Since it’s Father’s Day, here’s a word about the wisdom passed down from my old man. He wasn’t into sports, so my siblings who were interested in athletics had to pick that up by themselves. And he didn’t teach us how to fight or shoot guns or any of the other manly things that stereotypical fathers are supposed to teach their kids to make them into true men. For a son like me, who doesn’t give a shit about any of that stuff, he taught me something far more important: how to make a good cocktail.
His first and greatest lesson of all, one for which I will be eternally grateful long after he passes from this vale of tears, is a simple one: fuck vodka. Gin is the king of liquors, and his nightly go-to cocktail is a Gimlet. He always used Gilbey’s, and even after we would bring home Tanquery or Bombay or some other higher-end liquor, he’d drink it with us and then revert back to Gilbey’s after we left.
The next lesson is that sweet cocktails are bullshit. Here’s his recipe for a Gin Rickey: two parts gin, one part fresh-squeezed lime juice served over ice with enough club soda to fill a highball glass. Every “Rickey” I’ve seen in craft cocktail bars is full of simple syrup. If you really want a Tom Collins, order a goddam Tom Collins. Gin Rickeys don’t have sugar.
Finally, he taught us that the ritual of making a good cocktail is part of the fun. When he wanted a whiskey sour, which was mainly in the summer, he’d get out his whiskey sour glasses, lemons and shaker. His recipe is a scant teaspoon of sugar, juice of half a lemon, and two shots of Jim Beam, shaken vigorously, garnished with a maraschino cherry. It’s a long way from that to the Evan Williams and Squirt that you get in an average bar, and thanks to my old man, I know the difference.
WereBear
Yep, that’s a GOOD whiskey sour!
Betty Cracker
Your dad would have found my whiskey sour recipe too sweet.
JPL
Happy Father’s Day to those celebrating.
Eat, Drink and be Merry.
mrmike
A-freakin-men. I’m so tired of the kiddie cocktails that pass for a drink these days. I was in a local cocktail bar the other day and they didn’t have a single bottle of Rye in the place. 42 flavours of vodka (marshmallow? cake?) but no freaking Rye? In fact they had a pretty shitty whisk(e)y selection overall, and only three varieties of gin (not counting whatever swill was in the rail)
Villago Delenda Est
I will refrain from asking you to ask him what he thinks of the Singapore Sling…
c u n d gulag
And a REAL martini has GIN (though vodka’s a barely acceptable, though tasteless, substitute) and a smidge of dry vermouth (enough to just wet the martini glass, then be poured out), and an olive or two or three, and/or a twist – additional olive juice is fine, if you like your martini dirty, as I sometimes do – especially if someone is making one with cheap gin.
Anything else served in a Martini Bar AIN’T A FECKIN’ MARTINI!
It’s some frou-frou drink served in a martini glass.
PERIOD!
Alexandra
Sorry mistermix, but life without the occasional wickedly spicy Bloody Mary isn’t worth living.
mistermix
@Betty Cracker: He’d also object to the fruit salad you put in there, but he’s a minimalist.
Fezzik
All those flavored vodkas are the scourge of alcoholic drinks. Blecch. And Amen, Cole, with one caveat: sometimes, there’s nothing more refreshing than a nice mint julep, mojito, or margarita. Sweet cocktails done RIGHT, when they’re explicitly intended to be that way, is still okay in my book.
BD of MN
want good gin? Hendricks…
Yutsano
Dad is doing steaks tonight, I might take him to lunch if he’s up for it. He needs his kneecap reattached to his artificial knee, so he’s getting around about as well as me these days.
MikeJ
@c u n d gulag: Sorry, no. You need more vermouth, somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 of the volume of the gin. Without vermouth you are just drinking gin. Which is fine, but gin is not a martini.
If you don’t like the vermouth you’re using, get better vermouth. Vya is my go-to these days.
mistermix
@Alexandra: I have to admit that’s the only vodka drink that I like, but the way I like them turns them into something like gazpacho with vodka, and I’d never serve that to my old man.
JGabriel
It’s not even noon yet. Isn’t it a little early for …
Sorry, I couldn’t keep a straight face for that. Serve me up, bartender.
.
Yutsano
@JGabriel: Ahem. Bloody Mary. Mimosa. Both acceptable Sunday morning brunch drinks. Don’t make me wake up Miss Sarah early. She does get ever so cross.
mrmike
@c u n d gulag:
And a REAL martini has GIN […] and a smidge of dry vermouth (enough to just wet the martini glass, then be poured out).and an olive or two or three
Maybe in the current world where any vermouth you find in a bar is likely to be a)crappy, and b)old and stale.
In my dream world where you can get a decent vermouth out and about (or in my kitchen) the traditional 3 or 4 to 1 with a twist is heaven in a glass.
ETA: And try a Bloody Maria (use a decent tequila instead of vodka) and you’ll never go back (IMNSHO)
mistermix
@MikeJ: I really like Vya sweet vermouth in Manhattans but the Vya dry is a little too floral for me. But I agree that a good gin martini needs vermouth. My go-to martini is 3 parts Tanquery, 1 part Noilly Pratt, served up with a twist of lemon (I like olives but I prefer the taste of lemon in a martini.)
Since I’m a vodka bigot, I’ll blame the whole “no vermouth in a martini” trend on vodka martini drinkers, who apparently just want cold vodka in a glass with olives.
Walker
You only say that about Vodka because it is near impossible to get good vodka in the US.
Ben Franklin
Happy Father’s Day to all Dads.
fasteddie9318
Real martinis, even dry ones, if we’re keeping to tradition, also have considerably more vermouth in them then ”wet the glass and pour it out”…
Alexandra
Another good word for vodka: Moscow Mules, made with a properly fierce ginger ale, not some sweet and insipid imitation like Canada Dry.
