You’ll take my Bailey’s when you pry it from my cold, drunken fingers.
I love Bailey’s.
Gin, I’m convinced, is the accumulated sweat from Satan’s armpits.
I used to hate all gin, but I realized Bombay Sapphire actually tastes decent and goes down smoother than all the rest. I went through a phase where I’d order Bombay Sapphire and tonics all the time at bars, until I realized I loved bourbon (particularly Maker’s Mark).
I only like candy-flavored girlie drinks. If it isn’t sweet, I won’t drink it. That goes for nonalcoholic beverages as well.
I’ve tried Tanqueray 10, Hendrick’s Gin, and Rangpur. I never thought I’d think Bombay was ‘slumming it’ as these all seem to be 10%-33% more expensive.
They’re all good though.
You say that like it’s a bad thing. The only difference between brands of gin is whether or not Ol’ Scratch has had a shower that day.
Thing is, there are people who like it that way. I know of one place that simply keeps an extra bottle of olive brine on hand to serve to customers so they can dirty their own martinis to the extent they want.
If you get a chance, try Old Raj. It’s expensive but quite good.
This reminds me of an incident I had a couple of weeks ago. I don’t drink, so when we go out for beer and wings, I usually order a club soda with a side of lime juice. I always get the lime on the side because nobody mixes it the way I like it; no big deal. When we get the bill, they’ve charged me for a club soda (usual soda price) and a glass of lime juice (same price as the soda) - $6 for a little club soda and a little bar mix lime juice! Maybe that’s how it’s done worldwide, but I have never been charged extra for my mix before, in or out of the glass, and I’ve ordered this at many different bars. Next time, I order it the way I want it (1/4 lime, 3/4 soda), and I keep sending it back until they get it right.
I will defend my drinking of girlie drinks thusly:
I’m 21. More specifically, I’m 21 and, oh, 5 months (give or take a few days). Although growing up, my mom would let me sip on things here or there, I never really had drinks until I was nice and legal (I’m a good girl, you see).
Perhaps this is just me babbling here, but I’m fairly confident that you can’t just go from 0 to 60 with alcohol. Although ordering a classic drink (or, you know, shots of Jack) might earn me some respect in the eyes of some of the drink snobs around, the experience will be less than pleasurable for me. I’ve noticed that as I go out more and try new things, I’m moving farther away from the super fruity girlie blended drinks of 500 calorie a pop doom and moving closer to drinks more aligned with the traditional, though they are still well within the girlie spectrum.
I’m probably not making much sense here. I guess I’m just saying that I don’t think anyone would argue that many more. . .mature liquors necessitate perhaps a much more refined palate. It’s no different than if someone were to give me a super expensive wine, I’d likely not like it because I can’t appreciate it for what it is.
In time I’m sure I’ll mostly be like the rest of you, raging against the anti proper martini machine, but in the mean time I think I’ll drink my strawberry flavored tasties.
I think you’re absolutely right. And I think anyone who claims they went from not drinking at all, to enjoying straight Laphroaig, is either fibbing or very unusual. Fruity, diluted drinks (and American-style bland lager beers) are excellent gateway drinks into developing a more sophisticated palate.
It’s people who have been drinking for years, and still prefer drinking fish-bowl sized mai tais, that I don’t understand. That’s like an adult who prefers Twinkies to tiramisu, or Kool-Aid to grape juice.
I remember on my 21st birthday (or thereabouts) that one of my last drinks was a Guiness stout. I commented at the time how, even being seriously drunk, I could still taste the nastyness of guinness. Now, I drink it and think it’s pretty mild.
I was rather amazed that the two worst liquids known to man (tonic water, and gin) could do together to make a stellar drink (the Ginnantonic, with lime). So you’re right, there are some levels of consciousness in drinking alcohol.
Still don’t like Lafrog, though. Glenlevet? Sure. Glenmorangie(sp), yup, The Century? Sure. Laphroix? nope!
Well written post, Diosa. I agree that you most people are probably not ready to drink drinks like that when first starting out. Shit, I didn’t start drinking gin on any sort of regular basis until I started a thread here about it, and everyone told me to stick to G&Ts (Tom Collins are delicious too). I didn’t move on to martinis until last summer or so, and was surprised to find I liked them. I know I sure didn’t start drinking Optimator when I turned 21 either - I think I drank mostly Corona.
I don’t care if anyone drinks girlie drinks. My husband drinks girlie drinks, and he’s 35, 5’11" and 185 (maybe 5 is useless flab). I make a martini, and he makes a cosmo, and that’s our Friday ritual.
But he never calls his cosmo a martini. And neither should restaurants or bars. A martini means gin and vermouth. Yes, vermouth too. It doesn’t mean anything with fruit juice, vodka, or anything else. It isn’t some atrocious concoction of liqueur and vodka (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
Now, a drink in and of itself to be purely Pit-worth is any kind of flavored malt beverage, or as known in my particular circle of lushes, “Bitch Beer”.
