Liquor/cocktail recommendations?

[mojo]

Sac, that was make the beast with two backsing hilarious!

I vote for Jack and Coke

[Slow Guy]

Irish Car Bombs are alllll you need! 

[Buckethead]

Irish Car Bombs are alllll you need! 

Delicious, certainly, but not really conducive to sipping. Or decision making. Or walking. Or remembering.

[brix821]

heres one of my own: Vodka basil limeade. Muddle fresh basil ( 5-6 leaves) with 2 lime wedges and 1 tbsp of sugar. Add Ice, 1 shot of good vodka, and top with soda water and a splash of sprite. Mix it all up and garnish with a lime.  How about a mint julep?  
Or mayhaps a one eared russian? ( make like a white russian and sub van gough espresso vodka.
My drink of choice is bourbon on the rocks!

[triangleforge]

I'll have to try those, Brix!

After years of asking, I finally found a local liquor store that carried Dutch Oude Jenever (the Dutch invented gin, you know, not those bloody John Bulls) - it's a juniper & spice flavored neutral spirit (like gin) but the Oude ("Old" as opposed to Jonge/Young Jenever which is clear)  is aged in oak to give it a bit of color & a nice carmel/vanilla note. The one I found is by Boomsma:

http://www.drinkupny.com/Boomsma_Oude_Genever_p/s0791.htm



Though it's wonderful sipping liquor, I made a Gibson's martini with it the other day and will never, ever use "regular" gin ever again if I can help it... 

[Triple J]

Beer, wine, Smirnoff Ice, and tequila.  Unfortunately, the beer is for my wife and the Smirnoff Ice is for me. 

I like margaritas, but they're also somewhat lacking in the manliness dept.

Your wife drinks beer, and you drink the Smirnoff Ice.  This may be a lost cause! 

Anyway, I'm similar in that I don't like many alcohols. I'm not a sweet freak though, so not totally the same. I tried to like Scotch and/or Whiskey...no luck.

If you like Margaritas, I say stick with them. Stop ordering them blended, and stop using mixers to up the manliness factor. Never order a flavored one.

Here's a kick ass margarita that is anything but girly:

4 parts Tequila (something good...I like Patron or Heredura Silver) [Someone here will likely say this is shit, but whatever]
2 parts fresh lime juice
1 part Triple Sec
1 part Grand Marnier
1 part Simple Syrup
1 part cheap beer (i.e. Bud Light) - this is optional, but I like it.

[Howie]

I'll have to try those, Brix!

After years of asking, I finally found a local liquor store that carried Dutch Oude Jenever (the Dutch invented gin, you know, not those bloody John Bulls) - it's a juniper & spice flavored neutral spirit (like gin) but the Oude ("Old" as opposed to Jonge/Young Jenever which is clear)  is aged in oak to give it a bit of color & a nice carmel/vanilla note. The one I found is by Boomsma:

http://www.drinkupny.com/Boomsma_Oude_Genever_p/s0791.htm


Though it's wonderful sipping liquor, I made a Gibson's martini with it the other day and will never, ever use "regular" gin ever again if I can help it...  

Gotta add that to my collection.  I like juniper, but don't care for gin.

[il d00d]

Has anyone said mojito yet?  If not, mojito.  It is about the highest you can go on the sweetness scale without a compulsory maraschino cherry and umbrella garnish.

That being said, I don't think many loved the taste of scotch the first time they drank it.  Like other straight liquors it is probably best described as an acquired taste (and I am glad I acquired it).  So, you might take another crack at it.  Since you already like blended whiskeys (Seagrams 7), you might try a variant, like Crown Royal or Canadian Club - these tend to be a bit sweeter, but no less strong than a single malt scotch.

[rgramjet]

If Talisker was the first Scotch I tasted, Id probably say I hate Scotch. 

I love Scotch but that shit crosses the line......think burnt rubber mixed with diesel fuel coupled with a honey finish......eeeesh!

[il d00d]

That's a good point.  I don't see what people see in the Johnny Walkers, for example, and I have tried everything from red all the way up to platinum, or whatever.  They just taste kind of stale to me.

[rgramjet]

I found a good use for a bottle of red that was given to me a couple years ago.  Opened it this evening and made a Rusty Nail.  Worked well!

[Rameses]

Irish Car Bombs are alllll you need! 

Gotta work on your technique pouring the drops.  They aren't floated.

[JEFF_H]

And yes, Manhattans were what I was going to suggest for the OP as well.

They're better with rye, but you can make them with bourbon alternately.  The Makers you bought will do just fine.

Pick up some sweet vermouth and a bottle of angostura bitters.

Mix 1.5-2 shots of rye or bourbon and a little less than 1 shot of sweet vermouth on ice.

Fill a rocks glass with ice and drip 2 or 3 drops of bitters onto the ice.

Strain the liquor mix into the rocks glass.

Add a cherry or two and enjoy.


Depending on personal taste, vary the ratio of liquor to vermouth.  I like mine at about a 2:1.

It's a good sweet-ish drink but still has the great flavor of whatever liquor you choose to make it with too.

I like it with orange bitters and an a slice of orange (and whiskey cherry)
(i also prefer Buffalo Trace, but makers is fine too)
my ratio is 2 shots to 1/2 vermouth

Unless you have to feign manly around girls...
then you get 'Old-Fashioned. no fruit' 

[superjohn]

Whoever suggested a Sazerac, thanks. That's a tasty cocktail.

[The Bacon Junkie]

Something else that can be fun/tasty is infusing liquors. Canning jars work great to experiment with. Liquor of your choice + flavoring agent of choice + a week or two = flavored liquor.

Whole coffee beans work really well with vodka or blanco tequila. Just toss a few in the bottle.

A whole vanilla bean makes your own vanilla vodka, which can then be mixed with whatever. Works well with rum, too.

Black pepper vodka makes a killer bloody mary.

My personal favorite, tho, is bacon-and-maple-syrup flavored bourbon. Great with pancakes.

MUST. HAVE. MORE. DETAILS!