Calling all connoisseurs of spirits

[Ronno6]

St. Brendan's is OK, and not as expensive as Bailey's.....but not quite as good, either IMO

[brewbear]

I usually have Irish cream in mixed drinks. Depending on how much vodka and kahlua you put in the mix, the Irish cream stops to matter by the third or fourth glass.

[Firewalker]

New Holland Accumulation IPA with my friends.

[Ronno6]

The Wife and I just enjoyed a glass of Texas Ranger Bourbon in my National WWII Museum Glasses
with an ice sphere in it..........all items provided by my Texas daughter and son-in-law for Christmas...
Feelin' pretty mello..........

[Spacebus]

Not the other-worldly spirits, but the world of drinking spirits. Haha

I am not a big drinker as a general rule, except that I enjoy a good margarita or two whenever the mood strikes.

I am, however, interested in making wines, liqueurs, and fermented fruits and/or juices.

Some of my recipes call for various spirits, usually either vodka or rum, but I really don't know much about determining the quality of either. I know that SOME products can be cheap (price-wise), but still be very good, and others may be expensive, but not that impressive. As a good example, Aldi stores and (iirc) Costco have had various cheap products that they sell make it into the upper leagues in the world of spirits, and were considered excellent quality (Iirc, these were wine varieties).

Anyway, in the world of vodka and rum, what are your recommendations for good products which are medium to low priced?
I don't mind buying expensive products if they will be used for mixing a cocktail or for shots or sipping, but I just can't see putting an expensive bottle of rum or vodka in a liqueur product.

I like dirty vodka martinis, but I can't do the cheap stuff anymore. Try Belvedere or Tito's for cocktails, they work best chilled.

If you want a good tequila that won't make you sick, the best place to start is Hornitos and start going up in price. The cheap stuff is not made with 100% agave and is not "real" tequila, but Hornitos is about the cheapest you can go and still get the real deal.

This fall I juiced 55 lbs of wild apples and made a few gallons of hard cider. I bottled it almost three weeks ago and just opened up one that I primed for carbonation. They turned out really great, just a bit tart, but that's because they are wild apples. Next year I'm going to back sweeten when I transfer the cider into the second fermenting vessel. I did leave a bottle and a half uncarbonated for making hot cider on the stove top. Next year I'm hoping to make even more cider, and maybe even try making some mead after the cider is done. If we ever get grapes to grow I would definitely try making wine, it's basically the same process as the cider and mead.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Titos Bloody Mary's ... they are not just for breakfast
so says I at 20:15 

[Blowpipe Sam]

Just my usual tipple tonight.  Grog!  Rum, water, and lime juice.  The sun is over the yardarm somewhere in the British Empire.

[Ronno6]

I enjoyed a couple fingers of Buffalo Trace last evening as ALABAMA Crimson Tide finished Rolling over Cincy.....
I rather enjoyed both......

[Firewalker]

Not the other-worldly spirits, but the world of drinking spirits. Haha

I am not a big drinker as a general rule, except that I enjoy a good margarita or two whenever the mood strikes.

I am, however, interested in making wines, liqueurs, and fermented fruits and/or juices.

Some of my recipes call for various spirits, usually either vodka or rum, but I really don't know much about determining the quality of either. I know that SOME products can be cheap (price-wise), but still be very good, and others may be expensive, but not that impressive. As a good example, Aldi stores and (iirc) Costco have had various cheap products that they sell make it into the upper leagues in the world of spirits, and were considered excellent quality (Iirc, these were wine varieties).

Anyway, in the world of vodka and rum, what are your recommendations for good products which are medium to low priced?
I don't mind buying expensive products if they will be used for mixing a cocktail or for shots or sipping, but I just can't see putting an expensive bottle of rum or vodka in a liqueur product.

I like dirty vodka martinis, but I can't do the cheap stuff anymore. Try Belvedere or Tito's for cocktails, they work best chilled.

If you want a good tequila that won't make you sick, the best place to start is Hornitos and start going up in price. The cheap stuff is not made with 100% agave and is not "real" tequila, but Hornitos is about the cheapest you can go and still get the real deal.

This fall I juiced 55 lbs of wild apples and made a few gallons of hard cider. I bottled it almost three weeks ago and just opened up one that I primed for carbonation. They turned out really great, just a bit tart, but that's because they are wild apples. Next year I'm going to back sweeten when I transfer the cider into the second fermenting vessel. I did leave a bottle and a half uncarbonated for making hot cider on the stove top. Next year I'm hoping to make even more cider, and maybe even try making some mead after the cider is done. If we ever get grapes to grow I would definitely try making wine, it's basically the same process as the cider and mead.

