Do they still make Fresca? (It was the Sprite equivalent to Tab.)
It’s between that, and Shasta Diet Chocolate Soda.
I remember reading about this as a kid in a somewhat religious magazine called Treasure Chest (NOT the comic book-sized Roman Catholic Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact published by George H. Pflaum, which I eagerly read. This wasn’t a comic book, and appeared to be some sort of Protestant mag with a missionary bent.). It frequently wrote about Banana Beer, which made me wonder what the heck the stuff was. I wasn’t able to learn more about banana beer at the time, and now I can’t even locate the magazine online or elsewhere.
I know there are aficionados of this stuff out there, but I couldn’t stand it. It’s a Chilean ultra-high alcohol “wine”. It might have been pisco, which clocks in at 33-50% alcohol. It gets its high alcohol kick from distillation, of course. It’s colorless and almost tasteless. I couldn’t stand it.
I love Fresca. Sugar free without the horrible taste of artificial sweeteners. Of all the sugar free carbonated beverages I’ve ever tried, I think Fresca is the best.
Becherovka is a bitters liquor that is produced in the Czech Republic. I first came across it when I was on a job in Prague in the 80s. It supposedly is made with a secret blend of more than 20 herbs and spices. I got a very strong sense of allspice from it, but it was mainly undrinkable for me. The Czechs drink it as a digestif. One of the guys on the team would drink shots of it. Of course he was a painter, so all his olfactory senses were burned out along with his taste buds.
All rum is made from the juice of sugar cane; what is it that makes this one so nasty?
I always thought of Orbitz as “that drink with boogers in it.”
Similar to this and the Italian version, Frenet-Branca which has been mentioned plenty, there is the Latvian treat named Riga Black Balsam. Now contrary to most, I’ve had enough Frenet as well as Black Balsam that I actually like them, in small quantities after a meal (that’s how my Italian and Latvian friends drank them). I think Frenet would be considered refined compared to Black Balsam.
Well, I never tried it, but if I remember correctly, Mexican pulque is about the only thing that made Anthony Bourdain vomit. He was seemingly able to drink anything, but the murky, slimy pulque was too much for him. It’s fermented fresh agave juice, which sounds okay, but if Tony couldn’t take it it must have been pretty icky.
Scotch. I thought I had tasted a chemical intended to treat leather or clean machine parts. And don’t tell me “I need to try a good one”, because every time that situation has arisen it’s been the same result. Revolting.
I believe my calibration is totally off. I really like Fernet-Branca, Black Balsam, Underberg, Cynar (the artichoke liqueur), pisco, Becherova, all of those.
I’m on the hunt for some Malört and Kvass now.
I think kvass tastes a bit like beer. I think beer tastes like boiled, rotten grains. I love mead, Bailey’s, Kaluha and Mannishewitz. I recognize that Mannishewitz wine is horrible but
#1 I grew up with the stuff
#2 It is fantabulous mixed with a good chocolate milk
When I was 17, a very cute 18 year old girl was kissing me when she suddenly pulled away from the kiss and began projectile vomiting MD 20/20 all over me.
Young love!
I have largely similar tastes when it comes to booze and beer, probably due to an equally similar early exposure. My brain thinks booze should taste SWEET dammit.
But a solid no on # 2. Just… no. It may be great, and you may love it, but I don’t find the image tannins (even the mild ones in Mannishewitz) mixing with milk appealing.
Granted, if we ever meet in person, and you make me one, I will try it. But I’d never pay my own money to make such an experiment.
I used to adore Chocovine. Then, I read right there on the lable (I forget if it said Carmine or Cochineal Extract). Either way, that’s crushed bug shells and not kosher.
In my experience, patriotic drunk people often buy dubious shots for tourists (or, if chintzier, merely recommend them).
Brennivín, the Icelandic aquavit, has perplexingly failed to find much popularity outside of the country. It’s not terrible, at least in comparison to puffin or fermented shark. These drinks should always be compared to recommended foods.
If a Canadian offers you screech, just know that this is rum most Jamaicans would refuse to drink.
Aguardiente is as harmless as ouzo.
…wait, what?
If that’s not treyf, then it should be.
Like Sprite, Fresca was flavored with grapefruit. Too bitter for most tastes.
A few years ago a New Zealand bar caught the world’s attention with Stag Semen Stout. Just the teensiest amount, but since it’s a substance where the smallest parts per million is culturally significant, it attracted notice
I’m torn between diet soda and cheap American beer. Both are disgusting to me.
I wasn’t impressed with a Green River, either.
It is.
My maternal grandmother drank a can most evenings before going to bed, and she lived to be 91.