@rtjhnstn very interesting - been visiting TC for most of my life and never knew of Traverse City Whiskey Co.
Although we tend to come in via 31 or 22/72/22 from our property and hang out downtown. Looks like they’re located south of downtown.
Starting at $40 per bottle, it is a bit rich for my blood. But been paying the State of Michigan gestapo priced Jack Daniels $25 so not too much of a stretch.
Thanks, will have to visit next time we’re up there! And grab a bottle in the meantime since it appears to be sold everywhere, including the wonderful Meijer.
As I walked into the Madison Heights SAMs, I remembered it is the victim of the stupid M-H City Council that apparently refuses to allow it a license to sell liquor even though it allowed for the half-mile away Costco!?!
I’d prefer to buy it from Michigan based Meijer anyway…
Tidbits for SE Michigan SAMs customers:
The Madison Heights store houses the regional folks for SAMs.
The Madison Heights store sells more Heineken beer than any other store of any chain in the state.
The Utica, MI SAMs is the largest SAMs in the world. *(Apparently the SAMs/Walmart combo in Hawaii is larger tho.)
@rtjhnstn If something has an expiration date, after that time passes it’s considered “expired.” Does that mean that after a use by date passes it’s considered “used?”
@Fuzzalini Use creamed corn when making cornbread for an interesting thing.
It isn’t real southern cornbread but it is pretty good; add shredded cheddar cheese and chopped habaneros (or jalapenos, if you don’t like spicy things) to make it even better.
Yes, I grew up and live in NYC, but my mother was from Greer, SC and she raised me to like real southern cornbread and not the sweetened shite that most yankees call cornbread. I also love grits and a whole bunch of other southern things that are not all that easy to get here in the big city.
The fanciest box of wine with the brightest colors (hopefully lots of purple) on the label. I don’t care if it’s red, white or pink.
Then, I’ll drink the good beer I brought.
I picked the MD 20/20 option simply because it was there. The drunkest, and sickest, I’ve ever been was after downing a bottle of Banana Red when I was seventeen. Never again.
@PurplePawprints when I was a teenager I was at a party where a girl was drinking md 20/20 with a bendy straw stuck in the bottle. She dropped the straw in and I told her I’d get it out, thinking if I drank it fast enough the flowing liquid would bring the straw back to the neck of the bottle. Yay, science, right?
I failed. I also had my first blackout drunk experience.
@olperfesser The only Trader Joe branded wines I’ll drink are the one that are TJ reserve or grand reserve reds. They are $10-$15, but the taste is on par with wines that cost twice as much.
My fathers homemade wine is what I bring, which he took over making after my grandfather passed. The most memorable party I brought it to was my wedding:
It’s well known on my side of the family that grandpa’s wine packs a wallop (~20% alcohol), unfortunately my wife’s side, not only did they not know this, it was a fruitier wine that year and we brought ~40 gallons to a 280 person reception.
@Krydon it was on the tables in liter bottles, however it was transported in 10 five gallon glass jugs. I forgot to mention that there isn’t any sulfur dioxide added to the wine; while it means that the wine doesn’t have preservatives, there isn’t anything telling you to stop drinking. Essentially it’s like drinking fruit juice and the alcohol hits you all at once.
@Krydon just grapes: some grapes are sweeter than others and it’s the blend that’s important, at least that’s what I was told. There is also something about the fermentation process and temperature control. I’ll have to ask my father for more details, now I’m bothered by not knowing exactly how they did it.
@RedOak They usually use some kind of grape spirit for fortified wines. And yeah, that’s the only way you can get to 20% alcohol while still having a sweet wine, unless you backsweeten at the end or add a whole shitload of extra sugars.
I have an unbelievable blind spot when it comes to drinks. No idea what you are even talking about when you say “MD 20/20”. Its not some objection based on health and/or moral values. I pretty much just drink water and that’s the extent of my knowledge.
Before my dad passed away, I used to watch “Cash Cab” (common knowledge quiz show) with him pretty regularly. Between the two of us, we almost never missed a question…except when they had a question about food and drink (which were fairly common). We would even miss the $25 questions (which are supposed to be the easy ones) if it was something like “which cocktail/dish is comprised of ingredients x, y and z?”