Costco Gold Tequila is very good and 100% Agave.

[avator]

I stuck my head in a jug of good ole 'creek water'.

[Hoosier Daddy]

January 1st...
 I am done drinking for good.


From now on I am drinking for evil.

[Spacebus]

Not the other-worldly spirits, but the world of drinking spirits. Haha

I am not a big drinker as a general rule, except that I enjoy a good margarita or two whenever the mood strikes.

I am, however, interested in making wines, liqueurs, and fermented fruits and/or juices.

Some of my recipes call for various spirits, usually either vodka or rum, but I really don't know much about determining the quality of either. I know that SOME products can be cheap (price-wise), but still be very good, and others may be expensive, but not that impressive. As a good example, Aldi stores and (iirc) Costco have had various cheap products that they sell make it into the upper leagues in the world of spirits, and were considered excellent quality (Iirc, these were wine varieties).

Anyway, in the world of vodka and rum, what are your recommendations for good products which are medium to low priced?
I don't mind buying expensive products if they will be used for mixing a cocktail or for shots or sipping, but I just can't see putting an expensive bottle of rum or vodka in a liqueur product.

I like dirty vodka martinis, but I can't do the cheap stuff anymore. Try Belvedere or Tito's for cocktails, they work best chilled.

If you want a good tequila that won't make you sick, the best place to start is Hornitos and start going up in price. The cheap stuff is not made with 100% agave and is not "real" tequila, but Hornitos is about the cheapest you can go and still get the real deal.

This fall I juiced 55 lbs of wild apples and made a few gallons of hard cider. I bottled it almost three weeks ago and just opened up one that I primed for carbonation. They turned out really great, just a bit tart, but that's because they are wild apples. Next year I'm going to back sweeten when I transfer the cider into the second fermenting vessel. I did leave a bottle and a half uncarbonated for making hot cider on the stove top. Next year I'm hoping to make even more cider, and maybe even try making some mead after the cider is done. If we ever get grapes to grow I would definitely try making wine, it's basically the same process as the cider and mead.

Costco Gold Tequila is very good and 100% Agave.

I didn't know that about Costco, but no surprise. They also have some of the best olive oil you can get in the US, the Kirkland Signature. I haven't had any tequila in years! Not since I got out of the military I think. No costco nearby, but I'm mostly a wine and cider drinker now, and even then we only have 3 or so bottles a month. Sometimes more if we are feeling "froggy".

[Spacebus]

January 1st...
 I am done drinking for good.


From now on I am drinking for evil.

I'm tempted to open a cider, it's been a long day.

[Firewalker]

January 1st...
 I am done drinking for good.


From now on I am drinking for evil.

I'm tempted to open a cider, it's been a long day.

Thanks for the reminder, I have 2 fermenters ready to be racked, hard apple cider OG of 1.070 and I will let it finish at 1.005 for ABV of 8.5.

[Spacebus]

January 1st...
 I am done drinking for good.


From now on I am drinking for evil.

I'm tempted to open a cider, it's been a long day.

Thanks for the reminder, I have 2 fermenters ready to be racked, hard apple cider OG of 1.070 and I will let it finish at 1.005 for ABV of 8.5.

This was my first time, and I used wild apples, so it's very tart and dry. No back sweetening or flavors added, I wanted to know what the cider would taste like by itself first. Next year I want to add flavors and try and get the SG higher.

I started at 1.004 and ended at 1.006 for 4.46% ABV.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Yeast like sugar...
if you apples were tart...
well sounds like it could have been harder in the finish with some honey mixed in.

[Spacebus]

Yeast like sugar...
if you apples were tart...
well sounds like it could have been harder in the finish with some honey mixed in.

We have two wild apple trees on our property and our neighbors let me take their wild apples as well. I'm a guy who loves the most sour candy you will find, but I have a hard time eating our wild apples. I did pasteurize the juice before putting it in the fermenter since they were wild apples, which did take a bit of the tartness off. Next year I want to add blueberries and honey for something a bit sweeter. I primed six of my 32oz bottles so they would carbonate, and the carbonation helps a lot with the flavor. The last bottle and a half I did not prime and it works out really well for hot cider, and I can add some sugar at that point to help the tartness as well.

[Firewalker]

I like to use brown sugar to bring up the ABV and end with a little sweetness. I also use metabisulphite to kill wild yeast and kill the fermentation when I want it stopped. I understand that some people wont use metabisulphite due to sensitivities, we are not sensitive to it so it is a good tool for us.

[Firewalker]

Volunteering at hops for Hunger, working the beer wall then running around and sampling 45 breweries.

[brewbear]

......running around and sampling 45 breweries.

It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it way to take one...or two, or three, or.... for the team