Alcohol Awareness Month

I just got a mass mailing today informing me that this is Alcohol Awareness Month; and in the spirit of alcohol awareness, I thought I'd recommend Fidencio Clasico Mezcal:

I've come to like Mezcal a good deal recently, and this is very tasty; flavorful but mellow, and worth the $40-$50 you're likely to have to pay for it.

I appreciate that some people view Alcohol Awareness Month as a means of making people aware of (among other things) the "dangers of alcohol misuse." That's a worthy cause, since there are indeed many such dangers.

But I expect that most of our readers are well aware of that feature of alcohol. Learning about tasty alcoholic beverages, on the other hand, is News You Can Use. Please make us aware of other good alcohol in the comments.

Comments

[Kazinski]

I just can't even...

But once the CDC fully embraces alcohol, I will say there are a couple of rye whiskies I like a lot. The Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye, which was Jim Murray's whisky of the year in 2016, and the Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond Rye Whisky.

[orin ed deniro]

Old Fitzgerald Bourbon, if you can find it. Knob Creek Rye if you can't.

[Flight-ER-Doc]

I can wholeheartedly commend the Texas made single-malt, the Balcones Single-malt Whisky. Also convenient when trade between the US and the place formerly known as great Britain is interrupted.

https://balconesdistilling.com/spirit/texas-single-malt-whisky/

[Don Nico]

small correction in word order
"the place known as formerly great Britain"

[Mr. Jwpvysig, Jr.]

Bowmore 18 and Ardbeg 10.

[Aladdin's Carpet]

Dude, I'm a recent graduate, so I'll go with white claw thank you very much 🙂

Although I do love a good Sauvignon Blanc every now and then ... I love wine in general, which sure is pretentious but I dont really care.

[Aladdin's Carpet]

You know, I didn't mean the above comment as a reply, but reasons commenting system is weird. Oh well.

[Jeff Walden]

Hating the Reason commenting system can be bipartisan. 🙂

[Eugene Volokh]

We're uniters, not dividers.

[Brett Bellmore]

I'll take a mildly screwed up comment system without heavy handed censorship, over a nice commenting system WITH censorship, any day.

Though having a brief window to edit or delete comments would be nice...

[LawTalkingGuy]

Ardbeg Uigeadail

[Doug Huffman]

Oh my goodness, yes. Never forgotten.

[OtisAH]

Glenlivet Nadurra

[Life of Brian]

Seconded. I also tried Bladnoch on a whim last year and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[AmosArch]

Personally I prefer International Women's Day. I think people should educate themselves more about women, specifically younger women. Especially ones like Candice Swanepoel, Gisele Bundchen, and AnnaLynne McCord that the misogynist media doesn't seem like they want to celebrate like they used too. I myself am a strong proponent of holding...up more of these proud successful ladies as shining examples to society and I particularly want to bring more awareness and acclaim not just to the most successful but also countless other women who have just as substantial...assets...but maybe have flown under the radar of today's patriarocentric society such as Sydney Marr, Rachel Cook, Veronica Bielik, and Tory Praver.

[Eugene Volokh]

But International Women's Day is a day belonging to women; it's not Women Awareness Day. This is Alcohol Awareness Month.

[Dr. Ed 2]

"I just got a mass mailing today informing me that this is Alcohol Awareness Month; and in the spirit of alcohol awareness, I thought I'd recommend Fidencio Clasico Mezcal"

Yes, yes, yes....

The advantage of being a tenured law professor is that you get to say stuff like this to the schmucks in student affairs....

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

[Jeff Walden]

I've been much a fan of Reyka vodka for several years. Nice clean taste, hints of the volcanic rock I think they say they use to distill it. Available at my local Safeway in 750mL bottles, tho I prefer to go to Bevmo or Total Wine and pick up a 1.75L to reduce costs.

In a different vein, Tanqueray's rangpur lime gin has a nice little bit of extra flavor to it. I use it mostly to make Michigan fog horns: 5.5oz. Vernors (do not substitute ginger ale, it's not strong enough; Canada Dry Bold might work, it's got a strong enough flavor, but I've only had it straight), 1.5oz. gin, and a lime's worth of juice. (The original recipe I found, on idrink.com, calls for just a splash of lime juice, but I think it benefits from more.) I've never seen the 1.75L at Bevmo, but the local Total Wine did have it when I visited a few weeks ago.

Finally, on a whim, I picked up a Japanese Haku vodka on one of my last runs. It's made from rice, and it definitely has some of that rice taste to it. As far from a connoisseur of this stuff, I found it an interesting changeup from Reyka. Sort of a vodka version of sake, maybe?

[Kazinski]

I avoid mixed drinks.

As the great Thelonious Monk taught us: Straight No Chaser.

[Jeff Walden]

I like experimenting with different tacks.

But really, the Michigan fog horn is unbelievably smooth and delicious. Don't write it off!

[Dr. Ed 2]

One hot summer afternoon consuming nothing bur vodka and lobster which we were cooking on the boat.

