Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

"Go To" Alcohols

Beer: IPAs...Hazy, New England, Doubles, Imperials....doesn't matter melt my face with hops or be kind of juicy/fruity. Also I like Bud Lite Chelada and domestic draft red beers with Tajin added
Vodka: I don't drink it straight or neat so whatever is midshelf.
Whisky: Balvenie 12 year...Also mix some nasty Crown with like a gallon of Coke or Sprite when I'm at weddings.
Tequila: Espolon Blanco for mixing or Don Julio Blanco for sipping
Mescal: Bozal Ensamble
Wine: I have no idea...tend to lean toward Malbec but I couldn't tell you the difference.
Bourbon: Pinhook, Evan Willams bottled-in-bond, Old Forester Bottled-in-bond, Henyr McKenna, Old Granddad 114
Gin: Dry Fly Distillery...anything fancy because I tend to drink it on rocks or with splash of soda water
 
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Beer: Busch Light (how am I the first one to mention this?)
Vodka: No reason to spend past Svedka or Absolute for mixes, in my opinion.
Gin: Tangueray
Bourbon: Wild Turkey is fine with me. Definitely enjoy some of the finer more expensive ones, but don't often purchase
Whisky: Canadian Club Small Batch Classic 12
Scotch: Talisker Storm Single Malt
Wine: My wife almost exclusively drinks wines from Prairie Berry out of Hill City, SD. Lawrence Elk and Gold Digger.
 
Beer: Love it, but it messes up my stomach, doubleyso when I eat a whole pizza with it (how could I not?). I like the more balanced styles, the hipster hop craze is too much. IPAs taste OK, but give me a crisp pilsner or nice pale ale over that juicy triple hopped nonsense. Even a nice porter or stout. Or a hefeweizen!

Booze: Its all too expensive. Unless youre buying, in which case any works for me!

Wine: This is what I drink now. Old world wines are way, way, more bang for the buck than anything new world. Ive said it before, and Ill stand by it still: the best taste for value to be had is a bottle of Cotes Du Rhone. Spanish and Portuguese whites are always good buy, also, and a ~$10 bottle of either is far superior to anything new world until one starts getting to bottles 3x the price.
 
Bourbon or Scotch.

Bourbon - the cheaper the better if I'm mixing it, and, higher up the shelf if not.

Scotch - life's too short to drink cheap scotch.
 
Beer: Has to be dark, Porters and stouts. Mostly Black Butte Porter right now.
Hard stuff: Mostly Rum and coke. sometimes some Black Velvet for a cheap buzz
Wine: Has to be sweet not dry but not Boones Farm sweet. Do they still make that?
I will drink most anything if it's given to me free. Except that bottle of Peanut butter wine my nephew gave me for Christmas. Don't tell him but I poured it down the sink.
 
If you can't tell the difference you aren't doing it right ;)

This isn’t a super scientific analysis but seems to make the case that there is little difference.

 
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I try to keep my tastes simple. I can drink Whiskey straight and Coffee black, and thus won't go without.

But I do have some favorites if given the option

Makers Mark for bourbon
Carpano Antiqua for sweet vermouth (Manhattans, Negronis)
Tanqueray gin
Fever tree Ginger Beer (the best for Mules)

Just about any beer except the majority of Sours. My wheel house is Red Ales/Irish ales
Any wine if it is poured with love...
 
I've found my booze tastes have become less refined as I get older.

Coors Banquet or a Czech style lager if I have my druthers. All that hoppy stuff tastes (to me) like the pine duff left in a bear's den after a few months of hibernation. Plus, I feel full after three of 'em and like crap the next day. Try asking for "the one that tastes most like Coors" at some of these local breweries and see what kind of reaction you get.

Will usually order the tried and true Beam if I'm tying one on and drinking the hard stuff. Plus, it comes in plastic bottles if I'm backpacking. Won't look askance at Dickle for a rye.

Pussers for a dark & stormy if I happen to be visiting some of my friends in Providence, where everyone seems to have a collection of junky old functional sailboats that seem to make sugary mixed drinks taste real good.

A nice Cotes du Rhone wets my whistle from time to time. That, or I'll let my GF pick as she hails from old world wine country in the land of "liberté."
 
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Beer: I like IPA's, Porters and Stouts. Local brewery has a hazy that has been my go to.
Vodka: Tito's for everyday, Belvedere when the occasion merits
Scotch: Glenlivet or Glenfiddich, neat
Bourbon: Blantons when it can be found. 4 Roses small batch or Tin Cup are my go to.
Irish Whiskey: Jameson for everyday, Red Breast on a special occasion
Wine: Local blush or Ghost Pines Merlot for every day. Duckhorn Merlot when warranted.
Rum: Bacardi dark
Gin: Tanqueray
Tequila: Never
 
This isn’t a super scientific analysis but seems to make the case that there is little difference.

I would bet you a good bottle of Scotch that I could tell the difference between Stoli Elite and Philips vodkas in a blind taste test - no question.
 
Beer: Hand-rolled Hazy IPA from Draught Works or Woodknocker from Ten Mile. They also have a killer Brown ale that I can't pass up whenever it's on tap.
Whisky: Basil Hayden's, Eagle Rare, or Whistle Pig 10yr Rye
Gin: Brokers - it's like Tanqueray, but smoother. Perpetuity Gin from Gulch Distillery here in Helena is pretty unique and makes a nice dry martini.
Vodka: Tito's or 44 North huckleberry, but the only thing I'd rather have with vodka than gin is a Moscow Mule.
Wine: Kirkland signature boxes. My wife and I like good wine, but we also like wine enough that K-Sig boxes make too much sense.
 
Ive said it before, and Ill stand by it still: the best taste for value to be had is a bottle of Cotes Du Rhone. Spanish and Portuguese whites are always good buy, also, and a ~$10 bottle of either is far superior to anything new world until one starts getting to bottles 3x the price.
Amen. Cotes Du Rhone is top shelf value. I have a case at the house.
 
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