The SDN Beer, Wine, and Spirits Thread

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Not particularly big on wines, but I don't mind a good champagne, white white, Port, Sangria, or some random red wine.

For beer, I stick to Weissbier, though I don't mind a Kilkenny, or some Belgian beer. I have taken Sam Adams, and as one who studied in the U of M-Ann Arbor, I wouldn't mind a Bell's Oberon. Man.. what I would give for an oberon.

[Kanastrous]

What about worst beer, wine, or spirit?

I nominate Piels lager, of Central New York. The stuff may make a dent in your will to live.

[Alferd Packer]

Probably this. And yes, it is a real thing. I've seen it in stores, but I've never had it to drink.

That, or 4Loko.

[Thanas]

Dominikanerpils.

[Eternal_Freedom]

WKD. It's so shit it has "Blue" as a flavour.

[Thunderfire]

Beer: Schlenkerla - tastes like liquid bacon
wine: ice wine - to sweet
spirit: kehlenschneider - 80% alc. and 800,000 scoville

[Thanas]

Ice wine is great.

[TheFeniX]

Can't stand beer. The stuff is made of nightmares. I've tried well over 200 beers considering where I live and the friends I have. The only beer I can finish a bottle of is Michelob Ultra. Drinking wine makes me wish I was drinking Whiskey.

Crown Royal is my drink of choice and about the only alcohol I'll bother with anymore. I always drink it mixed with some form of Diet drink, which pisses some people off, but fuck em.' It's a very smooth whiskey as opposed to the "tartness" of Jack Daniels. If you like whiskey but find it giving you heartburn, you'll likely have better luck with Crown Royal. I've also never had a single hangover since switching to it. Crown is also the Whiskey that everyone claims to hate ("It's too smooth!), but will almost immediately pass up any other whiskey if they know you have some on-hand.

Cask 16 is a variant with a small amount of cognac aftertaste. Although I can't usually stand cognac or sweet tastes, I find this a nice diversion from the standard brand.

Special Reserve is even smoother (and more expensive), which many whiskey drinkers don't like. I however like having a strong drink every once in a while that doesn't make my breath feel flammable.

Crown Royal Black is a newer variation that's 45% alcohol by volume (as opposed to 40%) and will get you trashed if you aren't careful. Coming from a long line of alcoholics, I can easily put away 750 mLs of Crown without getting stupid drunk. A 375 of Black was enough to have my ol lady ban me from ever drinking the stuff in public again (long story and yes, I should have remembered from alcohol class that 5% is a shit-load more content). Taste-wise, it's deceptively smooth and only $3-5 more expensive than the original Crown. So, it's actually a cheaper alternative to Crown if you're looking to drink less for the same amount alcohol content.

Crown Royal XR is the hideously expensive Crown and is pretty damn good. Not really worth the money though unless you're hardcore about you alcoholism. Though the price has dropped dramatically as the popularity of the brand wasn't what they thought it would be.

[Eternal_Freedom]

The local Tesco's had an offer on: Glenfiddich 12 yr old single malt 70 cl bottles for £15. I stocked up.

Had myself a bit earlier after dinner. Damn that's fine Scotch.

[SCRawl]

Beer: Stella Artois, Rickard's Red, Moosehead
Wine: a nice Gewurtztraminer or Riesling
Spirits: Johnnie Walker Blue (if someone else is buying), Black (if not).

I also use this space to plug Moniack Mead, which is something I discovered a few years ago. It seems to be available in my part of the world only around this time of year, so I'll be picking some up today. It's not very strong (14.6%), and it's on the sweet side, but it's flavourful and very smooth.

[Number Theoretic]

Stuff i like:
Beer: Augustiner, Guinness, Köstrizer (a black beer) or any decent Pilsener beer. Occasionally Kilkenny or a nice Ale and sometimes i even find a Japanese or Icelandic brewery to be not bad.

Spirits: Definitely my favorite Scotch is Bowmore Darkest, 15yr but i also like Jonnie Green, Lagavulin, Laphroaig or Talisker. From the Irish whiskeys i like Jameson or Redbreast.

