Of Sheep-Dip, Rot-Gut, and Furniture Polish. The worst of the worst.

[John in Covina]

Man, that is pretty strong stuff. What do they use that for? Sterilizing operating tools?

Actually, the druggist would use it to make something on the order of custom mix prescription cough syrups and other liquid medications. The medicines were shipped as a concentrate and diluted down with this alcohol.

Back in the day when liquor had tax labels on them regular booze had a red tax label, bottled in bond whiskey had a green tax lable, and pharmaceutical alcohol had a black tax label. Does anyone know when, what year the tax labels on booze bottles (across the cap) went bye-bye in the US?

 

[St.Ignatz]

James, I use the Everclear or Pharmco alc. as a base for Limoncello, Arancello and Limoncello Verde rather than vodka. Vodka has it's own flavor component but the alc. just gives you a clean bite. Adding cane sugar and bringing it to around 46 proof with water to mellows it out quite nicely. I have used the straight alc. to sterilize my mouth before siphoning in home brewing.

Tom D.

 

[jamespowers]

Actually, the druggist would use it to make something on the order of custom mix prescription cough syrups and other liquid medications. The medicines were shipped as a concentrate and diluted down with this alcohol.

Back in the day when liquor had tax labels on them regular booze had a red tax label, bottled in bond whiskey had a green tax lable, and pharmaceutical alcohol had a black tax label. Does anyone know when, what year the tax labels on booze bottles (across the cap) went bye-bye in the US?

Ah, that makes sense now.
Labels across the top of bottles probably stopped in the late 70s early 80s as far as I remember.

 

[filfoster]

Grappa crappa

As I recall, Grappa is made from the stems and bits of grape vine removed from the wine grapes, in other words, made from wood, in other words, poison. And it tastes like it. Next to Grappa, Pimm's is ambrosia.

Honestly, this sounds like the 'sausage' equivalent of alcoholic beverages, made from floor sweepings.

 

[St.Ignatz]

Honestly, this sounds like the 'sausage' equivalent of alcoholic beverages, made from floor sweepings.

And Bourbon is made from cattle feed? No "wood" involved in Grappa. The skins maybe but not wood. Buy crap and you get what you pay for, buy a quality Grappa like Poli or Nonino and you may change your mind. A whole different libation with a distinguished heritage.
Tom D.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi again

I don't know if you're counting beer in this poll, BUT one of the worst things I've attempted to drink was a beer from the Weston Brewing company near Kansas City Missouri called O'Malley's Emerald Lager. It was seriously sour. It came in a six pack with two other types of beer. One of the other's was an Irish style Bitter. Bitter's are British so I don't get how this stuff came about. It wasn't quite as bad. Anyway, avoid Weston Brewing Company. To show you how foul this stuff is, I don't even use it to cook polish sausage in. I would ruin it.

Later

 

[HepKitty]

Akvavit. the Danes messed up again, it's rare but they did it with this. the esrom of the alcohol world, I gag just thinking about it.

Jaegermeister is a close second though, I bought one of the tiny bottles took a small sip and dumped the rest down the kitchen sink. however there is a fabu alternative called Kieler Tropfen that is to die for, mostly nutmeg in flavor instead of hell knows what that inspires hurling in jaeger

http://www.boll-spirituosen.de/de/bestellen/spirituosen/23_kieler-tropfen-kraeuterlikoer-38.html

can't get it on this side of the pond unfortunately

 

[Smithy]

Akvavit. the Danes messed up again, it's rare but they did it with this. the esrom of the alcohol world, I gag just thinking about it.

Philistine

I adore aquavit, although I much prefer the Norwegian linie aquavit. Drank bathtubs of the stuff when I lived in Norway. Usually have a bottle stashed away in the liquor cabinet.

 

[HepKitty]

Philistine

I adore aquavit, although I much prefer the Norwegian linie aquavit. Drank bathtubs of the stuff when I lived in Norway. Usually have a bottle stashed away in the liquor cabinet.

see there is something seriously wrong w/ the Danish stuff...

 

[4spurs]

Aquavit

I have three bottles in my freezer, and a glass for drinking it in the freezer too.

The Norwegian Linie is very good, and they have a great selling point with shipping it across the equator and back. The Danes make a good aquavit, several actually.

I have a bottle of Danish Aalborg "Jule Akvavit" that I have been measuring out in small amounts; exquisite. One summer I picked up a bottle of dill aquavit from a small distillery while visiting Bornholm; I still remember it.

I used to prefer Ringnes [sp?] with my aquavit, or "schnapps" as the Danes call it, but, over the past year or so I have grown fond of Carlsberg as a chaser.

 

[swinggal]

Campari...one of the most filthy tasting alcoholic concoctions on earth. I do however have an awesome Art Deco Campari poster framed...but it's for the design alone..not because I love the drink. Why was Campari even invented? Who buys the stuff? To me it tastes like bile or rotten orange peel soaked in vinegar - hideous!!

