I'll Drink to That (Drinking Thread)

[Germanic Templars]

"Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine, a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy."
-Benjamin Franklin

Welcome to the drinking thread, where anything related to a consumable liquid are on the table to be talked about. That means laws of the country you live in, or the moral issues with drinking as well as your favorite drinks. And yes, non-alcoholic drinks can be discussed to. Like soda, coffee, tea, even dihydrogen monoxide! Got a interesting story you want to share dealing with drinks? Sure no issue, unless it violates PG-13 rules.

Being host, I shall serve first (and end with the horrible puns).

Being born in US of A, legal drinking age is 21 years. So being law abiding I didn't drink until I was 21 years old, with my first drink being whiskey, and boy was that a time to remember considering the nasty concoctions my friends were trying to get me to drink, like whiskey, French Vanilla Coffee Cremer, and Coke Zero. My friends told me it tasted like a milkshake, I told them they have bad taste and it was horrible even when being tipsy off 10 shots of whiskey.

EDITOR's NOTE: I am also dedicating this thread to Minor, because that is a guy I can drink to.

[Pope Joan]

When in Europe I became fascinated with the flavor of Hungarian Tokaj wine but I cannot find any in the states. Any help?

Also, I had absinthe in Denmark but was told it was banned in the USA. How I hear it is legal here but it has been altered from its original formula. Can someone tell me more?

[Frank Zipper]

Also, I had absinthe in Denmark but was told it was banned in the USA. How I hear it is legal here but it has been altered from its original formula. Can someone tell me more?

It probably hasn't altered from the old recipes, it is simply that we can now measure the amount of thujone in it, and produce a product with consistent levels within the legal limits. Absinthe recipes in the old days were not intended to have more thujone than we have nowadays, they just couldn't test to ensure that some batches didn't contain more toxic levels.

Much of the reason it was banned was a good old fashioned media scare campaign to sell newspapers. Not unlike the scare campaign that got marijuana banned. Facts really had little to do with it.

[Bacopa]

Last non-alcoholic beverage consumed: iced coffee, black

Last alcoholic beverage consumed: Yuengling Lager

[Germanic Templars]

Last non-alcoholic beverage consumed: iced coffee, black

Last alcoholic beverage consumed: Yuengling Lager

Iced coffee, that right there doesn't sound too tasty. Then again I prefer my coffee hot even in summer heat.

[The Huskar Social Union]

I dont drink a lot, usually when im with my friends from uni on a night out and also occasionally with family at certain events, but other than that i wont really drink alcohol at all, and i cant stand pints, everyone ive had has tasted like shit, Carlsberg, Guinness, a few others, didnt enjoy any of them.

I have a small set of alcoholic drinks i usually end up getting when im out: Southern Comfort (usually with lemonade), ciders (usually pear) and Captain Morgan's (usually with coke or something similar)

[Communal Ecotopia]

When in Europe I became fascinated with the flavor of Hungarian Tokaj wine but I cannot find any in the states. Any help?

Also, I had absinthe in Denmark but was told it was banned in the USA. How I hear it is legal here but it has been altered from its original formula. Can someone tell me more?

Okay, I think I can answer both. Here in the States, Tokaj/Tokaji/Tokay does NOT come cheap, especially at higher puttonyos (sweetness levels), but it can be ordered over the net at most high-end wine vendors (post scriptum...I just found some relatively inexpensively at Wine Direct. I'm sure wine.com would also work, but it MAY be more expensive). As for the Green Goddess, most modern absinthe, not just in the States, must NOT contain significant amounts of the compound thujone, which comes from the traditional wormwood component of the drink. Thought to be a mild hallucinogenic, thujone is also seen by some as the compound responsible for the sickness found in many longtime absinthe drinkers of old, though studies show that it's not particularly harmful in small quantities and that it may have been the extreme proof of the alcohol that was actually to blame.

