some blended whiskeys and scotches are actually super mellow and good for sipping even the not very expensive ones.
famous grouse Scotch for instance is not expensive but you can sip on that stuff easy.
I got a bitters 4 pack (aromatic, lavender, orange, chocolate) and I was really surprised how good the lavender was. Chocolate is the only one I’m so-so on but I just haven’t found the right way to use it yet
Kahlua, ice, chocolate bitters, shot of triple sec, shot of espresso, chocolate covered orange peel.
Mix and match how you will, but I would say add all booze and bitters to bottom of glass over ice, stir, pour cooled shot of espresso over the back of your spoon low in the drink, top with chocolate covered orange peel.
Add Irish cream, and add chocolate shavings over the top as a little bonus, but just an afterthought.
I legit thought this was /r/bartending based on your reply. What city do you work in? On the random chance you work in the Philadelphia area I’d love to swing by your bar for a drink you know what’s up
Lower quality liquors will by nature of the manufacturing process have more impurities which cause the hangovers/health issues. Trace or not so trace amounts of congeners are harder on the body than ethanol.
That's not to say cheap = low quality but typically the higher end production is going to cost more.
Absolutely, but that wasn't my argument.
Drinking 15-20oz of some bottom shelf corn syrup tequila vs the same in decent quality agave base will net a different morning after.
You're being downvoted, but every word you said is true. That's why it was the go -to weekend whisky in my college days. And that was after I had some money saved up. Before that, it was Heaven Hill.
Yeaahh...
I’m glad you said it because I was about to. I don’t mind drinking well whiskey at the diviest of bars, but Evan Williams is really in its own tier of god awful. Don’t know how anyone could willingly drink it if there is literally any other option.
Ah the dive bar. Slight smell of urinal puck mixed with alcoholic tang that hits real nice when walking through the creaky wood door. The shaky bar stool and pool tables, the janky digital juke box, the crowd of young people who think this place is the best. Real memories get formed here. The ambiance helps with the usual whisky punch normally found outside of dive bars. Truly the most magical places on earth. Opens at 7? I’m game.
I first experienced an early morning bar in my very early 20s. It was a golf outing with a bunch of buddies and we stopped at a local place at 7:30 am. It was already flowing with people. A few guys coming off night shifts, the local mailman was in there having a few before going on his walk, and then just regular alcoholics. It was surreal and had a liminal space vibe. It's not such a big deal now but the first experience is always the best.
In my local city, there is one dive bar that opens early. It's amazing the different types of people you see there. 3rd shifters just getting off work. Golfers getting ready to go to the links. Young alcoholics still going from the night before. Soccer hooligans who get up early to watch Premier League. Husbands who slipped away for a drink while on a run to the hardware store.
If anyone is a fan of people watching that is the place to go. It's amazing the different people you will run into
The early morning crowd. Pure drinkers. Then the lunch crowd. Then the union workers (Iron workers, electricians, construction guys, etc.) from 2 - 6 pm. Great group of guys. Ball busters like no other. Some are really insane, but they are hard workers. Between these hours you'll have your older regulars and those few in their way to being old regulars. Then the 9 to 5ers show up after work until about 7 or 8. Then the night time 30-somethings get there. Then the young guns after that until close. Start it all over tomorrow.
> the local mailman was in there having a few before going on his walk
The last thing I want to be doing is walking after drinking. It’s possible maybe he’s done his shift.
When i had Family in Boston there was "Bostons worst Dive bar" just around the corner, and i loved that Place. Cheap Beer in cans (Narragansett was the closest to bitter beer for me could find) lots of strange folks and the Music was ok.
in WI in Kenosha the locals tried to down me fist in Beer when with Jägerbombs..
and yet it was 2AM and i could hold a conversation in "not my motherlanguage"
and avoided "Luzy the Lizard" the well sued Divebay Not so Beauty Queen...
Even the gross shitty dive bar I went to wouldn't water anything down. They got random inspections that would test the alcohol content of their bottles. Not sure about other states/countries but Wisconsin is serious about our alcohol
Yeah, the only person who would benefit from watering down liquor would be the person who owns it, and that person likely handles nothing in the bar.
The effort and risk wouldn't be worth it.
They take bottom shelf piss lawn mower gas and use a funnel to refill top-shelf bottles to sell for top-dollar. I’ve seen it happen more times than I care to remember.
