Holiday Drinking Thread

[DFSNOLE]

With Christmas falling on Sunday and Hannukah still being celebrated, I imagine there will be some get-togethers this weekend. What will be in your glass? I am a high-proof, high-rye bourbon and rye man who has been fortunate with finding some good bottles lately. In the past few months, I've gotten bottles of Little Book Chapter 6, Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Barrel Proof, Wilderness Trail Cask Proof Rye, 1792 Full Proof and an Elijah Craig Total Wine barrel pick coming in at 134 proof. I'm not sure which one I'll start with but I do know I need to be careful about how much I drink.

 

[seminoleed]

Don't know if this is available where a lot of you live, but if you enjoy egg nog with more nog than egg, this stuff takes care of it for you with ample amounts of bourbon, rum and brandy blended it.

Ol Santy Egg Nog

KY, USA- A creamy, delightful egg nog with bourbon, rum and brandy for a little kick. Share this deliciously, smooth spirit with family and friends for the perfect holiday gatherings.

www.totalwine.com

 

[seminoleed]

With Christmas falling on Sunday and Hannukah still being celebrated, I imagine there will be some get-togethers this weekend. What will be in your glass? I am a high-proof, high-rye bourbon and rye man who has been fortunate with finding some good bottles lately. In the past few months, I've gotten bottles of Little Book Chapter 6, Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Barrel Proof, Wilderness Trail Cask Proof Rye, 1792 Full Proof and an Elijah Craig Total Wine barrel pick coming in at 134 proof. I'm not sure which one I'll start with but I do know I need to be careful about how much I drink.

With Christmas falling on Sunday and Hannukah still being celebrated, I imagine there will be some get-togethers this weekend. What will be in your glass? I am a high-proof, high-rye bourbon and rye man who has been fortunate with finding some good bottles lately. In the past few months, I've gotten bottles of Little Book Chapter 6, Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Barrel Proof, Wilderness Trail Cask Proof Rye, 1792 Full Proof and an Elijah Craig Total Wine barrel pick coming in at 134 proof. I'm not sure which one I'll start with but I do know I need to be careful about how much I drink.

I love trying new bourbons; thanks for sharing these tips. I'm headed out today to stock up a few of these. Gotta get ready for this cold blast coming through; the natives here in Cape Coral tell me it's going to drop into the (GASP!) 40's this weekend. (Old people are such wusses.)

 

[GeddyLee09]

I've got a Loch Lomond 25 year Lee Westwood Special Edition I picked up at the Open Championship this year and and a McCallan 18 Sherry oak cask I've been saving. Also have a bottle of Asbach 5 year and Cardinale Mendoza brandy for the chilly nights this weekend.

Ill add food as well. For Christmas we will be having a Standing Rib roast, Balsamic brussel sprouts, roasted beet and goat cheese salad and smashed new potatoes.

 

[SeaPA]

I have a good friend/client who I've worked with for many years; he recently retired & I spent a lot of time helping him through the sale of his business. He's aware of my love of tequila; earlier this week he dropped off a thank you/Christmas gift - a bottle of Tears of Llorona Extra Anejo. It's considered by many to be the finest sipping tequila in existence. It is aged for 5 years - some in scotch barrels, some in sherry barrels, some in cognac barrels, then blended. I plan to crack it open on Christmas Eve with my wife.

 

[F4Gary]

Probably a nice IPA.

 

[DFSNOLE]

Probably a nice IPA.

I have Six Point Resin DIPA, Scofflaw Double Jeopardy and Blackberry Farm Brewery IPA. There's a couple of gastro pubs in the area that allows me the opportunity to try different beers.

 

[GeddyLee09]

I have Six Point Resin DIPA, Scofflaw Double Jeopardy and Blackberry Farm Brewery IPA. There's a couple of gastro pubs in the area that allows me the opportunity to try different beers.

Get one of these from Growler Werks. They use c02 and you can fill them with what you like from the pubs. A lot better then paying an arm and a leg for a pencil keg. I think the craft beers taste better from the tap. Lots of places here carry good selection of craft beers and rotate often. Not enough good stouts and porters though.

uKeg Go 64

uKeg Go 64 pressurized stainless steel growler, mini keg in half-gallon size. Keeps beer cold and fresh for weeks. Durable, double-wall vacuum insulated with tap. Available in Chili or Tungsten color.

www.googleadservices.com

 

[DFSNOLE]

Get one of these from Growler Werks. They use c02 and you can fill them with what you like from the pubs. A lot better then paying an arm and a leg for a pencil keg. I think the craft beers taste better from the tap. Lots of places here carry good selection of craft beers and rotate often. Not enough good stouts and porters though.

uKeg Go 64

uKeg Go 64 pressurized stainless steel growler, mini keg in half-gallon size. Keeps beer cold and fresh for weeks. Durable, double-wall vacuum insulated with tap. Available in Chili or Tungsten color.

www.googleadservices.com

Where are you?

