I find unusual spirits interesting, and I want to hear about the ones you have.

  • 𝕱𝖎𝖗𝖊𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖈𝖍@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Cacique, which is Costa Rica’s national liquor (only rare because it’s hard to import).

    It’s essentially sugar cane hooch that the government decided to nationalize in an attempt to end secret production, back around the mid 1800s. Their plan worked and it became a sort of national identity. The whole history of it is pretty neat.

    It doesn’t taste like anything on its own, so it’s mixed with everything and the kitchen sink.

  • Mom Nom Mom@nom.mom
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    9 months ago

    I had a bottle of Arak from Palestine, that a previous boss had imported, and then gifted to me. It’s anise flavored, clear when warm, looks like a snow globe if you refrigerate it, and turns white when poured over ice. So neat, but it tasted like anise :-P

    • DuckOverload@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      I love Arak. Every country in that region has its local anise booze, and Israeli Arak is my favorite. I basically make my own by infusing vodka with anise.

      • Mom Nom Mom@nom.mom
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        9 months ago

        That’s basically what I tasted when I drank it - anise and intense alcohol is what I remember. It smelled/felt really strong, but I couldn’t read the label at all so I have no idea what the proof actually was. At least making your own with a base like vodka you get to know that :-P

    • Zeppo@sh.itjust.works
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      9 months ago

      I love that stuff! Helps that I like anise. It’s a lot like Ouzo, of course… I first ran into arak at a college bar in Lansing, MI. It’s cool how it turns milky when you add water. A similar spirit is aguardiente, the national liquor of Columbia. Arak is hard to find but I located it in a couple stores in Denver.

      • Mom Nom Mom@nom.mom
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        9 months ago

        Man, I don’t know if it was as potent as it felt, or if it was just the anise flavor making it feel more so, but it seems like a good fit for college town bars 😄

        I was so happy to hear that it’s not unusual to serve it on the rocks and/or watered down. He referred to it as some kind of “milk”… “Lion’s milk” maybe? (I maybe should have paid closer attention, but he was kind of a creeper)

        • Zeppo@sh.itjust.works
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          9 months ago

          I for sure wouldn’t trust some weird dude serving me “lion’s milk”, ha ha. And yeah, in Lansing they served it in a small tumbler on the rocks. It is very strong, I think the bottle I got (which was very ME style and looked awesome) was 90 proof.

      • mrpants@midwest.social
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        9 months ago

        Absinthe would be closest but this is essentially the anise and then a sweet grape flavor to it. A bit less complexity in ingredients yet it still has quite a lot of depth depending on the bottle.

  • NeedingvsGetting@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I have an unopened bottle of Seagrams from 1946, and a bottle of Old Forester from 1953, where time + the VERY heavy glass stopper cracked the plastic seal and broke the cork. Both belonged to my better half’s grandfather

    • DuckOverload@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Oh shit. That stuff is probably delicious.

      I once tasted some regular Cuervo gold my buddy brought to a cabin weekend. He was going to make margaritas (with HFCS mix) and I nabbed a pour to sip on. It was one of the best tequilas I’ve ever tasted. I couldn’t believe it was Cuervo, and then he told me that it was a bottle his Dad brought back from Mexico in the 80’s. Apparently that stuff was really good back in the day.

      • ThatFembyWho@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        9 months ago

        I’ve been using it (70%) to prep my face before hair removal sessions, soaked onto a cotton ball. But the effect is that I can somewhat taste the stuff. Not terrible, but not good. Intriguing. Which got me to thinking, I wonder how desperate a person would have to be to drink this…

        • Zeppo@sh.itjust.works
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          9 months ago

          someone on an alcoholic sub on reddit told me they tried it. They swear it does get you fucked up in addition to just poisoning you.

        • stoy@lemmy.zipOP
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          9 months ago

          My uncle doesn’t drink, but still collects small bottles of spirits, but I get you, I mainly find the bottles and liquid beautiful and only drink occasionally.

          • Chakravanti@sh.itjust.works
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            9 months ago

            I will never drink ever again. I have done plenty of dope and no shortage of alchohol quite a while ago. I don’t miss it one bit and If I’m after dope it’ll never be booze.

            Drinking alchohol is synonyms to a slow suicide and and self destruction. It makes you stupid and it is like saying out loud that you have shitty memories you can’t, but want to, forget. Not that you will but you will stop caring about yourself and wanting to forget memories.

