# Thinking of switching to cheap liquor. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2015, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932 "2015-10-28T03:12:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/1 "2015-10-28T03:12:49Z")
I didn’t want to interrupt the ‘I don’t care’ thread with this, so here ya go. I go the idea from [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18809025&postcount=52). I don’t think I will mimic the entire attitude or lifestyle, but I realized something: the lime in a cheap G & T covers up the flaws of the cheap liquor. In the spirit of charity and moderation (not to mention thrift), why not sacrifice the tastiness of expensive liquor with the compromise of lime-infused Seagram’s? The idea is to soak a bunch of limes in the liquor for a period of days or weeks. An infusion. It’s an experiment, but I think the limey-er cheap liquor will cover up the lack of sweetness when I switch from tonic to seltzer water or maybe sparkling water. I just don’t want a sugary soda for a cocktail! :mad: I don’t think the savings will amount to much in absolute terms, but a portion of the proceeds will go towards supporting starving Syrian refugee children in Macedonia. I picture a style to go along with these cheap, adulterated drinks. It isn’t fancy. Button-up short sleeve faded thrift store plaid shirts. Maybe round, analog wristwatches with leather bands. Glasses optional, short hair, kind of genteel suburban bbq. Obviously if I find myself someplace that is freezing, the attire will have to adjust. Not that I intend to take the cocktail to such a level anyway. That’s just the kind of vibe it has to me. It’s fun, so maybe that will distract me from the self-deprivation from costly spirits. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/2 "2015-10-28T03:19:46Z")
There’s cheap, and then there’s cheap…take Bourbon - get a handle of Jim Beam if you don’t want to splash out for the expensive stuff, but stay away from the rotgut bottom shelf offerings. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/3 "2015-10-28T03:58:50Z")
[Costco Liquor Vs. Brand-Name Liquor Blind Taste Test](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oei8K2TYg9s) ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/4 "2015-10-28T04:38:52Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > [Costco Liquor Vs. Brand-Name Liquor Blind Taste Test](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oei8K2TYg9s) For one thing, I was already aware that Grey Goose doesn’t taste very good- a lot of heat and that’s about it. If they had picked Chopin for their taste test, things may have turned out differently. Same with their other choices. Crown Royal representing whiskey? My gf likes that, but I don’t think it represents premium quality. Premium price I guess… But the premise of the clip is heartening. Maybe cheap booze _can_ be fulfilling! Note that I only mentioned Seagram’s gin. I don’t have a Costco membership. What cheap vodka should I choose? Svedka? Monopolova? Or should I go all the way to [Skol](http://vodkabuzz.com/vodkas/skol/)? > [@](#): > > THE SHOT > The initial taste hides behind the chill. As the vodka warms in my mouth, the moisture slowly gets ripped away, forcing me to swallow. Skol rips and burns all the way down my throat. The aftertaste is so bitter it requires a chaser. > > THE MIXED DRINK > The mixer was Red Bull. The mixed drink was horrible. It tasted like the Red Bull was spoiled. > > OPINIONS > Luckily, I didn’t have anyone drinking with me. If you want a bottom shelf vodka, there are better options than Skol. > > Rated 0 out of 5. See what I mean? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/5 "2015-10-28T04:58:48Z")
What is cheap liquor to you? There is liquor of reasonable quality available at a discount price but there is also commercially available rotgut. I don’t drink anymore but I always thought the purpose of any liquor was to be intoxicating and somewhat palatable rather than become a fashion statement but even I went below my very low standards a few times by mistake. You would think there is no way to screw up vodka. It is just alcohol and water after all. You would also be completely wrong. Some of the cheapest brands of vodka going by various names in plastic jugs seem to be rejects from the ethanol fuel market. That doesn’t mean that you need to buy expensive vodka though because that is equally dumb. The mid-priced brands seemed to have mastered a two ingredient product (one of which is water) just fine. Gin is even worse. It is just vodka flavored with juniper berries. Again, it isn’t hard to get that right either because all you need to do is take vodka and put some modest flavoring in it but the really cheap brands screw that up so hard that you feel like an unwashed homeless person at the first sip. Buy a step up or two from the bottom and you will be fine but stay away from the true bottom shelf because it is scary, demeaning and quite pukeworthy. That general rule applies quite well to almost all alcoholic beverages. