](#): > > > [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > > > “I like my women the way I like my coffee: cold and bitter.” > > That’s funny, cause I like them like my coffee too, only for me it’s hot and Irish! Strong and Italian for me. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/24 "2005-05-04T20:35:42Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > No worry about my becoming an acoholic, I’d throw up after two drinks! _Note to self: Don’t invite **Eve** to the parties I throw._ A nice Gin and Tonic would be nice with dinner. One ounce gin (40%) and four ounces tonic leaves you with a drink that is 8% alcohol by volume. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/25 "2005-05-04T20:38:58Z")
> [@Maus Magill](#): > > Have you thought about a Belgian lembac beer. They tend to be light and sometimes fruity. . . . Like I like my men! ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/26 "2005-05-04T20:41:27Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Oooh, lovely, I’ll go at lunchtime Monday (lunchtimes tomorrow and Friday are spoken for). Thanks! Ask to try some before you buy a bottle. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/27 "2005-05-04T20:44:39Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Oddly enough, my doctor recommended it. He said a small amount of alcohol is actually good for you—one small glass a day. I also do want to relax and unwind after my increasingly horrific days, and do _not_ want to get into antidepressants or pot or that sort of stuff. So, I would like to be able to have one small glass of something to drink with dinner, but am limited to 12% or less alcohol. How about a vodka gimlet (vodka and sweetened lime juice, on the rocks or straight up.) Nice, light drink and if taken slowly and over rocks the ice will melt and dilute it. OTOH, if you are allergic (I’m assuming you mean you have a histimine reaction) then it’s probably best not to drink at all, health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption aside. I’m surprised the doc would recommend it in that light. If you were just looking to be social and convivial, I’d just siddle up to the bar and get a club soda and lime, which is what I often do when I want to be in a bar but don’t feel like a drink. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/28 "2005-05-04T20:45:26Z")
Well, if you like coffee, I think you’d be best to start with [Kaluha](http://www.kaluha.com) drinks. Their website has a plethora of recipes. The staple being the White and Black Russian. White Russian: Ounce of decent Vodka Ounce of Kaluha 3+ Ounces of Milk, Half/Half or Cream depending on preference. Black Russian: Same as above but substitue club soda for the milky stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/29 "2005-05-04T20:52:53Z")
I’ll second the Lambic suggestion, though I need to correct that spelling. This ain’t Hobbiton. Here’s a nifty link [http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5\_breweries/lindemans\_framboise.html](http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/lindemans_framboise.html) So very delicious and lady like for a beer. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/30 "2005-05-04T20:55:20Z")
There I went and Effed up that Kalhua link with a butchered spelling of my own…bah! Here: [http://www.kahlua.com/](http://www.kahlua.com/) I must be drunk… ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/31 "2005-05-04T20:58:36Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > I can only picture you with a small glass of sherry in your hand. And three bottles hidden in the hall secretary. But sherry’s well over 12% so that’d be right out. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/32 "2005-05-04T21:09:16Z")
Given your needs, I would reconsider red wine for its healthful benefits. Wines vary greatly in sweetness, acidity, etc., so you really ought to be able to find something you like. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/33 "2005-05-04T21:24:25Z")
Lambic’s a fascinating choice. Don’t be thrown by the fact that it’s called a beer: it’s got the same relationship to beer that hot apple cider has to coffee. The lambics I’ve had are not the least bit bitter; they taste more than anything like Cheerwine made from fresh fruit-juice. If you think of them as beer, you’ll be appalled. If you think of them as alcoholic fruit juice–well, you still may be appalled, but they’re tastier that way. I had to learn to like beer, but I’m very glad I did: once I got accustomed to the bitterness, I discovered a world of lovely new flavors. It was Widmer’s Hefeweizen (not a traditional wheat beer, but more of a fizzy light thing) that finally won me over. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![meanoldman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@meanoldman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meanoldman)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/34 "2005-05-04T21:30:58Z")
How do you know the limit is 12% ? (Or did I miss that?) . Many mixed drinks are quite quite easy to make. Get a shot glass. Fill it with liquor of your choice. Pour said shot into large/tall glass, sometimes with ice. Top off with mixer. There, barely anything to measure. Do it a couple of times, and you’ll be able to guesstimate the amount in the bottom of the glass that will make a shot. As a previous poster said, you can easily get the alcohol % below 12% if you don’t start off with huge numbers to begin with. A 90 proof liquor is 45% alcohol by volume. Mix that with 4 ounces mix (for 5 ounces total, 9% alcohol by volume, if my math is right) I don’t drink sherry. But I would think it would be easier to order a mixed drink when/if socializing than it would be to ask for and expect a sherry. I’m a fan of whiskey sours, myself. Back in the dawn of time, when I was supposed to be in college, many of the ladies then seemed to enjoy sloe gin fizzes. It’s a fruity gin mixed with 7-up or sprite. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/35 "2005-05-04T21:35:58Z")
Repeating what other posters here have said, if you want to keep your alcohol content down to below 12%, you’re limited to beer, cider, or unfortified wine (sherry and port are fortified wines, which means that brandy has been added to them to increase their alcohol content). Someone mentioned Chambord above, which is very good, but which has an alcohol content of about 15% That being said, there are a lot of wines and beers you can try that are very good. There are wines and beers out there that are sweet and not at all bitter. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/36 "2005-05-04T21:40:35Z")
> [@meanoldman](#): > > Back in the dawn of time, when I was supposed to be in college, many of the ladies then seemed to enjoy sloe gin fizzes. It’s a fruity gin mixed with 7-up or sprite. Just a correction here: sloe gin is not “fruity gin”, or indeed, any kind of gin at all (i.e. made from fermented juniper berries) but is made instead from [sloeberries](http://www.plymouthgin.com/index.cfm?articleid=87). It also has the consistancy and taste of cough syrup. How anyone can drink that stuff I’ll never understand. And if you spill it, it’ll stick to everything. The girlies do like their sloe gin fizzes though. Some vodkas are flavored with sloeberries, but I’ve never seen a proper sloe-flavored gin. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/37 "2005-05-04T21:42:36Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > Some vodkas are flavored with sloeberries, but I’ve never seen a proper sloe-flavored gin. And now having read that, I see that even the most cursory of searches indicates that sloe gin is actually made by steeping sloeberries in gin, so…mea culpa. 'Tis still nasty stuff, though. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/38 "2005-05-04T21:45:59Z")
Irish coffee? Surely the coffee will dilute the alcohol in the whiskey to less than 12%, right? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/39 "2005-05-04T21:46:34Z")
I would recommend sherries, ports and brandies, plus sweet dessert wines like Muscato d’Asti, which is champagne-like but sweet and delightful. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429/40 "2005-05-04T21:48:18Z")
**SpecOfPith** , I know next to nothing about alcohol, but sherry just sounded right for someone of such a cultured milieu. [sub]Geez, manhattan and Jpeg Jones get credit for suggesting sherry and I get taken to task for it.[/sub] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-im-thinking-of-taking-up-drinking/302429.md?page=3)