            Come here, I got this big club. I can handle your desire to forget. Just don’t talk about the club, okay?

            • stoy@lemmy.zipOP
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              9 months ago

              I see where you are comming from, and while I disagree with some points you make, I am truly happy for you that you have managed to be clean, and I wish you all the best.

              I meant no disrespect to your struggles with this thread, but since this is one of the largest communities on lemmy threads about drink and drinking will show up, so I don’t know what you want me to do.

              I have no desire to forget in this case, I have never mentioned any club, so I think you are a bit confused.

              Again, I am very happy to hear that you have got clean, and I really wish you a bright future, but if you are in this situation, perhaps this thread isn’t for you?

              • Chakravanti@sh.itjust.works
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                9 months ago

                Oh I couldn’t help but take the opportunity to explain the truth of certain decisions. I’m just a complete prick for that kind of thing. And for club, let me just say that this isn’t a real fight beyond this here and now moment. Take it with a sense of mutual respect if you can handle the truth I already laid down. I’d say more but I just want you to see this fight & club. There’s a fantastic movie all about it and if you haven’t seen it, you should and then you’d understand why I just can’t talk about the fight club.

            • RBWells@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              We have a friend who says “There is no problem alcohol cannot make worse.”. I do like cocktails but just one is usually my limit as I don’t really like being drunk. It’s more part of food culture for many of us.

            • Zeppo@sh.itjust.works
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              9 months ago

              It’s led to me forming shitty memories I have a hard time forgetting. A vicious circle.

  • Tikiporch@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Double Double Oaked bourbon, you could only find it for sale on site at the distiller in Kentucky. It tastes like sweet charcoal.

      • Tikiporch@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Woodford Reserve. They make a Double Oaked you can find in most liquor stores. I’d try that first, but I don’t think they taste all that similar. The double double is much oakier in flavor, but the nose is similarly pleasant.

  • Lenny@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I guess the spirit itself - vodka - is not unusual, however I like to infuse local produce, and I have a fucking delicious passionflower vodka made from ripe local fruits. I also had a pawpaw rum, but that has a short shelf life so I had to imbibe it quickly.

    • stoy@lemmy.zipOP
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      9 months ago

      Vodka in and of itself is not that unusual, but there are unusual vodkas, and I would absolutely classify home made passionflower vodka as beeing unusual.

      At the moment Inonly have one bottle of vodka at home, a bottle of Nemiroff DeLux vodka from Ukraine, I just saw it at Systembolaget and thought it was a cool way to both get Vodka and in a small way support Ukraine.

      I also have a bottle of Japanese rice vodka on order, I mainly ordered it as it has a beautiful bottle.

  • KISSmyOS@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Mekhong Whisky. The spirit that Thais drink when they can’t afford Jack Daniels. Has no relation to actual whisky as far as I can tell. It smells and tastes like the glue we used in kindergarten.
    Or maybe sea-buckthorn liquor. Made from a shrubbery that grows on the northern German islands, it tastes sweet, citrusy and slightly salty, but not in a good way.

  • Devi@kbin.social
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    9 months ago

    Pisang Ambon, banana liqueur, I tried it in a bar in Spain, really liked it, and bought it. But what do you do with Banana Liqueur in your house? Nothing mixes well with that. Occasionally I sip it, but I’ve had it a decade and drunk maybe a third.

    • Mom Nom Mom@nom.mom
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      9 months ago

      But what do you do with Banana Liqueur in your house? Nothing mixes well with that.

      Try mixing it with vanilla ice cream? I dunno, that sounds like it could be f’n delicious as one of those ice cream drinks (like grasshoppers are vanilla ice cream and creme de menthe)

      Try it and let me know! :-P

    • stoy@lemmy.zipOP
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      9 months ago

      I wonder if you could use banana liqueur with milk and ice cream to make an aloholic banana milkshake…

      I just found Pisang Ambon at Systembolaget, what an intencly colored bottle!

      • Devi@kbin.social
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        9 months ago

        I’m sure there’s one you could but the one I have curdles the milk. That was one of the first things I tried.

        • RBWells@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          Do like the French and use it in cakes. Would be nice in or on banana bread or pancakes.

          I have Giffard banana liqueur and it is hard to use, it does add a great element to a few drinks but you don’t need much.