Class up my drinking experience

[kiwi99]

So my birthday is this Monday and I am going to be legal drinking age, although it is not my first time drinking I have never drank anything with "class" and would like some suggestions of mixed drinks or just stuff in general to compile a list of things to try whenever I am out this summer, will report back with ratings maybe. I dunno much about mixed drinks but I never really liked sweet stuff and not a big fan of beer, I think this is because I've only had warm cheap beer in my past so if you have a suggestion for a type of beer to try, enlighten me. I've had sangria, paralyzers and caesars in the past and liked them.

So, what do geekhackers drink?

[fknraiden]

Just get like an old fashion or something. Maybe a long Island if you want to roll.
I like beer.

[tp4tissue]

alcohol is not meant to taste -good-..

It will never taste -good-..


But eventually Anything with alcohol, will taste  --ok--

Because you will , given time,, associate the psychological pleasures of drinking, and the partying environment WITH the taste..

It's a matter of conditioning..


As for the physical aspect,  The lower the alcohol percentage, the higher everything else,  the better it tastes..

[tp4tissue]

So,  most simply..

Alcohol can only ever make mountain dew taste worse..

NEVER BETTER..


MOUNTAIN DEW is the best drink on the planet..

[alienman82]

removed.

[tp4tissue]

Also...

The easiest way to go about this, ,  is, cheap Glass-Bottle of Vodka,

A 2 liter of your favorite soda/softdrink..

Take a tall glass fill 3/4 way with soda,   measure out 3shots for a light drink,  6 shots for heavy,    and if you're a BIG guy like Hoff, 8-11 shots.




--you want the glass bottle vodka, because the plastic bottle version sometimes tastes chemical-y..  especially if the store has a window where the light might hit the clear plastic vodka bottles.. the plastic degrades and leeches chemicals into the vodka..

[tp4tissue]

Damn right tp4 especially that last one

Koreans and their Soju..

It's honestly worse than Russians and vodka...

I'd say Koreans have outdone the russians in terms of binge drinking via Soju..

[kiwi99]

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.

[kiwi99]

Also...

The easiest way to go about this, ,  is, cheap Glass-Bottle of Vodka,

A 2 liter of your favorite soda/softdrink..

Take a tall glass fill 3/4 way with soda,   measure out 3shots for a light drink,  6 shots for heavy,    and if you're a BIG guy like Hoff, 8-11 shots.

one problem with this is I don't like soda that much 

[tp4tissue]

Also...

The easiest way to go about this, ,  is, cheap Glass-Bottle of Vodka,

A 2 liter of your favorite soda/softdrink..

Take a tall glass fill 3/4 way with soda,   measure out 3shots for a light drink,  6 shots for heavy,    and if you're a BIG guy like Hoff, 8-11 shots.

one problem with this is I don't like soda that much 

Check out Pineapple Soda..

If you can get the Fanta-version ,  all the better,  but as long as it's COLD,  should taste pretty good.


Also,   You can go all hill-billy,  hit up the 7-eleven,  get a super large slurpee and Spike it with 8 shots of vodka..

[kiwi99]

Also...

The easiest way to go about this, ,  is, cheap Glass-Bottle of Vodka,

A 2 liter of your favorite soda/softdrink..

Take a tall glass fill 3/4 way with soda,   measure out 3shots for a light drink,  6 shots for heavy,    and if you're a BIG guy like Hoff, 8-11 shots.

one problem with this is I don't like soda that much 

Check out Pineapple Soda..

If you can get the Fanta-version ,  all the better,  but as long as it's COLD,  should taste pretty good.


Also,   You can go all hill-billy,  hit up the 7-eleven,  get a super large slurpee and Spike it with 8 shots of vodka..

sir pls from the OP

  I never really liked sweet stuff

[tp4tissue]

I never really liked sweet stuff

If you have a complete aversion to sweet stuff,   that's actually a good thing for drinking because overall,  too much -juice-/-mixer-/  as they call it just makes you feel bloated (lots of liquids)..

What you'd do in this case, is finish off something like 2 slices of pizza. Not too much , just enough to be not hungry..

Then do straight shots of vodka..   You're going to put the vodka in the FREEZER ahead of time..

Don't worry, anything above 30% alcohol will not freeze/ turn into ice..


The reason you want it cold like that, is so it doesn't sting/ rise into your nostrils as it goes down..

If the vodka is not as cold.. people often have chasers to clear their throat of the alcohol taste/fumes.

The chaser could be anything from ice-cold water to soda..

[demik]

Vodka tonics are my go to.

You can drink like 6-7 and won't feel them.

Until you stand up.

