MGoLiquor: What's in your bar?
Booze...Spirits...Elixir...Alcohol...Firewater...Poison...known by many names liquor, when enjoyed in moderation, is a wonderful treat now and then. The Michigan fanbase are robust consumers of these adult beverages and I felt that we needed a diary to compare some of our favorites.
Here is a list of what this fan keeps in his bar and some thoughts on each...I don't claim to have a sophisticated palate these are just my impressions of the various drinks I enjoy....hope to see what other people imbibe in as well.
Favorite sipping whiskey - Crown Royal Rye Whiskey...excellent neat or on ice this is my go to drink when I'm not in the mood for something specific. A slight bite but goes down smooth with a very pleasant aftertaste. Not a fan of the variants like green apple, peach, etc. The only exception is Crown Royal Reserve which has all the taste of the original but is smooth as water with absolutely no bite...pricey though.
Single malt Scotch - Glenlivet or Glenfiddich 12 year..Developed a taste for scotch once I hit middle age and found the single malts more to my liking than the blended stuff. The 12 year bottles are a good taste to price point (for me). My preference with Scotch is neat and the aftertaste of either of these brands is spectacular with floral and oaken hints. When sipping scotch leave it on your tongue for a few moments to really activate the complex flavors.
Bourbon - Knob Creek or Woodford Reserve ... my two personal favorites which are excellent for straight sipping or for your Derby Mint Julep. Lots of great newer bourbons out there I just happen to like these two old standbys.
Vodka - Grey Goose..Vodka can be made from a number of different ingredients such as potatoes, rice, grapes, etc. Grey Goose is a product of France made from wheat. Good vodka tastes good due to the distillation process (extra filtration) and what it's made from. The cheaper stuff you want to use for screwdrivers or other drinks as it's seen less filtration typically. Grey Goose is a wonderful vodka really suited for sipping straight and, even better, chilled and is quite smooth. Vodka is also one of the top, if not the top, consumed spirits in the U.S.
Gin - I don't drink gin absolutely hate the stuff but keep a bottle of Tanquery for company.
Rum - Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum...don't drink often but when I do it's the Captain. Nice slight peppery aftertaste, a little bite but pleasant on ice. Run of the mill brand there is much better stuff out there but Captain's is fine for my bar.
Tequila - Tried Tequila a few times but never really developed a taste for it. I keep a bottle of 1800 around for margaritas.
Miscellaneous
Cognac - Hennessey...don't drink it often but when I do it's a silky smooth great tasting liquor and goes down very easy.
Drambuie - An after dinner liqueur composed of Scotch whiskey, honey and other things I can't recall. A little goes a long way but it is very tasty around the holidays.
Grand Marnier - an orangy taste after dinner liqueur my wife & her friends enjoy.
Ouzo - national drink of Greece and tastes like liquid black licorice and part of the Mediterranean anise flavored drinks common there. Ouzo is definitely not top shelf but I like it once in a while neat and room temperature.
Brandy - St Remy ... I enjoy this usually during winter snows for some reason. Smooth and delicious it leaves a pleasant aftertaste..St Remy isn't top shelf but it's a good value for the price and usually always available at Costco.
Jack Daniels - keep a bottle of this around for my young in-laws who usually always mix. I almost wept watching my nephew wasting some of my Knob Creek with a coke.
Baileys - great on ice and like it in coffee once in a while...as this is a heavy cream drink it can contribute to acid reflux
Kahlua - nice chocolate-ish liqueur to sip (chilled for me) or for those yummy white russians
Economy Booze
Been experimenting with Costco's private labeled liquor (Kirkland) and what I've tried has been VERY good. Some of their booze I'm positive is bottled by major labels. Price is usually half to a third of what the better equivalent liquors are going for.
I've had the Vodka, Spiced Rum and Rye Whiskey...all taste good and are great values although I find Captain Morgan's to be sort of better than the Kirkland equivalent.
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/costco-kirkland-brand-alcohol-spirits
November 1st, 2019 at 10:22 AM ^
Your comment on vodka filtration is interesting. I once had an Uber driver tell me if you put Smirnoff through a Brita filter it's indistinguishable from Grey Goose. Not a vodka person myself, so I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
If you're in the metro-Detroit area, Detroit City Distillery has some of the best vodka/gin I've ever tasted.
November 1st, 2019 at 10:44 AM ^
I've heard about filtering cheap vodka like that but never tried it. And yes I'm in metro Detroit I've heard other people mention Detroit City Distillery will have to look into that thank you.
November 1st, 2019 at 10:46 AM ^
Be definition it’s a colorless, tasteless spirit. The only reason Grey goose was “best tasting” for years is because a little French guy was pumping vanilla extract into the process until Bacardi bought it, at which point they stopped. Note no “best tasting” vodka adverts from them in recent history. And extra filtration is nonsense and simple marketing.