[Germanic Templars]

I dont drink a lot, usually when im with my friends from uni on a night out and also occasionally with family at certain events, but other than that i wont really drink alcohol at all, and i cant stand pints, everyone ive had has tasted like shit, Carlsberg, Guinness, a few others, didnt enjoy any of them.

I have a small set of alcoholic drinks i usually end up getting when im out: Southern Comfort (usually with lemonade), ciders (usually pear) and Captain Morgan's (usually with coke or something similar)

Ever tired one of those cinnamon shots with Capt Morgan?

[The Tofu Islands]

Iced coffee, that right there doesn't sound too tasty. Then again I prefer my coffee hot even in summer heat.

Most of the good iced coffee I've had has been sweetened -- especially kopi ping (I may be misspelling that...) which is a Malaysian concoction made from strong black tea with condensed milk.

That said, if you cold-brew coffee it comes out pretty nice without any sugar at all -- incredibly smooth flavour.

And, of course, there's no external temperature that is too hot to drink coffee hot. So there's that.

In terms of what I drink: coffee and tea, in significant quantities (tea more at home, coffee more at university), to the degree of them being my main source of fluids. Assorted Chinese teas (prefer the darker ones: oolongs, reds, and Chinese black tea) from time to time. For alcohol, I mostly go with gin or cider, and will drink a fair few liqueurs of various kinds if offered. Not fond of beer or wine, though.

[Risottia]

When in Europe I became fascinated with the flavor of Hungarian Tokaj wine but I cannot find any in the states. Any help?

Maybe you can find Friulano, which is Tokaj made in Friuli (a region of Italy) but cannot use its traditional name (Tocai) in Italy because of an EU regulation.

[Germanic Templars]

Iced coffee, that right there doesn't sound too tasty. Then again I prefer my coffee hot even in summer heat.

Most of the good iced coffee I've had has been sweetened -- especially kopi ping (I may be misspelling that...) which is a Malaysian concoction made from strong black tea with condensed milk.

That said, if you cold-brew coffee it comes out pretty nice without any sugar at all -- incredibly smooth flavour.

And, of course, there's no external temperature that is too hot to drink coffee hot. So there's that.

In terms of what I drink: coffee and tea, in significant quantities (tea more at home, coffee more at university), to the degree of them being my main source of fluids. Assorted Chinese teas (prefer the darker ones: oolongs, reds, and Chinese black tea) from time to time. For alcohol, I mostly go with gin or cider, and will drink a fair few liqueurs of various kinds if offered. Not fond of beer or wine, though.

Eh, depends if you are in Tucson in 120^oF weather. People there thought I was nuckin futs.

Are you allergic to Bee pollen? If not try bee pollen tea with cinnamon. It is a great antibacterial/antiviral and can help with allergies well. Easy to make really. I make it on occasions because Arizona is known for having almost every planet across the other 49 states of USA so pollen and other allergies go nuts during Monsoon Season and it help clear me up, it also tastes good too.

[The Tofu Islands]

Eh, depends if you are in Tucson in 120^oF weather. People there thought I was nuckin futs.

I've done it in Singapore in ca. 35° heat (plus humidity). My hosts were doing the same...

Are you allergic to Bee pollen? If not try bee pollen tea with cinnamon. It is a great antibacterial/antiviral and can help with allergies well. Easy to make really. I make it on occasions because Arizona is known for having almost every planet across the other 49 states of USA so pollen and other allergies go nuts during Monsoon Season and it help clear me up, it also tastes good too.

I might give that a go next spring. I get horrible hay fever whenever I'm in Oxford, so the need's there...

Also, the one drink I forgot to mention is Rooibos tea -- I'm so accustomed to drinking hot drinks all day that it's my standard non-caffeinated drink for late evening.

[Communal Ecotopia]

As for drinks, I'm usually pretty boring. Mostly, it's dihydrogen monoxide or non-alcoholic apple cider for me (occasionally hot tea), though I've got a pretty hefty chai tea latte (hot or ice-no-ice...which is to say cold without ice) addiction. On the occasional time I drink an alcoholic beverage, I'll go for sweet stuff--dessert wine when I can, the occasional Irish creme...that sort of stuff.