[demik]

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.

[tp4tissue]

Vodka tonics are my go to.

You can drink like 6-7 and won't feel them.

Until you stand up.

hahahaha..


But demik has all them working-man muscles to absorb the alcohol.

[demik]

Vodka tonics are my go to.

You can drink like 6-7 and won't feel them.

Until you stand up.

hahahaha..


But demik has all them working-man muscles to absorb the alcohol.

I rarely drink so my tolerance is ****. Now I can get ****ed up off a six pack. I'm such a light weight ;-;

[jaffers]

Gin and tonic is so good. A little bitter but if you like bitter like I do than you will like it.

Beer is good but there is a lot of **** ones out there. Try some of the ales i.e. Pale ale, golden ale, amber ale. Ale is probably my favourite beer

[kiwi99]

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.

ye it was baja blast from taco bell, which also isn't as good here in canada as it was there..  now I miss visiting cali

[ThoughtArtist]

I'm not even sure what drinking with class is. Is that something rich folks do with wine that their butler fetches from the cellar? At the end of the night, it's all about getting a buzz, unless you're one of those weirdos that likes only drinking one beer. Alcohol is a dumb buzz, nothing more. Don't let society hype it up to make it seem like there is anything "sophisticated" about it because there is not.

[kiwi99]

I'm not even sure what drinking with class is. Is that something rich folks do with wine that their butler fetches from the cellar? At the end of the night, it's all about getting a buzz, unless you're one of those weirdos that likes only drinking one beer. Alcohol is a dumb buzz, nothing more. Don't let society hype it up to make it seem like there is anything "sophisticated" about it because there is not.

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

 I like cooking quite a bit so I ask for suggestions to try them at a bar or restaurant and then try to make them for myself and others at home later to go with the food I put time into making, just something that interests me that's all not trying to pretend to be all rich and elitist or anything  

[tp4tissue]

Look at it this way..

There are many keyboard guys on $400 keyboards here..

But at the end of the day, we're just typing stupid crap into the internet..



There are guys drinking $2000 bottles of wine..

But at the end of the day,  they're just getting drunk....




Sophistication in terms of a Luxury good is a --misplaced sense of superiority in extravagant material waste--

[katushkin]

Beer.

I'm jealous of the NA IPA scene to be honest, as much as I love my English/Norwegian ciders.

[chyros]

Canada has a normal drinking age, right? Because in that case, it's not too late to get into beer. Beer takes a while to get used to, but it very nice once you have acquired the taste. Because lager is a bit bitter when you start off, I started off with white beers instead, and now I drink all sorts of beer. Except ale, which is used dishwater mixed with stale piss. Beer is also good outside of social conferences though, while drinking cocktails on your own is kinda sad.

It took me a while longer to find wine more interesting. First red, now slowly also white. Although I still prefer red for most occasions. Don't bother with wine just yet, it comes with age.

For a nice, easy start to drinking, go vodka and coke or rum and coke, or maybe a screwdriver.

[nugglets]

Some good, interesting mixed drinks. Note that, depending on your tastes, some of these will likely be awful. There's no way to know what you're going to like until you try it. I'll also focus on things I think actually pair well with food, since you mentioned that. Stuff like Black Tooth Grins are great for getting ****ed up without tasting it, but pretty nasty when eating.

Mojito's are ****ing great when made properly. Don't order one at some **** bar, though. They'll **** it up. The lime and mint leaves need to be muddled or it's just a waste. If you make them at home, go lighter on the cane juice (or simple syrup, if you can't find it) to make them less sweet. I usually use very little cane juice, just enough to add the taste without adding a lot of sugar.

Gimlets. Basically just Gin (or if you prefer Vodka, order a Vodka Gimlet) and Rose's Lime Water with some fresh lime. Definitely not very sweet, but very good IMO.

As someone else mentioned, sometimes hard to beat a good Gin and Tonic. I'm partial to Bombay Sapphire for mine, but calling your label at a bar usually means paying a lot more. As with above, if you prefer Vodka then Vodka Tonic's are OK, too.

I like Dirty Martini's, again Gin or Vodka to your preference. If you like onion, a Gibson is basically a martini with cocktail onions instead of olive. They are kind of hard to find, though, depending on where you drink.

I also enjoy Bloody Mary's, but only when they're made with Tomato juice, not Clamato, and preferably with a healthy dose of spice. Good with breakfast/brunch =)

For Whiskey drinks, a Manhattan or Old Fashioned are both pretty solid. Just tell them light on the sugar on the Old Fashioned. If you find the Manhattan too sweet, you can order it "dry" which uses Dry Vermouth instead of Sweet Vermouth.


