Beginning drinking

[Mav]

My advice; don't even start!

How many years sober, Dixon? Good on ya, but understand that some of us treat alcohol as that, a treat.

 

[Puzzicato]

I really wouldn't suggest shelling out for a whole bottle of anything at this point. When you go out, have a drink at the bar, and ask the bartender for a good brand name of whatever you're trying. Whisky has one type of taste, gin has another, and as far as I've ever been able to tell vodka has none. (Some people may disagree with that. )
A glass of whisky with a little water in it to smooth it down a little will help you decide if you enjoy it. You don't have to choke yourself to death with a big shot of it straight.
If you're at a friend's house and you're offered a drink, just take a taste of this or that.
All alcohol is an acquired taste. What goes along with that, is learning what the stuff does to you. The most important part of learning to drink is learning how to handle it, and how to know when you're starting to get a buzz, and especially how to know when you've had enough. Getting all sh*t faced right out of the gate is a stupid and childish thing to do. And you see it all around you.
Alcoholic beverages can be really enjoyable, but you have to learn to how respect them as you learn to enjoy them.

Very wise words!

I've only acquired a taste for whiskey/y in the last couple of years, and brandy is still lost on me.

And the other thing is that you really don't have to drink anything you don't like the taste of. You don't have to acquire a taste for any kind of alcohol. If you decide that you like an occasional glass of port but don't like wine, beer or spirits, then it is absolutely fine and no one should tell you otherwise.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"6.00pm during the week, 5.00pm on the weekends?"

 

[dhermann1]

One more thought. A lot of new drinkers tend to drinks that are sweet. The sugar covers the alcohol. Bad idea. First, this prevents you from realizing how much you've had to drink. But the second is that the combination of alcohol and sugar will knock you out much faster, and make you a lot sicker. With sugary drinks you can wind up barfing your guts out before you've even really gotten particularly drunk.
And if you do get to the point where you do feel you've had too much, and want to avoid a nasty hangover in the morning, make sure to drink as much water as you can hold before you go to bed. The hangover comes from dehydration, and hydrating early can mitigate this. And if you do feel a little rocky the next day, aspirin, more water and maybe a Tum or Rolaid will work wonders, because half the hangover is in the head, but half is also in the stomach.

 

[Maguire]

My father is a pioneer and my family had some alcohol issues back when in his time so I grew up with it drilled into my head not to drink and that its bad. I suppose in a way there is wisdom to it- its expensive and unhealthy, and puts you in situations you may later regret. I didn't touch alcohol until relatively recently, a part of me still wishes i hadn't started. I am not an alcoholic, of course, but its good to be able to have fun without it too. But I'm not your dad so make your own decisions here's my suggestions:

But if you are interested in trying good stuff, I prefer chivas regal myself, its the best affordable scotch (30 dollars for a liter on average in stores around my area of NY). For whiskeys johnny walker black, gentleman jack, jameson, or Michael Collins are definitely my preferred brands (along with harder to find Clontarf Irish whiskey) In Ireland you're better off with Jameson, since most pubs have a really limited selection... Powers and Paddy are god awful. With whiskeys and any alcohol just remember, if its in a plastic bottle, don't drink it. Its only for bums and teenagers who cant afford to get real stuff and just want to get drunk. Potcheen isn't too hard to come by from what i've heard, but i believe its illegal in the states so you may have some tough luck. Then again you've got your moonshine culture in the states as well.

Vodka- i'd stick to absolut or above- if it is less than 20 dollars for a liter its probably garbage. Stoly and grey goose are solid choices.

I usually stick to the 20-30 dollar price range. Jim Beam is probably the best cheap whiskey (under 20 for a liter) but thats not saying much.

 

[Panache]

As someone who loves gin and scotch...

I suggest Beefeater for gin. It si reasonably priced and nice for both gin and tonics and martinis. It isn't the best mind you, but it is a respectable gin. Also please consider that it is silly to buy good gin for a G&T only to ruin it with cheap generic tonic water. Make sure to get something like Canada Dry.


For single malts I highly recommend the Balvenie Doublewood. It is a great single malt for the beginner who isn't even sure if they will like scotch.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[KittyT]

To go along with DHermann's last comment, a good way to regulate yourself is to make yourself drink one glass of water per glass of spirits consumed. It will force you to drink less alcohol and will make it less likely that you get that [dehydration] hangover. And always drink a glass of water before bed!

Cheers!

 

[Lady Day]

dhermann1 sums it up real well. Im fairly new to spirits myself, and Ive found it will be a life-long hobby.

*Tasting* your alcohol is a lot different than drinking to drink. Ever think of taking a class in something? Might be something to consider if you are serious about it. I also dont think its something you can cram for in a coupe of days. A lot can depend on time of day, what you have eaten, your age, the spirit's age, etc. I think thats what makes it so enjoyable.

Im really getting into scotch (thanks Heather!!), neat. Its fairly awesome, and I think Im starting to develop a palette.

 

[Puzzicato]

To go along with DHermann's last comment, a good way to regulate yourself is to make yourself drink one glass of water per glass of spirits consumed. It will force you to drink less alcohol and will make it less likely that you get that [dehydration] hangover. And always drink a glass of water before bed!

Cheers!

... and if you have a big enough glass of water, it'll force you to get up to use the bathroom, then you can have another big glass of water while you are up. Avoiding dehydration is very important!

 

[Zaxxon]

lol, getting up frequently is also a good way to feel you had enough.

Puzzicato, I have to step in for Brandy. If you wanna try one from Spain and take care that it's grade 'Solera Reserva' or even 'Solera Gran Reserva' you'll find it to be a real alternative to Single Malts from time to time.