November 1st, 2019 at 11:15 AM ^
I recently had a "sipping" vodka at a friend's house - can't recall what it was. Over ice and not bad at all. Wasn't overpowering, no strong bite, pretty smooth. Never sipped vodka (most of my experience with vodka was in college in shot glasses or mixed with who knows what).
November 1st, 2019 at 11:56 AM ^
What MGoOhNo said. Grey Goose was created by marketers to sell expensive vodka to people who wanted to spend more than they were spending on Absolut. It routinely scores near the bottom of blind taste tests, for whatever those are worth with vodka. Vodka is vodka; when I lived in Pakistan I could get the locally-distilled stuff in a bottle with a peeling label and it was absolutely fine. Watered-down sometimes, but fine.
If you want to spend $40 on vodka, you're better off buying two bottles of Smirnoff. Unless you want to feel fancy, in which case by all means go for the Grey Goose.
November 1st, 2019 at 11:01 AM ^
I can confirm this! I used to work with a guy from Russia. He told me to buy the cheapest crap and run it through a Britta about 4 or 5 times. Truly indistinguishable from the most expensive stuff out there! Also, toss some real fruit in that bottle and get yourself some flavored Vodka that's way better than what's available.
November 1st, 2019 at 4:42 PM ^
Valentine’s - Vodka, Pingree Bourbon and Liberator Gin out of Ferndale are pretty darn good.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:02 AM ^
Valentines! Great stuff. To agree with everyone, high priced vodka is just good marketing. There used to be a rumor that Kirkland's vodka was grey goose. Grey goose denied the rumors, but the truth was that high quality ingredients aren't really meant to be tasted, after all the distillation is supposed to strip the taste and just make it easier to drink (or mixed).
November 4th, 2019 at 12:24 PM ^
Co-sign on Liberator Gin. I keep trying other local distillery gins and have been nothing but disappointed. Liberator + Fever Tree tonic + a splash of lime juice = best G&T I've ever had.
November 4th, 2019 at 12:25 AM ^
I routinely drink vodka, both Grey Goose and Smirnoff, and I truthfully cannot tell the difference between the two. I don't get any worse of a hangover with Smirnoff than Grey Goose. No need for a Brita filter. My advice, save a bunch of money and buy Smirnoff instead of Grey Goose. They are identical AFAIC.
November 6th, 2019 at 9:49 AM ^
In the 90's I dated my boss for a few weeks after I quit. She was a hard core vodka drinker and swore that the triple filtered vodka was better because it didn't give her a hangover. I think anyone who has a refined vodka palette either needs to go into rehab, or is Russian. That said having a refined Bourbon or Scotch palette is totally respectable.
November 1st, 2019 at 10:35 AM ^
God I miss alcohol.
Also, proper vodka is made from potatoes. In Poland. AND NOWHERE ELSE.
November 1st, 2019 at 11:12 AM ^
What did you do that made Mrs Hatter cut off your supply?
November 1st, 2019 at 1:26 PM ^
She's the problem, not me. Booze makes her completely psychotic, so in order to get her to abstain, I do as well.
Sucks.
November 1st, 2019 at 3:24 PM ^
I am kinda in the same boat. My wife has developed Laryngopharngeal Reflux (LPR), which requires her to be on a low acid diet, and abstain from alcohol, coffee, garlic, chocolate, and tomatoes. Since she doesn't drink at dinner anymore, I also cut back. But I still like the occasional "wee dram!"
November 3rd, 2019 at 4:49 PM ^
Wow, that is a bummer prescription! So many of the good things.
November 1st, 2019 at 10:35 AM ^
Scotch- my preference is toward Highland and Speyside single malts, almost neat but with a few drops of water (angel's tears) to open it up, like airing a fine wine. I generally don't prefer the peaty Islay malts. Oban is the closest to smoky that I am willing go. I was somewhat surprised to see that the Macallan, which is popular here, is no big thing in Scotland. Someone told me it is the Patron of single malts, much hype and advertising.
Vodka- Ketel One; Grey Goose to me has an aftertaste, Tito's is distilled to the point of tastelessness. Vodka martini with just a twist, please dispense with the James Bond jokes.
Gin- Tanquerey, but mainly when I attempt to make a Vesper.
Rye- Bulliet, it's a great value. Prefer rye to bourbon.
Cognac- Hennessy XO, pretty expensive but it takes me a couple of years to go through a bottle.
Tequila- for some reason, I prefer to sip a good silver/blanco as opposed to a reposado or añejo. But rarely, like at a Mexican restaurant.
November 1st, 2019 at 10:49 AM ^
Awesome Scotch knowledge MMB 82! I read something about Scotch with a bit of water as well I'll try that my next glass. Macallan is crazy money even at the US/Canada duty free store so never had it.
