Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with drinks

Soda Popinski

meadowlark lime — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:31:10 -0800

When you pour soda into a glass, is the head / froth / bubbly stuff at the top actual soda that is being turned into froth and then wasted? I have a debate with my girlfriend. I say that when she pours soda into a glass without tipping it, the head / froth / bubbly stuff that fills half the glass and then disappears downward is actual soda that is somehow combining with air and being wasted when it disappears.

She says that it's not soda, it's just something that comes out of the soda when you pour it that way.

Who's right?

Alcohol for the New

divabat — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:07:52 -0800

I've just started drinking alcohol this year. Help me find a cocktail/drink that doesn't taste like cough syrup. So far the only real alcoholic drink that I know I like is sparkling wine (bubbly), whether pink or white. I've had a version of a Long Island Ice Tea at Wagamama that was all right. I don't like alcopops; they taste too much like cough syrup. Whiskey and bourbon are much the same. I did plow through a box of sherry chocolates but I don't know how sherry tastes like on its own. I don't like beer, though Beez Kneez (honey beer) tastes OK.

I see my friends ordering all sorts of mixed drinks and I don't even know where to begin! I like chocolate, vanilla, Nutella, coffee-type flavours, and have been curious about liquer hot chocs/coffees. I'm not a big fan of fruity flavours, except if it's melon or banana (milkshake-ish) or lemonade. Flower flavours are good, and I really like ginger ale/ginger beer.

What would you recommend? Are there any drinks that don't taste overwhelmingly like cough syrup? I don't think I have a pretty high tolerance for alcohol (2 and a bit glasses of champagne and I'm already wobbly) so nothing crazy, but I'm up for experimenting.

Where's the cheap food and drinks in Denver?

kookywon — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:08:23 -0800

What are your favorite cheap eats and drinks in Denver? I'm looking to create a list of cheap places to eat in the Denver area. For example, places with $1 taco night or $2 you-call-its like the Park Tavern on Tuesdays. This has to be near downtown, but I'll anywhere within the area from Evans and Colorado across to the Highlands.

I'd like to get a list of places for every night of the week, if possible.

Or if there's already a website that has this information, I would be interested in that as well.

The DC area's classic cocktail scene?

malthas — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:59:56 -0800

Classic cocktails in Northern Virginia/DC? Tonight? I'm the best man at my good friend's wedding this weekend, and of course that means throwing a bachelor party. There will be 7 of us. We're all pretty low key, though, so I was just thinking it would be good to just go hang out and get a few drinks.

The groom is really into whisky and classic cocktails (like pre-prohibition cocktails) so I'd like to try to find some place that does really good ones. Yelp and Chowhound have suggested places like PX in Alexandria and hotel bars like Off the Record and Round Robin in DC, but I'm concerned that these places will be a little bit too formal for our group. Not that we'll be rowdy, but we will have had a few drinks and I know that I for one get louder as the night goes on.

The other wrinkle is that this is supposed to be happening tonight. I know, poor planning on my part.

Metro access, too, would be good but not necessarily essential.

Any suggestions the Hive Mind can provide would be great!

Newborn tea fiend

showbiz_liz — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:27:36 -0800

I thought I hated tea (the drink), but I really just hate tea (the plant). Help me discover herbal tea! Green, black, white, I had tried tea a million ways and I just could not get into it. It's bitter in a totally different way than coffee, a way I DO NOT like. I figured I had given tea a fair shot, and I had totally given up on it.

Then, just for the hell of it and to see if it worked, I picked up a box of this 'moon cycle tea' stuff. It worked (I think), but more to the point, it tasted great! Not bitter, not sweet, almost savory in fact, and very complex and tasty. Spurred by my surprising success, I went back and got a box of this licorice mint tea by the same guys, and it's even better. Sweeter than the moon stuff, warming, and just generally unlike any other drink I've ever had. I have been going through two cups a day of this stuff! It's been years since I even considered tea, but MAN have I come around.

So, yeah, I want to explore the hell out of herbal tea. Specific brands and general types, individual herbs and complicated blends, sweet or savory, medicinal or just tasty- I don't care! My only requests: I want stuff I don't have to add milk or sugar to, and I'm not big on strong fruity flavors- I tried a pomegranate red tea and it sucked. I wanna taste the herbs themselves.

