Booze

[Griff]

I've been leaning on the Cutty Sark here. There are much better Scotches but if you plot price vs flavor its a maximizer... I'm a Tangueray guy with gin although Bombay is fun for a change up.

[elSicomoro]

Kitsune, ABC in VA is the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. You can only buy liquor in ABC stores (though you can buy beer in grocery and drug stores).

We have a similar system in PA called the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. The stores are known as Wine & Spirits Shoppes, though most folks I know call them the "state stores."

The only difference between the two states seems to be that liquor in VA is slightly cheaper.

I hate the PLCB. But it's easy to get around if you live near a neighboring state. Philadelphians go to NJ, DE or MD.

Now, as far as my drinking preferences...

Domestic: Michelob family of beers, Bud Light, Rolling Rock, Yuengling

Micro: Schlafly's Oatmeal Stout (brewed and sold in the St. Louis area)

Import: Guinness (preferably draft), Corona, Moosehead, Newcastle, Harp

Liquor: wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon), vodka (Smirnoff or Stoli), Bailey's, Kahlua, whiskey (Seagram's VO)

Mixed Drinks: Margarita, Purple Hooter, Gin & Tonic, Vodka Tonic

[Kitsune]

Originally posted by sycamore
Kitsune, ABC in VA is the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. You can only buy liquor in ABC stores (though you can buy beer in grocery and drug stores).

We have a similar system in PA called the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. The stores are known as Wine & Spirits Shoppes, though most folks I know call them the "state stores."

Bizarre. I wonder what the connection is, as FL doesn't have such a named department. A number of stores sell liquor, and they aren't "state stores" as I remember from visiting PA. "ABC", here, just happens to be the name of a chain of liquor stores that often sell some difficult to find things, including the lovely Tennet's lager.

Tonight, the selection is Bacardi "Long Island Iced Tea" in a bottle that came pre-made. Oddly enough, it advertises on the label that it has been made with Bacardi 151... which isn't in the recipe that Radar posted. Needless to say, it isn't very good. Yuck.

[BrianR]

An interesting website for booze lovers everywhere.

Webtender

Check out the "In Your Bar" link...you can make more drinks than you think.

Brian

[elSicomoro]

Originally posted by Kitsune
Bizarre. I wonder what the connection is, as FL doesn't have such a named department. A number of stores sell liquor, and they aren't "state stores" as I remember from visiting PA. "ABC", here, just happens to be the name of a chain of liquor stores that often sell some difficult to find things, including the lovely Tennet's lager.

Probably no connection at all, other than the name and the fact that both sell liquor.

Some states still control their liquor operations heavily. I believe NH and UT have setups similar to VA and PA. It fucking blew my mind when I moved out East...back in MO, you can buy beer and alcohol pretty much anywhere.

2 years ago, I used to work for CVS in a trendy/touristy part of Philadelphia. One day, a guy came into my store, looking all confused and shit. He was from Florida and was having a hard time trying to find a place that sold beer. So, I had to go into the whole spiel of where to go if he wanted a 6 or 12 pack, where to go if he wanted a case, where to go if he wanted liquor and that the prices for all were pretty ridiculous.

I think that confused him even more...

[Kitsune]

Originally posted by sycamore
So, I had to go into the whole spiel of where to go if he wanted a 6 or 12 pack, where to go if he wanted a case, where to go if he wanted liquor and that the prices for all were pretty ridiculous.

Years ago while working as a cashier at a grocery store in Atlanta, I remember the rare but memorable occurances when someone would enter the store on a Sunday and attempt to purchase beer. They'd usually be from Somewhere, Florida or Mobile, AL. Most would understand when you explained to them that Georgia was backwards and didn't permit liquor sales on Sunday, but two people were extremely confused when they attempted to buy non-alcoholic beer on ChurchDay and the register refused it.

"It still contains alcohol, just a bit. Besides, the register won't let me."

"But--", they said, looking at me with huge puppy eyes and then would turn red with anger and start grumbling about blue laws. While I still don't think non-alcoholic beer is anything to whine (wine?) about, I understand their frustration.

It could have been worse, I suppose. I quickly found out that a number of counties in extreme North and South Georgia are completely dry. What a hell that must be. Those poor, poor people!

Florida does have, however, stupid laws regarding the container size. No, sir, you won't find any forties down here.

[elSicomoro]

The City of St. Louis (home to Anheuser-Busch) passed a law about 4 or so years back that banned 40 oz. bottles of beer from being sold.

A-B's response? They started selling it in 32 oz. bottles.

MO had Blue Laws on shopping until 1987, and on alcohol until 1992. (The former is one of the few good things that John Ashcroft has done in his life--he was the governor of MO then.) Though I believe there are still a few dry counties in the SW corner of the state...crazy Bible-thumpers.

