# Vile Concoctions-Hard Alcohol Division **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 25, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053 "2011-08-25T16:27:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/41 "2011-08-26T10:28:22Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Never was very fond of vodka. At best, it’s flavorless, and unfortunately, most of the time, has overtones of rubbing alcohol and paint thinner. I always compared it to drinking window washing solution. Rubbing alcohol is probably a better description though. My body doesn’t recognize vodka as something edible, and strongly resists any attempt to swallow it straight. Add me to the list of people who enjoy Jagermeister. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/42 "2011-08-26T10:35:27Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I was able to drink tequila for 1 evening, I was fine for 14 shots (snip) I stopped and I have never been able to go near the stuff ever since. Well, there’s the issue. 14 shots of anything would turn me right off. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/43 "2011-08-26T17:14:13Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Well, there’s the issue. 14 shots of anything would turn me right off. 14 shots over about 4 hours, back in the day that was not uncommon for self or people I worked with[hell, they used to do 4 shot lunches …] And 14 shots is only 7 margaritas. Now put vodka in the margarita mix, and I am fine with it [well not now because of all the sugar in mixes, but I can sip on mrAru’s vodka margarita.] so it is obviously the tequila that my body objects to. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/44 "2011-08-26T17:20:35Z")
I’m a picky eater. I’m not a picky drinker. Having said that, however, the likes of Goldschlager and After Shock are really vomit-inducing. I’d put Southern Comfort on the list too, but I’m not sure that qualifies as “hard”. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Cherry2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cherry2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cherry2000)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/45 "2011-08-26T17:29:59Z")
As far as common liquors, Gin is top of my “ick” list. To me, it tastes like nail polish remover smells. On the uncommon side of things, I would have to say Cachaca (brazilian sugar cane liquor). I would prefer a glass of motor oil on the rocks to this evil substance. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/46 "2011-08-26T17:48:40Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > 14 shots over about 4 hours, back in the day that was not uncommon for self or people I worked with[hell, they used to do 4 shot lunches …] That’s still a pretty damned good clip. Assuming a 1.5 oz shot, that’s nearly a fifth of liquor in four hours. I’ve done that and more in my younger years, but that’s pretty impressive. BAC estimators put that at 0.24 BAC for a 185 pound male. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/47 "2011-08-26T17:59:13Z")
A quick point I’d like to make is that some of the spirits and liqueurs mentioned aren’t really intended for solo drinking, which is why they may be kind of nasty on their own. Gin and Cachaca in particular come to mind as spirits that are wonderful in the right mixed drinks, but not something most people would drink by themselves. Even martinis are usually supposed to have a fair dose of vermouth- up through the 1940s and 1950s, they were 3 parts gin to 1 part vermouth. And a “vodka margarita” isn’t a margarita; it’s probably something like a vodka daisy. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/48 "2011-08-26T18:19:32Z")
[Himbeer](http://www.sendwine.com/id125193list36product.html) The Germans swear a shot a day will prevent you from ever getting sick. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/49 "2011-08-26T18:22:04Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > And 14 shots is only 7 margaritas. That’s assuming the restaurant doesn’t subscribe to the “Put in twice as much ice. They’ll never notice” school of thought. > [@Merijeek](#): > > I’d put Southern Comfort on the list too, but I’m not sure that qualifies as “hard”. I like Southern Comfort. There’s many things I consider too cloying, but that isn’t one of them. “Normal” SC is 35% alcohol, compared to 40% for most hard liquors. Liqueurs on the other hand are about 15-30%. I’d say that’s in the “hard” category. They also make a 50% alcohol version which is harder than most hard alcohol and +/- on par with some fancier whiskeys. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/50 "2011-08-26T18:48:44Z")