Metrosexual Black AbeJ
@Alexandra:
That’s the one proper use for it.
Amir Khalid
For some reason, my own father never taught me the art of mixing alcoholic drinks. Did I miss out on some important part of father-son bonding here?
gussie
I’ve been forcing myself to throw a ball around with my son the past few weeks. My father never did. Neither of us gave a shit. Still don’t. But the boy seems to want to be good enough to avoid mockery.
My old man drinks Genesse Cream Ale and literally can’t tell gin from vodka. All he taught me was, if you find the right woman, that’s it. Do that. Everything else will fall into place.
fasteddie9318
I confess to a soft spot for vodka. In college, investing in a good bottle of vodka and some quality OJ before a house party earned me points with any ladies who weren’t interested in swilling that night’s wretched beer selection. Which,.also too, I usually wasn’t interested in swilling either.
Xecky Gilchrist
@Amir Khalid: Mine neither, though in my case I think it had to do with there being a huge alcoholic streak on both sides of the family that he was hoping to avoid manifesting in the new generation. Otherwise I would welcome the opportunity to wade into this display of Balloon Juice warmth, camaraderie, and impressive ability to be snobs on any subject at all.
Happy Fathers’ Day to all Juicers and their loved ones to whom it applies!
Yutsano
@Amir Khalid: I’m sure he made up for it in more religiously permissible ways. And FWIW my dad didn’t either.
mrmike
@Alexandra:
Another good word for vodka: Moscow Mules, made with a properly fierce ginger ale, not some sweet and insipid imitation like Canada Dry.
Or just have one of these
NCSteve
“Evan Williams.” Two small words with the power to make me flinch, shudder and gag like nails on a chalkboard, Mike Krzyzewski pretending to be gracious, or contemporary Christian music.
MonkeyBoy
A “real” whiskey sour contains egg white to make it frothy. I recall that most commercial sour mixes contain frothing agents.
different-church-lady
Your father was a wise man.
Beauzeaux
Come on! It’s VALE of tears, not veil.
c u n d gulag
I guess I never had a martini made with top-notch vermouth, and that’s why I just want a hint of it.
If I ever get a job, and can go to a good restaurant again, or can afford it myself, I’ll try the martini ‘wetter!’
Thanks for the tip, MikeJ and mrmike!!!
Villago Delenda Est
@Amir Khalid:
As long as he gave you instructions on proper coffee preparation, the same general niche is covered.
Ruckus
If you can’t drink it straight then it isn’t a proper alcoholic beverage.
George Dickel no12.
If you want a something a little lighter, add a splash of ginger ale, just be sure to use some of Alexandra’s good stuff! Although I do agree a good martini can be nice occasionally.
stephen benson
pink gin:
two fingers (yes, that’s how we measured in the fifties) boodle’s gin. dash bitters.
ice optional
Amir Khalid
@Villago Delenda Est:
::sigh:: In my family, we drank Maxwell House.
JMG
Here’s my father’s whiskey sour recipe. Fill blender with ice cubes. Empty in one can of frozen lemonade. Fill empty lemonade container with whiskey and pour in. Run blender until whole thing is slushy. Pour into glasses, add orange slice, drink.
Bruce S
I hope the implication of the last paragraph isn’t that Jim Beam is better bourbon than Evan Williams, because Evan Williams actually tastes like a correct bourbon and Jim Beam just barely. Reminds me of when I drank brandy – way sweet to my present palette.
If you’re into mixed drinks, Jim Beam is fine I’m sure. But I’d never drink the stuff straight, and I’m fine with Evan Williams. It’s at least as good as Jack Daniels at nearly half the price. Not Makers or such, but quite decent whiskey.
I don’t happen to drink cocktails, and mostly for the reason stated above – “sweet cocktails are bullshit” and most cocktails I’ve been presented with are sweet. Or based on some horrible concept, like ruining a glass of good whiskey with sweet vermouth and an ex-cherry embalmed in red dye and sugar. That’s perverse.
NCSteve
@Walker: Well, if your local liquor store doesn’t stock a vodka good enough to satisfy, you can always make your own. Run a bottle of Everclear through a Brita filter seven or eight times, cut it 60-40 with Dasani, pour it into a Grey Goose bottle, and presto, high end vodka at a tenth of the cost.
Linnaeus
I’ll differ with you on vodka, though there is a lot of not-very-good vodka out there.
Bruce S
Of course, the over-riding rule is drink whatever the hell you like!
Jade Jordan
After the cocktails he taught you how to achieve world peace and cold fusion.
Ruckus
@Bruce S:
42 comments to cut to the chase.
Nylund
I completely agree on the vodka. It’s a terrible alcohol. It’s popularity is all marketing BS. No bar actually needs anything more than a single mid-level variety (just good enough to get out of the rubbing alcohol category). Everything else is just stupid flavors and people thinking that a frosted glass bottle justifies spending an arm and a leg. I understand why bars stock so many though…the masses have spoken and they like overpaying for ethanol. In a double-blind taste test, I doubt many people will be able to tell the difference between Grey Goose, Sobieski, and Kirkland (Costco) vodka. Many experts can’t, and when they can, they rarely pick the most expensive as their favorite.
As for gin…well, I agree it’s better than vodka, and I completely agree it’s the only true liquor for a martini, and is the main component of many a good drink. But…it’s not the king of liquors. That would be whiskey. Whether it’s bourbon, rye, Scotch, Irish, Canadian, or whatever…that’s a personal choice. But after you find the type you like, whiskey is where liquor becomes magical. And you don’t have to buy the $50-$200 bottles to find that magic. There are plenty of affordable options.