The only beer of which i definitely can say: stay away from it by all means is Amstel (or at least that kind of Amstel which they import into Jordan). Tastes awful and causes an even more awful headache.

[Knife]

Hmm, wife made buttered rum last weak, a bit heavy on the cloves, but really really good.

[Mr. Coffee]

One of my employees decided to up and present me with a gift wrapped bottle of The Glenlivit 18. I was kinda touched.

[Vendetta]

I got a 14yr Oban this year. I've had a few glasses of it before and it's a solid whisky, though I usually go for Island malts rather than Highland I'm sure I shall enjoy it greatly.

[whackadoodle]

One of my employees decided to up and present me with a gift wrapped bottle of The Glenlivit 18. I was kinda touched.

One of my clients decided to up and present me with a boxed and lettered bottle (they put your name and photo on a wall in the distillery) of Glenmarangie 18. I'll probably crack it open upon the birth of my first grandchild.

[Zadius]

My absolute favorite beer is Fuller's London Porter. If I'm not in the mood for a dark beer, I love Paulaner Hefeweizen. Recently, I have tasted a few beers that were surprisingly good such as Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat, which I may just have to have every fall. Also, I found Samuel Adams Black Lager surprisingly good. Generally, I have found the Samuel Adams beers to be good by not great. They are very accessible here in the U.S. and certainly better than the watered down crap that most people here drink, but I find that there are usually craft beers or imports that are better (for comparable price). But their Black Lager (Schwarzbier) was excellent in my opinion.

[spaceviking]

Just tried a Weihenstephan, great wheat beer.

[The Yosemite Bear]

beginning of birthday loot:
a dalek alarm clock
I wonder how well I'm going to wake up to EXTERMINATE
---sorry---

on topic
If youu can try Russian River Rasputian Red (Mendicino CA micro Brew, from one of CA's pot industry zones)

[Alkaloid]

I had a couple of Monteith's Celtic Red Beer the other day. It's my new favorite.

beginning of birthday loot:
a dalek alarm clock
I wonder how well I'm going to wake up to EXTERMINATE

Interesting. How do you drink a dalek?

[The Spartan]

Been drinking my own holiday ale for the last few games (and will for today's as well); it's been very well received. Again.

I also have some Infinium from Sam Adams, the champagne-like drink that they've made using only the ingredients specified in the old Bavarian beer purity law. I like it, but frankly it's a love it or hate it kind of thing, I've noticed.

[Zaune]

Here's something for the home brewing crowd: Orange beer.

Oh, and can anyone recommend a couple of really good local beers from the Ontario area? Most of the stuff I've found so far has been either palateable but rather generic or a stupidly overpriced European import. I'm still smarting from finding myself paying $6.50 for a pint of Newcastle Brown!

[The Spartan]

That's actually pretty easy. Take whatever beer recipe you'd like and add fresh orange zest. The lighter the recipe the stronger the orange flavor for a given amount.

I actually add that to my holiday ale, along with cinnamon, a vanilla bean, nutmeg and ginger.

[The Yosemite Bear]

well there was "Pumpkin Pie" mead that my friend Ben got kicked out of med school for brewing in his dorm room. Now he's the really tough teacher at a catholic high school (figures that the kid who used to be ferris bueller would know all the tricks.)

[The_Saint]

@Alkaloid which part of the world you in to have some Monteith's (NZ presumably), I agree it's quite tasty though not particularly common here (in Tasmania).

@Spartan Infinium is good. picked up a bottle at a beer tasting organised by a local importer that specialises in quality wines & beers. Certainly a very ... traditional, old school kind of beer.


Recently (at aforementioned beer tasting) procured and sampled a bottle of "Odin's Tipple" Dark Norse Ale from HaandBryggeriet in Norway...

....... quote/unquote: "that's NOT a subtle beer"

Quite possibly the least subtle flavoured beer EVER produced, the smell alone could be described as a mixture of coffee and fish sauce strained through mouldy socks. Otherwise.... dark, not-subtle, STRONG.... aside from being 11% you can't drink anything afterwards or you can but you'd never taste it, destroys ones palate and PILLAGES your digestive tract!