The Syndicate

Mongoose wrote:Soooo does the fridge count?

As long as the door hasn't been open so much that the little light has been shining on it the whole time.

If it has been stored in a cool dry place away from light, I would say yes.

bea wrote:well...like I said - the elliot ness a lot. Connway's irish ale is awesome. If you ever get the chance to have the Nosfteruato (for halloween only) it's well worth the money spent.

We get Great Lakes in DC. Conway's is probably my favorite Irish Ale.

I rarely order beer out these days either. In DC you can usually buy a six pack at a grocery store for less than the price of a single pint in a bar.

Mongoose wrote:I'm allergic to cinnamon so I don't really liked spiced things. I like Red Stripe too.

I am always surprised by how much I enjoy Red Stripe considering it is an inexpensive lager, which are not usually to my tastes. It tastes like molasses, which is lovely.

Mongoose wrote:What does "red" really mean when applying to beer? Is it something I really just have to try?

Typically red refers to Irish reds, which are coppery in color and malty in character. A very delicious style, although Killian's is, in my opinion, an inferior example. There are also Flemish reds which are sour and fruity. A whole other animal, but tasty as well.

Epignosis wrote: Speaking of Red, I believe you hated the Red Stag.

Putting spices in bourbon is for people who do not like bourbon. I couldn't stand Jack Daniels American Honey either. Why can't we just drink plain whiskey?

Epignosis wrote:

thellama73 wrote: I think the Germans are onto something with their four ingredient purity laws.

How Libertarian of you.

Obviously I meant that the four ingredient rule is a good guideline, not that it should be a law. :P

@Bea: Interesting that you use Killian's and "good beer" in the same sentence. :P

Mongoose wrote:A lot of people like the Apricot, but I'm not really a fan of that flavor.

Yuck, indeed. The older and wiser I get, the less interested I become in novelty beers with crazy flavors. I absolutely refuse to drink anything brewed by Dogfishhead anymore (actually, I made that resolution on the St. Augustine trip where I met you in person) because I have been burned by their ridiculous concoctions too many times (and don't try singing the praises of their 90 minute IPA to me. It's the principle of the thing.)

I think the Germans are onto something with their four ingredient purity laws.

Mongoose wrote: Llama - you tried any cherry wheats this summer? You didn't mention absinthe - do you ever do that? My dad brings out his absinthe fountain around the holidays, but I just can't do it. I didn't even know there was such thing as pink gin.

I am pretty much staying away from wheat beers these days. No point. Why use wheat then there is so much perfectly good barley?

I had a bottle of real, French absinthe in college and it was quite good, although I experienced none of the strange effects for which it is renowned. I have tried other knockoff absinthes (without wormwood) a few times since then, as well as Pernod, but none of them comes close to being as good. In fact, they have all been disgusting.

My favorite beer for everyday drinking is Magic Hat #9 although I have many other loves for different occasions.

My favorite scotch is Laphroaig, quite peaty.

My favorite cocktail is the Gimlet, typically made with three parts gin to two parts Rose's sweetened lime juice, but I prefer mine a little drier with a 2-1 ratio.
Another one I quite like is Pink Gin with a twist of lemon, Pink Gin being simply cold gin with several generous dashes of Angostura Bitters.

For wines, which I don't drink very often, I prefer a big, oaky, leathery, tobbacco-y Cabernet Sauvignon, preferably from Chile, or a nice tawny port.

I will drink most spirits with the exception of Jaegermeister, which is the most horrible thing ever, and a general distaste for the trendy, teenage girl type liqueurs like Malibu and Midori. Not much of a fan of tequila either, but will have it in a margarita.

Chartreuse is very, very strange, and I think I am finally acquiring a taste for it after struggling to finish a bottle for more than a decade. I don't much like Galliano, but Campari is delicious and refreshing. Benedictine is quite pleasant and makes a surprisingly good sour.