# Which Macallan (whisky) should I bring to my old best friend's house in the USA from the UK? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [January 10, 2026, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527 "2026-01-10T06:00:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527/61 "2026-01-27T18:34:23Z")
**Wesley\_Clark** mentioned in the Rum thread that some liquor stores have displays/tubs where you can buy 50 ml bottles for $1. Alcohol is sold only in supermarkets in England (and after 11 AM in Scotland), but there you can buy the 50cl’s as gift packs, individually. I have a little bottle of Loch Lomond for years, but I’ll now wait till I open the Glenfiddich 21 to try it in a taste test. Some stores might sell gift packs with multiple bottles, usually around Christmas (as one would expect). I want the Glenfiddich 12, 15, 18 year olds if I see them. All spider-wrapped or with some security to undo at purchase. If there were a vat of 50ml’s just like in New York (right in front of the cashier) they’d be artfully dodged for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527/62 "2026-01-27T19:50:30Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > Alcohol is sold only in supermarkets in England Huh? Did the ‘only’ stagger in to that sentence from somewhere after a few drams too many? ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527/63 "2026-01-27T20:06:18Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Did the ‘only’ stagger in to that sentence from somewhere after a few drams too many? If I were King I’d have just closed all the Pubs in the UK. Online of course is a way, When I bought that Lady Anno Rum for my wife, it was Amazon and I arrived a few minutes early to see the Post Office was closed (P.O.'s are private and Royal Mail delivers) and then the Amazon guy pulls up. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527/64 "2026-01-27T20:47:44Z")
Missed window: Also, smaller markets like Co-Op’s and other smaller shops (hit or miss on petrol/gas stations) sell all three. Iceland, a fairly wide supermarket, only sells cruddy wine and some cruddy beer, I forget the name of. Of the countries I’ve lived in, only in the UK, Russian markets, and Australian bottle shops can you purchase liquor, beer, and wine. In Ireland and the USA\*, liquor stores did not sell beer, while markets would sell beer and perhaps some wine. Wineries and Distilleries that were open for tasting generally sell their product everywhere. - ABC markets in the USA can be confusing. Government controlled ABC’s, I believe, only sell spirits, while others sell everything. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527/65 "2026-01-27T21:00:30Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > Of the countries I’ve lived in, only in the UK, Russian markets, and Australian bottle shops can you purchase liquor, beer, and wine. In Ireland and the USA\*, liquor stores did not sell beer, while markets would sell beer and perhaps some wine. You may have lived in a state in which the liquor stores didn’t sell beer but that’s by no means true in all states. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527/66 "2026-01-27T21:04:51Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > You may have lived in a state in which the liquor stores didn’t sell beer but that’s by no means true in all states. Yes, New York. The Venn diagrams of even just the USA were confusing. I remember buying a six pack in a bar in Pennsylvania because all other stores were closed or banned sales (probably some blue law on a Sunday). So agreed, YMMV on what a liquor store sells in a given state. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527/67 "2026-02-23T17:25:09Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > Rachmaninoff Vodka for £4? Or Smirnoff for $16 (at Tesco)? It’s your party, yet if you have guests, hilarity will ensue if they see the bottle you’re pouring (wine can be decanted, and Lidl runs more of a gamut there from £4 to £20) Krupnik works just fine for me. I think I paid about £10 for my current bottle of vodka at Aldi. And it’s not Russian, which is currently important. ---
**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:** [February 23, 2026, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527/68 "2026-02-23T17:49:39Z")
Krupnik – if it’s what I’m thinking of (my family is Polish) – is a type of spiced honey liqueur, though bottled at 80-100 proof. So a little different than regular vodka. It’s a wonderfully warming wintertime drink for me. It belongs to a category of drinks called nalewki in Polish, which are infused grain spirits/vodka. They usually have some sweetener in them, along with fruits and/or herbs and/or spices. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527/69 "2026-02-23T17:55:26Z")
I think the company makes a variety of spirits, but this is just a perfectly serviceable vodka. > **[Krupnik Vodka](https://spiritly.com/products/krupnik-vodka?srsltid=AfmBOorsnulVx4MMJBMLpX01J_2ozQLongiyvjhqdC0dBi3RMQoTBN0V)** > > Krupnik Vodka is a distinguished spirit with a heritage dating back to 1846, reflecting a long-standing commitment to purity and quality craftsmanship. This premium offering is designed to be a structurally versatile foundation for a wide range of... ---
**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:** [February 23, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527/70 "2026-02-23T18:31:08Z")
Oh, that’s interesting and confusing to me. I know krupnik as a class of drinks not a brand name. > **[Krupnik](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krupnik)** > > Krupnik (Polish, Belarusian) or Krupnikas (Lithuanian) is a traditional sweet alcoholic drink similar to a liqueur, based on grain spirit (usually vodka) and honey, popular in Lithuania and Poland. In Poland it is grouped in the nalewka category of alcoholic beverages. Mass-produced versions of krupnik consist of 40–50% (80–100 proof) alcohol, but traditional versions will use 80–100% grain alcohol as the base. Honey, usually clover honey, is the main ingredient used to add sweetness, as well as ... (Although I see towards the bottom of that article it does mention that it’s also a brand name that produces a number of alcoholic drinks. TIL.) The two cheaper brands we look out for from Poland is Sobieski (for rye-based) and Luksusowa (potato-based.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527/71 "2026-02-26T01:22:16Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > Rum, Whiskey and Vodka you can definitely tell poor & cheap from good. Yes to the first two, but as to vodka, once you get away from that cheap crap sold in half gallon plastic bottles, and get some Smirnoff- going more expensive doesnt do much- if anything. > [@Coriolanus](#): > > Rachmaninoff Vodka for £4? Or Smirnoff for $16 (at Tesco)? Go for the Smirnoff. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527/72 "2026-02-28T04:58:46Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > Even just looking at the row of 12-16 year old Glenfiddich’s, I wonder what the difference in tastes is in whether how some can and many cannot discern the difference served straight, or as some do with a wee drop of water. I assume Glenfiddich set out to make the 16 year old and didn’t just leave some casks of 12 year old around for four years. I don’t know about Glenfiddich, I prefer peated scotch, but I did a blind taste test with Ardbeg 10 and Ardbeg Corryvreckan. I’ve had them separately and realized that while drinking them I basically had the same experience with both of them so I was curious. Unfortunately, head to head, the more expensive bottle was noticeably better, [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-macallan-whisky-should-i-bring-to-my-old-best-friends-house-in-the-usa-from-the-uk/1026527.md?page=3)