Whether it’s for shots, for sipping, for cocktails, straight, mixed, on the rocks, whatever, it’s very versatile. There’s a whiskey drink for every occasion. It’s really the only liquor you need. Heck, I can even whip something up that even my alcohol-hating/sweet-drink-loving wife finds refreshing (it’s sort of an extra fruity take on an old-fashioned with a liberal amount of soda water and a bit more sugar.)
Two other big-name liquors that get a bad rap are tequila and rum. For many people, the former is only imbibed in it’s cheapest variety as a shot (or in a margarita). There’s really so much more to tequila if you get into it. Same for rum, which has too long been abused as the liquor of choice for so many bad, overly sweet, cocktails.
And, in general, I stay away from any liquor that’s heavily marketed, be it Bombay, Jack Daniels, Absolut, or whatever. You’re paying for their marketing and advertising when you buy them. There are so many better ways to spend your money, but I understand why many are tempted just to reach for the bottle they’re familiar with and have had many times before. Liquor is a little too expensive for most people to start buying unknown things willy-nilly. Plus, in group settings, you know no one will give you weird looks if you show up with the standards…the bacardis, absoluts, etc.
Elizabelle
To all of our dads, especially those we would love to have another drink or talk with.
Have you noticed that cocktail glasses were smaller in the 1960s and before?
Maybe how folks drank their libations and didn’t end up staggering …
Because a properly mixed drink, signalling the end of the day and bring on the (early) evening …
Bruce S
@NCSteve:
And “Jim Beam” doesn’t make you doubly cringe?
I doubt you’re a whiskey drinker. Jim Beam is for folks who don’t like the real stuff. Sweet to the point of being undrinkable IMHO. Evan Williams is just a mediocre bourbon without too many flaws of the really bad stuff that’s priced appropriately for product that’s not premium – unlike the equally unimpressive Jack Daniels – but not over-advertised and over-rated like Jack.
Elizabelle
Thinking of a college friend’s way cool grandfather.
We trooped over to see him in his assisted living apartment. He offered us highballs, made with rye whiskey, although we were not of legal age.
Great, dapper old gent, with a wonderful wife too.
Anon
The capirinha would disagree with this statement. But that’s the only exception to the rule.
ant
Ive been drinking whiskey, neat lately.
Both Even Williams and Jim Beam are what I would call, crap. They don’t let them age long enough.
Wild Turkey is the bottle that I reach for most often due to its reasonable price. But I also like 4 Roses yellow label, and Old Overholt rye whiskey.
Maxwel
I had a mojito at the Cococabana in Atlanta. Tho small for the price, it was superb, like a julep with rum. I usually prefer a rusty nail or straight single malt.
NotMax
Willing to bend to using granulated sugar rather than a sugar cube, muddled, but sorry, an Old Fashioned without a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters and with juice rather than rind or a citrus wedge is just boozy lemonade.
tofubo
i drank at a bar w/my father once
rodney king died ??
Valdivia
@stephen benson:
sounds a bit like a Negroni.
I am a gin girl too. Never did vodka except in shots late at night with my close friend (more like an adoptive brother) who lived in Russia many years.
Valdivia
@Anon:
oy. sorry but Cachaça is an evil evil liquor
Bruce S
@ant: @ant:
Neat is IMHO the way whiskey should be taken. Old Overholt is remarkably decent rye for the price, but check out the fairly recent Bulliet Rye for something better. In the Wild Turkey price range. I’m liking that a lot. I’m forgiving of Evan Williams, because I can’t tell the difference between Evan and Jack, and lots of people swear by the latter’s label. I’m convinced that’s what it’s all about – advertising, because I wouldn’t order a Jack Daniels as a call drink unless the other bottles were empty. Evan Williams makes an excellent single barrel.
different-church-lady
Hating on vodka is overdone.
Hating on flavored vodka… now that’s a whole nutta matter…
different-church-lady
@Valdivia: You say that like it’s a bad thing.
Todd
Mount Gay Eclipse rum, on the rocks with a lime squeeze or neat. They age it in used oak barrels that have previously been used to age bourbon, and it is distiller on a rocky hill overlooking the ocean.
It picks up some awesome flavor profiles in aging. Also, for women, you can make a tasty planters punch by mixing it with lime juice, simple syrup and bitters.
I have a deadspin fathers day treat for all my fellow dads out there:
http://deadspin.com/5918186/no-i-will-not-fix-the-overflowing-toilet-today-the-dadspin-fathers-day-manifesto?tag=dadspin
YellowJournalism
My husband and dad are both rye drinkers. I think it was the first thing they bonded over. My husband introduced my dad, an R&R drinker, to Gibson’s and some other Canadian whiskeys.
I confess to being a vodka drinker, although I agree that the expensive ones usually can’t touch some cheaper brands. I also love blended drinks like bellinis and marguritas. There’s a few whiskey sour recipes on here that make my mouth water, though.
For the sweet drink haters: http://m.youtube.com/results?q=girl%20drink%20drunk#/watch?v=1_H_sVNgvf4
Valdivia
@different-church-lady:
ETA: replied to wrong comment. I do! I never recovered after a night of it.
Yutsano
@Valdivia:
YOU KNOW MATT TAIBBI??:)
@YellowJournalism: Your husband is aware of where you went to college right?
NotMax
@Yutsano
Like to mix it up a bit by occasionally having Salty Dogs at brunchtime.
Valdivia
@Yutsano:
LOL. No, no my friend is smarter and way way way hotter. :)
Jamey
This guy does what you do, Mistermix, only he’s a little more self-aware: http://dadsaretheoriginalhipster.tumblr.com/
muddy
My dad’s advice for foreign travel: “You need to know how to say 3 important things: Beer, coffee, toilet.”
gelfling545
By the time my kids were 13 I made sure they could make an omelet, a good red sauce, a champagne cocktail and espresso with a stove top pot. They tell me this has stood them in good stead over the years.
