Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Liquor

Liquor stores that ship to Georgia?

Fleebnork — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:03:08 -0800

Having difficulty finding an online liquor store that will ship to Georgia. My Google-fu has failed me. A few years ago, I ordered my wife some Porto Kopke Colheita, which is not sold in Georgia. Unfortunately, the store I ordered from no longer ships to Georgia. The way I understand it, stores outside Georgia can ship to Georgia if they have some sort of license to do so. Apparently the store's license lapsed or something to that effect.

All wines and spirits in Georgia must be approved and ordered through the state liquor board, so some smaller or rarer items just aren't sold here, and cannot be ordered from local stores unless the item is in the state-approved book.

I did some Google searching this afternoon, but it's very difficult to easily find online liquor stores that will ship to Georgia. I looked through several online retailers' shipping policies and even emailed a couple. No luck so far.

Help me, Hive Mind!

How do I easily keep olive juice out of my Mexican Martini?

Swifty — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:30:10 -0800

What is the shorthand to order a Mexican Martini without olive juice at a bar that inexplicably decided it was a good idea to add it to every Mexican Martini they make? So, I'm in Austin, I like drinking Mexican Martini's. As far as I'm concerned, this drink should just be a Margarita up with an olive. I do not believe turning it into a Margarita into a Martini automatically implies that you want a *gag* Dirty Margarita. However, many of the more "trendy" places here in Austin add olive juice to every one they make unless you tell them not to.

So, what's the drink ordering shorthand for "no olive juice". Dirty means to add a small amount to a martini obviously, but I've never heard anyone order a martini "clean" before. Do people actually say that? If not, is there anything I can say other than "Mexican Martini, and please don't add any damned olive juice to it and ruin the drink" every time I order? :)

How did saloons in the Old West get their liquor delivered?

Senor Cardgage — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:19:52 -0800

How did saloons in tiny towns in the Old West get liquor delivered? I'm watching Silverado (pretty good flick btw) and wondering how small town saloons in the old west managed to keep their liquor in stock.
If it's true (and it may not be) that getting goods from point A to point B without your wagon train getting robbed was such an issue, and if it's also true that there wasn't much for a man to do in these towns BUT drink then it seems to me like you'd run out of stuff like crazy.

Did they keep huge storehouses of the stuff?
Weekly wagon deliveries?
Were there regional liquor distributors running well-secured freight operations?

My curiosity has been piqued.

Btw you should check this movie out if you like westerns, Costner notwithstanding.

It is hot, and I want a Sloe Gin Fizz!

Steve_at_Linnwood — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:09:19 -0800

Where can I find Plymouth Sloe Gin in the Twin Cities? I have called around, in vain, searching for Plymouth Sloe Gin at various liquor stores east of the Twin Cities (where I live) but have had no luck finding anyone who carries or is willing/able to order the liqueur.

I can find plenty of stores on the internet who sell the product, but Minnesota forbids the shipment of liquor across state-lines.

Does anyone know of a location in the Twin Cities, preferably in the St. Paul area, that sells this?

Cocktail and liquor advice for a first-timer?

pinsomniac — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:41:51 -0800

Just turned 21 -- seeking advice on cocktails and rounding out my first-ever purchase of liquor. So after a few hours of searching through recommendations on AskMe and other parts of the web, I've decided on the following:

- Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum (1.75L)
- Maker's Mark Whisky Bourbon (1.75L)
- Tito's Handmade Vodka (1.75L)
- Gran Centenario Azul Reposado Tequila (750mL)
- Firefly Sweet Tea Infused Vodka (1.75L)

First question: Should I exchange the handles for fifths and get two other bottles? If so, what would you recommend adding to this? I'm considering Kahlua, but have no other ideas aside from that.

Second question: Using the above and basic mixers (juice, soda, fruit, etc.), what cocktails would I be able to make? I've done a bit of research, but would love to hear of any personal favorites.