All of the various Long Island variations can be interesting. You said you don't like sweet things, though, so they may not be for you. The Grateful Dead is a Long Island made with Chambord instead of Coke, so it's basically like drinking a tart raspberry lemonade or something except it has 5-6 shots of booze in it. There's also the ever classy "Adios Mother****er," a Long Island with Curacao instead of Coke. Less sweet than the Dead, and even the regular Long Island IMO. Definitely a good way to get a buzz in a hurry. Tokyo Iced Tea uses Midori instead of Coke. I'm sure you see the trend here.

That's it for the basics of mixed drinks.

As for beer, that's a MUCH harder thing to recommend IMO. There are so many styles and flavors of beer, I guarantee you there is at least one out there you will love. Just stay away from the basic, bull**** beers like Bud, Coors, Miller, Molsen etc. Try local brews, the Canadian and US micro-brew scene is out of control. I also prefer Ales of all kinds, but Stouts, and Bitters, and Barleywines... There's so many things to try. If you have a local brewery or beer-centric restaurant, ask for suggestions. They will usually sell "flights" too, which gives you an opportunity to try a few ounces of a bunch of beers. That's always a good way to figure out your tastes. Once you find a something you do like, you can start asking for suggestions based on that and there will be a LOT of them.

And back to the cooking aspect, the right beer pairs better with food than wine ever will IMO. And I love wine.

[fohat.digs]

now I drink all sorts of beer. Except ale, which is used dishwater mixed with stale piss.

That's just silly. Half the beer in the world is ale. No yeast type has a monopoly on good or bad.

http://allaboutbeer.com/article/lager-beer-vs-ale-beer%E2%80%94does-it-matter/

If Cherry and Alps were the only 2 types of mechanical switches available, that would be like saying "all Cherry is ****"

Oh, wait a minute.

[Bigpock]

Dude drink beer or just take shots. Mixxed drinks are pretty hard for me to enjoy let alone drink. Beer is my go to. Beer is love, beer is life. Anything mass produced like budwiser is for drinking when u go out because its cheap but if ur home get better stuff.

[tp4tissue]

Dude drink beer or just take shots. Mixxed drinks are pretty hard for me to enjoy let alone drink. Beer is my go to. Beer is love, beer is life. Anything mass produced like budwiser is for drinking when u go out because its cheap but if ur home get better stuff.

Don't drink beer..

Beer is pee...   

[nugglets]

Dude drink beer or just take shots. Mixxed drinks are pretty hard for me to enjoy let alone drink. Beer is my go to. Beer is love, beer is life. Anything mass produced like budwiser is for drinking when u go out because its cheap but if ur home get better stuff.

Don't drink beer..

Beer is pee...

If your pee looks like this, might I suggest a trip to your local medical facility?

[fohat.digs]

Beer is pee...
 

If your pee looks like this, might I suggest a trip to your local medical facility?

He is referring to the pee of the yeast molecules that turns a wad of soggy grain into a delicious nutritious beverage.

[nugglets]

Beer is pee...
 

If your pee looks like this, might I suggest a trip to your local medical facility?

He is referring to the pee of the yeast molecules that turns a wad of soggy grain into a delicious nutritious beverage.

I know what he was saying, but if he wants to make bad jokes so can I. =)

It's not pee, or urine, or whatever other dumb thing people want to call it. Is it a waste product of a tiny organism? Yes, it is.

So is oxygen. Feel free to stop breathing any time you'd like.

[tp4tissue]

I know what he was saying, but if he wants to make bad jokes so can I. =)

It's not pee, or urine, or whatever other dumb thing people want to call it. Is it a waste product of a tiny organism? Yes, it is.

So is oxygen. Feel free to stop breathing any time you'd like.

I agree it's a matter of where you draw the line for what you want to do..


But, everything besides the carbohydrates from beer is quite toxic..


So for me personally, my thought process is:


Why further damage your body, for which you only get 1 of,   when your goal of inebriation can be achieved definitively , more cheaply , less poisonously by other means such as Vodka..


One can say, well, you'll likely die of something else first..


While that is true,  it doesn't change the fact that by choosing to IGNORE the toxicity of beer, you've taken upon odds against yourself.


What purpose did worsening those survival odds get you,  just to look cool on the internet to some dude who doesn't really care if you died?

[Findecanor]

OK.... Drinking 101:

Learn and know your alcohol limit in "number of drinks". One shot of spirits, one glass of wine and one glass of beer contain (very) roughly the same amount of alcohol.
To avoid a hangover, a good trick is to drink water or other non-alcoholic drinks in-between alcoholic drinks -- but that will not reduce your buzz, however.