I think it’s traditional to bring wine to a party because it’s alcohol, but not good alcohol that you’d prefer if you had a choice. That’s why I buy crappy Halloween candy to hand out to the kids because I know I won’t eat it all before the 31st. Just like the trick or treaters, people who receive wine as a gift are like, “Well it’s free, so I’ll take it even if it’s crap.”
I like wine, and I have a small glass (red wine, varying from Cabernet Sauvignon to Syrah, Merlot to Pinot Noir) nearly every evening. Once in a while I even have an even smaller glass of Porto (which I love). On the other hand, I loathe parties. I selected the option that said “I don’t attend parties” but would happily replace the sad face on that option with a happy one.
I like wine, and have quite a few glasses a night - mostly Sav Blanc and Pinto .
For those who want to try consistently good (non-sweet, california-style) whites and reds, including options like Dornfelder and single varietals you mightn’t have had before, check out Pali Wine, by winemaker Aaron Walker.
They also operate on the law of diminishing returns, most bottles between $21-$29, which drink a lot better than most $60+ bottles I’ve had over the years.
I’ve rarely spent more than $10 on wine, and I seem to have a knack for picking up decent wines at that price range. If I’m indecisive, I’ll maybe google the winery to see if it’s known for being decent, but I’ve never bought a shitty bottle of wine.
FWIW: The most I’ve ever spent on wine was $150 for three bottles of Pinot Noir, mostly because the vintner is the co-founder of my favorite band, and he’d signed one of the bottles. It’s a good pinot, too.)
Most expensive (I would presume), finest, best wine I ever consumed was brought by someone else to a very small dinner party, all friends, early 1980’s. Someone rich, who was in a good mood, owed a very significant thank you, and was feeling expansive.
6 bottles of many decades old Lafite. Properly stored and cared for.
The generous guest had “lifted” the bottles from the family cellar [that sort of family, Ivy League dorms are named after them I think]; but that was ok within his family. They had more.
I don’t think any of us were under the influence of the fancy name when we all quickly became very focused on how good it was. He had gone into the kitchen and poured out glasses there without us knowing that the label on what he had brought was possibly a very big deal.
He brought the glasses into the dining room to us. We had no idea, he just called it “decent Bordeaux”.
Everyone’s head turned on the first (blind) sip. We were all, “This is so beyond good. What is this?” He said he’d show us what it was later, was glad we liked it, and just to enjoy. Said it was a pleasure to share it.
We did enjoy. It had not overaged, it lived up. A premier vintner with astonishing vines and great weather can do the sublime.
I had a far better and more practiced ability to appreciate it then.
I drink but rarely now, but enjoy.
Beer.
I picked the second option about not embarrassing myself.
Tho I rarely buy wine for parties, at least not directly, since it is easier to go down to my basement, open the wine cellar, and pick what I want.
@baqui63 …so your house came with an already fully stocked wine cellar? Nice!
@RedOak of course! after all, this is new york city!
I’m an uncomplicated man who brings bottles of local, uncomplicated wine to parties. Solid red blends from Northern Michigan.
@melonscoop an extra star for Northern Michigan!
@melonscoop Or Traverse City Bourbon,(if they’re worth it).
@RedOak a star for your star! Stars all around!
@rtjhnstn very interesting - been visiting TC for most of my life and never knew of Traverse City Whiskey Co.
Although we tend to come in via 31 or 22/72/22 from our property and hang out downtown. Looks like they’re located south of downtown.
Starting at $40 per bottle, it is a bit rich for my blood. But been paying the State of Michigan gestapo priced Jack Daniels $25 so not too much of a stretch.
Thanks, will have to visit next time we’re up there! And grab a bottle in the meantime since it appears to be sold everywhere, including the wonderful Meijer.
@RedOak Found the regular & cherry flavored versions at Sams for $30
@rtjhnstn not interested in cherry prior to trying it. But $30 for the regular sounds good. Coincidentally on way to Sam’s.
Of course Michigan doesn’t believe in liquor competition so the price is the same everywhere. Price and distribution locked down by the state.
As I walked into the Madison Heights SAMs, I remembered it is the victim of the stupid M-H City Council that apparently refuses to allow it a license to sell liquor even though it allowed for the half-mile away Costco!?!
I’d prefer to buy it from Michigan based Meijer anyway…
Tidbits for SE Michigan SAMs customers:
Am I the only one who grabs whatever bottle has been sitting for more than 6 months?