Beyond pumpkin pie, cider and turkey - your favorite autumn party recipes?

librarianamy — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:26:17 -0800

Autumn is almost here where I live! Tell me your favorite autumn party recipes, with some restrictions listed inside. I will be the hostess of a small (less than 15) gathering of friends in a few weeks. By then, autumn will be in full swing here (Western PA in late Oct-early Nov), and I'd like to have a seasonally themed and delicious menu.

Our monthly gatherings usually include one large main dish, a variety of finger-food-esque or salad-ish sides, some snacks, and at least one dessert. And drinks. Both alcoholic and non.

The restrictions are that one of the group has celiac's and at least two others are doing South Beach. So wheat is an issue, though I do have access to a great gluten free bakery, if I had to.

Yes, I can bartend! I'm a bartender! I tend bar!

sexyrobot — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:44:16 -0800

I'm looking for a good, downloadable, Bartenders/Mixed Drinks/Cocktail cheat sheet. Preferably free. I've been googling for an hour with no luck... See, I've got a bartending gig tomorrow and I'm waaay rusty, my bartending experience is minimal, my resume' padded, and I'm now sober. I'm kind of stressed about it, and normally would turn the gig down, but I need the $. Here's what I need: a free (hopefully), downloadable, bartenders cheat sheet, 1 or 2 pages, listing the top 50-60 popular drinks (the main problem here is "too many and it's useless"), including a few classics (i make a good martini, but i always forget whats in a manhattan). Everything i find on google is like "3000 recipes on one page!!1! Looking for free BARTENDER CH33t Sh33t? BUY NOW!, weight watchers cocktail points, art projects and the like...TMI
Does anybody know where my golden PDF is at?

In Denver with heavy bags & want drinks

toddst — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:17:21 -0800

Going to be in Denver for a few hours and want to get a few drinks... In a few weeks, my girlfriend and I are going to be going to Boulder to visit some friends. However, after our plane lands in Denver, we have about 5 hours to kill until our friend gets out of work. We are looking for an area to wander around in Denver where we can get a few drinks (either good beer or well crafted cocktails). We can't wander far since we are going to be loaded up with a few bags.

That's not a mojito, it's a pesky mosquito!

Funmonkey1 — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:48:05 -0800

[End of Summer Drinks Filter]: Scandinavian summer is quickly coming to a close, and I need some great ideas for end of summer cocktails! Looking for new and exciting instead of the usual spirit and mixer stuff. Thanks follow mefite imbibers for your advice! Having a big party next week to celebrate the close of summer, as everyone is back to work after July off.

What kind of cocktails would be best suited to an outdoor fest where the weather will be on the warmer sides of the 70s (22-27C). We have a full bar and juices etc. can be sourced.

Important to note that speed plays a role. What we don't want is a punchbowl, just some great drinks. Think along the lines of a fully stocked bar with blenders etc.

Good, inexpensive cocktails in New York City.

ocherdraco — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:11:23 -0800

For my job (and for fun) I often need good places to go out for drinks after work here in New York. Please recommend bars between 14th Street and Midtown that have good, inexpensive (~$10 or below) cocktails and are good for conversations with small groups of people. I'm a particular fan of the sidecar and the whiskey old fashioned, so I'd particularly appreciate recommendations for bars that do those drinks (and drinks like them) well.

I am not looking for beer bars, and I am not looking for places as expensive as the Flatiron Lounge.

I need famous drinks from famous books.

Sully — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:16:33 -0800

I need famous drinks from famous books. Kind of like how Holden Caulfield always drank Tom Collinses in Catcher in the Rye. Or how the Famous Five always had Tea with their scones. Thanks!

On Beyond Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers

ocherdraco — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:42:41 -0800

Give me yer best virgin cocktails—bonus points for ones easily ordered in a bar. A friend of mine had knee surgery and is bummed out not only because she's less mobile, but also because the painkillers are impinging upon her social life. Now that she's up and moving around more, I want to take her out, but since she's not supposed to drink alcohol, we're going to try all manner of virgin cocktails. Give us creative things to order!

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.