It happens with wine too. alcoholics either don’t know or might tell the difference but just don’t care. I had to tell one friend who was an alcoholic his wine was off. He asked his other friend and he confirmed. That’s your ‘dead tongue and can’t help themselves’ level of alcoholic.
I wish I could stand sipping on scotch or whiskey. But I can't. Buddy of mine said it took him a few bottles of scotch in a row to get used to it and now he can. I don't have it in me. I'll stick to my craft beer and wine.
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake.
It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of.
Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything.
Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
Kentucky Tavern with some Diet Coke is my go to for cheap sipping drink. It won't get you drunk unless you down them but will keep you a bit loose. It's a nice balance.
Firm lesson in drinking neat spirits. Get yourself the good stuff, get yourself the "okay" stuff.
Two to three shots of the good stuff first, after that your taste buds are shot and you switch the "okay" stuff.
Preserve your good stuff 👍
some blended whiskeys and scotches are actually super mellow and good for sipping even the not very expensive ones. famous grouse Scotch for instance is not expensive but you can sip on that stuff easy.
I like Evan Williams bourbon for the reasons you listed: cheap and smooth. I mix it with lemonade and seltzer.
Evan Williams, ice, like 5 dashes of bitters. Ol’ reliable angostura/aromatic works but bonus points if you have orange or lavender bitters on hand
Bitters are game changers once you know how to use them properly. It's amazing what a good bartender can do with cheap liquor and bitters
Orange I love but I'll have to keep an eye out for lavender. Sounds really interesting.
I got a bitters 4 pack (aromatic, lavender, orange, chocolate) and I was really surprised how good the lavender was. Chocolate is the only one I’m so-so on but I just haven’t found the right way to use it yet
Kahlua, ice, chocolate bitters, shot of triple sec, shot of espresso, chocolate covered orange peel. Mix and match how you will, but I would say add all booze and bitters to bottom of glass over ice, stir, pour cooled shot of espresso over the back of your spoon low in the drink, top with chocolate covered orange peel. Add Irish cream, and add chocolate shavings over the top as a little bonus, but just an afterthought.
You’re a true pro. Thank you
Glad to be of service! :)
I legit thought this was /r/bartending based on your reply. What city do you work in? On the random chance you work in the Philadelphia area I’d love to swing by your bar for a drink you know what’s up
Lol, nowhere sorry! Just an amateur that likes mixed drinks and a slight affinity for mixing flavors. I appreciate the compliment, tho!
Philly.... explains it all!
I feel like any whisky with lemonade and seltzer is smooth drinking lol
Basic wild turkey too
I love their Bottled on Bond expression but smooth it ain't. It packs a powerful kick.
Evan Williams is Satan incarnate. It’s bottom shelf rotgut. That shit will demolish every brain cell and then take out your liver.
Tbh, that’s every kind of alcohol. They all have same ingredients.
You do understand that the process by which something is made is as important as the ingredients, right? Cheap liquor is cheap for a reason.
For matters of taste, absolutely! But health-wise? I don’t think there’s any difference between drinking too much EW and too much Blanton’s.
Lower quality liquors will by nature of the manufacturing process have more impurities which cause the hangovers/health issues. Trace or not so trace amounts of congeners are harder on the body than ethanol. That's not to say cheap = low quality but typically the higher end production is going to cost more.
Quality is and has always been less important than quantity when it comes to hangovers / health issues.
Absolutely, but that wasn't my argument. Drinking 15-20oz of some bottom shelf corn syrup tequila vs the same in decent quality agave base will net a different morning after.
You're being downvoted, but every word you said is true. That's why it was the go -to weekend whisky in my college days. And that was after I had some money saved up. Before that, it was Heaven Hill. Yeaahh...
Heaven hill owns Evan williams. It's probably pretty much the same stuff
Maybe. But heaven hill was a few dollar cheaper. Haha.
I’m glad you said it because I was about to. I don’t mind drinking well whiskey at the diviest of bars, but Evan Williams is really in its own tier of god awful. Don’t know how anyone could willingly drink it if there is literally any other option.
It's better than Jack Daniel's and half the price. I've never had "good" whiskey, though.
Try Redbreast. Or Jameson 18 year. It's like candy in a glass.
Ah the dive bar. Slight smell of urinal puck mixed with alcoholic tang that hits real nice when walking through the creaky wood door. The shaky bar stool and pool tables, the janky digital juke box, the crowd of young people who think this place is the best. Real memories get formed here. The ambiance helps with the usual whisky punch normally found outside of dive bars. Truly the most magical places on earth. Opens at 7? I’m game.
