Class up my drinking experience

[kiwi99]

the differentiation of "sophistication" I am looking for is just something not straight out of a can or a bottle.

The most "sophisticated" drinks you can get are just that.

A high end whiskey or beer is going to be consumed neat/straight. It's the drinker who needs be sophisticated enough to appreciate it for what it is. Whiskey connoisseurs routinely spend thousands of dollars on a bottle and beer knurds will easily drop hundreds on a single bottle.

Edit: and that "sophistication" only comes with experience.

the differentiation of "sophistication" I am looking for is just something not straight out of a can or a bottle.
okay, more accurate now? 

[xtrafrood]

I searched for 'whisky' and oh man my mind was blown. I drank Jameson for a time because everyone I hung out with liked it but I never acquired a taste for it tbh

[smknjoe]

Pour it in a glass?

That's what you do with a $30 can of nice beer.

[chyros]

I searched for 'whisky' and oh man my mind was blown. I drank Jameson for a time because everyone I hung out with liked it but I never acquired a taste for it tbh

Jameson is Irish whiskey, so it doesn't really taste of anything (they filter it too rigourously so it takes all the flavour out). This is why one should only drink Scotch whisky, and preferably a single malt.

[fohat.digs]

(they filter it too rigourously so it takes all the flavour out)

Same thing happens to make Tennessee whiskey worthless compared to Bourbon.

[Spopepro]

Wow. This thread is awful, even by GH off-topic standards.

Back to what OP is asking for: Classic and artful cocktails. Let's start with the classics. A general note about classic cocktails: they tend to be very strong, and largely based on a single strong spirit. If you don't like the foundation spirit, you have little chance of enjoying the cocktail.

Sazerac- some would say the original cocktail. Rye whiskey based.
Mint julep- bourbon whiskey based. Only order at a place with plenty of fresh mint, and a bartender who knows that you need to bruise the mint, and no more otherwise it gets bitter.
Mojito- rum based. Same issue as the mint julep.
Blood and Sand- scotch whisky based, has blood orange juice and cherry brandy. A great classic cocktail for those who don't like straight whisky.
Moscow Mule- vodka based, but mostly ginger ale/beer. If the place is serving it in frosty copper cups, order one. If not, it's a gamble if they will use good ginger ale/beer and vodka.
Negroni- equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, Campari. Bitter. It's either going to become your favorite, or you will never order another.
Brandy Alexander- brandy based. Sweet, like alcoholic chocolate milk. A winter time after dinner tradition for me. But even though it's sweet, it's still respectable to order, unlike, say, sex on the beach.
French 75- gin and bubbly. Enjoy one during intermission at the opera. Both intermissions if it's Wagner.

When drinking a strong cocktail (or a straight spirit) take the glass to your mouth and breath in. You taste mostly with your nose, and because of the volitility there will be strong scents that are part of the experience. Take a sip, and then release your breath slowly out your mouth. This will reveal other flavors, but also will keep the alcohol from tasting "hot" or burning. I learned this from a vodka distiller as we were tasting different vodkas straight, at room temp, and it was actually enjoyable.

[Spopepro]

I searched for 'whisky' and oh man my mind was blown. I drank Jameson for a time because everyone I hung out with liked it but I never acquired a taste for it tbh

Jameson is Irish whiskey, so it doesn't really taste of anything (they filter it too rigourously so it takes all the flavour out). This is why one should only drink Scotch whisky, and preferably a single malt.

A slight correction- it's not the filtration, but the still. All scotch whisky is done in pot stills. It must be run through a still, then cooled and condensed, and the distiller operates the spirit safe because the tails (start and finish) of the batch contains bad tasting esters, and sometimes methanol (less likely today since we don't use fire under the pot). The process will then be repeated a couple of times. The other type of still is the coffey/column/continuous/patent still, and yes, all the names mean the same thing. This is a single still that works kind of like a hydrocarbon tower in a refinery, where the boiled spirit is condensed at different levels accodring to the volitility, and the wash is automatically recycled. Coffey was an Irishman who held the patent (hence the names) and the idea was to more efficiently make fuel. It also makes a cleaner tasting spirit. So nearly all Irish whiskey is Coffey still produced, and you will likely find any whisky make in a Coffey still to be lighter and cleaner, and one from a pot still to be more robust and possibly brash.

[smknjoe]

Most bourbon and rye are made with column stills as well.

I don't think that cocktails are particularly "classy"...unless you normally "shoot" whiskey and chase it with PBR. They are really designed to make the alcohol more palatable.

I'm mostly a bourbon, rye, tequila, rum, and beer drinker; all of which tend to be on the sweet side. So, unless the OP wants bourbon, rye, tequila, rum, and beer suggestions (and he says he doesn't like sweet) then I can't offer much.

Gin is dry and herbal.
Many (not all, but the popular ones are) Scotches are dry, smokey, earthy, and briny.
Vodka has no flavor. It's Grain Neutral Spirit (GNS). That's why it mixes so well.
Bourbon typically has a caramel and vanilla base flavor.
Rye is similar to bourbon but is "spicier".
Tequila has a unique, but "sweet" base flavor.
Dark rums tend to have a sweet, almost plum, flavor.