Bonus: What tools are absolutely essential in making a cocktail? A book I have in front of me boils it down to a shaker and a strainer. A jigger would probably help as well. Anything else?

This wasn't exactly what I had in mind for my first question, but it'll have to do. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Drink Drank Drunk

sarelicar — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:13:28 -0800

Cocktail ideas! There are some things I have around that I'd like to use. Particularly: lemon simple syrup, Lillet Blanc, and Blueberry vodka. come to think of it, those all sound good together. Oh and Hendricks Gin. Looking for your ideas for each separate ingredient. Points for ingredients that keep for periods of time greater than, say, 2 days. For instance, orange bitters could be a do, obscure herbs are a don't, unless I can preserve them in some sort of syrup. Thank you, geniuses!

Snacking with the Green Fairy.

1f2frfbf — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:39:31 -0800

Suggest me a hors d'oeuvre to take to an absinthe tasting. A friend of mine is having an absinthe tasting this weekend. I'd like to bring along a tasty hors d'oeuvre that can be prepared ahead of time and will allow a small group of people to snack and drink in decadence. I'm reasonably accomplished in the kitchen and have a pretty good selection of ingredients at my disposal, so hit me with your best ideas for the occasion.

Is it feasible to ship bourbon from Kentucky to Belgium?

deadweightloss — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:27:14 -0800

Is it feasible to ship bourbon from Kentucky to Belgium? A Belgian friend surpassed all expectations in hosting me earlier this month. He likes bourbon, but says he can't find much of it in Belgium. Is it feasible to ship him a bottle from Kentucky as a gift? Would I need to lie on the customs form?

Where can I buy shochu in Vancouver?

Gortuk — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:07:43 -0800

Where can I buy good shochu in Vancouver? I'm visiting Vancouver and got hooked on tantakatan shochu at the izakayas. Is there anywhere I can buy some to take home? Surprisingly the BC Liquor website only lists one brand, I'm hoping a private store may carry other brands?

Anybody know where I can buy a bottle of mead in NYC?

Afroblanco — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:28:35 -0800

Anybody know where I can buy a bottle of mead in NYC?

Can this moonshine be saved?

Shoggoth — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:56:14 -0800

Is my moonshine safe to drink? While renting a house in Appalachia recently, I bought a quart of moonshine in a mason jar from one of the local neighbors. This is what I know:

The neighbor ("Bob") claims he bought it from a friend who has made it for years from corn.

Bob had clearly been sampling his product when he came by, and I watched him drink more.

Not knowing anything about moonshine, I drank a 2 oz. shot. It tasted great -- sweet and smooth.

A few of my friends also had shots with no ill effects. One of my friends drank 3 shots.

After the initial sampling, Bob left to get more to sell, so the quart I bought is unsampled. It looks and smells identical to what I sampled, however.

So after all this, a friend explained how moonshine can blind and kill you. Yikes! I had no idea. So should I drink this stuff or use it to clean drains?

Strange Brew

alcoth — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:06:41 -0800

What is the name of this bizarre alcoholic drink mixture? Also, can you think of any other really vile mixes? Description provided inside. I heard about this a while back but can't for the life of me remember what it's called. Google also has not been forthcoming with the answer this time... The idea is: Drinks have been passing through the bartender's hands all night and his drink tray is full of the "spoils of war", small amounts of dozens of different types of liquor that have spilled over the lips of various glasses. When this mystery drink is ordered by name, said bartender lifts the tray and pours it into a glass (the color is different every time!). Does anyone know the name of this nasty concoction? (Strange Request: Links to pictures score bonus points!)

Also, what other bizarre mixes can one offer unsuspecting drinking buddies? Cement Mixer doesn't count (gag!)

One tequila, two tequila...

rinosaur — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:46:46 -0800

I'm looking for your favorite tequila cocktails! I love tequila but I'm pretty sick of margaritas and tequila sunrises. Are there other simple, not so sweet alternatives? Ideally they'd be simple cocktails I can make at home OR order out. I'm thinking the tequila equivalent of a drink like a Seven and Seven would be perfect, but I have yet to come across anything like that.