 

[GeddyLee09]

Where are you?

PCB

 

[DFSNOLE]

PCB

For some reason, I thought you were closer to Niceville. We've found several small breweries around there that we enjoy.

 

[GeddyLee09]

For some reason, I thought you were closer to Niceville. We've found several small breweries around there that we enjoy.

Idyll Hounds and Grayton are out this way and Odd Pelican near Freeport. Cambellton has a good one too if you take a drive that way. I've been to 3rd Planet and Fort Walton out that way both are good.

 

[BelemNole]

I have a good friend/client who I've worked with for many years; he recently retired & I spent a lot of time helping him through the sale of his business. He's aware of my love of tequila; earlier this week he dropped off a thank you/Christmas gift - a bottle of Tears of Llorona Extra Anejo. It's considered by many to be the finest sipping tequila in existence. It is aged for 5 years - some in scotch barrels, some in sherry barrels, some in cognac barrels, then blended. I plan to crack it open on Christmas Eve with my wife.

View embedded media

For $250 a bottle it better be good.
I picked up a new bottle of Fleur de Cana for myself when I was out shopping for tequila for the bride.

 

[DFSNOLE]

Idyll Hounds and Grayton are out this way and Odd Pelican near Freeport. Cambellton has a good one too if you take a drive that way. I've been to 3rd Planet and Fort Walton out that way both are good.

I like Idyll Hounds but have never been a fan of Grayton beers. Niceville has 3rd Planet, Props, Strange Colt and Bayou Brewery.

 

[SeaPA]

For $250 a bottle it better be good.
I picked up a new bottle of Fleur de Cana for myself when I was out shopping for tequila for the bride.

Yeah, it's not something I would ever buy for myself - but I was quite happy to get it as a gift & I will definitely enjoy it.

I used to drink a lot of Flor de Cana when we went to Roatan on dive trips (it's made in Nicaragua but is by far the most popular rum in Honduras). Even the aged stuff was inexpensive there, and the less-aged stuff was dirt cheap. On one of my trips, I wanted a drink in the airport while waiting for our flight home. Went to the bar & asked for a rum & Coke; bartender fished around in the cooler, looks up & says "No Coke." So I ask for a rum & Pepsi; she again leans down in the cooler, fishes around "No Pepsi." Ok, rum & Diet Coke...fishes around, "No Diet Coke." Ok, rum & 7-up..."No 7-up." Ok, instead of me guessing, what DO you have? "It looks like all we got is Fresca." Me - does it mix ok with Fresca? Her, "I dunno." So I tell her I'll find out.
It mixes amazingly well with Fresca, and became my preferred way to drink it. Gotta be the original, grapefruit flavored Fresca, though - the blackberry stuff is just awful.

 

[DFSNOLE]

For $250 a bottle it better be good.
I picked up a new bottle of Fleur de Cana for myself when I was out shopping for tequila for the bride.

Do you think $250 is overly expensive for tequila or all liquor?

 

[BelemNole]

Do you think $250 is overly expensive for tequila or all liquor?

Tequila. I understand some booze is crazy expensive but tequila isn't usually one of those. My wife's boss gave her a bottle of the Don Julio 1492 and that is stupid expensive too but most tequilas can be bought for $50-100
I also try to keep my rum under $50. I understand that there are a few really expensive ones out there but I'm not buying them.

 

[DFSNOLE]

My local grocery store had a $2500 bottle of bourbon on the shelf when I was there a few days ago. That made me chuckle: who is going to the equivalent of a Safeway to pick up chips, hot dogs, and a $2500 bottle of whiskey?

When we lived in West Palm Beach, the Publix on the island sold Dom Perignon. It was behind the counter but still available in a grocery store.

 

[F4Gary]

When we lived in West Palm Beach, the Publix on the island sold Dom Perignon. It was behind the counter but still available in a grocery store.

I used to buy that stuff in the duty free store for 30 bucks. If it weren't for James Bond, it wouldn't be as expensive as it is today.