Long Island Ice Tea is a cocktail of different spirits mixed together in a large glass, with a taste that just happens to resemble tea a bit. That is a lot of alcohol in one drink and not something I would recommend that you have often.

alcohol is not meant to taste -good-..

A large part why I drink alcohol is that I like the taste, and I try to avoid the cheap stuff that does not taste good.
A little bit of alcohol is relaxing. Higher than that, I find the buzz to be unwelcome. (my buzz, that is. I enjoy seeing other people do or say things they would otherwise not have...)

Wine, spirits and liqueurs are made from juices (of some kind or another) -- which have been concentrated, with concentrated flavour. Alcohol is also a solvent for many flavours that would otherwise not be as strong.

Higher-quality spirits are often called "smooth". The smoother the spirit, the more you will taste its flavours before you will notice the alcohol. Some people like to add a little bit of water to whisky or brandy/cognac to better experience the taste and take the edge off the alcohol.
Of course there is a lot of snobbery and marketing that can be confusing.

Whisky, brandy/cognac, liqueurs, wine and cocktails are supposed to be sipped. If you chug them, then you lose the point.
The smell is also part of the experience, which is why they are served in rounded glasses with smaller openings.

Wine and what wine goes with which type of food is a whole science, but one which I don't know much about.
In better liqueur stores, the staff should be able to help you match types of wine to what food you are planning to drink it with.

That's just silly. Half the beer in the world is ale. No yeast type has a monopoly on good or bad

But while it is a way of making beer, within the recent decade the "Indian Pale Ale" and "American Pale Ale" have become popular. These contain a lot of aromatic hops, which makes the beer taste more like grapefruit than of malt. It has been a trend to also make other types of beers than ales hoppy.
Personally, I don't like these types of beers at all and for me, the hoppiness of non-ales is a nuisance.

Beer is pee...   

Many cheaper "lager" beer are not considered to be very good, no. Especially pale american "supermarket" lager has a bad reputation ... Me, I am not a fan of Heineken, Carlsberg or Stella Artois either.

But do try imported German or Czech lagers or pilsners.. "Lager" is a German word, "Pilsen" is a town in the Czech republic where the pilsner beer was invented.
You should also try Guinness -- which is very malty.

At the end of the day, what you will like or not is just like with keyboard switches: The only way to find out is to try them.

[tp4tissue]

More

Learn and know your alcohol limit in "number of drinks". One shot of spirits, one glass of wine and one glass of beer contain (very) roughly the same amount of alcohol.
To avoid a hangover, a good trick is to drink water or other non-alcoholic drinks in-between alcoholic drinks -- but that will not reduce your buzz, however.

Long Island Ice Tea is a cocktail of different spirits mixed together in a large glass, with a taste that just happens to resemble tea a bit. That is a lot of alcohol in one drink and not something I would recommend that you have often.

alcohol is not meant to taste -good-..

A large part why I drink alcohol is that I like the taste, and I try to avoid the cheap stuff that does not taste good.
A little bit of alcohol is relaxing. Higher than that, I find the buzz to be unwelcome. (my buzz, that is. I enjoy seeing other people do or say things they would otherwise not have...)

Wine, spirits and liqueurs are made from juices (of some kind or another) -- which have been concentrated, with concentrated flavour. Alcohol is also a solvent for many flavours that would otherwise not be as strong.

Higher-quality spirits are often called "smooth". The smoother the spirit, the more you will taste its flavours before you will notice the alcohol. Some people like to add a little bit of water to whisky or brandy/cognac to better experience the taste and take the edge off the alcohol.
Of course there is a lot of snobbery and marketing that can be confusing.
The smell is also part of the experience, which is why wine, cognac and whisky are served in rounded glasses with smaller opening.
Whisky, brandy/cognac, liqueurs, wine and cocktails are supposed to be sipped. If you chug them, then you lose the point.

Wine and what wine goes with which type of food is a whole science, but one which I don't know much about.
In better liqueur stores, the staff should be able to help you match types of wine to what food you are planning to drink it with.

That's just silly. Half the beer in the world is ale. No yeast type has a monopoly on good or bad

But while it is a way of making beer, within the recent decade the "Indian Pale Ale" and "American Pale Ale" have become popular. These contain a lot of aromatic hops, which makes the beer taste more like grapefruit than of malt. It has been a trend to also make other types of beers than ales hoppy.
Personally, I don't like these types of beers at all and for me, the hoppiness of non-ales is a nuisance.

Beer is pee...   