[zippyt]

You want weird booze laws ?? In Paragould Arkansas ( where i live ) half the town is dry ( yeppers its split at ward 49 , like i know where the hell that is !!!) , exept the 3 places that are grand fathered in on the wrong side of that border. No booze sales on sunday so every body goes to MO ( 20 miles away , ) Booze on sunday , cheap cigs , and lotto tickets .
Most of the business are closed on monday as well , i still havent figuered that one out yet

[russotto]

Sycamore, you should have just told him "New Jersey".

[SteveDallas]

I like beer, martinis, and single malt. I've occasionally had other stuff, especially when I'm on the road, but those are the main choices I keep coming back to.

Beer: mostly domestic microbrews and some foreign stuff, especially German. Micros that I've liked recently include Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat, and Dogfish. (I have a 6-pack of Dogfish Immort Ale that my wife picked up when I requested "something from Dogfish I haven't had yet" and found that it's twice as much as the rest of their stuff. So I need to try it & find out if it's justified.)

Martinis, I usually use Bombay Sapphire and Martini & Rossi extra dry vermouth.

Single Malt, I've been trying lots. I actually don't drink that much, so I usually get 2 bottles and that will last me for several months. I currently have a Bunnehabain which is nice, but I think my all-time favorite is Balvenie.

Oh, and speaking of gin, I am reminded that I was exposed to the most incompetent bartenders ever at the conference I attended in San Antonio, TX this past September. One did not know how to make a whiskey sour, and one seemed to not know the ingredients for a martini. (I confess to being aggravated when I ask for a martini & they say, "gin or vodka," cause I don't consider those vodka things to be real martinis, but this guy didn't even get that far.)

They all knew how to make Margaritas, however, which were priced $1.50 higher than any other mixed drink.

[Undertoad]

I have a bottle of that Balvenie, and about once a year I have a finger of it to see if I'm a Scotch drinker yet. About once a year I put the bottle back resolved not to do that again.

The bottle is 10 years old now, and about half gone.

[Radar]

As far as the gin vs. vodka Martini, bartenders are supposed to ask. I generally don't ask if they seem to be older than 40. Older than 40 they want gin if they say "martini" and younger than 30 they usually want vodka.

I never allow a martini to touch metal (spoon/shaker) and I never shake a gin martini as not to bruise it. I also always give two olives unless they ask for more or less.

[wolf]

Went to dinner with some friends on Saturday night (we would have eaten in, but her husband came home loaded for bear, found something falling off the outside of the house which set him off further, and we thought it would be smarter to let him settle down, so out we went ...

Had beer with dinner ... one of the Dogfish speciality beers, the Midas Touch. It's based on a recipe found in an Egyptian Tomb, apparently. Fantastic balance of sweetness and hoppiness. Not very beer-like, more like a barleywine, actually.

Well, after we finished up and were headed back to the house, one of the girls said "mmmmm, Mead ..." in a very Homer Simpsonish way.

"Pull over," I screamed ... and jumped out of the minivan, which happened to be right in front of a State Store.

As I dashed in I annouced "Sir, I am having a Mead Emergency. I need some help because I keep forgetting ... is that a 'specialty' or a 'wine specialty'?"

Ended up with a very yummy bottle of Chaucer's Mead, which comes with the bonus pack of mulling spices, just in case you want to warm it. We didn't want to wait for it to heat up.

It was very sweet, which, of course, is what you expect from a fermented honey beverage, but was very nice indeed.

[Chewbaccus]

My beverage depends on the mood of the night. Quiet night with friends means Killian's Irish Red or Guinness (draft as well, Syc. Bottled Guinness is the tool of the Devil, nothing but). Not-so-quiet night with friends, Yuengling and Bacardi Silver. I've also got no gripes against Miller Light, Bud Light, Heinekin, Molson, or Bacardi O.

There's not a whole lot of culture around my campus. I mean, a good night by these people is considered to be when someone procures three kegs of Miller High Life. When I can get my hands on something custom-crafted, I dig a good Vodka tonic, Screwdriver, Rum and Coke (Captain Morgan and Vanilla, respectively) or a Courtberry (named after a friend of ours, made with Vodka Orange and Mike's Cranberry Lemonade).

[ladysycamore]

This is going to sound weird, but for some reason, to me, I've always saw beer as a "man's" drink. Maybe it's because in my family, during parties, etc., it was the men always going to the cooler for a beer. Then, there are the commercials...very rarely do you see a woman getting a beer, chugging a beer, etc.

At any rate, I've never been the biggest beer drinker, but when I did drink, it was usually Coors Light, Corona or Zima (or was that a wine cooler? Heh.)

Mixed drinks: Went through a rum and coke phase..thought it was soooo "grown-up". Vodka (Skyy or Absolute) & OJ.

Liquor: wine, shots (mainly Schnapps, thanks to a friend who liked to get everyone drunk).