From their father they mostly learned what not to do by observation.
Jamey
@Anon: I would humbly submit the Dark & Stormy as another exception to the rule. The ginger beer has to be Barritt’s, not Gosling’s, though.
Not Sure
@Nylund: You want to steer away from cheap whiskey. A lot of it consists mainly of grain neutral spirits, caramel coloring, and artificial flavorings. In other words, whiskey flavored vodka. Get bourbon, the definition of which has been carved in stone by the Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits.
According to this standard, bourbon made for U.S. consumption[2] must be:
made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn;
aged in new, charred-oak barrels;
distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume);
entered into the barrel for aging at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume); and be
bottled (like other whiskeys) at 80 proof or more (40% alcohol by volume).
This pretty much guarantees that even a cheap rotgut bourbon is still OK to serve at parties.
Yutsano
@muddy: Biiru, kohii, o-tearai. To Japan I go!
@Valdivia: I keed I keed. But Matt is kinda hot. In a goofy way. :)
Bruce S
@ant:
Also, for what it’s worth, Evan Williams (no I don’t own stock) is aged 7 years, which is a decent minimum, while Jim Beam is aged only 4 (which I guess they compensate with sugar.)
Valdivia
@Yutsano:
you almost made me lose my coffee over the laptop, but in a good way. So I will just say we are going to have to agree to disagree on Taibbi’s hotness quotient. ;)
If you ever met my friend (now married–I had the honor of officiating at his wedding–with 2 adorable kids who are my godchildren) you would die. Not only is he drop dead gorgeous a la Don Draper but he is sharp smart, super snarky and a mensch. And an Obot. :)
cbear
@Bruce S: You might have a point, but you obviously don’t know Jack about Jack, since Jack Daniels (and George Dickel No.12) ain’t considered bourbon by those of us who appreciate the difference between a Kentucky Bourbon and a Tennessee Whiskey.
wrb
Sheesh.
Jim Beam is too sweet straight.
The thought of sweetened Jim Beam makes me want to gag.
NotMax
Current choice for sippin’ bourbon and also for rye is Bulleit brand.
wrb
Surprised at the number of Old Overholt drinkers here.
I’m used to spotting a bottle in the bar’s back row, Ordering a glass, and having the bartender:
a) say they don’t carry anything like that
b) not be able to find the bottle
c) say they had never served it before
Bruce S
@cbear:
You’re right that Jack is a Tennessee whiskey (although it qualifies as a bourbon as well.) Dickel truly is an excellent Tennessee whiskey.
Jack Daniels, which I believe they age for four years at the bottom end, is not premium whiskey. It’s just over-advertised and over-rated. And Jim Beam is unspeakable stuff IMHO. It’s made in Kentucky, but they give it the Tennessee treatment – maple sugar charcoal filtering – probably to mask flaws. It doesn’t taste like whiskey, bourbon or whatever you want to call the genre IMHO. It tastes more like some generic sweet brandy.
(technically bourbon is a corn issue, so far as I know, rather than place.)
Marcellus Shale, Public Dick
elijah craig bourbon
boodles gin
everything else is just bumper music.
WereBear
@Nylund: Thanks for sticking up for rum. It’s my spirit of choice; Gosling’s Dark for on the rocks, any old thing to mix a tall one with. I like a good root beer with it; and of course, a Dark ‘n’ Stormy.
The Dangerman
RIP Rodney King
If there’s one person the racist/haters dislike(d) worse than Obama, it’s Rodney King. A sad story all the way around…
Not Sure
Maker’s Mark. That is all.
Comrade Mary
A Pimms Cup, using Pimms No. 1, is a gloriously, ginny way to spend your summer, as long as you don’t go crazy with the fruit and veg add-ons. Fuck it as a class signifier: anyone can buy a bottle and everyone should.
mistermix
For all you Jim Beam haters, I only use it in whiskey sours out of nostalgia. I usually drink Maker’s or Knob Creek if I’m drinking bourbon which isn’t often.
Also, I should have said that gin is the king of clear liquors, not all liquors, that was overstated.
@Jamey: That Tumblr is funny.
Kristine
I wish you;d save this post under a tag like “Drink recipes” or something more easily remembered/searchable. I lack when it comes to knowledge about hard liquors/mixed drinks, and there’s a lot of good info here.
I like the occasional mixed drink, but so many seem to taste like cough syrup to me. I also agree that classics like Whiskey Sours have become too damned sweet. I blame the fact that some bars use mixes these days instead of making drinks to order.
ant
Ive heard it said that the overholt bottles can vary quite a bit in quality.
My liquor store must have a shitload of the stuff in the back. And a good batch, or something, cause the bottles I get are really good, and for a very reasonable price.
Martin
Sorry, Plymouth is my go-to gin.
Joel
What is gin, but infused vodka? The anti-vodka snobbery is ridiculous. Vodka is just pure alcohol base. There’s value in that.
Jager
Dad told me, “never drink any boooze with sugar in it, period!” I was 16 and had consumed a half pint of cherry sloe gin after we won the state hockey championship. After that it was beer or hard stuff and water for me, period. Good advice from the old man, wish he was still around. I’d be drinking bourbon with the old boy while we waited for the grill to get hot. I’d prompt him to retell the stories about his adventures in London and Paris during WW2 and how all his buddies got in trouble and somehow he didn’t!
JenJen
I’ve been on the stick for fifteen years now, and I have never once put simple syrup in a Gin Rickey. It’s a classic, simple highball and I make mine precisely the way your father did.
A toast to him, and to good taste.
Eric
Makers neat.
Vodka gimlet.