And there are thousands of different kinds of beer. West Coast IPAs are super bitter. East Coast IPAs tend to be more balanced. Stouts are usually sweeter with a toasted, coffee, chocolate flavor depending on the style...

I don't see what any of this has to do with being "classy". Does the OP really want to learn about beer and booze or does he just want to "look" like he does?

If you want to try some good bourbon/rye that can be had neat or mixed:

Buffalo Trace
Booker's
Sazerac Rye
Old Grand Dad 114
Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit
Four Roses Bourbon (single barrel or the yellow label)
Old Weller Antique
Elmer T. Lee
Elijah Craig
Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve
 

[kiwi99]

Okay, back with an update I guess. For my birthday I went to a local brewery and pizza place and had a flight of some craft beers.

Firstly, every one I tried made me think completely different about my liking for beer, they were all so much better than any storebought beer I've tried, I think the amount of carbonation in beer I'd had before was a big turnoff.

Beers I tried: (apa not ape)


The porter and the IPA were my two favourites.

[fohat.digs]

One other thing - if you are drinking different stuff during the same evening:

Start light and dry, with more delicate tastes, then go heavier, sweeter, and/or stronger as the evening wears on.

[pr0ximity]

Okay, back with an update I guess. For my birthday I went to a local brewery and pizza place and had a flight of some craft beers.

Firstly, every one I tried made me think completely different about my liking for beer, they were all so much better than any storebought beer I've tried, I think the amount of carbonation in beer I'd had before was a big turnoff.

Beers I tried: (apa not ape)

Show Image

The porter and the IPA were my two favourites.

You've done good. There's such an incredible variety of beer out there, it's hard for me to care much about other drinks. Goes great with food, found all over the place.

If you're looking for some other beer types to try that are quite different from those, I'd suggest a wheat beer like a hefeweizen, or a farmhouse ale (Belgian) or saison. They're some of my favorites, but quite different.


However, Islay scotches are otherworldly. If you want to smell great and look good doing it, try an Ardberg or Laphroaig neat.

[kiwi99]

One other thing - if you are drinking different stuff during the same evening:

Start light and dry, with more delicate tastes, then go heavier, sweeter, and/or stronger as the evening wears on.

Thank you for the suggestion, I had these with some pizza between which also was amazing, one pizza with blue cheese, cranberry sauce, apples and a cheese blend on one half and then a bbq brisket styled pizza on the other side, was very happy with my meal ended up bringing home some of the beer I liked.

[kiwi99]

Okay, back with an update I guess. For my birthday I went to a local brewery and pizza place and had a flight of some craft beers.

Firstly, every one I tried made me think completely different about my liking for beer, they were all so much better than any storebought beer I've tried, I think the amount of carbonation in beer I'd had before was a big turnoff.

Beers I tried: (apa not ape)

Show Image

The porter and the IPA were my two favourites.

You've done good. There's such an incredible variety of beer out there, it's hard for me to care much about other drinks. Goes great with food, found all over the place.

If you're looking for some other beer types to try that are quite different from those, I'd suggest a wheat beer like a hefeweizen, or a farmhouse ale (Belgian) or saison. They're some of my favorites, but quite different.


However, Islay scotches are otherworldly. If you want to smell great and look good doing it, try an Ardberg or Laphroaig neat.

thanks for the suggestions, my girlfriends family is belgian, maybe they can point me to some good ones.

[demik]

IPAs taste the same going in as they do going out after drinking too much

[chyros]

Okay, back with an update I guess. For my birthday I went to a local brewery and pizza place and had a flight of some craft beers.

Firstly, every one I tried made me think completely different about my liking for beer, they were all so much better than any storebought beer I've tried, I think the amount of carbonation in beer I'd had before was a big turnoff.

Beers I tried: (apa not ape)

Show Image

The porter and the IPA were my two favourites.

You've done good. There's such an incredible variety of beer out there, it's hard for me to care much about other drinks. Goes great with food, found all over the place.

If you're looking for some other beer types to try that are quite different from those, I'd suggest a wheat beer like a hefeweizen, or a farmhouse ale (Belgian) or saison. They're some of my favorites, but quite different.


However, Islay scotches are otherworldly. If you want to smell great and look good doing it, try an Ardberg or Laphroaig neat.

thanks for the suggestions, my girlfriends family is belgian, maybe they can point me to some good ones.

****, your in-laws are Belgian? You're in for a treat, soon you'll never look back at this ale rubbish xD .

[iri]

I suggest you drink myself. Just ask the bartender for a White Russian.

****, your in-laws are Belgian? You're in for a treat, soon you'll never look back at this ale rubbish xD .

Trappist ales are still ales. Just sayin

[xtrafrood]

Can't go wrong with strong coffee flavored beverages

[chyros]

I suggest you drink myself. Just ask the bartender for a White Russian.

=o! My favourite cocktail! Iz byootifull drink, wery good!

[dgneo]

So,  most simply..

Alcohol can only ever make mountain dew taste worse..

NEVER BETTER..