Many cheaper "lager" beer are not considered to be very good, no. Especially pale american "supermarket" lager has a bad reputation ... Me, I am not a fan of Heineken, Carlsberg or Stella Artois either.

But do try imported German or Czech lagers or pilsners.. "Lager" is a German word, "Pilsen" is a town in the Czech republic where the pilsner beer was invented.
You should also try Guinness -- which is very malty.

At the end of the day, what you will like or not is just like with keyboard switches: The only way to find out is to try them.

Opinion: Topre > CherryMX

FACT:  ERGODOX, better than EVERY OTHER KEYBOARD..




Opinion: Beer A, tastes better than Beer B

FACT: Beer is poisonous, drink vodka, get drunk, MOVE ON..

[nugglets]

I wasn't going to reply because I didn't want to further derail this thread... but since tp seems intent on doing so, why not?

... when your goal of inebriation ...

What purpose did worsening those survival odds get you,  just to look cool on the internet to some dude who doesn't really care if you died?

I drink beer because I enjoy it. I will absolutely drink one beer because I thoroughly enjoy the taste, no inebriation required. I have said on many occasions that if someone were able to make non-alcoholic beer that tastes as good as some of the amazing beers the world has to offer, I would drink them nearly all day.

Maybe OP will enjoy it, too.

And at no point in my decision to choose a beer over a Vodka Gimlet do random people on the internet enter my mind. Sorry, you're just not that important bb.   

[tp4tissue]

I wasn't going to reply because I didn't want to further derail this thread... but since tp seems intent on doing so, why not?

... when your goal of inebriation ...

What purpose did worsening those survival odds get you,  just to look cool on the internet to some dude who doesn't really care if you died?

I drink beer because I enjoy it. I will absolutely drink one beer because I thoroughly enjoy the taste, no inebriation required. I have said on many occasions that if someone were able to make non-alcoholic beer that tastes as good as some of the amazing beers the world has to offer, I would drink them nearly all day.

Maybe OP will enjoy it, too.

And at no point in my decision to choose a beer over a Vodka Gimlet do random people on the internet enter my mind. Sorry, you're just not that important bb.   

You are incorrect in your assumptions..


No one would drink beer, had there been no alcohol in it..

As it is, you can't give it to young children, or babies, they will refuse to drink it.  There is NO natural affinity for fermented liquids, because they're NOT FOOD, they're waste products and TOXIC..


ALL of the good vibes that come to you by Beer, developed from positive associations external to the TASTE..

It is possible, that for you specifically, it's a second order association.


For example, You were reward 1 dollar for drinking bitter medicine by your parents. So you associate reward with the taste of a bitter liquid..

Beer is a bitter liquid,  beer triggers a positive feeling..




None of this changes the HARD FACT that Beer = Poison = Tastes bad.

[Bigpock]

Tp ur a jackass if u think beer is poisioness and vodka isnt. Alchol is really bad for you. Get over it

I drink beer for the taste. The drunkness is actually secondary. Thats why i dont drink corona or stella

[tp4tissue]

Tp ur a jackass if u think beer is poisioness and vodka isnt. Alchol is really bad for you. Get over it

I drink beer for the taste. The drunkness is actually secondary. Thats why i dont drink corona or stella

The whole ordeal of drinking is poisonous, I've already mentioned that in previous posts.


But if we are to chase this maladaptive dopamine desire by ways of alcohol, minimizing the negative impact is a rational compromise..


You do not Drink beer for the taste, you may believe that, but you do not..

[Findecanor]

No one would drink beer, had there been no alcohol in it..

Low-alcohol/non-alcoholic beers are very popular all over Europe, especially together with food or just as a thirst-quencher. The original purpose of beer throughout history before refridgeration was invented was not to use it to get drunk but to use the alcohol to preserve water from getting stale.
Both my parents had been reared from early childhood on types of low-alcoholic beer.

In Germany, fassbrause is very popular: It is a beer-soda hybrid containing malt and fruit juices, with the fizz coming from fermentation.

Vodka contains some rotgut; fusel alcohol by-products that are poisonous, some believed to worsen hangovers for those who drink hard spirits.
There used to be more rotgut and other unwanted by-products in vodka a few decades ago, and the safety standards in the US still allow more fusel alcohols than are permitted in Europe - causing some lower-quality brands to not be sold in Europe or some spirits being made differently for different markets. (Fireball Cinnamon Whisky being one example)

[Bigpock]

If people didnt drink beer for taste, we would all be pounding pisswassers

[Waateva]

Personally, I like whiskey + ginger ale or ginger beer, vodka + Squirt, and vodka + cranberry juice.

[chyros]

now I drink all sorts of beer. Except ale, which is used dishwater mixed with stale piss.

