# What kind of a spirit would NyQuil resemble? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 13, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733 "2010-01-13T00:35:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/1 "2010-01-13T00:35:54Z")
Weird question. I almost couldn’t figure out how to phrase the question. Anyway, **kaylasmom** been battling a cold for the past week and a half. I had it first, and I knocked it down by using up all the NyQuil in the house. So, I went to the drug store and picked up a two-pack of the big bottles. **kaylasmmom** remarked today that she wishes I was able to pick it up in larger quantities, not (in her words) those piddly-assed two packs. My rejoinder was: “Well, we have a bottle of tequila in the house, if you want to have that instead” (you know, because it has alcohol in it, just like NyQuil). She didn’t want tequila. But she did ask the strangest question: “What kind of booze is in NyQuil?” I thought just answering “ethyl alcohol” would be a cop-out. The preparation itself has the consistency of a cordial, or a liqueur. I know the green one tastes kind of like licorice, but it’s almost certainly not ouzo (although, to tell the truth, I haven’t checked to see if it turns white in water 🆒 ). The red stuff tastes kind of awful, like Southern Comfort (although not quite _that_ bad). But, how is the stuff made/brewed/distilled? Do they make cough syrup, and add grain alcohol, like Everclear? That strikes me as unlikely, but I’ll be happy to learn otherwise, if I’m wrong. Thanks for any knowledgeable responses. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/2 "2010-01-13T01:45:01Z")
I always thought Southern Comfort tasted like NyQuil. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/3 "2010-01-13T02:33:45Z")
Why would you find that difficult? Massive amounts of 190 and 200 proof alcohol are shipped and used all over, both denatured and not. Nyquil, AIUI, contains alcohol primarily as a solvent for the active ingredients, which means that it’s added in portions, or else it’s actually the water that’s added at the end. ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/4 "2010-01-13T02:35:10Z")
Hey! Why y’all hatin’ on my SoCo? I heard somewhere that most alcohol-laden cough medicines are made with a ‘tail-end’ brandy, like Grappa. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/5 "2010-01-13T02:45:56Z")
…And here, I was thinking that this would be some weird animism thing. Like, the God of Helping you Get your Zzzs. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/6 "2010-01-13T02:53:20Z")
Chartreuse. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/7 "2010-01-13T02:54:12Z")
If you want a spirit that can actually be confused with NyQuil when tasting it, go for Jägermeister. It will have none of the (purportedly) medicinal ingredients, but the taste is pretty close to identical, as is the syrupy texture. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/8 "2010-01-13T02:55:25Z")
If you have enough cash to buy Charteuse, you can probably afford NyQul by the case. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/9 "2010-01-13T02:59:35Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > If you want a spirit that can actually be confused with NyQuil when tasting it, go for Jägermeister. It will have none of the (purportedly) medicinal ingredients, but the taste is pretty close to identical, as is the syrupy texture. Jagermeister does not have a syrupy texture. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/10 "2010-01-13T03:12:37Z")
But after a hit, you can’t tell that. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/11 "2010-01-13T03:21:27Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Jagermeister does not have a syrupy texture. I am willing to bet that 90%+ of people who have ever drank a shot of Jagermeister would tell you that you are dead wrong, and indeed “syrupy” would be one of the very first adjectives that would be used to describe it. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/12 "2010-01-13T03:24:44Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > I am willing to bet that 90%+ of people who have ever drank a shot of Jagermeister would tell you that you are dead wrong, and indeed “syrupy” would be one of the very first adjectives that would be used to describe it. So I’d be in the 10% that agree with me, then. I would use the term “syrupy” to describe the flavor, second only to “nasty as shit,” but the texture is pretty liquidy. SoCo has a syrupy texture. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/13 "2010-01-13T03:29:43Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > So I’d be in the 10% that agree with me, then. I would use the term “syrupy” to describe the flavor, second only to “nasty as shit,” but the texture is pretty liquidy. SoCo has a syrupy texture. If it’s worth anything, I agree 100% with you. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/14 "2010-01-13T03:42:41Z")
Sooo, that’s 110% for “not syrupy,” and 90% for “syrupy,” on the Jägermeister. I guess the true test of that would be to overfill your shot glass, and see if there’s a sticky ring on the table the next morning. Probably be a good idea to write down your plan before you start, so you don’t forget the next day. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/15 "2010-01-13T03:48:52Z")
Hell, go to the bar and order a shot of Jag yourself. Look at it, swirl it around, get to know it, and you tell me if the texture is syrupy or not. Ignore the flavor; it most certainly has a syrupy sweet taste to it. Tell me if the texture alone is syrupy. I’ll let you be the boss. If you say it’s syrupy, I’ll give you $10\*. \*No, I won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/16 "2010-01-13T03:55:19Z")
I just sniffed a bottle of Tylenol Sore Throat, which is the closest I’ve got to hand. I reckon a 50/50 mixture of Creme de Menthe and Midori might do the trick. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/17 "2010-01-13T04:09:30Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > If you want a spirit that can actually be confused with NyQuil when tasting it, go for Jägermeister. It will have none of the (purportedly) medicinal ingredients, but the taste is pretty close to identical, as is the syrupy texture. Yeah, I would say Jager kinda tastes like NyQuil. Chartreuse (both green and yellow) tastes nothing like NyQuil. (And it’s not really _that_ expensive. About $40-$50 a fifth.) ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/18 "2010-01-13T05:21:09Z")
A Flaming Moe? ---
**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:** [January 13, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/19 "2010-01-13T05:24:16Z")
> [@](#): > > I guess the true test of that would be to overfill your shot glass, and see if there’s a sticky ring on the table the next morning. Probably be a good idea to write down your plan before you start, so you don’t forget the next day. That or you could cook up a batch of waffles and start experimenting. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733/20 "2010-01-13T05:28:47Z")
That’s the kind of science you get when you _don’t_ write down your plan before you start doing shots… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-a-spirit-would-nyquil-resemble/524733.md?page=2)