I've had Ketel One and it's a very good vodka forgot about that one. The great thing about liquor is you can crack a bottle and keep it around for years.
November 1st, 2019 at 12:49 PM ^
Hennessy XO? That's good stuff. Make sure you add a splash of water to it when you drink it as well. Cognac opens up like scotch with a few drops of water.
Costco has a Kirkland XO cognac that's pretty good and is about half the price of the Hennessy XO. Myself, I keep some Hennessy Privilege (VSOP) in my bar during the winter months. Nothing better on a cold night after a good meal than cognac neat with splash of water.
November 1st, 2019 at 12:50 PM ^
I think The Macallan (like OSU, they're touchy about the The) gets a bad rap simply because it's such a large distillery, and traditionally, so I've heard, has been seen as upper crust in the UK. And it's annoying how they offer a blizzard of different bottlings that do not appear to be much different from one another (I mean, how many different ways can you combine sherry and ex-bourbon casks?). But it is undeniably high-quality stuff, I think. The Macallan 12 (the classic sherry oak one, not the "double cask") has to be one of the best initial offerings out there, and it's readily available for $50.
November 1st, 2019 at 1:43 PM ^
OP is weak in the Bourbon. How about Angels Envy? And in the Ryes I suggest Sazerac (endorsed by Jim Brockmire) or Basil Hayden Dark.
November 1st, 2019 at 4:14 PM ^
Angel's Envy is one of the best I've had
November 6th, 2019 at 9:52 AM ^
I applaud the OP for the topic but the list is less esoteric and artisanal than I would expect from a Michigan fan.
November 2nd, 2019 at 10:33 PM ^
Love me some Islay scotch. Smokey flavor of Lagavulin16 is like drinking a campfire. Tip of the cap to Ron Swanson for the suggestion.
November 6th, 2019 at 10:54 AM ^
If anybody has some advice for getting into single malt Scotch, I'm all ears. My wife loves the stuff so I buy it for her, but all of it, without exception, tastes like nail polish remover to me. I'd been buying her stuff aged in multiple oak casks--Auchentoshan Three Wood, Jura Seven Wood, etc.--because I like how it smells. But I still can't drink the stuff, so I went back to buying her Laphroaig, which she likes.
I mostly drink gin and tonics or Port, depending on the occasion, myself. (Pretty sure my palate was formed by Pepsi...) For what it's worth, Three Cents Aegean Tonic is the best stuff I've ever had--wish I could get a hold of it where I am.
November 1st, 2019 at 10:42 AM ^
Busch Light.
November 1st, 2019 at 10:56 AM ^
That was a staple for me when I was younger...beer just makes me fatter unfortunately had to swear the stuff off.
November 1st, 2019 at 1:48 PM ^
Remember when Michelob was the top of the line?
November 1st, 2019 at 2:35 PM ^
Yep...and Ioved Mich Dark boy oh boy was that good...at least it was when I was 20.
November 1st, 2019 at 10:44 AM ^
I pretty exclusively drink gin and bourbon when it comes to spirits but keep the rest around
Gin: Hendricks, Bombay
Vodka: Tito's
Pisco: Queirolo
Tequila: Don Julio
Bourbon: Bulleit, Four Roses Small Batch (great value imo)
Rum: N/A. I don't drink a lot of rum (don't like spiced rum at all). Anyone have any recommendations for top shelf or slightly below?
November 1st, 2019 at 10:50 AM ^
Gin, Nolet’s is the best in the world. Monkey 47 in a pinch.
November 1st, 2019 at 10:53 AM ^
I need to try Nolet's..you go with Silver usually?
November 1st, 2019 at 11:42 AM ^
I have switched primarily to gin over the last couple of years. The one I like most on the rocks is Plymouth Gin. They also have a Sailor's Strength that ups the alcohol content, but I haven't tried that yet. I usually use Bombay to mix and won't touch Tanqueray at all.
November 2nd, 2019 at 7:48 AM ^
Nolets is superb and you hardly want to throw away the empty bottle.
November 1st, 2019 at 10:50 AM ^
Appleton Estates rum is very good...I would recommend the dark stuff. for mixing & the more expensive bottles for sipping. If you know anyone going to Cuba they have OUTSTANDING dark rum.
November 3rd, 2019 at 4:57 PM ^
+1 on the Cuban Rums. If you can ever pick up Havana Club Selección de Maestros at a duty free, do it!
November 4th, 2019 at 8:31 PM ^
You can also get Cuban rum in Canada. I like all 3 of the Havana Clubs but also Pilar and Sailor Jerry.
November 4th, 2019 at 8:31 PM ^
You can also get Cuban rum in Canada. I like all 3 of the Havana Clubs but also Pilar and Sailor Jerry.