That's just silly. Half the beer in the world is ale. No yeast type has a monopoly on good or bad.

http://allaboutbeer.com/article/lager-beer-vs-ale-beer%E2%80%94does-it-matter/

If Cherry and Alps were the only 2 types of mechanical switches available, that would be like saying "all Cherry is ****"

Oh, wait a minute.

I'm referring to the British version of ale. The one that's served flat and warm, with little alcohol and a taste somewhere between malty and soapy.

As I understand it, the "special beers" that for example the Belgians make also fall under the definition of ale, but they couldn't be more different from the British version. I'm deeply in love with Belgian beer, though.

[fohat.digs]

I'm referring to the British version of ale. The one that's served flat and warm, with little alcohol and a taste somewhere between malty and soapy.

As I understand it, the "special beers" that for example the Belgians make also fall under the definition of ale, but they couldn't be more different from the British version. I'm deeply in love with Belgian beer, though.

I like beer bitter and hoppy (and also cold), everything else being equal. If I am not drinking a lot of it, I like heavy and dark, too.
I also believe that ales go better with food and that lagers are better alone.

Belgian beers are excellent but many of them are somewhat sweeter than I would prefer.

[chyros]

I'm referring to the British version of ale. The one that's served flat and warm, with little alcohol and a taste somewhere between malty and soapy.

As I understand it, the "special beers" that for example the Belgians make also fall under the definition of ale, but they couldn't be more different from the British version. I'm deeply in love with Belgian beer, though.

I like beer bitter and hoppy (and also cold), everything else being equal. If I am not drinking a lot of it, I like heavy and dark, too.
I also believe that ales go better with food and that lagers are better alone.

Belgian beers are excellent but many of them are somewhat sweeter than I would prefer.

All fair points, if I have to drink ale, I prefer them darker too. I'm actually somewhat fond of Guinness.

My favourite beer is probably Gulden Draak (Golden Dragon), a fairly heavy (10.5%), very dark Belgian beer with an intense taste. Not something to binge on, but delicious.

[demik]

If you don't make a fool of yourself at the end of the night, I'd say your drink choice was classy.


And you didn't drink enough.

[shrubkeys]

alcohol is not meant to taste -good-..
It will never taste -good-..
But eventually Anything with alcohol, will taste  --ok--
Because you will , given time,, associate the psychological pleasures of drinking, and the partying environment WITH the taste..
It's a matter of conditioning..
As for the physical aspect,  The lower the alcohol percentage, the higher everything else,  the better it tastes..

I disagree with this completely.

Okay - not completely. The part about psychological pleasures and habituation is true. But the rest seems...uninformed.

It's like saying "why would you ever eat spicy food?" or "coffee is bitter - it's not meant to taste good!" There are lots of components that go into "good taste". And lots of things change about your flavor preferences - and your perception of taste - as you gain experience and as you age. With (what's arguably) a more refined palette, you learn to appreciate new flavors and distinguish more subtle gradations within them. At the tail end, you also lose sensation as cells on your tongue stop being replaced, or as, for example,  you gain tolerance for capsaicin. And some of this is also genetic, and some is cultural, and some of this is what your mother ate while you were in utero. In fact, you gain an appreciation for "bitter" in particular - a strong flavor component in coffee, greens, unsweetened chocolate, and beer - much more often as an older person. And alcohols *even more in particular* are fascinating; there are many, many kinds of volatile organic compounds constantly mixing and being released - and you have lots of different receptors in both your tongue and your nose with which to experience them.

Recommendations? All over the map - especially because options change dramatically depending on where you live. I do have one because I know it's available near(-ish?) you at BCLiquorStores, because it's terrific and because it's - as you asked for - "classy": Redbreast whiskey (the cheapest - 12 yr).

It's a single pot still Irish, a phenomenal introduction to good whiskey, easy to like, not (that) expensive and something you will still appreciate as your palette (and wallet) expands. Not enough people know about it and it's awesome. Done.

[kiwi99]

Some good, interesting mixed drinks. Note that, depending on your tastes, some of these will likely be awful. There's no way to know what you're going to like until you try it. I'll also focus on things I think actually pair well with food, since you mentioned that. Stuff like Black Tooth Grins are great for getting ****ed up without tasting it, but pretty nasty when eating.

Mojito's are ****ing great when made properly. Don't order one at some **** bar, though. They'll **** it up. The lime and mint leaves need to be muddled or it's just a waste. If you make them at home, go lighter on the cane juice (or simple syrup, if you can't find it) to make them less sweet. I usually use very little cane juice, just enough to add the taste without adding a lot of sugar.