 

[TallyNole93]

Eagle Rare for me thank you

 

[DFSNOLE]

Eagle Rare for me thank you

That is a hard bottle to find in my part of Florida but it's almost always on the shelf when I go to stores in Georgia so I stock up.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Idyll Hounds and Grayton are out this way and Odd Pelican near Freeport. Cambellton has a good one too if you take a drive that way. I've been to 3rd Planet and Fort Walton out that way both are good.

The Cambellton brewery, ie Southern Fields, is fantastic. One of my top five in all of Florida and in a tie with Halpatter Brewing in Lake City for best in the panhandle.

Right now for Florida Breweries I’d have it

1) Funky Budha - Boca Raton
2) Invasive Species - Ft. Lauderdale
3A) Southern Fields - Cambellton
3B) Halpatter - Lake City
5) J Wakefield Brewing - Wynnwood
6) Barrel of Monks - Boca Raton
7) Oyster City Brewing - Apalachicola & Tallahassee
8) Angry Chair Brewing - Tampa
9) Coppertail Brewing - Tampa
10) Deep Brewing - Tallahassee
11) Swamphead - which pains me to say…Hogtown
12) Green Bench - St Petersburg
13) Civil Society Brewing Company - Jupiter
14) First Magnitude - Hogtown again
15) Hidden Springs Aleworks - Tampa
16) Cycle Brewing - St Petersburg
17) Cigar City - Tampa
18) Florida Beer Company - Port Canaveral
19) Waterfront Brewing - Key West
20) 3 Sons Brewing Company - Dania
21) Dunedin Brewery - Dunedin
22) Ology Brewing - Tallahassee
23) Mr. Dunderbak’s Biergarten and Brewery - Tampa
24) Proof Brewing - Tallahassee
25) Marker 48 Brewing - Spring Hill

Now the above rating is for the beer alone, not food or ambience. I’d have Mr Dunderbak’s #1 for my favorite place to have a local beer and McGuires Irish Pub in Pensacola (and Destin) #2 if food and atmosphere were brought in.

As for Florida Distilleries, there’s not enough to make a top 25 (as 25 is about how many there are in total), but my Top 10 are:

1) NJoy Spirits - Weeki Wachee
2) Hemingway Rum Company - Key West
3) St. Augustine Distillery - St. Augustine
4) City Gates Distilling Company - St Augustine
5) Key West First Legal Distillery - Key West
6) St Petersburg Distillery - St Petersburg
7) American Freedom Distillery - St Petersburg
8) Tarpon Springs Distillery - Tarpon Springs
9) Sugar Sand Distillery - Lake Placid
10) Sailbird Distillery - St. Augustine

 

[TallyNole93]

That is a hard bottle to find in my part of Florida but it's almost always on the shelf when I go to stores in Georgia so I stock up.

Hard bottle to find here too. If it is in stock, they limit the purchase to 1 bottle.

 

[seminoleed]

The Cambellton brewery, ie Southern Fields, is fantastic. One of my top five in all of Florida and in a tie with Halpatter Brewing in Lake City for best in the panhandle.

Right now for Florida Breweries I’d have it

1) Funky Budha - Boca Raton
2) Invasive Species - Ft. Lauderdale
3A) Southern Fields - Cambellton
3B) Halpatter - Lake City
5) J Wakefield Brewing - Wynnwood
6) Barrel of Monks - Boca Raton
7) Oyster City Brewing - Apalachicola & Tallahassee
8) Angry Chair Brewing - Tampa
9) Coppertail Brewing - Tampa
10) Deep Brewing - Tallahassee
11) Swamphead - which pains me to say…Hogtown
12) Green Bench - St Petersburg
13) Civil Society Brewing Company - Jupiter
14) First Magnitude - Hogtown again
15) Hidden Springs Aleworks - Tampa
16) Cycle Brewing - St Petersburg
17) Cigar City - Tampa
18) Florida Beer Company - Port Canaveral
19) Waterfront Brewing - Key West
20) 3 Sons Brewing Company - Dania
21) Dunedin Brewery - Dunedin
22) Ology Brewing - Tallahassee
23) Mr. Dunderbak’s Biergarten and Brewery - Tampa
24) Proof Brewing - Tallahassee
25) Marker 48 Brewing - Spring Hill

Now the above rating is for the beer alone, not food or ambience. I’d have Mr Dunderbak’s #1 for my favorite place to have a local beer and McGuires Irish Pub in Pensacola (and Destin) #2 if food and atmosphere were brought in.

