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Tequila or Bourbon?
Okay. So, I was introduced to tequila at the age of 11. To make a long story short, my father, not unreasonably, assumed that one taste of the stuff would inoculate me from any further interest in hard liquor until I was at least in high school.
As it turns out, my ol’ dad does not have the gift of prophecy. Three shots into his experiment, he picked up on the inescapable fact that I loved the stuff — salt, shot, and lime! I have loved tequila ever since, including rather forgettable attempts at finding a good mix of various cocktail combinations with vodka and whiskey known as the “Swirling Maelstrom” that have never quite worked out…
Fast forward to the last few years: I have discovered bourbon … good bourbon: Sipping bourbons, heart-of-America bourbons. I find that the more really good bourbon I taste, the more other liquors have lost their appeal.
But not so tequila. If anything, appreciating bourbon has sharpened my liking of good tequilas.
So I put it to you, fellow Ricochetti: good tequila, or good bourbon, or good “something else?” Why or why not?
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That looks like a Wednesday.
Well, yes. If you were brought up, as I was, to think of gin as “mother’s ruin.” I’m fond of gin though. I like Uncle Tom’s the best, although I think it may be a bit soft and aromatic for most men. Fond of Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray 10. Hendricks is nice. Not fond of gin that shrivels the hairs in my nose, and there are plenty of them.
Seriously, gin is tricky. It’s just spirits infused with Christmas tree and other spices. Those evil spices can hurt you.
I’ve had something like Tanqueray 10, full of every spice on the spice rainbow. Tastes like a mouthful, but holy cats, the next morning.
I have for years been drinking my downfall, a gin that never gives me a hangover. It’s tasty enough, makes a really good martini, and costs next to nothing: Burnett’s. It’s a freaking well pour gin, but it’s outstanding. And no hangover.
If I’m out, everybody has Bombay Sapphire, undeniably good stuff. And I won’t turn it down. But Burnett’s Dry London – surprisingly nice.
The only hard liquor that has the “holy cats” effect on me is rum.
Wow! This is a tough one. I’ve recently become quite an afficionado of bourbon thanks to two bartenders at our neighborhood bar who have been introducing me to some wonderful bourbons. However, my cat, “Otis” has a broader palette than I do. He is equally happy with fine bourbon, single malt scotch, and anejo tequila (has to be a really good blanco or reposado for him to imbibe).
Otis Discovers Whisky
I’ve only ever had one cat (Pookie) who liked to imbibe. And his favorite tipple was sauerkraut juice.
This may be the time to bring up my childhood’s West African Grey Parrot (Aku), who liked to sit on the rim of my mother’s martini glass and dip his beak in and have a sip now and again. We always knew he’d had too much when he fell face first into the brew.
He lived to a grand old age (outlived our stay in Nigeria actually), and never seemed to take any harm from it.
Look, it’s shots of tequila, bite of lime.
Hard to judge the age of the posters here, but if your sole experience with tequila was in the 70s, you should know that the development of blue agave has changed the next day measurably.
Stick to the silver or blanco, Patron, Casamigos (don’t let George Clooney’s signature on the label distract you) or Corzon if you want bang for the buck. My favorite is Corzo.Keep it cold and it goes down nicely and doesn’t punish you tomorrow.
And the lime is all vitamin C, so you’re practically a health nut for sticking to a strict regimen.You will immunize yourself from scurvy.
But if you have to sip on something, nothing compares to Walker blue. Way to expensive for regular consumption, but it ought to be on your bucket list.
Although I enjoy the occasional margarita, I don’t know much about tequila and won’t drink it straight. My mother, however, is an appreciator of tequila and says that Pura Vida Silver is the best she’s ever had. Sadly for her, it’s not sold in our part of the country.
Although I’m not a bourbon drinker either, I do have a notion of one day co-hosting a weekend Bourbon Trail Ricochet Meetup. Start in Lexington, tour various distilleries along the way, and wind up in Louisville. @patrickb63 figures we ought to do it when we can also take in a horse race in Louisville.
I bought a couple-three Walker sampler packs when they were on sale for like 50 bucks. 200 ml bottles of red, black, gold and blue. I figured at the price they charge for a bottle of Blue the rest was basically free.
Matt, well played, I’ve never seen that promotion. Most of the expensive scotches are pretty tough, but old Walker is excellent. I’d rather not have to acquire a taste for an adult beverage.
BTW, this post testifies to one’s ability to contribute under the influence of Corzo.
That’s the way you take bitter medicine: down it as quickly as possible, then chase it with something to try to get the unpleasant flavor off your palette.
The very fact that this ritual developed is proof that everyone realizes tequila is almost undrinkable.
In a most delightful way!