@Thumperchick Who has alcohol that sits so long? You’re doing it wrong.
@medz I really am.
@Thumperchick Isn’t that kinda like giving a can of creamed corn to the food drive?
@Thumperchick with an expired use by date.
@rtjhnstn If something has an expiration date, after that time passes it’s considered “expired.” Does that mean that after a use by date passes it’s considered “used?”
@rtjhnstn those dates are mostly designed to promote consumers buying new stock anyhow. Canned goods can last for decades intact.
@Fuzzalini Use creamed corn when making cornbread for an interesting thing.
It isn’t real southern cornbread but it is pretty good; add shredded cheddar cheese and chopped habaneros (or jalapenos, if you don’t like spicy things) to make it even better.
Yes, I grew up and live in NYC, but my mother was from Greer, SC and she raised me to like real southern cornbread and not the sweetened shite that most yankees call cornbread. I also love grits and a whole bunch of other southern things that are not all that easy to get here in the big city.
The fanciest box of wine with the brightest colors (hopefully lots of purple) on the label. I don’t care if it’s red, white or pink.
Then, I’ll drink the good beer I brought.
I saw the poll before I saw the front page. I got excited thinking we’d be seeing some Meh Wine today. Disappointed.
/image wine bag slap
@medz Auto refilling.
@TheCO2 It’s like the Soldier in White.
When one is full and the other is empty, just switch them.
There is only one catch…
The finest wine money can buy . . .
@heartny Are you guys going to offer this again?
@rtjhnstn is it pretty good?
@moonhat Here’s the link to the last time it was sold.
https://meh.com/forum/topics/6-pack-2014-meh-zinfandel-blend-wines
Quite a few satisfied customers.
@Nate311 I rarely go to parties of twenty-something women, but, if I did, Yellow tail would be a fine choice.
It’s my party, and I’ll wine if I want to…
/youtube beer is good
I picked the MD 20/20 option simply because it was there. The drunkest, and sickest, I’ve ever been was after downing a bottle of Banana Red when I was seventeen. Never again.
/giphy So very drunk
@PurplePawprints Mad Dog and T-Bird are sold so you can learn the difference between drunk and fucked up.
@PurplePawprints when I was a teenager I was at a party where a girl was drinking md 20/20 with a bendy straw stuck in the bottle. She dropped the straw in and I told her I’d get it out, thinking if I drank it fast enough the flowing liquid would bring the straw back to the neck of the bottle. Yay, science, right?
I failed. I also had my first blackout drunk experience.
@djslack An assortment of fine American wines
It depends on who will be at the party, and whether it’s a dinner party or not.
If dinner party and not regular wine drinkers, then something not dry, like something from Alsace or any American equivalent.
If not dinner party an not wine drinkers then beer.
If people that drink wine then if I don’t want to spend a lot maybe an inexpensive Bordeaux (under $20) or maybe a decent Zinfandel.
@craigthom Hmmm… wanna come over for dinner? Bring a nice Gewurztraminer, say a good Hugel or equivalent.
“That Night Train is a mean wine!” --Joliet Jake Blues
Bourbon. Accept no substitutes. What kind of party is this anyway?
Two Buck Chuck (From Trader Joe’s) most of the people I hang with aren’t fine wine drinkers.
@olperfesser in Florida it’s Three Buck Chuck.
@olperfesser The only Trader Joe branded wines I’ll drink are the one that are TJ reserve or grand reserve reds. They are $10-$15, but the taste is on par with wines that cost twice as much.
My fathers homemade wine is what I bring, which he took over making after my grandfather passed. The most memorable party I brought it to was my wedding:
It’s well known on my side of the family that grandpa’s wine packs a wallop (~20% alcohol), unfortunately my wife’s side, not only did they not know this, it was a fruitier wine that year and we brought ~40 gallons to a 280 person reception.
@seraphimcaduto Was it bottled or just in open-
topped buckets? My imagination wants it to be the latter.
@Krydon it was on the tables in liter bottles, however it was transported in 10 five gallon glass jugs. I forgot to mention that there isn’t any sulfur dioxide added to the wine; while it means that the wine doesn’t have preservatives, there isn’t anything telling you to stop drinking. Essentially it’s like drinking fruit juice and the alcohol hits you all at once.