Couldn’t agree more.
Each has its place. I drink to get a buzz, not to appreciate fine liquor. Fruity drinks go down easily and aren’t harsh with the taste of alcohol. If I’m in a fine restaurant I am probably not drinking alcohol at all, because I don’t enjoy beer, wine or fine liquor.
I went right from water and fruit juice to pan galactic gargle blasters. Hmm, maybe I’m unusual. 
And for all of me, you may have it–I’m just not a fan of cream based liquers at all. However, de gustibus non disputandem est and all that, and I’m sure there’s a place in the world for Bailey’s in any number of drinks, including coffee. That being said, however, I absolutely put my foot down at calling such a drink an Irish Coffee! I will pick said foot up and place it swiftly and firmly into the rectum of any barkeep or server who brings me such an item when I ordered an Irish Coffee–I’m a patient woman, but some things are simply beyond the pale.
I went to a “bar” once after a funeral, and ordered an Irish Coffee with which to toast my fallen comrade–the bartender reached for the Bailey’s so I stopped him right there and gently but firmly corrected him. No, it needs Bushmill’s says I. He hunts high and low and finds no Bushmill’s. Okay, Jameson’s then–I don’t like it nearly as well but it does qualify to go into my drink. Nope, no Jameson’s either–the confused bartender brought up a bottle of bourbon in one hand and a bottle of rye in the other and asked if one of those would do… I went down the street to a real bar and got a proper drink! :rolleyes:
Meant to add before:
I suppose the further disconnect here is that some drink to get drunk and some drink because what they are drinking is tasty and an experience.
I have plenty of friends (what with being in college and all) that would drink gasoline if it got them buzzed. Just the other night, a friend choked down some mixed drink from the restaurant we were at, simply because it had 151 and would get them messed up quicker than a regular drink. I took a sip of their drink and good lord, it tasted like tar, gasoline, and the sweat of a very dirty man mixed into one horrible concoction.
On the other hand, I don’t ever drink to get drunk. I’ll have a drink or two because I’m out with my friends, but just casually and while socializing. Getting drunk is certainly not my thing, that’s for sure. So, while I could choke down the hard stuff until it tastes good, I think I’d rather drink my girlie drinks and receive the scorn of those that are judging me.
Like I said though, I’m sure with time the nicer stuff will seem, well, nicer, but I’m in no rush to get there or anything.
At the same time of course, I don’t try to pretend my “Strawberry Confusion” (Hpnotiq, Stoli Razberi, pineapple juice and a splash of strawberry served chilled and straight up-- why yes, it was delicious) that I got the other night is going to put hair on my chest or anything.
Fuck yeah. If I’d wanted cold gin, I’d have fucking ordered that. I’m just about given up on ordering a martini in a bar anymore. They charge you out the ass and can’t make it for shit.
Here’s my personal progression (these are all at different bars):
“I’ll have a dry, dirty, martini, please.”
“What kind of vodka”
“The gin kind.”
“I’ll have a dry, dirty, gin martini, please”
“What’s dirty mean?”
“It means you put olive… never mind. Just give me three olives.”
“I’ll have a gin martini, dry, with three olives, please”
I watch as the server shakes some gin for three seconds and pours it into a glass. with olives
“Here you go, $8.50”
“You didn’t put any vermouth in…”
“You asked for it ‘dry’.”
“Well, yeah. Which means less vermouth than normal, not none. [not said]You fucking moron. If I’d wanted cold gin with olives in a conical glass, I’d have fucking ordered that.[/not said]”
At this point, I figure I’ll have to hold their hands through it: “Two jiggers of gin, then one little one of vermouth, a splash of olive juice.” And I don’t want to be that guy.
raises hand 35 here.
But you have to take it into the broader context. Watch what I do to iced tea and coffee, for example. Most people’s eyes pop out watching how much sugar or Splenda I add to them. Notice that the only beverage of any sort that I injest that isn’t massively sweetened is plain water. It’s just how I am. It isn’t that I like my booze sweet, it’s that I like my beverages sweet. For me an unsweet beverage would be like unsweetened ice cream or like eating baker’s chocolate or something. It just seems wrong and gross.
I was at a hotel in Orlando, Florida about ten years ago. When I drink hard liquor, it’s typically tequila. Either neat (if it’s really good) or with a few ice cubes. The bartender had eight types of rum, but no tequila at all. Next, I tried for ale (preferably a good porter or stout, but an IPA or scottish ale would be nice). No dice. Just a few cheap lagers and some light beer. Port? Nope. I’m really not trying to be difficult here. At least they had a halfway decent bottle of Zinfandel.
Indeed it does. Some time ago I began to notice that my martinis weren’t coming out that good, and I finally realized the problem was that I inadvertently had been gradually reducing the amount of vermouth in the drink. IMO the vermouth compliments the gin flavor and you should have at least 1:4 vermouth. When having one out I always make sure to say “not too dry”, to make sure I actually do get some vermouth.