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/6 "2015-10-28T05:27:14Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I don’t drink anymore but I always thought the purpose of any liquor was to be intoxicating and somewhat palatable rather than become a fashion statement I think liquor lends itself to fashion, and also things like interior design. I also think it has a literary quality (I am hardly the first to think so, though you can judge for yourself whether it has made me a brilliant writer :dubious:). You could say that it is just the intoxication that results in these artistic flourishes, but really, it is possible to fit a particular cocktail into an entire ouvre, share that with friends and acquaintances, and partake in all kinds of enjoyments without ever getting fucked up. That route gives completely different results than, say, drinking out of a paper bag in a dark bus stop. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/7 "2015-10-28T05:39:16Z")
Cheap vodka for me is Gordon’s or Svedka. Actually, that’s my expensive vodka too. I am one of those people who don’t understand paying money for a mixer, but am not going to regularly buy Wolfschmidt. I don’t drink that straight. I prefer bourbon, yet use ultra cheap-ass Kessler as a mixer. I like fashionably affordable if I’m drinking that straight; say, Buffalo Trace. Never heard of Monopolova. > [@Shagnasty](#): > > Gin is even worse. It is just vodka flavored with juniper berries. No it isn’t. Lots of other stuff in there, and the trend is towards more citrusy additives than junipery. > [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > I don’t have a Costco membership. [Depending on where you live, you may be able to buy specific products without a membership, including alcohol.](http://cons.wonderhowto.com/how-to/buy-alcohol-prescription-drugs-cheaper-costco-other-club-stores-without-membership-0142841/) But just get one already! You can split it with someone else. I support the OP’s experiments with limes. Seagram’s is cheap, but there is bottomer shelf. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/8 "2015-10-28T06:03:54Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > I don’t have a Costco membership. What cheap vodka should I choose? Svedka? Monopolova? Or should I go all the way to [Skol](http://vodkabuzz.com/vodkas/skol/)? Hey, Monopolova is pretty good, irrespective of price. So, go there. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/9 "2015-10-28T06:55:40Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Never heard of Monopolova. It is Polish potato vodka. The real thing. Scabpicker likes it too, so we can consider it endorsed. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/10 "2015-10-28T09:55:54Z")
Compared to Skyy vodka and Grey Goose etc, I prefer Smirnoff. I don’t know if it’s cheap, but it’s cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/11 "2015-10-28T10:20:27Z")
If you go on a cruise and you get one of those deals where one gets all their drinks for free, do you really think they are using the good stuff in that mixed drink? When you go to a bar and see all those bottles of expensive booze, how do you know thats not just decoration and its just an empty bottle filled with cheap booze or even colored water? My point is I dont think it really matters. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/12 "2015-10-28T13:55:28Z")
In my experience, there are tiers of liquor quality. At the top, you have the super-premium stuff- Pappy Van Winkle, Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or, Cadenhead Old Raj, Ron Zacapa Centenario, etc… Then there’s the middle- the Beefeater, Glenlivet, Jim Beam, Appleton Estate Rare 12 yr, etc… Then there’s the lower-middle- stuff like Usher’s, Seagram’s Distiller’s Reserve (gin), Cruzan Dark, and Evan Williams. Finally, there’s the bottom-of-the-barrel “wino’s choice” level stuff. In general, this stuff is either poorly distilled (vodka, gin, rum), or blended to be extremely dilute (whiskies). The best bet is to go no lower than the lower-middle; in the case of gin, I recommend the Seagram’s Distiller’s Reserve gin- it’s definitely inexpensive, but it’s also a solid, if unspectacular gin. Here’s a Serious Eats article about cheap gins: > **[The Best Gin to Buy on a Budget](https://www.seriouseats.com/best-gin-under-20-affordable-gin-cocktails-seagrams-burnetts-new-amsterdam)** > > While we can happily find a good bottle of bourbon for twelve bucks or ten or even eight on sale, it's startlingly difficult to find good gin for less than $20. I know—this month, I scoured and I searched and I hunted, and I tried 15 of 'em. Here are... And yes, **thelurkinghorror** , gin is essentially juniper-flavored vodka. It’s the juniper that defines it as gin- even with the modern trend toward non-traditional botanicals and more of a citrusy taste, it’s still the juniper that defines it. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/13 "2015-10-28T14:22:54Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > There’s cheap, and then there’s cheap…take Bourbon - get a handle of Jim Beam if you don’t want to splash out for the expensive stuff, but stay away from the rotgut bottom shelf offerings. Or go right for the bottom shelf and get the less-aged Beam: Old Crow. Less flavor but not bad flavor. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/14 "2015-10-28T14:42:19Z")