Gin tonic summers afternoon
Mmmm
Valdivia
An ex once gave me a bottle of Junipero gin. It was pretty fantastic. Some bars do carry it, worth having a martini (very dry) with it.
Randy P
Oh dear. My parents weren’t drinkers, so my dad didn’t teach me any wisdom about alcohol in addition to those other things you mention not learning.
I did learn about track and field, his one passion in sports (he had been a runner in college). That was the stuff we tried to watch most of in the Olympics.
I also learned how to handle hand tools, though I will never be the carpenter my dad was in our house. I think I’m a better plumber though.
Most importantly, I learned to laugh, especially at myself.
cbear
@Bruce S: You may consider it over-rated, advertised, priced, etc…but many of us consider it a very fine-sipping whiskey with a distinctive flavor and well worth the price.
As you noted in another comment–it’s a personal taste question.
That being said, I agree that Jim Beam is pisswater.
BTW, like mistermix, I also learned a few things from my old man:
*If you’re mixing anything other than ice and/or water with your “call” or “top shelf” liquor—you’re ignorant and shouldn’t be allowed in a proper saloon. That’s what god made cheap “bar” or “rail” brands for.
*That thing sticking up out of your drink isn’t a gotdamn straw, it’s a stirrer–and you should never trust a man who drinks alcohol with a straw.
****He also taught me to never play golf for money with anybody who carries a 1-iron in his bag, and never ever play cards or pool for money with anybody named after a city or state (see Minnesota Fats).
Thanks Dad. I love you and miss you.
WereBear
The only thing I have against gin is that it makes me drunk waaaay too fast; a fact my friends all know.
Rum, on the considerable other hand, can just mellow out a whole night without any bad consequences in the morning.
We all need to find the right thing for us; which might not be alcohol, anyway.
Mayur
Some of you here are savages. And possibly have the worst so-called “craft cocktaIl bars” in your vicinity that I could imagine.
I work at four places in NYC and not a single one of them has a bartender who wouldn’t know the difference between a Rickey and a Collins. Also, not a single one has any flavored vodka whatsoever behind the bar; to the extent that any of the craft cocktail bars I know stocks a flavored vodka, it’s to pander to the uneducated guest and not for inclusion in any menu drink.
Valdivia
On a more serious note: feeling lucky to be enjoying this day with my dad. Four weeks ago he had brain surgery for a meningioma and he is doing great. For a year we worried and worried about it and now the worst part is done and he is as good as new. And I got to see him without his filter the day after surgery and it was the funniest thing ever. Love my dad.
@Randy P:
I was very moved by what you wrote.
Fee
Cacti
It just wouldn’t be an alcohol thread without alcohol snobs.
And the rule of thumb for every aspiring snob is always thus…
If it’s well-known or popular, it must be bad, and must be denounced in the most vehment terms…vile, swill, piss, etc.
Mayur
Two more things:
Good bars treat vermouth like wine: refrigerate, use wine saver, keep only for a few days. You come to my bar for a manhattan or martini, you’re likely getting 3:1 or even 2:1 depending on stated preference.
Sweet cocktails: the most common request I get from customers is “not too sweet.” I’m guessing that other bars are just dumping too much sugar into their cocktails. With the exception of tiki, nothing should be “too sweet” any more than food should be “too salty.” it’s about balance. A daiquiri without sugar is going to taste wrong, just as a whiskey sour with rye, lemon, egg white, and no simple will taste wrong. Sugar is as much for texture as it is for flavor.
Rant over.
Elizabelle
@Valdivia:
So glad your dad is on the mend.
A new 1960s Mad Men style cookbook. Fun to think about; food to go with those classic cocktails.
Many of you remember Grasshopper Pie and rumaki, I would think.
And re drinks then:
“If you or your guests try and drink like you think they do on the Sixties-set television show “Mad Men,” your liver will not be amused. Like food portions, drinks have been supersized over the years. Today’s martini glass averages eight to nine ounces; a cocktail glass in the Sixties held about five ounces when filled to overflowing.”
Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/05/21/149532/the-mad-mad-mad-mad-sixties-cookbook.html#storylink=cpy
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Randy P: “I also learned how to handle hand tools”
So did I. But it depends on the tool:
Tool A:
Stand your ground. Concede nothing, and force them to come out and actually say what they are thinking in front of god and everybody.
Tool B:
Handle the shaft deftly, don’t forget the balls, and be careful with your teeth.
I don’t know much about hammers.
=)
Mayur
@Cacti: Yeah, I’m sure that so-called snobs dislike Tanqueray, Beefeater, Goslings, …
The rule actually works the other way: that is to say, “well-known” does not equal “good.” advertisers have spent literally billions convincing consumers that flavored vodka is good; doesn’t change the fact that it’s industrial alcohol from an ADM tanker with artificial flavoring thrown in. Same for Captain Morgan.
Cacti
@Mayur:
And thank you for illustrating rule #2.
Vociferous evangelizing for higher end brands/against common brands is most often proof that the speaker is a pretentious douche, rather than an individual of refined tastes.
Valdivia
@Mayur:
amen!
@Elizabelle:
Thank you. It truly feels like every day now is a gift.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
There was this one shot I used to like. I forget what it was called now. Either, “Breakfast with Hitler” or “Dead Nazi”
Equal parts Rumplemintz, Goldschläger, and Jägermeister in a shot glass (and FTR I loathe each of these individually). It tastes like a shot of Big Red Gum =)
Also, I don’t drink anymore, but the thought of a good Manhattan or even a Grandfather is enough to make me miss it a little. Yum. Only get them from high-class joints, otherwise it’s not worth it because they require top shelf alcohol and a skilled bartender.