As for Florida Distilleries, there’s not enough to make a top 25, but my Top 10 are:

1) NJoy Spirits - Weeki Wachee
2) Hemingway Rum Company - Key West
3) St. Augustine Distillery - St. Augustine
4) City Gates Distilling Company - St Augustine
5) Key West First Legal Distillery - Key West
6) St Petersburg Distillery - St Petersburg
7) American Freedom Distillery - St Petersburg
8) Tarpon Springs Distillery - Tarpon Springs
9) Sugar Sand Distillery - Lake Placid
10) Sailbird Distillery - St. Augustine

Somehow you left out Wicked Dolphin Distillery in Cape Coral--they've been winning awards nationwide for years with their rums.

 

[DFSNOLE]

We are actually getting a brewery here in DeFuniak. The vats were moved in a couple of weeks ago. I've been told it's someone out of Colorado who has won awards out there. Can't wait!

 

[FSUTribe76]

Somehow you left out Wicked Dolphin Distillery in Cape Coral--they've been winning awards nationwide for years with their rums.

I‘ve had their cheaper stuff and do not care for it. The best Florida Rum is the Mermaid Rum from NJoy and Papa’s Pilar (especially the blonde) from Hemingway. Others like City Gate and St Augustine are good, but the two above are exceptional.

 

[FSUTribe76]

With Christmas falling on Sunday and Hannukah still being celebrated, I imagine there will be some get-togethers this weekend. What will be in your glass? I am a high-proof, high-rye bourbon and rye man who has been fortunate with finding some good bottles lately. In the past few months, I've gotten bottles of Little Book Chapter 6, Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Barrel Proof, Wilderness Trail Cask Proof Rye, 1792 Full Proof and an Elijah Craig Total Wine barrel pick coming in at 134 proof. I'm not sure which one I'll start with but I do know I need to be careful about how much I drink.

I haven’t bought a new to me Bourbon in awhile now. The last group was trying the new revised Benchmark line (I got the Single Barrel, Top Floor and Bonded in Bond) to compare to my favorite bottom shelf American whiskies (as Mellow Corn is not technically a bourbon as it uses reused barrels, but Old Crow, Ancient Age and Very Old Barton are). I liked them well enough as they were on par or slightly better than my favorite low end mixing American whiskies but didn’t think they were great especially for the price, which is getting closer to my low-midpriced utility whiskey tiers (ie good enough for sipping but cheap enough for mixing) like Wild Turkey 101, Old Granddad 114, and Yellowstone Select.

The new to me liquors I picked up recently were some rums you can’t get in the US (at least easily, you can find the standard Black Seal Goslings anywhere, the Gold Seal shows up periodically and Total Wine seems to always carry the Family Reserve Old Rum). So while in Bermuda a month and a half ago, I picked up some bottles of their

Silver

Amber (which is similar to but different than Gold Seal, the Amber was designed for Bermudan palates so it’s drier and has more grassy/herby flavor than the Gold Seal designed for export which is Sweeter and has more caramel taste)

And this bottle of Bermudan banana liqueur where I wish I had bought a dozen. It’s impossible to get off island and it’s by FAR the best banana liqueur I’ve ever had. It makes absolutely tremendous Yellowbird cocktails.

When I was in Nassau, I also picked up these two hard to get in America rums.

The John Watling’s Buena Vista rum

And the John Watling’s Single Barrel

My most recent pickups that are new to me, were some Costco pickups a couple of weeks ago. The first was the Yamato Mizurna Oak Casked Japanese whisky which I fully admit I got because I absolutely love the crystal and metal bottle and not because I expect the whisky to live up to its $160 price tag. I haven’t opened it yet except for a quick sniff.

The same Costco trip, I picked up this 14yo Cognac cask Glenlivet as my stock of Speysides were getting low. I like to have a variety as Speysides are my favorite category of whisky/whiskey, even though I keep at least a couple of every category of whiskey.

 

[FSUSarah]

Sparkling Rosè all day!

 

[DFSNOLE]

Sparkling Rosè all day!

My wife made a crock pot full of mulled wine yesterday. She's, and several others, have been dipping in since. Perfect for the cold days we've all been experiencing.

 

[SeaPA]

For $250 a bottle it better be good.
I picked up a new bottle of Fleur de Cana for myself when I was out shopping for tequila for the bride.