Something else I cannot even stomach the smell of is Southern Comfort. God, it makes me ill just thinking about it (yes, bad experience when 18). Cough mixture tastes better than SC.

And lastly, casked wine - namly Coolibah. 'Box Monster' as I call it. Not something that my family ever drank (thank goodness) but so many people did when they were young and poor students in college. I remember drinking it at a party once when I was 19, because there was nothing else...never again...

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Ah the memories of youthful alcohol indiscretions.....I remember an incident involving a Jack In The Box drive through, and Bacardi 151....Amazing how an incident imprints on your mind.

 

[Smithy]

I used to prefer Ringnes [sp?] with my aquavit,

Please, please, please tell me you are joking! There are soooo many better Norwegian beers than Ringnes.

The shipping of linie across the equator (hence the name) is not purely a "great selling point". Connoisseurs believe that the gradual increase from cold to warmth and back again as the barrels are shipped improves and adds depth to the flavour.

You should save your jule aquavit for Christmas and have it with ribbe and pinnekjøtt. That's what it's made to go with and will be stunning with good heartly Scandinavian julemat.

 

[Puzzicato]

Akvavit. the Danes messed up again, it's rare but they did it with this. the esrom of the alcohol world, I gag just thinking about it.

Jaegermeister is a close second though, I bought one of the tiny bottles took a small sip and dumped the rest down the kitchen sink. however there is a fabu alternative called Kieler Tropfen that is to die for, mostly nutmeg in flavor instead of hell knows what that inspires hurling in jaeger

http://www.boll-spirituosen.de/de/bestellen/spirituosen/23_kieler-tropfen-kraeuterlikoer-38.html

can't get it on this side of the pond unfortunately

I like the sound of the nutmeg one!

But yeah - jaegermeister is awful. And parties tend to go downhill fast when that green bottle appears, so that is usually my cue to leave!

 

[swinggal]

But yeah - jaegermeister is awful. And parties tend to go downhill fast when that green bottle appears, so that is usually my cue to leave!

Try Campari sometime...Jaegermeister is its the ducks nuts by comparison!

 

[LordBest]

Hm, I am very fond of Jaegermeister, beginning to worry now.

For rotgut, I would like to nominate Bundaberg Rum. Utterly foul stuff, with a disgusting pungent aftertaste.

 

[Unca Dusty]

Virgin Bourbon

Drank Virgin Bourbon 107 proof for many years (all of college and a couple of years after)--terrible, terrible stuff. My palate and my liver have yet to accept my apologies. We would get a pint or a fifth of Virge, and a 12 pack of Wiedemans beer (which went for $3.75 a 12 at the time, BTW) and get sloshed on some real gut rotting swill, I tell you.
Post college, I had a room-mate that would drink all night and then have a shot of Hot Schnapps (some disgusting cinnamon flavored schnapps)--he swore by it, said it was his mouthwash (probably could've been, literally).

 

[Rock31]

But yeah - jaegermeister is awful. And parties tend to go downhill fast when that green bottle appears, so that is usually my cue to leave!

My wife and one of our good friends drink Jagermeister and Red Bull....ugh just the smell of it makes sick. They don't even shoot it, they just mix it in a tall glass and sip.

 

[4spurs]

Please, please, please tell me you are joking! There are soooo many better Norwegian beers than Ringnes.

Not available in the U.S. near me. In fact, I can't even find Ringnes anymore; and when I fly from EWR to KPH on SAS its rare to have any Norwegian beer of any brand at all.

The shipping of linie across the equator (hence the name) is not purely a "great selling point". Connoisseurs believe that the gradual increase from cold to warmth and back again as the barrels are shipped improves and adds depth to the flavour.

I know what they "believe" but not tasting it prior to shipping I couldn't say if it improves it or not. But the fact they do ship it, and paste the name of the ship it sailed on on the back of the label, that is a great selling point.

You should save your jule aquavit for Christmas and have it with ribbe and pinnekjøtt. That's what it's made to go with and will be stunning with good heartly Scandinavian julemat.

Almost all gone, but I'll get more in Copenhagen come December.

 

[Smithy]

Not available in the U.S. near me. In fact, I can't even find Ringnes anymore; and when I fly from EWR to KPH on SAS its rare to have any Norwegian beer of any brand at all.

I'm only winding you up. If you ever go to Norway, Ringnes gets a bit of stick especially outside of Oslo. Saying that it's worse than average beer.

I know what they "believe" but not tasting it prior to shipping I couldn't say if it improves it or not. But the fact they do ship it, and paste the name of the ship it sailed on on the back of the label, that is a great selling point.

Oh you can taste a difference between linie and non linie Norwegian aquavit. Quite noticeable.