Yutsano
@Valdivia: Hopefully he will continue to get better and better. And stick around to embarrass you in front of your kids!
I’m miffed. They did a poll of the top 10 cathedrals in the world. Guess which one was left off? Sagrada Familia. No love for the Gaudi I swear.
wmd
@Nylund:
Right on.
Good Whisk(e)ys are versatile and are available from about $20 a fifth on up. I enjoy Evan Williams single barrel bourbon, Willetts and Jefferson rye. Occasionally Jefferson single barrel bourbon.
Rum and tequila can be fine spirits.
Marketing drives Cuervo, Jack, and vodka consumption with little regard to the quality of the product. Jack at $20 for a handle is worth buying for mixing though (and inevitably for shots when guests request it).
Valdivia
@danah gaz (fka gaz):
have to give two thumbs up to the name :)
@Yutsano:
Thank you so much. He really has made a remarkable recovery. He was back writing articles (part of his work) the week after.
I can’t believe they left Sagrada off. WTH?
Schlemizel
@Not Sure: I’m fond of MM for bourbon also though I like a lot of different spirits at different times. Summer I am fond of gin & tonic but it needs a squirt of lime & a dash of bitters to be really superb.
Dad drank scotch neat & I hate that stuff – pencil lead or band-aides. He only ever taught me one thing, you don’t run away from your responsibilities. In many ways he was a crappy father, failing at things like teaching, showing affection, being there in person. But he stood up & did what was needed to be done to keep us clothed & fed. His one asshole brother ran away & hid in South America leaving his family without and causing lifetimes of grief.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Valdivia: My favorite drink name was an “Alien Urine Sample”. I had one once. It was awful, and I have no idea what was in it. Green and bittersweet. But the name was cool. =)
ETA: Sorry to hear about your dad.
ETA2: The drink was called “Dead Nazi”. I gazoogled it.
wmd
@Bruce S:
Place does matter – it cannot be called bourbon if it is made outside the US. Kentuckians like to claim if is isn’t made in Kentucky it isn’t truly bourbon.
taylormattd
Great post. I tend to like both the sweet and not-to-sweet variations, but your dad’s recipes look great!
Randy P
@Yutsano: They were really pushing Sagrada Familia when we visited Barcelona. They’re understandably proud of Gaudi. But I have to admit I preferred visiting the actually ancient cathedral a short distance away in the Old City, rather than Gaudi’s imitation ancient cathedral. I just like old stuff.
Schlemizel
@danah gaz (fka gaz): YIKES!!! I hope you didn’t learn “B” from your dad !!!!!
Mayur
@Cacti: ???
YoohooCthulhu
Just a heads up to people to who like unusual higher-end gins: Old World Spirits makes a really tasty Blade Gin which is made from both wheat and zinfandel grapes. It has a little less juniper than most gins, but I think that just makes it more accessible to more people.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Schlemizel: LOL, no. Tool B I had to figure out on my own.
My dad taught me 12 bar blues, and how to take responsibility for my life, and basically be a good person. He’s been dead for about 10 years now =(. Well, my bio dad. My adoptive father skipped town after cheating on my mother when I was 5, so he didn’t teach me anything, other than how not to be.
My step-father is a good man (despite his politics), and raised me. He’s more of a father than the adoptive one ever was.
ETA: Yes, I have multitudes of parental units, and yes, it is rather confusing.
Cacti
@Mayur:
Are you a mixologist?
Schlemizel
A note about spirits not many people know. Liquor actually will oxidize over time. I used to nurse my hootch because it was expensive & I learned that after sitting opened for a few months it tasted bad. Now I buy smaller bottles when possible unless I am planning a party or something.
I was at a reception the other night & they were pouring Sapphire gin. Not sure if you other G&T kids have had that but I’d be interested in hearing your take on it. I thought it tasted like someone had run vodka through weeds. It was horrible.
Mayur
@Cacti: A bartender. I don’t know anyone outside the food media who likes the word “mixologist.”
Mayur
@Cacti: A bartender. I don’t know anyone outside the food media who likes the word “mixologist.”
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Schlemizel: If you are stuck in a low rent dive, Bombay Sapphire and Tonic is alright (w/ lime). It’s drinkable, and you can find it in a dimly lit bar after you wander off – since it has a tendency to glow. Magellan is a true sapphire gin (naturally blue, and is really good).
I hate standard tanqueray since it tastes like bile. I could drink most gin straight from the bottle, even Beefeater, but not Tanqueray – although Ten is okay.
Valdivia
@danah gaz (fka gaz):
thank you. btw I think even if the name was amazing I would just stay away from anything that had urine in the title and was supposed to be consumed. :D
Yutsano
@Randy P: That’s fair enough. Sagrada Familia really is part of the larger architectural profile of the newer parts of Barcelona. So the Barcelonans feel you should experience it as a whole. And Catalonia is a free country, you don’t HAVE to go.
Cacti
@Mayur:
My apologies on the douche comments.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Valdivia: I’m an adventurous sort, so I tried it once. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone I didn’t hate, so yeah – avoid it – good plan. =)
Valdivia
@danah gaz (fka gaz):
lol. I think I would serve to someone I hate but omit the urine part in the name, just because. I take my hat off to you on the adventurousness. I am a bit of a traditionalist in drinks (only).
Joel
To continue the heretic conversation, does anyone else use vodka as a preservative?
Oftentimes we end up with too many fruits, berries, etc. at our house, especially in the summer, when buying strawberries etc. by the flat makes much more economic sense. When they reach something close to expiry, into the drink they go. Strawberries make a natural infusion, and of course, lemon peels always go towards limoncello if not for some other purpose…
wrb
Ahh. Revelation.
I was puzzled by all the people praising Makers Mark since I hated the stuff the one time I bought a bottle. Like Jim Beam and Jameson’s, way too sweet and syrupy.