[Gjulich]

I call this poem "Mead".

Mead:

Mead is great!
It's one of those
drinks you know
exists, but you
just don't try it.
It's soft and sweet
and made of
honey
it's
like
wine, but
made with honey

[Parcia]

I prefer Vodka (yea, im that Guy) but I like to mix it in with something good.

Vodka with green tea is pretty good, Vodka and coke, etc. etc. etc.

[Communal Ecotopia]

I call this poem "Mead".

Mead:

Mead is great!
It's one of those
drinks you know
exists, but you
just don't try it.
It's soft and sweet
and made of
honey
it's
like
wine, but
made with honey

Never had the occasion to try real mead. Where does one find it (I'm in the States) outside of the SCA?

[Gjulich]

I call this poem "Mead".

Mead:

Mead is great!
It's one of those
drinks you know
exists, but you
just don't try it.
It's soft and sweet
and made of
honey
it's
like
wine, but
made with honey

Never had the occasion to try real mead. Where does one find it (I'm in the States) outside of the SCA?

Hmm... Well, the States is where Mead had its real comeback. Here in Australia, it's in practically every bottle'o, but I couldn't say for there. Try the American Mead Makers' Association, they might have some information for you.

[Herrebrugh]

I mainly drink beer: Westmalle Trappist Dubbel. I recently went to Berlin and had some Weihenstephaner Doppelbock there. I really liked it, but the local dedicated beer shop back home doesn't appear to sell it.

I'm not really a big fan of Pilsners, but they're alright usually. If I get to pick I tend to go for Gulpener, but for no particular reason.

[Anollasia]

I love some good dihydrogen monoxide.

[The Blaatschapen]

When in Europe I became fascinated with the flavor of Hungarian Tokaj wine but I cannot find any in the states. Any help?

Also, I had absinthe in Denmark but was told it was banned in the USA. How I hear it is legal here but it has been altered from its original formula. Can someone tell me more?

Ah, Tokaj wine... My brother is currently in Budapest, I should convince him to get me a bottle

[Major-Tom]

When in Europe I became fascinated with the flavor of Hungarian Tokaj wine but I cannot find any in the states. Any help?

Also, I had absinthe in Denmark but was told it was banned in the USA. How I hear it is legal here but it has been altered from its original formula. Can someone tell me more?

Ever considered Amazon? They sell all kinds of obscure alcohols. Looks like wine.com might have what you're looking for as well.

As for myself, I'll drink to about anything, I'll drink about anything. My personal favorites are bacardi and cokes, Stella Artois, and almost all variants of red wine. Provence, in France, makes the best wine.

[Major-Tom]

I mainly drink beer: Westmalle Trappist Dubbel. I recently went to Berlin and had some Weihenstephaner Doppelbock there. I really liked it, but the local dedicated beer shop back home doesn't appear to sell it.

I'm not really a big fan of Pilsners, but they're alright usually. If I get to pick I tend to go for Gulpener, but for no particular reason.

Pilsners aren't always too great. Austrian pilsners, for all the hype, were disappointing and mediocre.

[Major-Tom]

I prefer Vodka (yea, im that Guy) but I like to mix it in with something good.

Vodka with green tea is pretty good, Vodka and coke, etc. etc. etc.

It's alright, vodka is pretty good, although I'd rather drink it in shots, not mixed with anything. Generally the vodka overpowers anything, especially Coke in my experience.

[Brisketistan]

There is no "buzz" with everclear. Every other drink, you become intoxicated over time. But with everclear it's just zero to 100; there is no in between.

[Kannabyss]

There is no "buzz" with everclear. Every other drink, you become intoxicated over time. But with everclear it's just zero to 100; there is no in between.

Feels like you got stabbed in throat when you take shots, too.