Thank you Mefi!

Where to get Caña Legui in the US?

sergeant sandwich — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:33:41 -0800

About ten years ago, a colleague of mine from Argentina had me try some liquor called Caña (or Canha) Legui that he'd brought with him to the US. It was really good and I want to find a bottle here. Help? It was a sweet, rum-based liquor, that tasted sort of like cream soda. I haven't been able to find it anywhere in the US, so I thought I'd give AskMe a shot. I've seen it for sale on a couple of e-commerce websites, but they are all based in Europe and the shipping charges to the US are pretty steep. I imagine there are import food-and-drink sellers aimed at South American expats and so on, but I fail at finding them.

I'm in southern California; a local source would be great, but an online service that ships to the US for less than an arm and a leg would work too. Any other suggestions would be helpful!

Should the liquor store care that I grabbed a rotten bottle?

dammitjim — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:40:56 -0800

I bought a bottle of red wine at my local liquor store, opened it once I got home, and it was bad. Can I return it to the liquor store and get a credit? I can count myself, lucky, I guess, that for all the times that I've done the "sample the wine before pouring it" routine at a restaurant, I've never had anything come up bad. But the signs were there as I opened this bottle (an unremarkable $10.99 bottle of Oro Spanish wine, for the curious): funky, mouldy-looking cork-top once I took the foil off, junk all around the mouth of the bottle once I got the cork out.

When I poured it, it was cloudy, and then it smelled like vinegar and tasted bad. I poured it down the drain, and there were chunks of dark red stuff that came out. Bad bottle of wine, clearly.

So, being sorta new to wine-etiquette, can I take it back to the liquor store and nicely ask for something else? There's still some of the chunky stuff at the bottom of the bottle, as proof. And I have the cork still. Or is it like buying fresh produce at the grocery store, where if those apples you chose are funky then too bad?

Premium tequila advice?

muxnaw — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:57:56 -0800

Recommend a premium tequila for margarita lover? I am buying a friend a bottle of tequila for Christmas- he loves margaritas. I know that a lot of the time you would only buy a very expensive bottle of liquor if you were planning on sipping it, not mixing it, but does this hold true for tequila/margaritas? Can you recommend a nice bottle? Price is not important, don't really have a budget. Thanks!

He left a note taped to it "NO Label on this bottle"

saxamo — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:11:00 -0800

What kind of alcohol is in this unlabelled bottle? I've come across a bottle of unmarked, unopened liquor, plain and simple (it was left behind by a friend, I didn't find it in the street). And I don't know what it is... I can't get in touch with the friend. I'd like to know the type of liquor and the brand name.

I don't want to open it up and taste it because i'd rather put it into storage. That little emblem has a website but that is a very broad company and doesn't give me much help. It also says 80 proof under the emblem if you can't see.

Thanks!

Uniquely Belgian liquor?

scblackman — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:51:49 -0800

Liquor-is-QuickerFilter: I'm going to Brussels and Leuven next week and will be doing some holiday shopping. One of my relatives enjoys a drink (now and then) and I was thinking about bringing back a bottle of something unique -- that is, something one can't find readily in the US.

Any suggestions on a liquor that is uniquely Belgian and unique to Belgium? A one-line description would be great.

What are the best liquors for the money?

Telf — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:42:30 -0800

What is your favorite price point liquor of a given style and why? I remember when I turned 21, I set out to build up my adult liquor collection. I spent a lot of my hard earned cash on Lagavulin and aged Macallan scotch. I bought Grey Goose vodka, Don Julio and Patron tequilas, cognac and even some port wine. I was very proud of my collection until I realized that my roommates were surreptitiously mixing my scotches with Coca Cola whenever they ran out of Jim Beam.

A few years later, I've given up the pretensions of trying to impress anyone with my liquor collection. At least until a bottle doesn't amount to half of my paycheck.

