What are you guys drinking tonight?

Big planet, but the I'net makes it smaller ...

.. or something .

 

All this talk of vodka has given me a hankering for a dirty martini. I'll need to stop for some stuffed olives on the way home.

 

What's your favorite vodka?

I'll confess that I'm drinking the cheapest of the cheap from the bottom shelf: Crown Russe ("Finest vodka made", the label claims). So far, I'm finding that with vodka, it just doesn't matter that much, at least for my pallet.

With gin, it matters. The only lower shelf stuff I'll drink is Gordan's, but I prefer top shelf or near top shelf for gin. I can taste the difference whether mixing it or with just a bit of lime juice and water over ice.

Same with scotch: I can't drink anything less than, say, $35, and prefer the $50 stuff, which is to say, sadly, right now, I'm not drinking scotch. (Next year in Scotland, though...)

But with vodka, it doesn't seem to matter so far whether I spend $13 (and that's for the big bottle) or $25 for 750 ml. So, I'm going cheap. Maybe I'm missing something. (?)

 

That's because vodka is 53% clear grain alcohol and 47% marketing.

 

Hahaha ...

And yet, there are those who swear that more expensive vodka makes a big difference taste-wise. Seems like we may have discussed it once upstream. I'm pretty sure @Wolfman Zack had a recommended brand.

 

I do highly recommend Sobieski vodka, 100% rye, and about $20 for a 1.75L bottle here.
It’s good stuff without being overpriced.

 

Ah, maybe it's the rye that makes the difference. I know it does in Bulleit Rye.

I'll try it out if I can find it here in bumpkinville.

 

Here's a pretty impressive review of Sobieski vodka. It's Polish. It reportedly got a 5 star rating based on 53 reviews somewhere. Must be something to it.

 

This is the rye I've been savoring for the last couple months:

 

@Andy the Aussie that'd be spirytus! 96% straight polish alcohol. Best served with a dash of something sweet and a chair you don't mind not leaving until the next morning.

@Stone I've been drinking titos vodka as of late. For 19 bucks a bottle it mixes great. Used to be Russian standard was my go to, but I haven't been able to locate a bottle in quite some time.

 

I usually cut mine pretty good, but my polsky uncle complains if it's under 70% haha.

 

That Bulleit Rye is excellent stuff, had some this summer and greatly enjoyed it.

 

Tito’s has been my go to lately.

Before then it was always Grey Goose.

But I’ll say, Smithworks is pretty good also.

 

In late autumn, 2014, I lived down in Rockland (middle Penobscot Bay, largest bay on the east coast of the US north of Chesapeake). A buddy from NYC (actually from the west coast but living in NYC) came up and brought a bottle of it. We finished it in a long night of conversation and somehow recovered the next morning and got out to the Owl's Head peninsula for lunch on a rocky shore.

Just exceptionally smooth.

 

I've returned to the Irish Death tonight. It is one damn delicious brew.

From the can:

"Irish Death is like Barry White's voice traveling down a well-oiled bowling lane into a pile of teddy bears."

 

11 Yuenglins and a few shots of Jameson. Warm and toasty. Goodnight all!

 

Citra Ass Down DIPA by Against The Grain Brewery in Louisville KY. Tropical fruit smell, initially a creamy mango flavor but goes quickly to a more citrusy, hoppy flavor, maybe a touch of spicy dank in the middle but ends with a nice clean tropical fruit flavor, sweet but not sweet??? Smooth all the way through, leaves a real clean feeling in the mouth. A hard one to describe as it is very deep and layered with flavors. I will buy it again if I see it.

 

My Libertarian philosophy hampers my tendency to insult and berate those of you who consider a Martini something that has Vodka in it. Use any terminology you like. If you wish to call a horse a cow and it makes you happy, have a it. I support you in this endeavor. I myself hate wearing shoes and many think me a bit off.

But...allow me to share my current Martini recipe. I keep Hendricks gin in the freezer. When the urge to have a Martini manifests itself in my soul, I remove the bottle and pour the desired amount in a glass.

There are variations on this recipe. WC Fields suggested passing the shadow of an empty vermouth bottle over the above end product. But lo, I consider this as well as the ice shaker souperflous foolishness.

On a different note, I am currently drinking a milk stout made in a local brewery. It is called "The Temptress".