My advice for this thread is not to start with any Whisky Cola or similar stuff. As pointed out earlier, this is drinking for alcohol and not for taste. *yucky*

Zaxxon

 

[Chas]

Don Julio Tequila.
Bordeaux.
Burgundy.
Absinthe. (handle with care)
Cognac.

 

[adamjaskie]

Try lots of stuff, and don't forget beer and wine. Stay away from cheap beer; life is too short for cheap beer. Try and find some local/regional beers from your area and try them all, see what is readily available, and what type(s) of beer you like. With wine, try a few different varietals of both red and white, and try to at least be able to get a handle on the distinct flavors of a few of the more common grapes. Some that I really enjoy (all reds, and not too pricey) are Primitivo from Italy, Malbec from Argentina, Tempranillo from Spain, and Carmenere from Chile.

Scotch: Johnny Walker Black Label is a decent blended scotch. Glenlivet and Glenfiddich both have a lower-end single malt in the same price range that you should be able to find just about anywhere. The Dalmore is an (IMO) much nicer single in that same price range. Around here, everything in this paragraph is $35-$40 for a fifth.

Gin: Plymouth is great and not too pricey. It's a little different from your typical london dry, and very nice in a martini. For something more standard, Beefeater and Bombay are both good, available, and reasonably priced. Both also have a "premium" line which I don't bother with; I'd rather step up to Plymouth than go with an overpriced trendy line like Bombay Sapphire. But I don't drink a lot of gin these days.

Bourbon: I like Wild Turkey 101, but I've been called a masochist because of it. There are a lot of good bourbons out there. Luckily, you can get some very good bourbon for the price of a halfway-decent bottle of scotch.

Brandy: A lot of cheaper brandy is really bad, and cognac is pretty pricey stuff. Courvoisier V.S.O.P. is always a good bet, if you're willing to shell out for it, and I recently bought a bottle of Hennessey V.S.O.P. that is very nice.

Others: Keep bitters around. Angostura is the usual brand, but Pechauds is also good, and I like to have an orange bitters on hand as well (Angostura has an orange bitters, and there are a few others). You only use a little at a time, so a bottle lasts forever in the fridge. It's also nice to have a decent dry and sweet vermouth, and a good orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cointreau.

Always have something to nibble on while you're drinking. Wine is great with meals, but snacks and hors d'ouvres are better with hard liquor. Even if the food is just a bowl of mixed nuts, or crackers and cheese, you don't want to drink a big glass of scotch or a martini on an empty stomach.

Drink slowly, and always drink plenty of water when you're drinking. You'll probably drink enough to be sick once or thrice; it's part of being 21. Take it as a learning experience; now you know how much you can't handle. Learn how to judge how much gets you to what level of buzzed/drunk, so you know when to stop or wait half an hour before having another drink.

 

[Puzzicato]

lol, getting up frequently is also a good way to feel you had enough.

Puzzicato, I have to step in for Brandy. If you wanna try one from Spain and take care that it's grade 'Solera Reserva' or even 'Solera Gran Reserva' you'll find it to be a real alternative to Single Malts from time to time.

My advice for this thread is not to start with any Whisky Cola or similar stuff. As pointed out earlier, this is drinking for alcohol and not for taste. *yucky*

Zaxxon

Are those Spanish brandies aged in sherry casks? That'd improve the flavour!

I have developed a taste for an aged English cider brandy, which has made me want to try a decent calvados.

 

[Zaxxon]

I looked it up. The spanish Brandy is aged in oak barrels, mostly amerikan stoneoak previously used for sherry.
The Solero Gran Reserva undergoes a very special aging process, going through different barrels every year and so on.

Talking about Calvados you are coming to another good one that we missed in this thread 'til now.
I could smell on a glass of good Calvados for hours if the content would last as long.

 

[Richard Warren]

My humble opinion is that if you have to worry about the cost of what you are drinking, at any age and under any circumstances, you are drinking too much.

 

[Pompidou]

Regular old Jack Daniels whiskey has a nice flavor - won't break the bank either. If you're feeling rugged and working class, a shot of Jack Daniels and a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon or some Budweiser/Bud Light is about as American as it gets.

 

[Chainsaw]

Eh, one an hour, no more then three if you have to drive. Drink a black coffee (sugar optional) before you go.

 

[Bustercat]

I'd recommend you find a good bar, a different one each week, and get your shots neat in an old fashioned glass. Avoid weekends so you can spread out and have some peace to concentrate. Find a nice booth, and sip em, roll em around in your mouth, and just try stuff. Don't forget to tip a buck per drink, especially if you find a place to be a regular. You might even get buybacks (free drinks) after a while.
You have your whole life to explore bevmo. Explore bars and tastes first!

 

[psugrad98]

Generally speaking, cheap scotch is almost always a mistake. However, that doesn't mean you have to do what a lot of people I know do- turn your nose up at anything but single malts. There are decent blends out there, Famous Grouse being about the best I've found.

Famous Grouse is very good. One very surprising blend which is ridiculously cheap but tasty is Grants. It's made by Glennfiddich and is about $12 a bottle. Seems oddly inexpensive, but is surprisingly good.

If you can find it, get a flight of scotches. Usually 4-5 small bottles from the various regions of Scotland. It will give you a good idea of the differences between say the peaty smoke of the Islay versus the sweetness of the speysides.

 

[phinz]

I'm a big Scotch drinker, preferring Islay malts over all others, and if forced to make a choice as to one spirit to stock my bar with, no others allowed, it would be single malt Scotch every time I had to make the choice.

I must say, though, that my rum collection is larger than my Scotch collection. Don't sell rum short. There are more rums out there than one can imagine, and many of them rival whisky for their complexity, flavor and body.