So here's my question:

What do you drink when you actually enjoy liquor but don't have the cash to get the great stuff? What is your favorite good enough liquor?

Where can I get a good absinthe cocktail in New York?

jason's_planet — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:10:05 -0800

Help a beer drinker expand his horizons a little bit. What's a good place to get an absinthe cocktail in Manhattan (or anywhere else in New York)? I want to try some absinthe, now that it's legal here in the States. I don't want to spend $60-80 on a bottle. Not initially, at least. I'd prefer to spend $15-25 on an absinthe cocktail. (Not much more than that.)

But for that amount of money, I want it prepared properly, by a good bartender. I tried to order one in a hipster-ish place in Queens; my order got the bartender a little flustered, probably because she wasn't familiar with that drink. (I decided to have a pint instead.) My knowledge of cocktail bars is pretty scant; I stick to beer for the most part.

So . . . if you've had the classic absinthe cocktail, with the spoon, the lump of sugar, etc. at any place in NYC where the bartenders know what they're doing, I'd love to hear some recommendations from you.

Many thanks in advance!

Liquor in Long Beach

Secret Life of Gravy — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:27:38 -0800

Looking for a fabulous Liquor store in the Long Beach, CA area. I'm in Long Beach for a month and my husband is coming out shortly to spend a week. He's lived his whole life in NC which has ABC stores-- meaning the government decides what is for sale. I would like to take him to the biggest, baddest liquor store in the area-- which could include downtown LA since we will be going up to the La Brea Tar pits, and San Diego since we will be going to the zoo.

BYOChartreuse

speef — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:26:22 -0800

BYOB restaurants: just wine and beer? Or can I be an alcoholic? When going to a byob restaurant, are you only legally allowed to bring wine/beer, or can you bring along your favorite liquor, say, scotch or chartreuse?

I'm in Lawrence, Kansas, if it matters.

Underage show attendance in NYC

phrontist — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:27:38 -0800

Is there any chance of a 19 year old male getting in to a club in NYC next Friday? I'd really like to see the Kode9 show next Friday, when I'll be in town for HOPE. I've already purchased tickets, and though there was no warning on the website, it looks like it's 21+.

I don't drink, and coming from seeing shows in DC/Europe it's kind of infuriating that the mere presence of alcohol makes it impossible for me to see this show.

I've encountered two legal situations in the US where this is a problem. The first are areas that rule any establishment deriving Y% of their income from alcohol as a bar, and banning anyone underage from entering a "bar". The second is where liquor licenses are so difficult to keep establishments aren't content with the common solution of marking underage individuals hands (as is the case at almost every venue in DC).

Which category does NYC fall under, and if the latter, is there any conceivable way I could convince these people to let me in? Will they check every ID? Is it worth risking my $10, not refunding the tickets, and just trying to walk in (I'm rarely carded except where it's compulsory).

I work for a college radio station and requesting press credentials has worked in the past, but it's in Kentucky and I doubt a request would carry much weight that far away.

Learn to like liquor again?

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:10:08 -0800

Is it possible to get over my aversion to liquor? About four months ago, a few of my buddies and I went on a drinking binge of idiotic proportions (we're talking black-out, vomiting, &c). Now, I can't seem to drink liquor at all.

A little while after the unpleasantness, I tried to drink a shot of spiced rum and threw up seconds later. Just now I tried to give it (ie liquor) another shot, pulled out a bottle of whiskey, and even smelling it turns my stomach.

Is there any way to get over this aversion to liquor? I don't want to overdo it again, but I'd like to be able to have a shot or two without shuddering or throwing up.

How to Ship Liquor?

AccidentalHedonist — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:04:42 -0800

I'm currently in Tenn. a thousand or so miles from home. I am looking to ship several bottles of whisky back to my home state of Washington, as I have to fly to Canada before heading back home. Can anyone recommend a decent way of doing this, accepting that most delivery services (FedEx, UPS, USPS) do not allow this activity unless I'm a licensed vendor? Thanks!