Hint: When eating lobster, have half your food (by volume) be something other than lobster.

40 years later, I still can't stomach vodka....

[Brett Bellmore]

Does butter count as something other than lobster?

Best lobster I ever had was a roadside lobster po'boy in Maine, with the ocean on the other side of the road. It might have been over 50% bread, but I have my doubts.

[Don Nico]

Brett,
You have missed out on New England lobster pie. A pound of lobster meat sauteed in butter and then gratineed with some bread crumbs on top.
All the joy and none of the work.

[Brett Bellmore]

This was when I was living in Michigan, and my mother was a "snowbird"; She'd just bought a car in Michigan, and was looking at getting it back to Florida, and I had a lot of unused vacation time. So I suggested that we drive out to Maine, and then down the coast.

Took a couple weeks to reach Florida, but it was fun.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Are you sure you were *in* Maine?

The mountain in New England run NNE to SSW and hence there are few east-west roads, particularly the further north you go. (The MassPike -- I-90 -- is the most northern divided highway.)

I could see you taking US Route 2 to Bangor, but doubt it. You most likely took NH 101 (once proposed to become I-92) but that goes to Portsmouth, NH.

My guess, if the ocean was on one side of the road and the shack on the other, is that you were on New Hampshire Route 1 or possibly the older version of that road. The only other place I can think of you being -- south of Bangor -- would be York Beach but I doubt it.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Actually, if you came into Maine via Sanford, depending on how long ago, you might actually have been in Maine. Not now -- but 40+ years ago, there were such places.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Or did you take the Trans-Canadian highway (CAN route 2) and go through customs and pick up I-95 in Houlton (where you also can pick up US Route 1).

Other than clearing customs -- which didn't used to be an issue -- that is probably the easiest route from Michigan to Maine. And if you took 1A out of Bangor towards Ellsworth & MDI (Arcadia National Park), I know exactly where you stopped.

[Brett Bellmore]

Actually, we entered Canada at the Port Huron bridge, drove to Niagara, where we crossed back into the US. From there to Lake Placid, and entered Maine by way of Highway 2.

But we then made a point of driving up to the Northernmost point in Maine, Calais, by way of highway 9, and following the coast down. With the exception of steering clear of NYC, which neither of us had much interest in seeing.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Lobsters have a "lifeline" -- a feces-filled intestine which runs down their tail and ends just below the middle flipper. Remember how the bigger piece of tail meat is a double curve -- the lifeline runs in the crevice between the two.

It's like with softshell clams -- if you or your family are going to eat it, you remove the lifeline. If you are selling to tourists, most folk don't.

[mulched]

Haven't seen a gin yet, so I'd like to raise awareness of Tom's Town Barreled. Like mine in a Negroni, but makes a swell martini too.

[mulched]

Dammit Jeff!

[Jeff Walden]

????

[Jeff Walden]

...stupid commenting system doesn't understand emoji, I guess. That was the smiling face with a drop of sweat on it.

I guess I am now also wondering whether this comment system *securely* handles non-BMP code points at all. Getting Unicode handling wrong can be very unsafe!

[That other guy]

They waited until after 4/20 to let the word out about alcohol awareness? Seems a waste of almost three weeks.

[The Drill SGT]

I'm a CA native. A grad of UCD and a follower of Bacchus. I know and like wine. I recently move to the Oregon coast for the cheap homes and world class wines. My fav are those from https://www.ayoubwines.com/

Come visit Mo and taste his great wines in his kitchen.

Eugene, you might relate to the fact that Mo financed his vision by commuting to Silicon Valley as an EE

If I have to provide a hard liquor pick, let me offer up Harlequin Orange Cognac. Very much equal to Grand Marnier at 60% of the cost

[LawTalkingGuy]

Old Pultney 12. Really affordable for a single malt. Not as smoky/peaty as a lot of brands but more substantial than a glenfiddich (for about the same price). Has a nice sea salt taste to it that makes it unique. Not artificially colored either.

[Bill Poser]

I too like mescal but am not familiar with this variety. Thanks for the pointer.

[Bill Poser]

It turns out that Fidencio Clasico Mezcal is not available here, where there is a stupid government monopoly on the sale of alcohol.

[Don Nico]

I recommend single pot still Irish whiskey, Redbrest 12 yo is a good starter at about $50 a bottle. Some prefer Green Spot.
As for Scotch, I prefer Bowmore, 12 yo, or better 15 yo.

[Leaf's Chauffeur]

I feel like I heard good things about green spot, but haven't tried it yet. How does it compare to Jameson, which is the only Irish whiskey I've ever had?

[Shpip]

Since I discovered it on a trip to DC several years ago, I've become a huge fan of Virginia's Copper Fox Distillery's Rye. Quite unique.
https://www.copperfoxdistillery.com/copper-fox-rye

As for gin:
Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire for gin & tonics
Hendrick's or Plymouth for gin cocktails
Nolet's for martinis
Monkey 47 for martinis after you've made partner / retired

[JohnSteed]

Thanks Prof. V., I hadn't been aware of that Mezcal. As for gins, submitted for your consideration are Uncle Val's Restorative and Botanical gins, and Nolet (by the same family that does Ketel One Vodka).