Please to be my party planner?

coppermoss — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:50:13 -0800

Where should 5 or 6 people go in Chicago for birthday dinner/drinks this Saturday? Some of us are not yet of legal drinking age. Further requirements/preferences inside. My boyfriend's birthday is on Saturday, and we would like to go out for dinner and drinks with some friends. Two of the party are < 21. We're not necessarily looking for places that won't card; we just want to all be able to get in! The boyfriend likes Scotch; all of us are fond of good beer. (Yes, we're considering the Duke of Perth but would also like other suggestions.)

Additionally, I like the idea of sitting outside, and would like to avoid a place with television screens if at all possible.

Where can 5 or 6 people find good grub, good booze, and a great space to linger and laugh?

Made of cocaine and the tears of child actors

klangklangston — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:31:29 -0800

LA Gourmet Cocktails? What are the finest, most crafted cocktails you've had in LA? High-end genius drinkology? Even just the best-balanced martini? Is there a molecular gastronomy equivalent here? For a story I'm working on—If you're LA based and have nothing going on this weekend/week and you want to meet me for a drink, send me a memail.

Theme Drink--Fast and Furious?

Squid Voltaire — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:47:34 -0800

Fast and Furious is going to be awesome this Friday! Um, assuming I'm drunk. What should I drink? Pirates of the Caribbean Three was a blast, because we brought plenty of rum. Transformers was great fun because my friend thought to bring some sort of Japanese rice wine with him, and I think I remember enjoying the hell out of Once Upon a Time in Mexico while drinking surreptitious tequila shots in the theater.

But, uh, how should we toast Mr. Diesel's health? This should be easy enough to acquire, and easy enough to sneak into the movie theater in quantity. If you've ever watched the swond half of Rollerball while sober, you know the importance of quantity.

Also, ideally it should seem appropriate for the subject matter--fast cars, sexy men and objectified women! Incidentally, if any of y'all want to join us Friday night in Evanston, IL, you are welcome. What better way to spend Passover Shabbat?

Root Beer!

serazin — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:02:44 -0800

We're makin' root beer! (Help?) Me and my buddy want to make our own root beer, and possibly also ginger beer or other soda-type beverages. I would love any suggestions you have to offer: books we should check out, relevant websites, favorite recipes, particular products we need, etc. Please share your home root beer brewing stories, warnings, advice, etc below. Thank you!

How long does it take to freeze vodka, and what cool things can I do with it?

jaffacakerhubarb — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:13:13 -0800

How long does it take to freeze vodka, and what can I do with it after that? I've got a bottle of vodka here that I want to freeze — now, I know that vodka doesn't freeze in the conventional sense, but how long do I need to leave it in the freezer for before it goes as cold as it's going to get? It's a 70cl, 40% bottle of Ketel One, if that makes any difference. The freezer is a regular domestic one.

Then, once it's frozen, what can I do with it? I've got a carton of orange juice, which was my main plan, but if anyone has any smart ideas I'm all ears... I've heard of people getting coloured/fruit flavoured vodka with skittles, I guess that's the sort of thing I mean, any other ideas are fine.

What is the healthiest "upper"?

Idiot Mittens — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:03:24 -0800

What is the healthiest "upper"? I am a comedy writer. I never drink coffee or soda (don't like 'em), and I try to avoid sugar as much as possible, but I've recently discovered that energy drinks really help me write. Especially with grinding out first drafts. However, even one Diet Rockstar every couple of days is an obviously unhealthy habit.

What is the best (legal) option for a temporary "kick" that at the same time will have the least impact on my health?

New Years Eve in Manila

mamaquita — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:38:48 -0800

Things to do on New Year's Eve in Manila? My husband and I are going to Manila on December 27 for a business trip. After he's done with his business, we plan on staying through the new year (leaving on Jan 5).

Any suggestions for things to do on New Year's Eve? We plan on staying at the Peninsula in Makati and would like to stay close to the hotel. We're looking to party like it's 1999!!

Any other suggestions for things to do while we're there are welcome.

Approach this question with a grain of salt. Or hell, a whole tablespoon.

curagea — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:19:51 -0800

Salty questions: salty drinks, and non-iodized salts and health effects. First question: I'm a salt freak. I can't get enough of it. I also get thirsty fairly often, but then the solution is either water/tea, or sugary drinks, and I'm no sweets fan. So what better solution that salty drinks?