@seraphimcaduto That would definitely be a bad time for me. I have a hard enough time being told to stop drinking with your standard wine.
Are there more fruits than grapes going into it? I imagine you’d need a lot of sugars to get up to 20% ABV
@Krydon just grapes: some grapes are sweeter than others and it’s the blend that’s important, at least that’s what I was told. There is also something about the fermentation process and temperature control. I’ll have to ask my father for more details, now I’m bothered by not knowing exactly how they did it.
@seraphimcaduto the recipe secret boost is grain alcohol, right?
@RedOak They usually use some kind of grape spirit for fortified wines. And yeah, that’s the only way you can get to 20% alcohol while still having a sweet wine, unless you backsweeten at the end or add a whole shitload of extra sugars.
Tequila
I have an unbelievable blind spot when it comes to drinks. No idea what you are even talking about when you say “MD 20/20”. Its not some objection based on health and/or moral values. I pretty much just drink water and that’s the extent of my knowledge.
Before my dad passed away, I used to watch “Cash Cab” (common knowledge quiz show) with him pretty regularly. Between the two of us, we almost never missed a question…except when they had a question about food and drink (which were fairly common). We would even miss the $25 questions (which are supposed to be the easy ones) if it was something like “which cocktail/dish is comprised of ingredients x, y and z?”
@DrWorm the “20/20” part signals “if you had 20/20 hindsight, you’d steer clear”
@DrWorm MD 20/20 = alcoholic kool-ade
@DrWorm But it’s Kosher for Passover, since the MD stands for Mogen David.
I think it’s traditional to bring wine to a party because it’s alcohol, but not good alcohol that you’d prefer if you had a choice. That’s why I buy crappy Halloween candy to hand out to the kids because I know I won’t eat it all before the 31st. Just like the trick or treaters, people who receive wine as a gift are like, “Well it’s free, so I’ll take it even if it’s crap.”
I just realized I picked “a fancy one” thinking that a $25 bottle of wine is “fancy.”
@dave it is.
I like wine, and I have a small glass (red wine, varying from Cabernet Sauvignon to Syrah, Merlot to Pinot Noir) nearly every evening. Once in a while I even have an even smaller glass of Porto (which I love). On the other hand, I loathe parties. I selected the option that said “I don’t attend parties” but would happily replace the sad face on that option with a happy one.
:-}
I like wine, and have quite a few glasses a night - mostly Sav Blanc and Pinto
.
For those who want to try consistently good (non-sweet, california-style) whites and reds, including options like Dornfelder and single varietals you mightn’t have had before, check out Pali Wine, by winemaker Aaron Walker.
They also operate on the law of diminishing returns, most bottles between $21-$29, which drink a lot better than most $60+ bottles I’ve had over the years.
Happy drinking!
I’ve rarely spent more than $10 on wine, and I seem to have a knack for picking up decent wines at that price range. If I’m indecisive, I’ll maybe google the winery to see if it’s known for being decent, but I’ve never bought a shitty bottle of wine.
FWIW: The most I’ve ever spent on wine was $150 for three bottles of Pinot Noir, mostly because the vintner is the co-founder of my favorite band, and he’d signed one of the bottles. It’s a good pinot, too.)
✔✔ Don’t drink!
Most expensive (I would presume), finest, best wine I ever consumed was brought by someone else to a very small dinner party, all friends, early 1980’s. Someone rich, who was in a good mood, owed a very significant thank you, and was feeling expansive.
6 bottles of many decades old Lafite. Properly stored and cared for.
The generous guest had “lifted” the bottles from the family cellar [that sort of family, Ivy League dorms are named after them I think]; but that was ok within his family. They had more.
I don’t think any of us were under the influence of the fancy name when we all quickly became very focused on how good it was. He had gone into the kitchen and poured out glasses there without us knowing that the label on what he had brought was possibly a very big deal.
He brought the glasses into the dining room to us. We had no idea, he just called it “decent Bordeaux”.
Everyone’s head turned on the first (blind) sip. We were all, “This is so beyond good. What is this?” He said he’d show us what it was later, was glad we liked it, and just to enjoy. Said it was a pleasure to share it.
We did enjoy. It had not overaged, it lived up. A premier vintner with astonishing vines and great weather can do the sublime.
I had a far better and more practiced ability to appreciate it then.
I drink but rarely now, but enjoy.