[Brett Bellmore]

I'm a fan of mead, personally. I drink it, and brew it. With occasional adventures into fruit wines.

Right now I've got an an acerglyn (Maple syrup mead) in the early stages of fermentation, and my award winning cranberry/orange mead stabilized, and waiting to settle out.

[Doug Huffman]

Throughout the PLANdemic I have daily self-tested for ansomia and dysgeusia with my house wine, ~500 ml daily. I gave up chasing others’ recommendations and depend on my sixty years of experience starting in California wine country.

My house wine is Corbett Canyon box Pinot Noir, I believe Chilean, for about $13 per 3 liter box.

My gift wine is 10 Span Pinot Noir.

[dwb68]

Anejo tequila...Corazon

not only is it tasty, and relatively easy on the wallet, no hangover.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

For most Americans, after three decades of revival among small alcohol beverage producers, a purchase from a local brewery, cidery, or meadery might be as worthwhile as it is feasible.

[Brett Bellmore]

We're finally, as a nation, shrugging off the after-effects of Prohibition. Took long enough.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Sadly, no. The prohibitionists have returned.
I'm guessing that the campuswide email came from them.

[tkamenick]

Talk to me again if the three-tier system ever goes away.

[The Drill SGT]

winery?

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

I am not so familiar with small vintners or their products.

[Don Nico]

You're missing the world, Artie.

[Brett Bellmore]

We've a number of them around here.

I think the primary difference is that wineries tend to be larger than craft breweries or meaderies, or even distillers, because they typically grow their own grapes, it's part of the business. And that requires substantial land and work, it doesn't scale down well.

The other craft alcohol producers can profitably be fairly small, even one man businesses, because they're purchasing their fermentables.

I've got some muscadine grapes growing on my back fence, but only for table purposes. My suburban lot doesn't permit growing enough to even produce enough wine for my immediate family and friends. (Even if I were fond of grape wine.) My parents could pull it off, at that time we lived on acreage in the country.

But I have no trouble doing the mead with just a closet for storage, and occasional use of the kitchen, because I can buy all the supplies. If I wanted to go pro, a converted garage would be enough space, and I could scale up from there.

[Malvolio]

Is anyone over the age of, say, 5 unaware of both the benefits and potential dangers of alcohol?

As for awareness of specific brands of alcohol, I don’t see why that is any more important than the awareness of specific brands of soap, condoms, cars, cigarettes, frozen food, toothpaste, or any other consumer product.

[Eugene Volokh]

Important to find tasty new drinks? Not in the grand scheme of things, I suppose. Pleasant? It is to me.

[TK-421]

I recently got a bottle of Suntory's Roku gin, and I have to say it makes for a fantastic gin & tonic.

[tkamenick]

Are you aware of fernet? A delicious aromatic Italian bitters. Mixes incredibly well with cola for a really refreshing drink.

[Vera]

I would like to take this opportunity to make people aware of the Estonian craft beer industry in general. It's very new, and quite amazing.

They have a wide variety of beers, but, being mostly into imperial stouts, I can recommend those in particular:

Lehe Singularity is the absolute best. Not just the best by Lehe or the best Estonian beer, but the best imperial stout ever.
Põhjala Pime Öö PX is a pretty good runner-up.

Honorary mentions:

Põhjala Cocobänger
Lehe Pimedaim Tund Enne Koitu (The darkest hour before dawn)
Sori Brewing Dark Humor Club Hot Chocolate

And if finding or ordering Estonian imperial stouts is too much trouble after all, there are also some truly great ones made by The Bruery in the US, AF Brew in Russia, Brewdog in the UK...

[Dr. Ed 2]

Bud Lite

Official drink of White UMass Amherst students....

[????]

Whiskey:
Glen Livet 12 year is my standby.
Proper 12 is unexpectedly drinkable now that it has settled into a more reasonable price point.

Rum:
Koloa Dark
Ko Hana has some interesting white rums, but it's highly batch dependent. I'd only recommend buying after a tasting.

I'll point out that this is probably the most civil Reason comments have ever been. Point for booze!

[JSizias2]

I have about thirty or forty single malts and Glen Morangie is my favorite. Lagavulin is very nice and very peaty.

[Leo Marvin]

I'm always impressed by Walgreens Isopropyl's medicinal, high-proof nose. And unlike most recommendations in this thread, it's well within the means of the most budget-conscious COVID-disinfectant aficionado.

[Leaf's Chauffeur]

Hirsch bourbon. It's what any other bourbon dreams of being. It makes fine aged Scotches cry. Mmmm.

[Roman Moroni]

Are you sure that's Mezcal? Is the worm clear?

[JSizias2]

I had a number of Irish friends in grad school and really became a fan of Irish Mist.