So I just opened it and had a small glass. It is outstanding.
Not sure I would buy it for myself, but I will certainly be stingy with this bottle.
Btw, the 250 is high, but it is a liter bottle.

 

[runkpanole]

I haven’t drank a lot this weekend. The weather in Key West has sucked and the wife has the rona. That said, I’ll have a couple of glasses of homemade sangria tonight.

 

[DFSNOLE]

So I just opened it and had a small glass. It is outstanding.
Not sure I would buy it for myself, but I will certainly be stingy with this bottle.
Btw, the 250 is high, but it is a liter bottle.

I'm the same way with my expensive bottles. Not because of the cost but because I'm afraid I won't be able to find a replacement.

 

[GeddyLee09]

The Cambellton brewery, ie Southern Fields, is fantastic. One of my top five in all of Florida and in a tie with Halpatter Brewing in Lake City for best in the panhandle.

Right now for Florida Breweries I’d have it

1) Funky Budha - Boca Raton
2) Invasive Species - Ft. Lauderdale
3A) Southern Fields - Cambellton
3B) Halpatter - Lake City
5) J Wakefield Brewing - Wynnwood
6) Barrel of Monks - Boca Raton
7) Oyster City Brewing - Apalachicola & Tallahassee
8) Angry Chair Brewing - Tampa
9) Coppertail Brewing - Tampa
10) Deep Brewing - Tallahassee
11) Swamphead - which pains me to say…Hogtown
12) Green Bench - St Petersburg
13) Civil Society Brewing Company - Jupiter
14) First Magnitude - Hogtown again
15) Hidden Springs Aleworks - Tampa
16) Cycle Brewing - St Petersburg
17) Cigar City - Tampa
18) Florida Beer Company - Port Canaveral
19) Waterfront Brewing - Key West
20) 3 Sons Brewing Company - Dania
21) Dunedin Brewery - Dunedin
22) Ology Brewing - Tallahassee
23) Mr. Dunderbak’s Biergarten and Brewery - Tampa
24) Proof Brewing - Tallahassee
25) Marker 48 Brewing - Spring Hill

Now the above rating is for the beer alone, not food or ambience. I’d have Mr Dunderbak’s #1 for my favorite place to have a local beer and McGuires Irish Pub in Pensacola (and Destin) #2 if food and atmosphere were brought in.

As for Florida Distilleries, there’s not enough to make a top 25 (as 25 is about how many there are in total), but my Top 10 are:

1) NJoy Spirits - Weeki Wachee
2) Hemingway Rum Company - Key West
3) St. Augustine Distillery - St. Augustine
4) City Gates Distilling Company - St Augustine
5) Key West First Legal Distillery - Key West
6) St Petersburg Distillery - St Petersburg
7) American Freedom Distillery - St Petersburg
8) Tarpon Springs Distillery - Tarpon Springs
9) Sugar Sand Distillery - Lake Placid
10) Sailbird Distillery - St. Augustine

You cant beat McGuire's and the beer isn't bad either. Good martini's too.

 

[DFSNOLE]

So, this is my issue. I've been off since December 16th and have to go back to the office tomorrow. Do I go ahead and pour one out mid afternoon because it's my last day off or because I have to go in tomorrow, do I hold off? Don't give me any of that dry January stuff. I blew that yesterday.

 

[runkpanole]

So, this is my issue. I've been off since December 16th and have to go back to the office tomorrow. Do I go ahead and pour one out mid afternoon because it's my last day off or because I have to go in tomorrow, do I hold off? Don't give me any of that dry January stuff. I blew that yesterday.

Do it.

 

[DFSNOLE]

Do it.

I did. Whistle Pig Single Barrel. Very nice.

 

[runkpanole]

I did. Whistle Pig Single Barrel. Very nice.

Quality

 

[BrianNole777]

I'm late to the party. I think I had 1 Yuengling on Christmas Eve. I had 4 cups of lobster bisque and felt "drunk" off that. 😀

I consider myself blessed that I'm not an alcoholic. My family background has alcoholics on both sides. My maternal Uncle was a lawyer that drank 2 bottles of Smirnoff vodka per DAY.

Sadly, he died age 54. My brother was an alcoholic that died a few years ago aged 41. My sister (no pics) is recovering well from her drinking problem.

My cousin, aged 41, had liver surgery this summer due to alcoholism and seems to be recovering.

CSB.