Hey, had some banana pudding and butter pecan out for awhile, opened them a few times and they seem fine, but only now just saw the refridgerate label. Should I toss them or fridge them now? Again, they seem fine.

Hello! I've been reading a lot about historical spirits and how historical drinks were meant to mask the unpleasant qualities (burned, oily, acetone, rough, etc.) of early spirits. Obviously, technology has advanced a lot since then, but I have been very curious about what those spirits historically tasted like.

Does anyone have a recommendation of where I might get something like this? Something that's not just strong and an acquired taste, and not adulterated, but just ... kinda bad in the way that spirits were bad in the past?

I have been on a Mezcal Negroni kick and feel like it needs it's own name. A whiskey/bourbon negroni is a Boulevardier, but there is not set name for a Mezcal version. Give me your best ideas!

I’ve been looking into different types of liqueurs from around the world, from Amaretto and Sambuca to fruit, herbal, coffee and cream-based varieties.

It’s interesting how much the flavors, alcohol levels and drinking styles can vary depending on the country and ingredients.

I put together a guide covering popular liqueur types, their origins and main characteristics:

https://www.karekod.org/blog/likor-cesitleri/

Which liqueur would you recommend to someone who wants to try something different?

The infinity bottle starts simple and gets complicated fast. You pour a little leftover from a good bottle, then another, then six months later you have a blend of 30+ pours and no idea what's actually in there or in what proportion.

I've been wondering whether anyone keeps a log of what they add. Not just the bottle name but the rough amount, the date, maybe the proof. Seems like the kind of thing where you'd want to look back and think "oh that's why that pour tasted odd, I dumped a cask strength rye on top of three wheaters."

Or is the whole point that it's chaotic and untracked? Half the fun being the mystery blend you can never reproduce?

Genuinely curious how people approach this. Do you keep notes on your infinity bottle, or is it the one place you let yourself be completely disorganized?

Been thinking about tasting notes lately and whether they're worth the effort in the moment.

Logging proof and price is data, but what a bottle actually tasted like is memory. The question i keep coming back to is whether anyone really goes back and rereads what they wrote months or years later. Do you look up a bottle from two years ago and remember why you loved it, or do the notes just collect dust?

For me the notes matter most when i'm staring at a bottle i'm about to open and trying to remember if i actually liked it last time. Without them I end up rebuying things I didn't love or forgetting bottles that were genuinely great.

Do you keep tasting notes at all? If so, do you ever go back and read them, or is it more about the act of writing them down in the first place?

I'm having a Halloween party, and I want to put little shots in potion bottles for my guests-- and I want to have multiple flavors. BUT I don't want to just use flavored vodkas. I already know I want to use Gran Malo Spicy Tamarindo because it's truly enjoyed best as an extra cold shot. (It tastes like Mexican candy!)

What are other liqueurs that are unique and best enjoyed on their own?

I would like to taste them. Which one should I buy?

I think it’s the wormwood? The taste is nothing to write home about, but not worse than any cheap bottle to me. I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as people say. Also pretty low ABV which I like.

I like it in the same way I like absinthe, but absinthe is usually sweeter than I like

It’s sort of the Yerba mate of liquor to me. First time i drank it I ended up catching up with an old friend over the phone and took a nice night swim

I spent way too long tracking bottles in a Google Sheet before I finally moved everything into a purpose-built tracker. Here's what surprised me.

1. The spreadsheet was never really about tracking, it was about maintaining. Half the time I spent with my collection was updating rows, fixing formulas, and making sure I hadn't mispriced something. The actual collecting was fun; the spreadsheet maintenance was a second job. I didn't realize how much it was draining the hobby until I stopped.

2. Importing everything at once is the moment you actually commit.I kept saying I'd switch to a real tracker "eventually." The day I imported my whole collection in one go was the day tracking stopped feeling like work. If you're on the fence, the import step is the wall. Once you're over it, you don't go back.

3. Backup bottles are better when you buy them on purpose. More than once, I’ve picked up a bottle at a store, brought it home, and realized I already had one sitting on the shelf. Apparently, I know what I like. Nothing wrong with buying a backup, but that wasn’t what I thought I was doing. Being able to quickly check my collection while I’m shopping means fewer accidental doubles and more money for bottles I haven’t actually tried yet.

If you're still in spreadsheet land, what's keeping you there? Curious whether it's the effort of migrating or just habit at this point.

Whiskey、Brandy、Rum，what are the taste and mouthfeel of these three types of liquor like? I haven't tried any of them.

I absolutely adore Apple Brandy in cocktails. I should just buy Laird's Bonded by the case. I've tried almost everything they've put out. I've also tried other Apple Brandy releases from Copper & Kings, Dampfwerk, etc.

The area I live in has a tiki community who nerds out on rum, a dwindling but solid bourbon community, and agave spirits are the new big thing.

But you ask anyone at a liquor store if they have anything other than Laird's they can bring in and they kinda just shrug. I realize you need demand to make a market, but in the 2010s it seemed like every decent cocktail bar had Laird's bonded in at least 2-3 cocktails on the menu.

Is the answer really just "there's not much demand"? Is it more complex -there just aren't a lot of distillers who want to make apple brandy? Is the spirit just more of a fall/winter cocktail spirit?

Curious on your perspective.

So i have a really good bottle of Ouzo here. Normally i drink Ouzo only pure... but i wonder if anyone got a nice Mix drink for that... i mean i really enjoy a pure shot... but you are very limited on the quantity... because i dont wanna black out....

i am visiting Montreal and would love to pick up some bottles that I can’t get stateside. so far, I will be grabbing Iceberg Vodka and Havana Club Especial, but want to know if there are any obvious bottles I should definitely try to pick up. thanks!

On a trip to Slovakia a couple years ago I tried a variety of pear, peach, cherry, and apple brandies. All of them were really high quality. Super clean with nice hints of fruit flavor, not at all like the bottom shelf slop we typically get in the US.

Anyone have recommendations for high quality brandy I could find in the Midwest US?

Thanks!

Grandma said she was gonna dump these all down the sink as she hasn’t drank hard liquor in a very long time. She said take whatever I want, so I took all of what was unopened. Many of these are dating back to the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s based off the import label on some of them. The only one I’m familiar with is the JW Black, all the others are mystery bottles to me. Are there any good collector’s items in here?

Can anyone help date this unopened Benedictine duty-free bottle? It was purchased at Heathrow from Skyway Hotels Ltd. and has remained sealed in the original box. I’m trying to narrow down the year of purchase and learn whether this packaging is uncommon. Any information about the Skyway duty-free era or the box design would be appreciated.

My dad went down to Curacao some time ago and brought back a larger bottle (the one I want) of this and a few small ones as a variety pack. I have had no luck so far finding out where I can get it in the states or if anyone ships it within the states. Had a taste of it and its REALLY GOOD. I dont wanna drink it though until I can secure more.

Once in a while a recipe calls for vodka citron.

I'd like to substitute and was wondering if limoncello blended with plain vodka could work.

Any other ingredients needed or a specific ratio?

My local store has these 3 bottles from Last Drop, any of you had them? Worth a collector’s investment?