Help with Booze.

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Another drink you should try (not "fruity" but pretty sweet) is a sidecar. I can drink those things all night. Well, either those or chocolate martinis.

A Sidecar is

3/4 oz triple sec
1/2 oz cognac
3/4 oz lemon juice

Shake the ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel. Obviously, if you're just sitting around your house you probably won't go with the peel, but if you're entertaining it's nice to have.
 
I'm actually envious of people who can appreciate the subtle differences in alcohol. I don't have that ability.

You could blind fold me, and give me a shot of whiskey, gin, vodka and tequila, and I couldn't tell them apart. Never mind the differences between brands of whiskey. I can only taste the alcohol, nothing else.
 
You can try an "Attitude Adjuster" or "Silk Panties" -

1 Part Vodka and 1 part Peachtree Schnapps. Pour over ice in a shaker and shake. Strain into martini glass or snifter. Drink before it gets warm.

For a "Soiled Panty" place a drop of Grenandine or Root Beer Schnapps so it settles at the bottom of the glass.
 
I found this drink down in Jamacia a few years ago. I had it every morning to nurse my hangover and to get my day started. Anytime I go on vacation everyone wants me to make it, I am famous for it now. its called a "Dirty Banana"

a shot of Bailey's Irish Creme
a shot of Carabean Rum Creme
a shot of Myer's rum
a shot of Tia Maria (or Kaluha if Tia Maria can't be found)
a full banana
a spash of whole milk or cream (for thickness)

pour into a blender with ice. blend until frothy.
 
I am surprised that people talk generically of "whiskey" - I can't imagine a minimally stocked bar without both Bourbon and Scotch. I love Scotch but I don't like Bourbon, and I know a lot of people who drink Bourbon but not Scotch. I usually have a jug of Jack Daniels or Jim Beam for the Bourbon drinkers and both good, expensive Scotch, and everyday Scotch in a plastic bottle (Cluny's is pretty decent, and really cheap).

So at the very least, to have the basics, you need a gallon of each of these:

Gin
Vodka
Bourbon
Scotch
Rum

I think of those as your basic 5 bar bottles. Tequila probably now belongs there too, for margaritas.

In addition, in order to make martinis (which to my mind means a so-called "gin martini") you need white vermouth, a small bottle.

I personally would also have a large bottle of red vermouth, both to drink on the rocks and with scotch to make Rob Roys.

For after dinner, we would always have at the very least both Ramizotti and Averna (Amari) as well as at least a jug of Brandy, and perhaps a better cognac. There are times when Brandy (or cognac - same thing really) is just the thing I want to drink.

We also consume vast quantities of Limoncello, both store bought and stuff made by my wife's relatives in Salerno.

We have probably 20 bottles of miscellaneous weird stuff for making mixed drinks. At one time in my life, I was really into make Singapore Slings, but I actually forget how.

Of course since January I have been dieting and haven't had a drink, but I enjoy enabling others to inebriate themselves.
 
Flagg Wanderer said:
I hope I'm coming to the right place with this. :rolleyes:

I'm trying to come up with a very...compact home bar. I don't want 55 bottles, I want more like 5-6 bottles, but I want to be able to make a wide variety of drinks that I like with the bottles. Two of those bottles will be useless in most drink making, as they have to be peachtree schapps (for fuzzy navels) and Bailey's (to drink by itself). Another will probably be whiskey (because I like it), and another will probably be vodka (because it's very flexible and I can make Hairy Navels or screwdriveers for really rough mornings).

I tend to like sweeter drinks (except whiskey), but I'd like to have a decent amount of variety available without having an embarassing amount of alcohol on the premises or overpaying for tiny bottles.

I'm thinking Rum should probably be one, but what are other suggestions, and what can I make with these + your suggestions?

EDIT: I just re-read the subject line and it looks like I'm a drunk who's reaching out for help. I'm not. I'm reaching out for help in BECOMING a drunk. There's a difference.
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Hey Flagg, have I got good news for you:

you'll be happy to know that I just wrote a story about this very same topic for Penthouse. It's a story called "building the essential bar." It will be out in the September issue, which should hit newstands in mid to late July. I'll see if I can get you a freebie.

It has absolutely everything you need to build the essential, all-purpose home bar, from the types of booze you need to bartending equipment, etc. I'd tell you now, but my contract prohibits me. You'll have to read the story and, of course, look at the pictures.
 
thomas144 said:
I am surprised that people talk generically of "whiskey" - I can't imagine a minimally stocked bar without both Bourbon and Scotch.
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I'll go one further. I always have Bourbon (Beam Black), a decent scotch (varies, but I'll go as cheap as Cutty Sark) & a bottle of Canadian Whiskey (CC or VO).

Originally posted by thomas144 We also consume vast quantities of Limoncello, both store bought and stuff made by my wife's relatives in Salerno.
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Thomas...any chance of getting that recipe from Salerno? I love that stuff.

Also, I always keep a bottle of Absinthe (the real sh*t from Poland).
 
Re: Re: Re: Help with Booze.

Oedipus Tex said:
ROFL
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Hey Oedipus,

I just looked up that smilie... ROFL. Forgive my ignorance, but what the hell does that mean?
 
Re: Re: Help with Booze.

kez said:
Hey Flagg, have I got good news for you:

you'll be happy to know that I just wrote a story about this very same topic for Penthouse.
Click to expand...