Smirnoff consistently ranks high in blind taste tests. It’s plenty good enough for me. Svedka’s fine. Besides, paying 50-100%+ more for a “premium” brand in a pretty bottle for a product that is, by definition, “tasteless,” is insane. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/15 "2015-10-28T20:54:09Z")
But fore a mixed drink like say a pina colado ir even a margarita there are so many other ingredients, not to mention the fruit and the little umbrellas, do you even taste the quality of the booze? Actually I read that the whole idea of mixed drinks started during prohibition when they had to switch to booze made in bathtubs and they needed a way to cover up the bad taste. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/16 "2015-10-28T20:59:06Z")
In bourbon grab a bottle of Old Weller Antique. 107 proof and it’s the same mash they make Pappy out of. Just aged differently. Delicious stuff and only $17.99/750 around these parts. ---
**Author:** ![TheFaerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TheFaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFaerie)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/17 "2015-10-28T21:16:13Z")
I like my martinis made with Grey Goose or Skyy (I can tell the difference). If I am going to drink vodka neat, it must be straight from the freezer and quality does matter. I really like Crystal Head vodka frozen/neat, but I wish I could get it without having to buy yet another skull-shaped decanter. I like my scotch to be at least 12 yo and aged in sherryed-oak casks (neat, please). Most anything younger than that is too burn-y for my taste. I generally don’t like gin, but I prefer the ones with a lighter juniper flavor and I almost only drink G&Ts. The cheapest Irish whisky I will drink is Jameson 3yr, on the rocks. I don’t really care for bourbon much, so I don’t have much of a preference. Tequila (also neat) should be an anjeo, preferably aged in American bourbon casks (although there are a few really good blancos and resposados) but if I am making a margarita, pretty much any tequila/mezcal will do as long as it doesn’t come from the bottom shelf and/or in a plastic bottle. I like what I like and I can tell the difference. Life to too short to drink bad spirits of any kind. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/18 "2015-10-28T21:36:37Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > …I don’t drink anymore but I always thought the purpose of any liquor was to be intoxicating and somewhat palatable rather than become a fashion statement … "I drink to make other people more interesting, Ernest Hemingway. When I stock my bar, I have liquor I buy for making cocktails, and liquor I buy for drinking straight, or with very limited mixers (a splash of water, or an ice cube). For the liquor for cocktails, I buy good, but not great spirits, but if I buy too low end, I can tell the difference. For vodka, I just buy a big jug of Kirkland and keep it under the bar, it’s vodka. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/19 "2015-10-28T21:39:59Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Smirnoff consistently ranks high in blind taste tests. It’s plenty good enough for me. Svedka’s fine. Besides, paying 50-100%+ more for a “premium” brand in a pretty bottle for a product that is, by definition, “tasteless,” is insane. Ever try [Sobieski](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobieski_(vodka))? It’s in the same price range as Smirnoff but I think it’s better. Unfortunately, unlike Smirnoff, it’s more difficult to find. My nearby Total Wine & More carries it but its presence is spotty on local supermarket and drug store liquor shelves. As for gin, my experience with the various brands is rather limited so I’m likely not in much of a position to judge. That being said, I usually go with [Broker’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broker%27s_Gin) which is flavorful but not too harsh-tasting (like Bombay Sapphire) and can be used in mixed drinks or sipped straight. It’s also fairly affordable. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932/20 "2015-10-29T01:50:42Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Or go right for the bottom shelf and get the less-aged Beam: Old Crow. Less flavor but not bad flavor. 😃 Oh, my god. Old Crow would burn the warts off a horny toad. For that matter, Beam tastes to me like sugar water. I recommend Heaven Hill. I think it’s the last independently owned Bourbon distiller in Kentucky. Good texture, not a “sweet” whiskey, a bit cheaper than Beam, and I usually drink it with seltzer. Heaven Hill has started making a rye whiskey because of the rye boom, but I think it’s inferior to classic Old Overholt. I generally hate vodka, but enjoy an occasional Bloody Mary. When I ask the wine shop boys and girls for a “Bloody Mary vodka” they usually steer me to the Popov or the Romanoff. No sense drowning good vodka in horseradish and Tabasco. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-of-switching-to-cheap-liquor/735932.md?page=2)