Gimlets. Basically just Gin (or if you prefer Vodka, order a Vodka Gimlet) and Rose's Lime Water with some fresh lime. Definitely not very sweet, but very good IMO.

As someone else mentioned, sometimes hard to beat a good Gin and Tonic. I'm partial to Bombay Sapphire for mine, but calling your label at a bar usually means paying a lot more. As with above, if you prefer Vodka then Vodka Tonic's are OK, too.

I like Dirty Martini's, again Gin or Vodka to your preference. If you like onion, a Gibson is basically a martini with cocktail onions instead of olive. They are kind of hard to find, though, depending on where you drink.

I also enjoy Bloody Mary's, but only when they're made with Tomato juice, not Clamato, and preferably with a healthy dose of spice. Good with breakfast/brunch =)

For Whiskey drinks, a Manhattan or Old Fashioned are both pretty solid. Just tell them light on the sugar on the Old Fashioned. If you find the Manhattan too sweet, you can order it "dry" which uses Dry Vermouth instead of Sweet Vermouth.


All of the various Long Island variations can be interesting. You said you don't like sweet things, though, so they may not be for you. The Grateful Dead is a Long Island made with Chambord instead of Coke, so it's basically like drinking a tart raspberry lemonade or something except it has 5-6 shots of booze in it. There's also the ever classy "Adios Mother****er," a Long Island with Curacao instead of Coke. Less sweet than the Dead, and even the regular Long Island IMO. Definitely a good way to get a buzz in a hurry. Tokyo Iced Tea uses Midori instead of Coke. I'm sure you see the trend here.

That's it for the basics of mixed drinks.

As for beer, that's a MUCH harder thing to recommend IMO. There are so many styles and flavors of beer, I guarantee you there is at least one out there you will love. Just stay away from the basic, bull**** beers like Bud, Coors, Miller, Molsen etc. Try local brews, the Canadian and US micro-brew scene is out of control. I also prefer Ales of all kinds, but Stouts, and Bitters, and Barleywines... There's so many things to try. If you have a local brewery or beer-centric restaurant, ask for suggestions. They will usually sell "flights" too, which gives you an opportunity to try a few ounces of a bunch of beers. That's always a good way to figure out your tastes. Once you find a something you do like, you can start asking for suggestions based on that and there will be a LOT of them.

And back to the cooking aspect, the right beer pairs better with food than wine ever will IMO. And I love wine.

thanks for the good suggestions, I'm going to write down these especially the Gimlets, they sound interesting. I know in the okanagan in BC which seems quite rich in selection as far as locally brewed alcohol.. within 1-2 hours from me there are around a hundred different wineries and multiple breweries as well.

Beer.

I'm jealous of the NA IPA scene to be honest, as much as I love my English/Norwegian ciders.

I want to try more specialty beers, I've had actually two different specialty beers I quite liked, one being a winter ale and one being an espresso stout, both were interesting and didn't taste horrible... I should also look for ciders because I know near me there is a few breweries that do lots of ciders.. also from highschool partying days I'd drink so much too much growers which I think is made near me as well.

Canada has a normal drinking age, right? Because in that case, it's not too late to get into beer. Beer takes a while to get used to, but it very nice once you have acquired the taste. Because lager is a bit bitter when you start off, I started off with white beers instead, and now I drink all sorts of beer. Except ale, which is used dishwater mixed with stale piss. Beer is also good outside of social conferences though, while drinking cocktails on your own is kinda sad.

It took me a while longer to find wine more interesting. First red, now slowly also white. Although I still prefer red for most occasions. Don't bother with wine just yet, it comes with age.

For a nice, easy start to drinking, go vodka and coke or rum and coke, or maybe a screwdriver.

funny you say that, wine is one of the things I drink most often and don't mind having with dinner.

OK.... Drinking 101:

Learn and know your alcohol limit in "number of drinks". One shot of spirits, one glass of wine and one glass of beer contain (very) roughly the same amount of alcohol.
To avoid a hangover, a good trick is to drink water or other non-alcoholic drinks in-between alcoholic drinks -- but that will not reduce your buzz, however.

Long Island Ice Tea is a cocktail of different spirits mixed together in a large glass, with a taste that just happens to resemble tea a bit. That is a lot of alcohol in one drink and not something I would recommend that you have often.

alcohol is not meant to taste -good-..

A large part why I drink alcohol is that I like the taste, and I try to avoid the cheap stuff that does not taste good.
A little bit of alcohol is relaxing. Higher than that, I find the buzz to be unwelcome. (my buzz, that is. I enjoy seeing other people do or say things they would otherwise not have...)