Penthouse has stories!?!?

Damn, I wish I knew that before the pages got all stuck together.

Kez, when someone tells you they read your article in Penthouse, did you ever ask them "Before or after you :jerkit: ?"
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Help with Booze.

kez said:
Hey Oedipus,

I just looked up that smilie... ROFL. Forgive my ignorance, but what the hell does that mean?
Click to expand...
It means I'm laughing my ass off at the thought of Flagg ever picking up a copy of Penthouse.
 
Bergs said:
Thomas...any chance of getting that recipe from Salerno? I love that stuff.
Click to expand...

We keep saying we are going to make our own but haven't done it yet. It's basically just lemons soaked in pure alcohol, which last I checked could be bought in New Hampshire, but only by the case. We are going to be in Italy in August so I am sure we will get serious about exactly how they make the stuff (although I think my wife pretty much knows). We've started to salvage store-bought empties for our production process.
 
Congrats to Kez on hitting the bigtime and I intend to look up that issue along with some of your beer stuff when I get an opportunity since I've been told it is most excellent and I love beer above all other adult beverages.

It occured to me that what Flagg could use is a big jug of Stoli-doli.

Very simple. Just cut a pineapple into slices removing all the bark and layer them in a bigass container and soak them in quality vodka for a week or two.

Makes a sweet, but not overpowering concoction that nicely hides the alcohol bite and provides valuable nutrients along with a solid buzz.
 
Hawg73 said:
Congrats to Kez on hitting the bigtime and I intend to look up that issue along with some of your beer stuff when I get an opportunity since I've been told it is most excellent and I love beer above all other adult beverages.

It occured to me that what Flagg could use is a big jug of Stoli-doli.

Very simple. Just cut a pineapple into slices removing all the bark and layer them in a bigass container and soak them in quality vodka for a week or two.

Makes a sweet, but not overpowering concoction that nicely hides the alcohol bite and provides valuable nutrients along with a solid buzz.
Click to expand...

OMG that is one hell of a drink! :thumb: ...... I first encountered that concoction at a restaurant in Seekonk MA .... brain fart making it impossible to remember the name of said establishment. :banghead:
 
Hawg73 said:
Congrats to Kez on hitting the bigtime and I intend to look up that issue along with some of your beer stuff when I get an opportunity since I've been told it is most excellent and I love beer above all other adult beverages.

It occured to me that what Flagg could use is a big jug of Stoli-doli.

Very simple. Just cut a pineapple into slices removing all the bark and layer them in a bigass container and soak them in quality vodka for a week or two.

Makes a sweet, but not overpowering concoction that nicely hides the alcohol bite and provides valuable nutrients along with a solid buzz.
Click to expand...

Hey Hawg,

Thanks for the congrats. But I don't think it quite qualifies as the "big time" when you're ashamed to tell your parents and in-laws.
 
kez said:
Hey Hawg,

Thanks for the congrats. But I don't think it quite qualifies as the "big time" when you're ashamed to tell your parents and in-laws.
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Are you kidding?

You get published in a national, no INTERNATIONALLY famous magazine that has featured a number of top people writing about any number of serious topics and you are worried about how they'll percieve your byline next to the naked ladies?

Sounds nuts to me.

Then again, I don't know your relatives.
 
Don't waste your time buying kahlua, make it.

Here's my kahlua recipie.

You can make a gallon of kahlua for under $25 (less if you use cheaper ingrediants).

If you want Tia Mira, use Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, but that stuff is very expensive ($40/pound and up).

The best thing about this recipie is that its ready to drink as soon as its done, no waiting for six weeks as with other recipies. It will improve in a day or two.

KAHLUA RECIPE

Ingredients for a double batch

- 8 cups sugar
- 6 cups water
- Whole bean coffee
- 1.75 liters Vodka

The Ingredients:
Basically the quality you get depends on the quality you use.

I use water filtered through a Brita. The vodka shouldn¡¦t be rotgut but you can save some money by buying some activated charcoal from a pet store (used with fish tanks) and pre-treat all your ingredients.

The Coffee:
You can alter the flavor of the Kahlua by changing the coffee used. For standard Kahlua "French Vanilla" is a good choice. If the Vanilla flavor is too strong substitute some standard coffee for some of the beans.

I didn't give the exact quantity for beans since I use an old coffee scoop from the coffee cans from the before time.

The basic idea is to make 2 cups of coffee 8 times as strong as normal (8 scoops of the standard scoop).

I use a Milita filter system which I recommend for this process.

Here's the recipe.

1. Combine the sugar and 4 cups of water in a large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Let boil for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
3. Use the 2 cups of water remaining to make coffee 8 times as strong as normal. If you use a Milita, pour the coffee through the grounds a second time.
4. Add the coffee to the sugar syrup and bring to a boil.
5. Remove from the heat and let cool.
6. When cooled enough (it doesn¡¦t steam when stirred) add the vodka. If you add the vodka too soon it boils off the alcohol.
7. Optional: I use a yogurt filter to remove any undesolved anything.
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The charcoal trick can also be used to get good vodka without paying so much. Vodka by definition is alchol and water, and the only difference between the cheap stuff and the good stuff is the degree of purity.

This of course isn't true for the flavored vodkas.

Buy a middle of the road vodka, put some activated charcoal in a coffee filter, and run it through it a few times and the difference it quite noticiable.
 
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