But then I’ve only had the occasional bottle of bourbon since I discovered Scotch and only the occasional bottle of highland scotch since I discovered the nasty peaty stuff.
RubberCrutch
Speaking as a dad to someone else’s son: that is a swell tribute you wrote to your Pop! Tonight the boys and I will have Beefeater G&T w/Schweppe’s and lime wedges to prevent malaria here in central Illinois.
Omnes Omnibus
Not related to drink recipes, but my grandfather gave me this advice about going to bars when I was about 15: Always buy the first round when out with a group. People will remember that you bought. You don’t have to stay and yet no one will consider you a cheapskate.
As far as brands go, I tend to tailor my choices by the expected amount of consumption. If I am going to have one scotch, I’ll have a single malt. If it is going to be more, then I will go to blends.
Valdivia
@Omnes Omnibus:
I like that piece of advice. am taking note and will toast your grandsfather next time I am out :)
Amir Khalid
Sorry to interrupt the Firewater Chronicles, but I just want to remind the blog powers: It’s less than half an hour to the final Group B matches in Euro 2012, and I hope Randinho’s open thread posts on time.
Schlemizel
@wrb: I think taste is highly subjective & you have to respect that other people taste things differently than you do. I have had scotch that tastes like dirt too and I don’t like that any more than iodine and band-aide. My guess is you taste those differently than I do, nothing wrong with that.
Omnes Omnibus
@Valdivia: It was funny. He wasn’t social, wasn’t a drinker, and was very frugal (not cheap, frugal), but that was something he thought was important. He also always washed his car before going to a funeral because it was respectful. That habit has been passed down through the family.
S. cerevisiae
This is why I like good beer. It doesn’t depend on the skill/lack of of the bartender, only the brewer.
Begin craft beer wars now.
Omnes Omnibus
@S. cerevisiae: Actually, and with a nod toward Cacti, sometimes old fashioned, mass brewed American beer is the only appropriate beverage. Summer picnics, just after cutting a lawn on a 90 degree day, and similar occasions just call for something like an ice cold Miller High Life.
Yutsano
@Schlemizel: I only like one scotch: Laphroaig. Every other tastes like shit to me. And yes as with many things in my life this is a Marine’s fault. :)
Omnes Omnibus
@Yutsano: Weird, Laphroaig is probably my least fave.
ETA: Mais on ne discute ni des goûts, ni des couleurs.
Yutsano
@Omnes Omnibus: It took a lot of convincing for me to buy that bottle. A. LOT. But damn if that boy can’t sell ice to igloos. Funny thing is I only drink it while talking to him. It doesn’t feel right otherwise.
Valdivia
@Omnes Omnibus:
I love hearing stories like this, the little details in a person’s character that make their core, so I am very glad you shared it here.
@Omnes Omnibus: I grew up hearing my dad saying this in Latin. :)
wrb
@Schlemizel:
I’m sure that we taste things differently.
I have an aversion to most sweets, not just sweet liquors.
Others are learned. I didn’t like peaty scotch at first.
Omnes Omnibus
@Valdivia: BTW I am glad to see that your dad is doing well. Mine is apparently spending the day on a couch and avoiding people. He and my mom just got back from a 10 day trip to southern Texas (with my brother, his wife, kids, and my mom’s sister and her husband) to attend a family friend’s quinceañera. He is peopled out. We will celebrate Father’s Day next weekend.
Yutsano
@Omnes Omnibus: Mine is outside fertilizing. Which he shouldn’t be doing. But my youngest brother went camping, my younger brother is at work, and I’m still useless. But it makes him happy. And it’s his day.
JWL
The first King Kong hangover I ever endured was 40 years ago, after a night spent swilling gin at a still memorable party. It put me off hard liquor forever and I thank God for it, because if it hadn’t, I probably be dead. It’s a lot harder drinking yourself to death with beer or wine.
cckids
@Walker:
Yes. Good Russian vodkas are a world apart from what you can buy most places. Red Square (Mandalay Bay in Vegas) has a wonderful selection. Plus, if you buy a bottle for the table, you get to go the the ice room & drink it there, on the “table” that is a block of ice with the head of Lenin inside (the statue, not the real Lenin). They provide the Russian fur coats.
Edit to add: at least that was possible last time I was there, which was 5-6 years ago. Economic disaster has intervened; we don’t spend +200 on bottles of vodka now, even on super-special occasions.
quannlace
My Dad was impressed when a dinner party guest brought a bottle of Boodles gin as a gift. After it was finished , he kept the bottle and filled it with the Tanquery.
Martini’s was his coctail. Twist of lemon.
S. cerevisiae
Dammit, I’m doing my best…
Heliopause
It’s amazing how defensive people get about their cultural markers.
Some people don’t like the taste of tree. I personally have tried to like the taste of tree but have never succeeded, yet I’m okay with anyone else liking the taste of tree. Celebrate diversity!
Comradde PhysioProffe
Bulleit is a great rye: nice and spicy. Templeton’s is also fantastic, and a little smoother. Once I identified some good ryes, I completely stopped drinking bourbon.
Valdivia
@Omnes Omnibus:
Thank you omnes.
I confess I would be totally exhausted after a quinceañera too. My Mexican side of the family parties too hard and whenever they have a wedding or celebration it lasts a week and we never get to sleep.
mapaghimagsik
I’m more of a rum creature. Ron Zacapa is a very nice sipping rum, if a bit on the mellow/sweet side. Pusser’s rum is fun as a dryer rum with a little smoke. I use mount gay for mixing, and for those looking to go very traditional, wray and nephew is an experience, and Smith and Cross its older cousin.
Bacardi 8 is the only Bacardi I can handle.