MOUNTAIN DEW is the best drink on the planet..

ok mountain dew got it,

In california I had some good mountain dew product, forget the flavour but it was better than just regular mountain dew... sadly we only have regular and voltage mountain dew here.

Baja blast is the best Mountain Dew product. Actually it's the only one worth drinking.

BAJA BLAST IS THE ****

Moscow Mule is one of my favorite mixed drinks by far

[Waateva]

So,  most simply..

Alcohol can only ever make mountain dew taste worse..

NEVER BETTER..


MOUNTAIN DEW is the best drink on the planet..

ok mountain dew got it,

In california I had some good mountain dew product, forget the flavour but it was better than just regular mountain dew... sadly we only have regular and voltage mountain dew here.

Baja blast is the best Mountain Dew product. Actually it's the only one worth drinking.

BAJA BLAST IS THE ****

Moscow Mule is one of my favorite mixed drinks by far

+1 for Moscow Mules, especially with summer coming up.  I drank them on a tubing trip a couple years ago and they just hit the spot when they are really cold, but they can also sneak up on you.

[Spopepro]

I think the amount of carbonation in beer I'd had before was a big turnoff.

If this is the case (and I generally agree with you) you might find it worthwhile to seek out some real ale. Real ales are stored in casks, not kegs, at cellar temp and drawn through a mechanical pump rather than gas pressure. Look for this at the bar:



The carbonation is less, and less aggressive (? Not sure how to say it right) because it's from the yeast, and not dissolved gas under pressure. They are unfiltered, and not pasteurized, so it often must come from a local producer, making it tougher to find on our half of the world.

[kiwi99]

I think the amount of carbonation in beer I'd had before was a big turnoff.

If this is the case (and I generally agree with you) you might find it worthwhile to seek out some real ale. Real ales are stored in casks, not kegs, at cellar temp and drawn through a mechanical pump rather than gas pressure. Look for this at the bar:

Show Image

The carbonation is less, and less aggressive (? Not sure how to say it right) because it's from the yeast, and not dissolved gas under pressure. They are unfiltered, and not pasteurized, so it often must come from a local producer, making it tougher to find on our half of the world.

the local breweries do a think called a growler (name may very) its a .95L glass bottle which you pay for the first time then just pay the price of the refill each time, I ended up trying this out and the beer was a lot less carbonated and more enjoyable, although they say you only have 3-4 days to drink it before it goes "bad"

[xtrafrood]

I think the amount of carbonation in beer I'd had before was a big turnoff.

If this is the case (and I generally agree with you) you might find it worthwhile to seek out some real ale. Real ales are stored in casks, not kegs, at cellar temp and drawn through a mechanical pump rather than gas pressure. Look for this at the bar:

Show Image

The carbonation is less, and less aggressive (? Not sure how to say it right) because it's from the yeast, and not dissolved gas under pressure. They are unfiltered, and not pasteurized, so it often must come from a local producer, making it tougher to find on our half of the world.

the local breweries do a think called a growler (name may very) its a .95L glass bottle which you pay for the first time then just pay the price of the refill each time, I ended up trying this out and the beer was a lot less carbonated and more enjoyable, although they say you only have 3-4 days to drink it before it goes "bad"

Plenty of time to enjoy a good brew ;D

[noisyturtle]

I like scotch and soda with a twist of lemon.

Moscow Mule's are good too if they have the proper mug.

[fohat.digs]

a .95L glass bottle

you only have 3-4 days to drink it before it goes "bad"

That should be enough time to choke down a liter of beer.

[nugglets]

Okay, back with an update I guess. For my birthday I went to a local brewery and pizza place and had a flight of some craft beers.

Firstly, every one I tried made me think completely different about my liking for beer, they were all so much better than any storebought beer I've tried, I think the amount of carbonation in beer I'd had before was a big turnoff.

Beers I tried: (apa not ape)

Show Image

The porter and the IPA were my two favourites.

You've done good. There's such an incredible variety of beer out there, it's hard for me to care much about other drinks. Goes great with food, found all over the place.

If you're looking for some other beer types to try that are quite different from those, I'd suggest a wheat beer like a hefeweizen, or a farmhouse ale (Belgian) or saison. They're some of my favorites, but quite different.


However, Islay scotches are otherworldly. If you want to smell great and look good doing it, try an Ardberg or Laphroaig neat.

thanks for the suggestions, my girlfriends family is belgian, maybe they can point me to some good ones.

****, your in-laws are Belgian? You're in for a treat, soon you'll never look back at this ale rubbish xD .

Belgian beers are almost entirely Ale's...

[iri]

No, they aren't.

[noisyturtle]

Strawberry daiquiris and Mudslides are goddamn delicious too, don't get man-shamed into drinking exclusively manly drinks and miss out on all those yummy sweet fancy drinks.

[kiwi99]

Strawberry daiquiris and Mudslides are goddamn delicious too, don't get man-shamed into drinking exclusively manly drinks and miss out on all those yummy sweet fancy drinks.

I'm not the kind of guy to conform to that sort of social pressure haha, I will gladly order the "girliest" drink as long as it tastes good.

[smknjoe]

[xtrafrood]

[noisyturtle]

This thread has inspired me to make Mudslides tonight