Re: Vodka
 

Any of you Bay Area posters have any thoughts on Johnny Love??

He's apparently an alumni of my frat at Cal, dropped by for a game, got wasted, and donated a case of his stuff. The flavored ones are awesome in my opinion, but the regular kinda meh.

Any cool stories about his supposedly "legendary" bartending days would be cool too.

Re: Vodka
 

Apparently Vox is out of business. Does anyone know what the deal with this is? About 3 months ago I went to the liquor store and bought 4 1.75L of Vox for $40 total because "they went out of business".

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
RB,

wyborowa, rocks.

[/ QUOTE ]

The masked man is correct. Very smooth, very good. I'd say it's probably a little better than GG, and in my area, cheaper too. [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

Thanks for the suggestion, diabolical one.

Re: Vodka
 

I like Grey Goose, straight up, slightly dirty. But someone just gave me a bottle of Grey Goose L'Orange. Anyone have a good drink recipe for Grey Goose L'Orange?

Re: Vodka
 

I drink Vodka with Soda water and a lemon. When I do drink these, I do it to get [censored] up, so taste really isn't an issue. If I am going to drink a beverage to enjoy it is going to be wine. On that note, I had a nice bottle of 97 Judd's Hill the other evening that was pretty nice.

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
Apparently Vox is out of business. Does anyone know what the deal with this is? About 3 months ago I went to the liquor store and bought 4 1.75L of Vox for $40 total because "they went out of business".

[/ QUOTE ]

Web site is still up. I suspect it's a problem with the distributor or it just wasn't selling at that store. Like the time I went to my local grocery store and found a bunch of bottles of Cragganmore and Glenkinchie in the "discontinued" section at $29/bottle. They all found a happy home.

Good work on the pick up. Seriously, when was the last time an alcohol producer went out of business? It's like license to print money.

Re: Vodka
 

Chopin

Van Gogh
Ketel One
Grey Goose


ScottieK

Re: Vodka
 

I don't drink Vodka, but its about about Barton Vodka, cause, uh, thats my last name. Actually Barton Brands make a shitload of stuff, so just drink any of these....

http://www.bartonbrands.com/alpha.htm

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
"and it's not close" does beg a prop bet

[/ QUOTE ]

That bet also came up in this thread, but never got started.

Re: Vodka
 

Grey goose + O.J. = I'm done for the night

Re: Vodka
 

Grey goose
Finlandia

Re: Vodka
 

I don't drink enough to have a favorite brand, but vodka and OJ is delicious.

Also, I assume most have seen this, but just in case: http://www.ohmygoditburns.com/

Re: Vodka
 

GoT, TheMetreon, JA Sucker:

"But I would definitely be able to tell the difference between any of those [Stoli, Fris, Belvedere] and Ketel and it's not close." - GoT

"I can tell the difference between Grey Goose, Chopin, and Belvedere" - TheMetreon

"The best vodka you can buy in the US is Chopin. Nothing else is close. Grey Goose and Ketel are terrible." - JA Sucker

I repeat my wager from the other thread. Ten glasses of vodka, however you like them served.

GoT: The vodkas will bs Stoli, Fris, Belvedere, Ketel. At least two will be Ketel, you simply pick out the Ketels.

Metreon: The vodkas will be Grey Goose, Chopin, Belvedere. You tell me which one you want to pick out, at least two will be that vodka.

Sucker: The vodkas will be Grey Goose, Ketel, Chopin. At least two will be Chopin, you pick them out.

I am willing to bet each of you $1000 (or more if you'd like) that you will fail this test. Since "it's not close," these guys should be giving me odds, but I'm a nice guy and will do them even money.

However, as I said in the other thread, this will never go down because before doing them, these guys will try it with their buddies first and realize they can't actually tell the difference.

Re: Vodka
 

Oni,

I've had the flavored Johnny Love's, they were pretty good. I don't recall anything especially great about them, but I liked them just fine.

As for Johnny, he is pretty much a clown, but a fun guy to drink with.

Re: Vodka
 

this thread just took a turn for the interesting.

Re: Vodka
 

Shajen,

Not really, because the bet will never happen once these guys try the test on their own and realize they can't really tell the vodkas apart.

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
However, as I said in the other thread, this will never go down because before doing them, these guys will try it with their buddies first and realize they can't actually tell the difference.

[/ QUOTE ]

My Senior year in college, I kept a bottle of Grey Goose and a bottle of Vladimir's so that when I offered people this exact bet they didn't have time to test it first. I just did 3 shots of Vlad and 3 shots of Grey Goose - if they managed to get it right I would buy them a bottle of Grey Goose, if they were wrong they'd give me 20 dollars. I never lost in the 5 or 6 times meathead idiots took me up on this challenge.
-James

Re: Vodka
 

bless your heart for owning this thread, Diablo.

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
I like Grey Goose, straight up, slightly dirty. But someone just gave me a bottle of Grey Goose L'Orange. Anyone have a good drink recipe for Grey Goose L'Orange?

