lager lager lager (?)

[anotheranon]

I grew up drinking beer.

Well, no - that's not quite correct. It's fairer to say that most of my drinking history, such as it is, revolves around beer. As a poor college student, splitting a pitcher with friends was just economical. Even drinking at home (which my parents, in a glimmer of pragmatism, permitted when I was a teenager), was mostly beer because that was what was on hand. And I don't usually drink much now because D. doesn't and because alcohol is rather pricey.

As such, I have a relatively unsophisticated awareness of anything BUT beer. Which is a real pity, because I've recently discovered that there are mixed drinks that actually taste good and don't leave me with that "full" feeling that beer does:

Gin and tonic - fresh, limey taste perfect for summer.
Whiskey on the rocks - spicy and tasty alone
Irish coffee - downright cuddly in winter, plus the added benefit of caffiene + alcohol = interesting buzz :P
White and red wines - very pleasant alone; I know that one is supposed to complement seafood, the other red meat, but I can't remember which. Also I wouldn't know how to choose a good wine from a bad one if pressed.

Amaretto brandy goes well on ice cream (back when I could eat it), and rum/coke isn't bad (but my skin hates soft drinks).

So I'm soliciting recommendations. Not looking to get tanked here, just wondering what's good/appropriate to order in a restaurant/serve guests/drink with [insert dish here].

Comments

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Since I dislike the taste of beer, I've had to make do with the other stuff ***grin***. Like you, I'm not big on soft drink mixers, but quite enjoy drinks made with fruit juices. And I prefer simple drinks, rather than those with so many ingredients that they taste "muddy" (to me, anyway).

Rum (the blacker, the better) and pineapple juice (you can go the whole hog and order a piña colada, which throws in coconut liquer and a few other goodies), but the simple version is just as tasty, IMHO. I don't think there IS an official name for rum'n'pineapple, since bartenders tend to give me funny (or utterly blank) looks when I order it. :p Rum and papaya juice is DIVINE! And, when you're somewhere where they only have the basic mixers, rum also goes well with orange juice (I recommend unsweetened juices with rum ... being made from sugar cane, it's already packing enough sweetness of its own). A variation on the theme ... one of my aunts frequently serves up amber rum with a peach punch mixer (you can buy the frozen concentrate for the peach) ... very refreshing. For Christmas, spiced rum in eggnog (up here we can buy soynog that tastes like the real thing ... hopefully your area has it too).

The classic screwdriver, vodka and orange juice. In hot weather, mix up a batch and put it in the freezer for screwdriver slushies (this version is pretty powerful, so don't plan to be operating complicated machinery, like pencils, during or afterwards ... think of it as an excuse to NOT __________ (fill in the blank ***grin***).

Tom Collins ... the gin and soda version of your gin and tonic.

Irish coffee=YUM!!!!! Hot mulled wine is also quite scrummy when it's chilly outside.

I also enjoy wine, but I don't "know" my good wines and bad either ... I just trust my tastebuds. My favourite is zinfandel, which is a rosé ... not too dry and not too sweet (and not expensive either).

P.S. The wine/food thingy, according to my copy of "Miss Manners Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior":

The general rule is that the host selects the wine to complement the food, and the general beliefs are that chilled white wines are better with light food, such as fish, poultry, and veal; that full red wines are served at room temperature with game and heavy meat; that sweet wines are served with dessert; and that champagne goes with everything. Miss Manners holds to the last opinion very strongly.
But these rules are not engraved in stone or, shall we say, stained on white damask. A host who is sure of himself may try some more daring combination at home, or he may do so in a restaurant with the advice and permission of his guests.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Sounds like many different fruit juices go well with rum - it might be a good "all purpose" to have in the fridge. I remember screwdrivers, as well as vodka and lemonade, albeit dimly for fairly obvious reasons ;) Tasty but they sneak up on you!

I've never been extraordinarly keen on champagne because it's so sweet, even when chilled. I think my sweet tooth has shrunk with age, too much sugar makes my teeth go on edge.

How does one mull wine?

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Well, I definitely wouldn't mix grapefruit juice with rum (and I don't think I'd want to try it with grape juice either), but everything else seems to go quite well with it. Rum is the classic library technician tipple ... every time I've been involved with the AALT conference, the bar runs out of rum halfway through the thing, while most of the rest of the bottles get returned unopened ***grin***.

Have you ever had a mimosa? That's champagne mixed with orange juice ... cuts the sweetness and makes for an amazing breakfast. :-)

I've never mulled wine myself ... just ordered it in restaurants during winter (it tends to appear on menus around Christmas) ... so did a quick Google and found this site with multiple recipes. Happy mulling!

[geekchick]

To generalize, red is usually paired with heavier food and white with lighter. About.com's got a decent introduction. Usually I tend to drink white varieties in the summer and red (and port, mmmmm) when it's colder, although that doesn't hold true for sangria. =)

Speaking of sangria, you and D. doing anything tonight? Interested in a Lewis Black/Eddie Izzard viewing with us and H. and D.?

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Can't afford to do either, but thank you for thinking of us :(

Re: Sangria - I've heard you mention it before - just what is it? And what does it go with?

[geekchick]

Oh, we gave up on the seeing Lewis Black live thing (who wants to pay $50 each to schlep to Baltimore and back?) and are just going to sit on the sofa here and watch Lewis Black and Eddie Izzard DVDs instead. If you're up for that sort of thing, give us a ringydingy.

Sangria goes with everything. ;) The basic recipe is red wine and fruit slices (orange and lemon, usually) and sugar and a little brandy, chilled overnight and then maybe add a little club soda tossed in before serving. You can put all kinds of things in it though, and I've seen recipes that use a things like peaches and white wine.

[nminusone.livejournal.com]

As an engineer, in this case chemical, and a non-drinker, I of course prefer absolute ethanol. If you want impurities, you can always add them back later, but removing them is much harder.

It's actually surprisingly challenging to distill EtOH+H2O mixtures to a high degree of dryness, without getting at least somewhat exotic. Though I suppose an extraction over conc H2SO4 might work if you didn't mind a bit of ether in the result. I might also try a drying over silica some time, just for kicks.

For wine I follow the rule: the bloodier/darker the meat, the redder the wine. But since I don't drink it's not necessary for me to know a rule that actually works. ;)