> [@bump](#): > > A quick point I’d like to make is that some of the spirits and liqueurs mentioned aren’t really intended for solo drinking, which is why they may be kind of nasty on their own. I’m not sure I would agree with that. Is gin really intended only for mixing? I don’t know anything about cachaca, so I can’t speak to that, but, in my experience, if it’s worth drinking, it’s worth drinking on its own. I certainly know people who drink straight gin. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/51 "2011-08-26T18:56:40Z")
How about: -absinthe: bitter and awful…you need to mix it with sugar to drink it -slivovitz: plum brandy-horrible beyond words -borovishka: Czech liquor made from juniper berrys-tastes like turpentine -Midori green melon liquere: awful, just awful -"Tango"screwdriver cocktail-how anybody but a desperate wino can drink this is beyond me -Ouzo: this stuff gave me an awful hangover -Chinese Mao-Tsu (sorghum liquor): you can use as an insecticide! -Popv vodka: good for stripping paint ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/52 "2011-08-26T19:07:46Z")
I hate Ouzo. Most other drinks are ok in small doses. Next on the list would be Laphroaig or Chartreuse. ---
**Author:** ![cuberdon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@cuberdon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuberdon)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/53 "2011-08-26T20:51:33Z")
Scotch. Ick. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/54 "2011-08-26T21:25:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not sure I would agree with that. Is gin really intended only for mixing? I don’t know anything about cachaca, so I can’t speak to that, but, in my experience, if it’s worth drinking, it’s worth drinking on its own. I certainly know people who drink straight gin. I’m not saying it’s not drunk straight by some, but if you look at older cocktail books, a HUGE number of cocktails are made with gin, to the point where I suspect that modern styles of gin (London dry) were devised to be mixed, unlike the older styles (sweeter, heavier bodied, aged in oak) were probably made more for straight drinking. Rum’s kind of the same story; white rum wasn’t made for straight drinking- it was made for things like the mojito and daiquiri in the late 19th century. The stuff meant to be drunk straight is the darker, funkier stuff. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/55 "2011-08-26T21:27:48Z")
I don’t mind Jager. I don’t mind Tequila. I quite like Gin, Absinthe, Vodka, Ouzo, Pernod, and various other drinks already mentioned in this thread. I don’t like [Unicum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicum). It is nasty. It is especially nasty when drunk at 3am on an overnight train from Budapest to Thessalonika, via Skopje. I can’t drink [Buckfast](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckfast_Tonic_Wine) either, but I put that down to sheer common sense. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/56 "2011-08-26T23:48:08Z")
> [@irishgirl](#): > > I can’t drink [Buckfast](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckfast_Tonic_Wine) either, but I put that down to sheer common sense. Heh, Buckfast is in the so bad it’s good category for me! I shall probably have a bottle tomorrow before going to the pub. ---
**Author:** ![Bri2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/48db29/32.png) [@Bri2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bri2k)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/57 "2011-08-27T00:04:27Z")
Sloe Gin. It’s like a sweeter, thicker Southern Comfort with more “aroma”. I used to be able to drink Ouzo until I worked at a Greek restaraunt. Once a week they had Ouzo night (with live Greek music, dancing on the tables, the whole 9 yards) and by the time we closed up, I’d be practically swimming in it. To this day, the smell alone is enough to make me ill. Bri2k ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/58 "2011-08-27T00:12:12Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > IMHO, none of the stuff mentioned above holds a candle to Akvavit, the national hard drink of Denmark, which looks and tastes like goat piss put in a glass jar to concentrate under the midsummer sun for a couple of weeks. It’s an acquired taste, granted. But nothing better accompanies an open-faced pickled herring sandwich on dark bread than an ice cold akvavit. I’ll put forward he German digestif Ratzeputz - that is in fact the name - a vile concoction flavored with ginger and containing 58% alcohol. Not only does it taste like Beelzebub’s jock strap, it is specifically engineered so that the flavor lingers… ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/59 "2011-08-27T03:41:20Z")
Blackberry brandy, the Kaopectate of Wisconsin. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053/60 "2011-08-27T04:01:07Z")
I’ve never enjoyed tequila where there weren’t at least 2 other liquors mixed in with it. On the other hand, I drink jagbombs because I like the taste so clearly I’m not what you would call a refined drinker. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vile-concoctions-hard-alcohol-division/594053.md?page=4)