Gin? Hendricks is good, but a bit pricey for the quality in my neck of the woods. I prefer gin to vodka in martinis
Moscow Mules are the best delivery of vodka to me, and I use the Cock and Bull ginger ale.
mapaghimagsik
Oh and I fully endorse other people drinking the “Red-Neck Mimosa” – Miller High Life and Sunny D ;)
Steeplejack
@Kristine:
Bookmark it in your browser; then it’s always available.
I have a folder just for food/drink links, many from Balloon Juice.
jake the snake
Seriously,no offense to your dad, but he could do a lot better than that Buckeye urine.
Ancient Age or JW Dant are much better, not to mention
Wild Turkey or Makers Mark.
Bruce S
@wrb:
I still love good Highland, but the “nasty peaty stuff” is a challenge to the palette that is glorious once you’ve gone there. The ultimate for real whiskey lovers.
jake the snake
@NotMax:
Salty Dog?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tybRR6ly_0I&feature=player_detailpage
Bruce S
@cbear:
I don’t think Jack is terrible – but I stand by my contention that the much cheaper Evan Williams, which I keep on hand most of the time, along with a couple of much better bottles, is no less.
But, of course, the only rule – all of this one-upping aside – is drink whatever the hell you like. My wife hates whiskey, likes sweet drinks and chardonnay – which I wouldn’t touch unless they were the only thing served in a bar on a desert island – but I love her madly. Still, I love to act pretentious and all about my drinking habits. Probably because I drink a bit too much and need to tell myself I’m “doing the right thing” and not engaged in some plebian diversion. Truth is, it’s all just booze. The rest is self-rationalizing BS.
Bruce S
@wmd:
That’s true regarding the US, but not Tennesse v Kentucky. It’s about % of corn in the mash. Tradition supports the contention about “Kentucky”, but the only requirement in labeling is corn content of the mash. Didn’t know about the “US” requirement.
Concerned Citizen
That Gimlet was excellent! Just tried one. Normally I’m a Martini guy! Gin IMHO is much better than Vodka. Thanks for the tip!
Kristine
@Steeplejack: Thanks–I hit the Share button and emailed the link to myself, but filing the whole post is more straightforward.
Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason
@Bruce S:
Thanks for the support. I actually went to the effort of doing a taste test with Beam, Williams, Jack and one of the high-priced bourbons. Like you said, I thought Evan Williams was better than Beam and close enough to the others at half the price. It’s my go-to bourbon these days.
It’s the Rude Pundit’s choice, too!
Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason
@wrb: And the drink of choice for many of my college freshman buddies: Jim Beam and Coke.
What, too sweet??
Djur
A lot of controversy here.
Evan Williams is the best cheapest bourbon. Green label is fine. Black label isn’t worth the cost. White label is worth it if you like high-proof.
I’ll drink Jim Beam, but only if Evan isn’t available. I’ll drink Old Crow if it’s the well, but only out of nostalgia. Anything cheaper is unacceptable, so it’s a beer instead.
Wild Turkey 101 was my first favorite, but I rarely drink it anymore. I associate it with my first crazy girlfriend — splitting a fifth while watching TV and either having a wild fight or wild sex (or both). Every time I drink WT101 now I feel like I’m in a drinking competition.
Maker’s Mark is fine but not my style. Too mild. Jack Daniels is redolent of rotten fruit to me, and I won’t drink it for free.
Bulleit bourbon is fine. Bulleit rye is fantastic, probably my favorite spirit. Drink it neat or with a bit of cold water.
Never cared much for scotch or Irish whisky.
Vodka has its uses: bloody mary, white russian, black russian, etc.
Not all sweet drinks are bad — a well-made, ice-cold rum-based tiki drink (a Zombie or such) can be excellent. As is a good margarita or mojito. Or a sidecar, or a pisco sour. It all depends on the skill and restraint of the bartender. A good cocktail (sweet or dry) should highlight the flavor of the spirit, not smother it in sugar.
As for gin, I keep a handle of Gordon’s in the freezer and drink it with ice, lime, and Cointreau if I’m feeling hot and sweaty. I like other gins and other gin cocktails, but that’s what gin means to me.
Bruce S
@Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason:
Rude Pundit, of course rules. Case for Evan Williams closed.
Bruce S
“A lot of controversy here.”
Yeah. Major controversy – aka, Tempest in a shot glass.
“My bad habit is better than your bad habit.”
(Of course, Mine actually Is!)
Bruce S
“Bulleit rye is fantastic, probably my favorite spirit. Drink it neat or with a bit of cold water”
Yes! But a very little bit, like just enough to rinse out the glass and open up your drink “neat.”
“Gordon’s in the freezer…etc. etc. …if I’m feeling hot and sweaty.”
Yeah, desperate measures are occasionally in order.
Origuy
@Yutsano:
Technically, Sagrada Familia is not a cathedral, not being the seat of a bishop.
Not Sure
@wmd: $20 for a HANDLE of JD? What state do you live in?
Not Sure
@jake the snake: JW Dant? My grandfather (RIP) drank that. Dad says it’s reasonably drinkable middle-shelf bourbon. I should pick up a bottle next time I’m in the Bluegrass State.
Mayur
[email protected]Djur: Agreed except: a 1934-style zombie really isn’t that sweet. You can put four syrups into the thing, but that 4 ounces of rum (including the 151!) is gonna dominate.
NCSteve
@Bruce S: Well, you’d be wrong about that. Elijah Craig Single Barrel 18 year old is my favorite.
When I think Evan Williams, I think their green label house brand from hell.
Beam’s standard bourbon is nasty, but the Beam distillery is producing some decent high end bourbons. Their black label eight year old is decent and their Basil Haddon brand is excellent.