[/ QUOTE ]

I like to use a little Orange flavored vodka in a red bull vodka, the best ratio I have found in 2 parts regurlar vodka to 1 part orange vodka.

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
However, as I said in the other thread, this will never go down because before doing them, these guys will try it with their buddies first and realize they can't actually tell the difference.

[/ QUOTE ]

My Senior year in college, I kept a bottle of Grey Goose and a bottle of Vladimir's so that when I offered people this exact bet they didn't have time to test it first. I just did 3 shots of Vlad and 3 shots of Grey Goose - if they managed to get it right I would buy them a bottle of Grey Goose, if they were wrong they'd give me 20 dollars. I never lost in the 5 or 6 times meathead idiots took me up on this challenge.
-James

[/ QUOTE ]

I once had a bottle of really cheapo vodka left over from a party. I poured the contents into an empty stoli bottle and brought it to another party. Everyone at the party was doing shots of "stoli" and telling me how great it was.

This was in the old days before the newfangled vodkas, so stoli was considered really good stuff then.

I will take some action on Diablo's prop bet.

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
RB,

wyborowa, rocks.

[/ QUOTE ]

The masked man is correct. Very smooth, very good. I'd say it's probably a little better than GG, and in my area, cheaper too. [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

Thanks for the suggestion, diabolical one.

[/ QUOTE ]

Where are you buying it? The liquor stores by my house both stopped carrying it. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Vodka
 

the liquor warehouse about a mile from my house in Alpharetta has it.

Lucky me.

Re: Vodka
 

I had Absolut one day and then the next day went out and got Skyy. I definitely believe that the skyy was no nearly as harsh and smoother. What you are saying is this isn't possible though so I guess I have to do them at the same time to tell. :shrug:

Re: Vodka
 

I like Grey Goose in a semi-spicy Bloody Mary.

Okay, having said that, here is my take on the differences between vodkas, and why I'm drinking in the first place (when I shouldn't).

I can't tell the difference between vodka and rubbing alcohol. It tastes nasty. Pretty much all straight alcohol tastes nasty to me.

When I can tell the difference is the next day. Cheap vodka means a hangover. Pounding head, throbbing, aching, beat up, "I'd rather die than drink again" feeling. The more premium brands leave me feeling okay. Not 100%, but not ill, either.

Up until last November (2004), I'd never really drank at all. I got diabetes young, and grew up with an alcoholic stepfather, so I equated alcohol with alcoholics.

Someone suggested vodka as a good painkiller if one wanted to avoid prescription painkillers and added sugar. I tried it out, and it worked.

The pluses are that vodka is a fantastic, short-term painkiller with no added sugar for people with diabetes.

The minuses are that it is very, very short term. Pills last a lot longer. It also still messes with my blood sugar somewhat, although putting it into a drink with V8 helps out a lot. It also just doesn't agree with me. I'm simply not much of a drinker.

I'm fortunate, in a way, because I don't have an addictive personality. Someone on OOT last year warned me about using Vodka as a painkiller, and illustrated some personal stories, which were horrific and scared me into thinking about what I was doing.

Try as I might, I just couldn't become addicted. I can take it or leave it. Yes, I know exactly how fortunate I am.

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
I had Absolut one day and then the next day went out and got Skyy. I definitely believe that the skyy was no nearly as harsh and smoother. What you are saying is this isn't possible though so I guess I have to do them at the same time to tell. :shrug:

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think he is saying that it isn't possible, he is saying that these particular people cannot reliably tell the difference.

I am sure that each vodka has its own characteristics and that if you taste them side by side you wil notice them. Identifying them by taste alone is another story.

Re: Vodka
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodka

Differences in taste between brands

Many vodka consumers claim they can tell a difference in taste between different brands. To test this ability the ABC News program 20/20 [1] conducted a non-scientific survey of 6 individuals aged 21-40 who sampled 6 different brands of vodka. There were 5 different super premium vodkas ($30-$60, 750ml, 2005) and a mid-priced vodka, Smirnoff ($13, 750ml, 2005). At the beginning of the survey the participants were asked to name their favorite vodka brand; four individuals chose Grey Goose ($30, 750ml, 2005). After sampling each of unmarked vodka samples "straight up", five of the six testers chose the same vodka as their least favorite sample. They were all surprised to discover that they had selected Grey Goose. When the 6 brands were mixed into a cosmopolitan mixed drink (3 parts vodka, 1 part triple sec, 1 part lime juice, & 1 part cranberry juice) they were mostly unable to differentiate between the brands. The suggestion was made to select the 'house' or inexpensive vodka next time one orders a vodka based drink. In another recent blind tasting done by New York Times food and drinks critics, classic Smirnoff topped the list; second and third were vodkas from Poland.

Re: Vodka
 

Ciroq is the best out there, but kinda pricy. Tastes so good on the rocks.