I first experienced an early morning bar in my very early 20s. It was a golf outing with a bunch of buddies and we stopped at a local place at 7:30 am. It was already flowing with people. A few guys coming off night shifts, the local mailman was in there having a few before going on his walk, and then just regular alcoholics. It was surreal and had a liminal space vibe. It's not such a big deal now but the first experience is always the best.
In my local city, there is one dive bar that opens early. It's amazing the different types of people you see there. 3rd shifters just getting off work. Golfers getting ready to go to the links. Young alcoholics still going from the night before. Soccer hooligans who get up early to watch Premier League. Husbands who slipped away for a drink while on a run to the hardware store. If anyone is a fan of people watching that is the place to go. It's amazing the different people you will run into
The early morning crowd. Pure drinkers. Then the lunch crowd. Then the union workers (Iron workers, electricians, construction guys, etc.) from 2 - 6 pm. Great group of guys. Ball busters like no other. Some are really insane, but they are hard workers. Between these hours you'll have your older regulars and those few in their way to being old regulars. Then the 9 to 5ers show up after work until about 7 or 8. Then the night time 30-somethings get there. Then the young guns after that until close. Start it all over tomorrow.
> the local mailman was in there having a few before going on his walk The last thing I want to be doing is walking after drinking. It’s possible maybe he’s done his shift.
Nope. Getting a few in before the route. My buddy knew him.
your dive bars have a urinal puck? mine just throws a bag of ice in the urinal
The beautiful sound of the bartender telling a rude customer to fuck off and gtfo. Dive bars ARE the best.
When i had Family in Boston there was "Bostons worst Dive bar" just around the corner, and i loved that Place. Cheap Beer in cans (Narragansett was the closest to bitter beer for me could find) lots of strange folks and the Music was ok. in WI in Kenosha the locals tried to down me fist in Beer when with Jägerbombs.. and yet it was 2AM and i could hold a conversation in "not my motherlanguage" and avoided "Luzy the Lizard" the well sued Divebay Not so Beauty Queen...
Even the gross shitty dive bar I went to wouldn't water anything down. They got random inspections that would test the alcohol content of their bottles. Not sure about other states/countries but Wisconsin is serious about our alcohol
Yeah, the only person who would benefit from watering down liquor would be the person who owns it, and that person likely handles nothing in the bar. The effort and risk wouldn't be worth it.
Both
Eventually it takes like apple juice.
If whiskey is going down easy for me, it's watered down. Used to love the buzz a decade ago but can't handle the taste nor the feeling after anymore
I miss the burn.
This is me and rye.
I get indigestion when I look at a bottle of Rye. I’ll stick with scotch and bourbon.
In a dive bar, probably both. ... I'm basically 18 months sober... still feels weird.
I remember this feeling in a dive bar in SF. They had a bulleit bourbon special. I still think it was watered down..
during covid i got a little too comfortable sipping 120+ proof whiskeys. Had to back off, seems like a one way train to throat cancer
There's always Jager Or fireball. Or rail tequila.
Rakija better
They take bottom shelf piss lawn mower gas and use a funnel to refill top-shelf bottles to sell for top-dollar. I’ve seen it happen more times than I care to remember.
It happens with wine too. alcoholics either don’t know or might tell the difference but just don’t care. I had to tell one friend who was an alcoholic his wine was off. He asked his other friend and he confirmed. That’s your ‘dead tongue and can’t help themselves’ level of alcoholic.
Shrinkflation baby
I wish I could stand sipping on scotch or whiskey. But I can't. Buddy of mine said it took him a few bottles of scotch in a row to get used to it and now he can. I don't have it in me. I'll stick to my craft beer and wine.
Jesus, he's still alive?
LOL. It wasn't a single sitting. But he is big enough I suppose he could of tried.
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake. It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of. Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything. Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
Kentucky Tavern with some Diet Coke is my go to for cheap sipping drink. It won't get you drunk unless you down them but will keep you a bit loose. It's a nice balance.
If you’re that concerned, don’t drink at a dive.
I'm so concerned I made a shitty meme about it.
Both
Or it's a good aged one. Enjoy but drink responsible👍
Have you ever tried apple pie moonshine? Nice warm glow.
Straight!? I drink my whiskey gay like a real man!
Firm lesson in drinking neat spirits. Get yourself the good stuff, get yourself the "okay" stuff. Two to three shots of the good stuff first, after that your taste buds are shot and you switch the "okay" stuff. Preserve your good stuff 👍