November 1st, 2019 at 11:07 AM ^
2nd on Appleton Estate Rerserva rum . Light rums are worthless except for mixing cheap drinks
Valentine's (local) Liberator Gin is phenomenal
Chopin Vodka (Poland) is my preferred Vodka
November 1st, 2019 at 11:12 AM ^
I'm curious on your Pisco. I really like it. Well the first brand I bought Kappa. Then never tried anything new.
Kappa isn't available in Michigan so need something easier to pick up
November 1st, 2019 at 11:24 AM ^
My wife is Peruvian so we buy this brand down there (or the in-laws bring it up for us). It might not the best but her family has been drinking it for years.
Pisco Porton is a pretty popular and available one here in the US and I think it's decent. I'm not a fan of Barsol, which is another common on here.
Stay away from Chilean pisco (Kappa is Chilean). Try Porton or Barsol...most cocktail bars will have Porton as an option. If you're local to Ann Arbor, the Super Liquor on South State (just south of 94) has some pisco and told us they'd order some special ones for us if we wanted.
November 1st, 2019 at 12:35 PM ^
Thanks!
Funny, I do like Kappa anyway, well it goes great in the Pisco cocktail I make.
Will get bottles of the Porton. not in A2, but my liquor store will order anything that's available in Michigan (That is sometimes a problem.)
November 1st, 2019 at 3:04 PM ^
What cocktail do you make with pisco?
I've had a couple of bad Chilean pisco's but I don't know if it's all as bad as my family says. Chile/Peru have a long history of hating on each other (and are technically still at war over a border region).
November 1st, 2019 at 7:54 PM ^
These three
1st one is probably a variation of a Sour I screwed up and can't find
2 oz pisco
.75 lemon
.75 cointreu
simple to taste ...5
Shake and strain into cocktail
Pisco Mint Smash
~4-5 mint leaves, plus extra for garnish
~ 2 oz Aba Pisco
~ juice from 1 fresh squeezed lime
~ 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, adjust to taste
In shaker muddle mint leaves and sugar until has been well broken up.
Add lime juice and pisco, stir to dissolve sugar (taste for sweet-sour balance, adjust if necessary).
Orchard and Vine
- 1 1⁄2 oz. pisco
- 1 oz. Lillet Blanc
- 1⁄2 oz. apricot liqueur (preferably Rothman & Winter Orchard)
- Lemon peel, for garnish
Add ice to shaker, shake vigorously, strain through basket strainer to remove excess mint.
Serve straight up in cocktail glass, with mint garnish.
November 1st, 2019 at 11:18 AM ^
Had some Don Julio silver at a friend's house - good stuff. I wouldn't drink it regularly, but I didn't hate it.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:09 AM ^
Don Julio! Great stuff, also the Casamigos is pretty great as well. Tequila is an avenue everyone remembers being shitty (experiences visiting cancun) or grabbing crappy cheap vodka. But the higher end tequilas are great.
November 1st, 2019 at 10:53 AM ^
I saw the title and was all set to moderate like NOT A DIARY but this is some content right here.
November 1st, 2019 at 11:13 AM ^
Let’s see, what do we have here?
Rum: Sailor Jerry, Chic Choc, Gosling’s Black Seal, Bacardi O
Vodka: Tito’s
Gin: Tanqueray Rangpur
Liqueurs: Jägermeister, Becherovka, some cheap ass Salmiakki in a plastic bottle, and Walton Waters absinthe.
Bunch of Grand Marnier and assorted Ports and Cognacs, but they’re primarily for mascerating fruits and building sauces. Applejack for soaking gift fruitcakes or Calvados for my own. Don’t judge.
I don’t hooch it up as much as I used to though, since I discovered I’m allergic to alcohol. The stuff makes me break out in handcuffs.
November 1st, 2019 at 11:14 AM ^
Vodka - Costo Signature half gallon sells for $17. It is, in my estimation, the best value of any liquor out there and it tastes as good as the other premium vodkas. I'm also a big fan of Tito's but at twice the price, I can't justify it.
Bourbon - Buffalo Trace is a good all around. I have some Col. Taylor on the shelf too but I've transitioned away from Bourbon and moved onto....
Irish Whiskey - Jameson's Black Barrel and Caskmates Stout Edition are my two favorites. One or two ice cubes, let it meld for a few minutes, then enjoy. It's sooo good. I also like regular Jameson's, Red Breast 12, Tulamore Dew, and Proper Twelve.
Scotch Whisky - Glenmorangie Nectar D'or 12 year. Man that's a fine whisky. I also enjoy Macallan 12.
And my go to mixer is Royal Canadian. Cheap as hell but it tastes so darn good with Coke Zero.
November 1st, 2019 at 11:34 AM ^
Big fan of Jameson's myself forgot about that one...time to pick up another bottle think I'm out.
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