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodka

Differences in taste between brands

Many vodka consumers claim they can tell a difference in taste between different brands. To test this ability the ABC News program 20/20 [1] conducted a non-scientific survey of 6 individuals aged 21-40 who sampled 6 different brands of vodka. There were 5 different super premium vodkas ($30-$60, 750ml, 2005) and a mid-priced vodka, Smirnoff ($13, 750ml, 2005). At the beginning of the survey the participants were asked to name their favorite vodka brand; four individuals chose Grey Goose ($30, 750ml, 2005). After sampling each of unmarked vodka samples "straight up", five of the six testers chose the same vodka as their least favorite sample. They were all surprised to discover that they had selected Grey Goose. When the 6 brands were mixed into a cosmopolitan mixed drink (3 parts vodka, 1 part triple sec, 1 part lime juice, & 1 part cranberry juice) they were mostly unable to differentiate between the brands. The suggestion was made to select the 'house' or inexpensive vodka next time one orders a vodka based drink. In another recent blind tasting done by New York Times food and drinks critics, classic Smirnoff topped the list; second and third were vodkas from Poland.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks. That doesn't suprise me.

The power of suggestion is strong. Penn and Teller did a thing on their show where they had people tasting different types of bottled water. Supposedly one came from glacier, one from Alaska, one from a spring, etc. Meanwhile they were filling all the bottles with water from a garden hose. Still people were remarking how great these waters were and noting the different tastes of each one.

Re: Vodka
 

Deleted: someone else beat me to the Wiki quote.

Re: Vodka
 

Emmitt,

I was referring specifically to the vodka claims mentioned in the threads. There are definitely certain vodkas that people can tell apart more easily than others.

Re: Vodka
 

Masked man, you are correct sir. I was able to distinguish Chopin out of the bunch, but mostly because I, for some odd reason, don't like it straight up. There's just something in it.

Belvedere and GG were a loss to me, so you win.


Edit: I think Diablo's point was that most of the premium's taste comparably the same and be able to name them just by taste would be very, very difficult if not impossible.

At the same time, distinguishing Smirnoff from Grey Goose, shouldn't be nearly as difficult, and I don't think anyone is disputing this being possible.

Re: Vodka
 

Long story, but eventually on topic.

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away, I was in Peoria, IL, on business. The person I was meeting with, a big frog in the little pond, was giving me a mini-tour of the city on the way to his office.

We were driving along side the Illinois River, and passed a large industrial complex owned by ADM (Archer Daniels Midland, one of the largest agri-businesses in the world). He told me that the plant manager was a friend of his, and that one of the major functions of that plant was to take in barge loads of grain and produce grain alcohol.

The grain alcohol was then loaded into tanker barges and shipped down the Illinois to the Mississippi and then to the Gulf. There the grain alcohol was loaded on a tanker ship and taken to Russia, where it was used to make vodka. Stoli Vodka.

Since that day, I have had much difficulty keeping a straight face whenever I hear discussions about fine hand-crafted imported vodkas. Give me a break--it comes from Peoria [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: Vodka
 

ben,

That's a pretty similar story to much of the "Kobe beef" people go crazy about.

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
ben,

That's a pretty similar story to much of the "Kobe beef" people go crazy about.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya gotta sell the sizzle, not the steak. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Vodka
 

So, ultimately, I'm supposed to be buying Smirnoff?

That idea makes me cry.

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
Long story, but eventually on topic.

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away, I was in Peoria, IL, on business. The person I was meeting with, a big frog in the little pond, was giving me a mini-tour of the city on the way to his office.

We were driving along side the Illinois River, and passed a large industrial complex owned by ADM (Archer Daniels Midland, one of the largest agri-businesses in the world). He told me that the plant manager was a friend of his, and that one of the major functions of that plant was to take in barge loads of grain and produce grain alcohol.

The grain alcohol was then loaded into tanker barges and shipped down the Illinois to the Mississippi and then to the Gulf. There the grain alcohol was loaded on a tanker ship and taken to Russia, where it was used to make vodka. Stoli Vodka.

Since that day, I have had much difficulty keeping a straight face whenever I hear discussions about fine hand-crafted imported vodkas. Give me a break--it comes from Peoria [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

wow, I grew up 20 minutes from most vodka. lol.

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Those of you mixing vodka I encourage you to graduate to a true appreciation.

[/ QUOTE ]

What about those of us who don't want to vomit?

[/ QUOTE ]

Then I would suggest not drinking on an empty stomach. Also eat while you are drinking.

As for my favorite vodka is Stolychnaya. Also for the people mixing premiums with juice you're just throwing money away.

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
So, ultimately, I'm supposed to be buying Smirnoff?

That idea makes me cry.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well yeah, thats what *they* want you to think.

Re: Vodka
 

[ QUOTE ]
Also for the people mixing premiums with juice you're just throwing money away.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just started drinking martini's about a year ago. So when I started with the Grey Goose martinis my wife started ordering her bloody mary's specifying Grey Goose bloody mary.

After a while she said that she couldn't figure out why I thought grey goose was so good because she couldn't tell the difference. I laughed and told her that I didn't have the heart to tell her she was wasting my money by specifying a premium vodka in a mixed drink.

Re: Vodka
 

Vodka martini? What a waste of perfectly good vermouth and olives.