Cankin Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 Two iPhone 4s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shellylh Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 Serious question: Would it be worth it to start experimenting with cocktails anytime in the near future (on my limited budget), or wait until I've more experience with good booze and am a bit a older before going that route? Sure. There are some pricey liquors but not all of them are that pricey, and you could just avoid those. You don't have to use really good/pricey booze to make cocktails, in fact in some ways, it is just the opposite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitz Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 Cocktails were my first alcoholic beverage ever. I didn't even know you could drink tequila straight until I tried a really good one...was that last year, or the year before? I think it was last year. I wouldn't drink the stuff I drank in college straight. That whole salt/drink/lime thing was to completely overload the taste organ so that you didn't realize you were drinking swill. Sabotage/camouflage, as it were. What was the question again? I think the answer's, 'yes'. Heh, my only real exposure to alcohol was cheap beer before I went to DanJam, which made me love straight whisk(e)y. Didn't really get into drinking beer for the taste until CanJam this year. Sure. There are some pricey liquors but not all of them are that pricey, and you could just avoid those. You don't have to use really good/pricey booze to make cocktails, in fact in some ways, it is just the opposite. Hmm, okay then! I just see so much stuff you guys post that uses specific brands of gin and such, and it always seemed like a major investment to have a sufficiently stocked liquor cabinet to make these various cocktails, and I doubt I would be able to really appreciate the differences right now either. Guess I don't necessarily need to shoot for the top just starting out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morphsci Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 Serious question: Would it be worth it to start experimenting with cocktails anytime in the near future (on my limited budget), or wait until I've more experience with good booze and am a bit a older before going that route? Totally agree with Shelly. In fact, using fresh ingredients like juices and garnishes may be more important to the taste than using really good liquor. The fun part is that the cocktails do scale with better ingredients plus you get to exercise a little more creativity. Give it a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitz Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 Totally agree with Shelly. In fact, using fresh ingredients like juices and garnishes may be more important to the taste than using really good liquor. The fun part is that the cocktails do scale with better ingredients plus you get to exercise a little more creativity. Give it a shot. Good to know, thanks Jim. Next time I get a bit of spare cash, I'll swing by the store and pick up a few base ingredients and start playing around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDen Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 Totally agree with Shelly. In fact, using fresh ingredients like juices and garnishes may be more important to the taste than using really good liquor. The fun part is that the cocktails do scale with better ingredients plus you get to exercise a little more creativity. Give it a shot. Seconding this, I've been making a few cocktails recently, I've not used any of the recommended drinks from the drinking thread but part of the fun is getting them later on and seeing how they compare with the ones you used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shellylh Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 Fitz, thought it might be useful to recommend some of the products I would start with when getting into mixing on a budget. 1. Gin (an absolute must in my book but I really like gin). There are plenty of good gins around. I really like Plymouth or Bluecoat but they cost around $25. There are plenty of good gins under $20. For a good budget gin, many go with Gordon's which is close to $10 but I haven't had it in a long time so I cannot verify its drinkability. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/02/dining/02wine.html 2. Vermouth (dry and sweet). I might be inclined to get a bottle of Dolin blanc instead of a dry vermouth and just cheat the recipes a little because it is so damn good. However, it cost around $15 and there are certainly cheaper alternatives. Noilly Prat is popular and goes for around $7 per bottle. Again, it has been a while since I have had this so I will let someone comment if they have a better suggestion. I would stay away from Martini and Rossi though. Also, keep these in the fridge and they will last longer. 3. Rye. I love Sazerac 6 yr but it will run you $25-30 and there may be a cheaper alternative that is just about as good. Wild Turkey Rye is also supposed to be very good. Stay away from Old Overholt. It is cheap ~$13 but tastes like "panther piss." You could also substitute bourbon but then Al and others will give you hell for making a Manhattan with bourbon. 4. Bitters (Angostura and Peychauds) 6. Stuff like lime, lemons, tonic water, as needed. 7. Campari, not too expensive ($15) and will allow you to make a Negroni. I would get this after you have the other stuff though as it cannot be used in as many drinks as the other stuff. For the future: Herbsaint or Absinthe if you want to make the delicious Sazerac. Absinthe can be pretty pricey though, it does go a long way though. Brandy Anything else I am forgetting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aardvark baguette Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 Split a 12" chicken roma sub with my dad for lunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grawk Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 nintendo ds w/ r4 card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voltron Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 Great list Shelly. You and Reks are both right that Wild Turkey Rye is good stuff and at 101 proof it is even better. I would add Cointreau or Grand Marnier or Curacao because an orange liqueur is called for in so many cocktails and one of them will do you. Triple Sec is cheaper but the usual brands are too sweet and annoy me. Fitz likes him some Scotch, so don't forget a bottle of something you would be willing to mix with for a nice Rob Roy, a Stone Fence, or Blood and Sand (if you get cherry brandy/liqueur at some point). You can buy small bottles of a lot of these items at decent liquor stores. It is worth the marginally higher per-unit cost if you aren't sure you will use a ton of it (Cointreau, vermouths, absinthe, etc.). And you will need a tin for shaking unless you already have a form of cocktail shaker. Just buy a cheap tin and combine it with a pint glass and you are all set. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Chalk Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 I love it when they get the eyes right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxx Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 Lost my S90 in the club last night, so bought a S95 when I got home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyrion Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 Bought the Zu Omen show sample. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voltron Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 Bought the Zu Omen show sample. Didn't you already buy a pair? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morphsci Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 To Shelly and Als list I would also add a vodka you like, orange and cherry bitters and Lillet blanc. You could make a serious dent in the cocktail list with those ingredients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyrion Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 Didn't you already buy a pair? I was waiting for them to send a pp invoice. They do no start shipping until 11/1. Jp and I had been talking to Ron Williams, from Zu (the guy who was the rep for Zu that came to my meet), and at the end of the day, he said they were offering the show demos at a discount, so being the good Jew that I am I said sold. I must take this opportunity to thank Tyler. Without his help in shipping to me, this would not be possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crappyjones123 Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 congrats mike. when will the meet be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomana Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 Congrats, Mike! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morphsci Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 Nice score Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrarroyo Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 Nice score Mike! Oh, and I bought a new soldering iron to replace bulbs in a Marantz 2220. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crappyjones123 Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 iphone 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzziguy Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 I was waiting for them to send a pp invoice. They do no start shipping until 11/1. Jp and I had been talking to Ron Williams, from Zu (the guy who was the rep for Zu that came to my meet), and at the end of the day, he said they were offering the show demos at a discount, so being the good Jew that I am I said sold. I must take this opportunity to thank Tyler. Without his help in shipping to me, this would not be possible. I'm surprised that they used the Kosher version for the demo. Congrats on a shrewd purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPH Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 Living Stereo box set arrived. So far, the sound comparable to the redbook layer in the SACD. However, my Krell is (as usual) picky about which SACD it will play, so I haven't compared as much as I would have liked. I just did a waveform comparison between the redbook layer of the SACD and the redbook-only Brahms Piano Concerto No.1 and they're the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetoole Posted October 17, 2010 Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 Libations and Levi's. Received Lambda Nova Sigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvdunhill Posted October 18, 2010 Report Share Posted October 18, 2010 I just did a waveform comparison between the redbook layer of the SACD and the redbook-only Brahms Piano Concerto No.1 and they're the same thing. nice! Do you perhaps have the SACD for the Mendelssohn: Italian & Reformation Symphonies? That one sounded a bit off in places, but it might just be my ears. The other 4 or 5 I tried I could not A/B. This one I was able to. Perhaps I just got lucky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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