Wine, spirits and liqueurs are made from juices (of some kind or another) -- which have been concentrated, with concentrated flavour. Alcohol is also a solvent for many flavours that would otherwise not be as strong.

Higher-quality spirits are often called "smooth". The smoother the spirit, the more you will taste its flavours before you will notice the alcohol. Some people like to add a little bit of water to whisky or brandy/cognac to better experience the taste and take the edge off the alcohol.
Of course there is a lot of snobbery and marketing that can be confusing.

Whisky, brandy/cognac, liqueurs, wine and cocktails are supposed to be sipped. If you chug them, then you lose the point.
The smell is also part of the experience, which is why they are served in rounded glasses with smaller openings.

Wine and what wine goes with which type of food is a whole science, but one which I don't know much about.
In better liqueur stores, the staff should be able to help you match types of wine to what food you are planning to drink it with.

That's just silly. Half the beer in the world is ale. No yeast type has a monopoly on good or bad

But while it is a way of making beer, within the recent decade the "Indian Pale Ale" and "American Pale Ale" have become popular. These contain a lot of aromatic hops, which makes the beer taste more like grapefruit than of malt. It has been a trend to also make other types of beers than ales hoppy.
Personally, I don't like these types of beers at all and for me, the hoppiness of non-ales is a nuisance.

Beer is pee...   

Many cheaper "lager" beer are not considered to be very good, no. Especially pale american "supermarket" lager has a bad reputation ... Me, I am not a fan of Heineken, Carlsberg or Stella Artois either.

But do try imported German or Czech lagers or pilsners.. "Lager" is a German word, "Pilsen" is a town in the Czech republic where the pilsner beer was invented.
You should also try Guinness -- which is very malty.

At the end of the day, what you will like or not is just like with keyboard switches: The only way to find out is to try them.

thanks for this reply, I know my limit for sure, I did party in highschool just at the time the objective was more to get a buzz than to drink for the taste.   

If you don't make a fool of yourself at the end of the night, I'd say your drink choice was classy.


And you didn't drink enough.

this reminds me of a funny story from a wedding.
At one of my uncles weddings one of his best men, to him a close friend from highschool but the one that never really grew up got very drunk. After we were done dinner everyone went outside for the ceremony, near the seating for the ceremony there was a table with little card things as well as mini champagne looking bottles that looked like this
which were filled with literally bubbles, not champagne for a part of the ceremony at the end.
 

So my uncles best man, after some heavy drinking during dinner being as intoxicated as he was he picked one up and said "Champagne samplers, how classy is this" and proceeded to pop the cap off and squeeze the contents into his mouth, after a moment he then said "The bubblies are not good I wouldn't recommend them" still somehow oblivious to the fact he basically just drank soap. It was quite funny and was one of the highlights of the wedding for sure.

[xtrafrood]

I was lucky enough to have my first beer(s) near Toronto when I was 19. I think it was a Lucky Lager; anyways stout beers and whiskey sours are my go-to when I don't want the sweet stuff.

[fohat.digs]

My condensed version for hard liquor is:

Whisky - Good whisk(e)y should be sipped straight, very slowly, and savored. Lower grade mix for me is soda, on the rocks. The "special" mixed drink is a mint julep, which is pretty much a mojita made with bourbon instead of rum. Make your own simple syrup, it is ridiculously easy and cheap. And don't waste your time if you don't have fresh mint leaves.

Brandy/cognac - as above

Rum - Perfect for any sweet or fruity mixed drink. Good rum, as any good liquor, is best enjoyed slowly sipped neat.

Gin - I love gimlets, but then I like sour drinks. A gin & tonic is a great simple selection if choices are limited. I am kind of indifferent to martinis, but I like them dry and with olives.

Tequila - Margarita on the rocks with no salt but make sure that it is made well and forget it if powdered mixes or orange juice is involved. Tequila & tonic is acceptable in a pinch.

Vodka - is a cleaning chemical. The only alcoholic use for it is bloody marys, which are much better with rum or gin anyway. Bloody marys need to have strong full vegetable flavor and if there is any meat-related taste added it should be beef, eg bullion.

If you are just learning to drink and all this stuff is too harsh for you, get a bottle of Yukon Jack. Then the 2nd time mix it half-and-half with whiskey. Then continue to attenuate the whisky with the Jack until you don't need it any more. It's Canadian, too, eh?

[smknjoe]

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.

[chyros]

As far as "sophisticated" drinks go, you can't get much more sophisticated than whisky. Especially if it's spelt without an "e". My favourites are Islay whiskies, especially Ardbeg.

Hmmm, feel like a glass now.