Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Keep the chocolate and fruit out of my booze!


I really don't have any problem with what anyone drinks from the most foo foo drink in the world to rot gut whisky or anything in between. So I am only speaking for what I like and how I like it which no matter what anyone says, unless one is doing an academic paper on alcochol what you like is all you really have to go on. Yes I have tried all the Baileyesque types of chocolaty liquors and yeah they taste ok but its just not for me. Years ago we got on a grasshopper jag which if I remember correctly was vodka, creme de menthe, and real cream. We drank those for a few months and then we over did it one night and painted the backyard green. I have never been able to drink that again. Getting sick on any alcohol usually has the effect that one never wants to drink that particular type of booze again. Once in high school someone said that one can get really drunk drinking gatoraid and gin so being stupid teenagers we did that and got deathly ill. Still can't drink gin today although I have not tried it in many years so maybe I could. Still get shivers just walking by a Juniper tree gaackkk!
After years of drinking practice I developed a passion for straight booze or nearly straight. Vodka martini with a few drops of dry vermouth on the rocks with at least 3 big Spanish Queen Olivies is a favorite of mine. Most any good whisky (ey) with a spash of spring water or straight and in the Florida 95 degree summer heat...on the rocks. I will admit to liking a frozen run runner, Zombie, or Margurita on occasion. In fact there was a bar in Terre Haute Indiana called Meg's Beach Comber (go figure)... that had the best Zombies in the world served in an atmosphere of fish nets, ceramic crabs, lobsters, star fish and all bathed in black light and I used to love to go there. When in Rome...as the old saying goes...so yeah if someone were to invite me over and had a rum runner night planned I would partake.
In general though I dont put soda, juice, milk, cream, or sports drinks in my booze. For me it just ruins it. Adding ice is a matter of taste and I believe climate. Sure if you are in chilly Scotland or Ireland there is no need to put ice in your drink as most of the year its going to be cold right out of the bottle. In the more tropical climates drinking whisky straight might be a problem in 100 degree heat (with notable exceptions for really excellent whisky (ey)for sure).
So here is my philosophy: If its good quality booze like a good single malt, or bourbon or vodka or Taquila, try it straight first. If that is too overpowering for your tastes, then add a bit of spring water. If still too potent try a little ice and you can even let the ice melt for a few minutes before really digging in. If after that you still dont like it just go get a beer or a glass of wine.
Yeah millions like bourbon and coke or vodka and orange juice etc. but its just not for me.
Dont think you like straight booze? Let me relate a true story to you. My wife and I went camping at a camp ground near our home back when my oldest daughter was just a baby. Two old men were about to get in a fight in the next camping spot over how to pitch their tent. Some other campers and myself came to their rescue and helped them set it up and then the other campers invited us to their tent for a drink. They were making what they called left handed screwdrivers which were orange juice and rum instead of the usual vodka for a regular screw driver. All night long I had to listen to my wife tell me how good her drinks were and how much she loved those drinks and how I did not know how to make good drinks. She went on and on about how I made drinks too strong and this guy really knew how to make a drink. I raised the white flag finally and said "Ok I will go watch him make the drinks." So I walked back around to the back of their station wagon to see how he was making these drinks on the tailgate. Well.....he was filling a glass with rum and adding just enough orange juice to change the color from clear to sort of orangeish. 95% rum and 5% OJ! I laughed and laughed and brought her the drink. She had been loving the taste of straight rum without knowing it. We got hammered and she had a headache the next morning when I had the pleasure of telling her how he was making the drinks. I never got accused of making drinks that were too strong again. Enjoy!
Ahh the good old days.