Googling for "salty drinks" revealed results for salty cocktails and spirits, but I don't drink alcohol. Nor is dumping a salt capsule in a water bottle very, uh, savory. So fellow salt-lovers, what non-alcoholic liquidy options do I have besides soups? What can I carry around in a bottle and drink to my pleasure anywhere I go? Restaurant recommendations, simple recipes, and grab-and-go are welcome.

(Yeah, I know the idea of a "salty drink" may seem contradictory, and too much sodium is bad, but damn, drinking plain water/tea gets, well, boring...)

Second question: I researched iodine and its benefits to human health, and wondered if I'm getting enough, or if it's even a concern here in the US. I don't eat out much, so my only prominent sources of salt is homemade stuff, and I only have kosher (non-iodized) salt and soy sauce. I do buy sliced ham/salami and cheese sometimes for making sandwiches, but they're not consumed every day. Maybe once every one or two weeks I'll eat instant ramen, which, as you may all know, tend to contain a bitchload of sodium.

So, am I getting enough iodine? Should this even be a concern? Even my mom uses non-iodized (sea) salt in her cooking starting from maybe 4 years ago, so I can't count on her cooking for this mineral.

Hell no, I would never go to a DRY wedding!

sixcolors — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:39:59 -0800

At what point does a person have a drinking problem? I admit I’m not too educated about alcohol abuse. I went through D.A.R.E. like many kids, but if I remember it correctly, it was an abstinence program. It didn’t teach us how to drink responsibly.

I know at the “white” end of the spectrum, someone who has a glass of wine with dinner a half of a dozen times a year, obviously does not have a drinking problem. At the “black” end of the spectrum, someone who drinks until they pass out, on a regular basis, obviously has an alcohol problem.

To me, there seems like there’s a lot gray area when it comes to this issue.

Could someone who drink a lot (6+ drinks more than 2x a week), but doesn’t display a lot of erratic behavior, have a drinking problem?

Could someone who drinks a little (2-4 drinks a few times a month), but behaves quite erratically, have a drinking problem?

Then there’s intent. What about people who drink to cope with problems vs. those who drinks to celebrate? Would someone who drinks a glass of wine to ease their stress have more of a drinking problem than someone who takes 5+ shots to celebrate the weekend?

The American Bar at The Savoy in London is closed - help!

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:31:44 -0800

Wedding anniversary in London - need suggestions for a classy place providing after dinner drinks, entertainment. Tomorrow is our first wedding anniversary, and while I've already got dinner booked at a Marco Pierre White restaurant we both like, I urgently need some ideas for for after dinner drinks and live music.

I was planning on taking my wife to The American Bar, but managed to totally overlook the fact that The Savoy Hotel is closed for renovations.

Can someone recommend an alternative, preferably in Central London near Piccadilly Circus?

Dancing not at all essential, and a piano & singer is much preferred to canned music. I'll be wearing a suit and she'll be suitably attired as well if that matters.

Is Vitamin Water Good For Me?

Locative — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 03:04:10 -0800

Is Vitamin Water actually good for me, or am I fooling myself? Beyond avoiding High Fructose Corn Syrup and anything partially hydrogenated, I don't really know how to read a nutrition label intelligently. I drink a lot of Glaceau brand Vitamin Water because I don't like drinking plain water, but I wonder if it really has any benefit for me at all.

The ingredients on the label of my "xxx" flavor Vitamin Water are the following, in order:

-vapor distilled, deionized, and/or reverse osmosis water
-cane sugar
-crystalline fructose
-citric acid
-vegetable juice (color)
-ascorbic acid (vitamin c)
-natural flavor
-berry and fruit extracts (acai, bluberry, pomegranate and apple)
-magnesium lactate (electrolyte)
-monopotassium phosphate (electrolyte)
-niacin (B3)
-pantothenic acid (B5)
-pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6)
-cyanocobalamin (B12)

I see some vitamins towards the end there. I know cane sugar is better than HFCS, and I know crystalline fructose is just another type of sugar.

So am I just drinking a fancy version of Crystal Light or Kool-Aid, or is there any benefit to drinking this stuff over plain water?

Light my fire.

splatta — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:21:41 -0800

I'm sitting on the Block Island ferry, enjoying a spicy bloody marry, and wondering if there are other alcoholic drinks with bite. What are your favorite fiery drinks?