Beginning drinking

[Henry Hughes]

SO I just recently turned 21 and other than beer, vodka, and rum have not tried a lot of alcohol. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a good cheap scotch, gin, or brandy. By cheap I mean something good and worth the money but that I won't have to sell a kidney for if it becomes my regular drink.

 

[Phineas Lamour]

Romate brandy is pretty good and not very expensive. It is from Spain.

 

[Mav]

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. Ice, and cut with a little water. Lemon twist, maybe.
Scotch takes some getting used to, but once you're a fan, it's tough to drink anything else. Except Irish, which is also tasty. Go with Jameson if you go that route.

 

[Slim Portly]

James Mason has an opinion.

 

[Phineas Lamour]

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. Ice, and cut with a little water. Lemon twist, maybe.
Scotch takes some getting used to, but once you're a fan, it's tough to drink anything else. Except Irish, which is also tasty. Go with Jameson if you go that route.

What about Johnnie Walker for scotch and Bushmill's for Irish?

 

[rmrdaddy]

Walker Black or Red would suffice to see if you have a taste for scotch.

Maker's Mark for bourbon

Gin is tougher as I think there is a divider between "gin" that comes in plastic 1.75 handle bottles and "the good stuff" . Beefeater may be hackneyed, but it's actually good. Boodles is a little more upscale choice, IMHO, but good.

Rum even more challenging, as there are several types and your chosen method of imbibing has a LOT to do with a rum recommendation methinks.

Cheers!

 

[1961MJS]

Generally speaking, cheap scotch is almost always a mistake.

I heartily agree with that one. Cheap Bourbon is MUCH better than even inexpensive Scotch. I second the Famous Grouse, apparently it's the bar brand Scotch of Scotland, sort of like how Jack in the Black is the house brand of Tennessee (or was last time I drank there). Scotch is a little bit of an acquired taste, but it's much easier to acquire if you eat right. Scotch is made of malted barley which is dried over a fire, sometimes giving it a peat smoked flavor. One of my favorite snacks is Smoked Cheddar Cheese, Famous Grouse Scotch, good Beef Jerky or sausage, and hard french bread with butter. Note how the whole snack is smoky. I don't recommend Johnnie Walker's stuff, I don't like it, but it's much better than Cutty Sark (stay away, far, far away).

I don't drink much Irish Whiskey, but the Jameson's is something I'd drink again.

One way to determine what you'll like is to note what you drink when you're not "drinking". If you like your lemonade tart, you'll probably like gin and tonic. If you like Coke, you'll probably like Bourbon and Coke or Rum and Coke. I hesitate to recommend any Vodka drinks since I can't stand the stuff. No flavor, why bother?

If you're just going to barf it all over anyway, just drink what's CHEAP. You're 21, you'll probably do that at least once. Just don't let it become a habit.

Later Y'all

 

[Mav]

One of my favorite snacks is Smoked Cheddar Cheese, Famous Grouse Scotch, good Beef Jerky or sausage, and hard french bread with butter.

Too many carbs. Eliminate the bread and double up on the whisky.

I don't recommend Johnnie Walker's stuff, I don't like it, but it's much better than Cutty Sark (stay away, far, far away).

Agreed. Cutty Sark is swill- really bad.

Phineas- Johnny Black is pretty good. Never did like Red, for some reason. The biggest reason I started drinking Jameson is that I got tired of listening to patrons of Irish bars in the U.S. comments of "that's Protestant whiskey" when ordering Bushmills. It's OK stuff. In fact, unless you get into some of the higher end of Irish, it's pretty similar. Most of the distillers in Ireland are owned by the same company now (French, strangely enough) and I've noticed something of a whiskey entropy occuring over the last few years, where most affordable Irish has gradually started to taste the same.

There's a fairly new brand out now that I stumbled across at BevMo last year- "Feckin." Not bad, at about 19 bucks for a full liter (as opposed to those wimpy 750ml bottles). Not great either, but it's what I get for my camping cocktails.

 

[Geesie]

The cheapest scotch, gin, and brandy that I'd recommend to someone who hasn't yet offended me are, respectively:
- Johnnie Red
- Seagram's
- St-Remy

 

[Phineas Lamour]

Phineas- Johnny Black is pretty good. Never did like Red, for some reason.

Black is the only Johnnie Walker I've ever had. Blue is insanely expensive. A friend of mine always keeps a bottle of The Glenlivet on his counter. When I visit his house I never turn down a glass.

 

[1961MJS]

Phineas- Johnny Black is pretty good. Never did like Red, for some reason.

Hi Mav, That explains things, the only Johnnie Walker I've tried is the Red. Didn't like it, so I never tried the black label at all. Famous Grouse and Dewar's White Label are all I've had lately. I need to go get a bottle of a single malt one of these days. I've just gotten into the whole Rye thing though.

Gotta have bread with the cheese, otherwise how will the carbs bond with the grease in your bloodstream to form plaque. Think how mad our great grand kids would be if they are still paying for us 112 year olds to be on Social Security...

Later

 

[HosManHatter]

I regularly enjoy El Presidente brandy (imported from Mexico).It is only a bit more than domestic and very nice,imho.

HMH

 

[Dixon Cannon]

My advice; don't even start! Like tobacco, it offers no nutritional value or health benefit. It is consumed and replenished in an endless cycle. It benefits only the manufacturers and the advertisers at the expense of the consumer. (How do you think they pay for those grandiose advertising campaigns?). And the sad fact is, most people who drink alcohol WILL drive after drinking despite all the public service advisements to the contrary.

I wonder how many deaths occured due to drivers who drink in the course of time it took me write this post?

-dixon cannon

 

[Alex Oviatt]

Dewars!

 

[Lexybeast]

Another vote for Famous Grouse. Great value. Also, I've heard Trader Joe's carries an excellent blended whiskey for the price (I think about $10, branded as TJs), though I have not tried it.

Sailor Jerry is a tasty spiced rum that's under $20 for a bottle, and is worth a try.

However, your liver will thank you if you take Dixon's advice.

 

[rkwilker]

Top shelf bourbon...a glass...and some ice. That's all you really need to know.

 

[KittyT]

Top shelf bourbon...a glass...and some ice. That's all you really need to know.

Seconded! (except the ice part And you can get a decent top shelf bourbon for not all that much money. I buy Basil Hayden for about $37, and if you're just drinking it neat, it will last you quite a long time.

But like scotch, it's definitely an acquired taste.

 

[dhermann1]

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.

 

[KittyT]

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.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Henry Hughes]

Thank you all for the advice, some of these sound like just what I was looking for. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some drinking to do.