I Just Bought a... (Wine, Spirit, or Beer)

[Ludlow]

A few summer parties has left my liquor cabinet a little low, so I made a couple recent purchases:

Milagro Silver tequila - very sharp and tasty for margaritas (3 parts tequila, 2 parts Cointreau, 1 part lime juice, no salt).
Cabo Wabo reposado tequila - extremely smooth, complex flavors. My favorite tequila for sipping or mixing.

Bombay Sapphire for this summer's official cocktail:

The Richmond Gimlet
2 ounces gin
1.25 ounces lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup or agave nectar
1 large mint sprig

Shake hard and long enough to fragment the mint into tiny pieces, pour into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a small mint leaf.

 

[Tarmac]

2 of my faves were conveniently placed together for me at whole foods

 

[Huntsman]

Depressing day at work. Had to buy groceries....and stopped by the liquor store. Am pushing my self-imposed $100/month on spirits...

- Replacement Campari (was down to half an ounce!)
- New Bottle of the extremely junipery Martin Miller gin
- Bottle of Averni Amaro (any recipes, guys?)
- 20 oz Delirium Tremens as a gift for a coworker
- Two bottles of white, a Chard and a Sauvignon.

 

[Jacques Cousteau]

* Fifth of Glenlivet.
* Three forties of Havana Club for a party (I'll take the higher taxes, at least we have depoliticized liquor stores).

 

[The Wayfarer]

Originally Posted by Jacques Cousteau

* Three forties of Havana Club

I WANT IT GIVE ME

 

[The Wayfarer]

*******, I searched all over for a bar with Havana Club while I was in Vancouver back in July. I couldn't find it anywhere, I was so heartbroken. I saw it later on in San Francisco of all places at this wonderfully swank bar called Bourbon & Branch*. How it's legal, I have no idea. I question not. *Huntsman, thanks for the recommendation on Bourbon & Branch. With my penchant for classic cocktails, it has earned itself merit as my favorite bar. I can't wait to go back to San Fran if only to pay another visit to B&B.

 

[Piobaire]

Last week, while I was out on vacation, I think I might have gone a little over board. I can't rattle off the list of vineyards, but pretty sure this totals my buys last week:

2 cases Merry Edwards, mainly pinots, a few chards, and a couple of Sauv. Blancs. Two magnums in this lot, one of Merry Edwards Estate Pinot.

1 case mix of Chellam Pinots. This is an up and comer, watch for it to be the next Kosta Browne.

Speaking of which, one case mixed Pinots from Kosta.

1 case Peay, six Pinots, six Syrahs

1 case mixed Pinots from A.P. Vin. Again, another up and comer.

1 case Loring, mixed Pinots.

Six bottles Sea Smoke Pinots.

A couple of Barolos, can't remember the maker atm.

Six bottles Beaux Frerres Pinots.

I think there was something else from an Oregon producer, just can't remember it this morning.

So, bets on who is the first to post they just bought a pound of coffee with cream here?

EDIT: Just checked Cellartracker. I forgot, 1 mixed case of Siduri.

 

[Holdfast]

^ you've been busy!

 

[vinouspleasure]

>>
Thanks! I'm delighted to have found a very knowledge and friendly merchant, specialising in relatively smaller growers, only about 45 minutes drive from me, who will also happily split cases up. The latter is important to me, since I don't have a massive budget, but also want to have some breadth and depth to my collection.
>>

If you like what your merchant is suggesting and he's charging a fair price, you're in good shape. It seems to me that your recent haul consists of off-vintages from mid-tier producers. I hope he's charging you as such.


>>
I was also tempted by the 85 Labegorce Zede Margaux he had just got in stock, but managed to resist buying too many bottles this time.
>>
I would not expect this to be very good based on the chateau and the vintage. If it was under $20, I'd probably want to try a bottle...

 

[kronik]

Hrm. Googled Chellam and didn't find it.

I'm going to need you to keep a buying log and forward them all to me, Piobaire.

Thanks.

 

[samblau]

A variety 8 pack of Lakefront Brewery organic beer...that my roomates friends decided to treat themselves to, along with my Dogfish Head Raison D'Etres (which I did not much care for anyway) so I plan on sampling some of his offerings tonight, will report here. Pretty pissed that my roomate lets this **** fly...he is oblivious, mommy and daddy pay for everything, why should he care.

Had a nice Austrian white from Trader Joe's, seriously, at $7.99 you cannot go wrong.

Have been buying Tito's Texas vodka distilled from corn...boycotting Russian vodka following the Georgia invasion. Tito's is solid.

And last but not least...plan on buying some Hitachino!

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by kronik

Hrm. Googled Chellam and didn't find it.

I'm going to need you to keep a buying log and forward them all to me, Piobaire.

Thanks.

My bad, I grossly butchered their name. Here's the link: http://www.chehalemwines.com/

 

[Holdfast]

Originally Posted by vinouspleasure

>>
Thanks! I'm delighted to have found a very knowledge and friendly merchant, specialising in relatively smaller growers, only about 45 minutes drive from me, who will also happily split cases up. The latter is important to me, since I don't have a massive budget, but also want to have some breadth and depth to my collection.
>>

If you like what your merchant is suggesting and he's charging a fair price, you're in good shape. It seems to me that your recent haul consists of off-vintages from mid-tier producers. I hope he's charging you as such.

Mid-tier certainly (can't afford the top tier!

) and average (not esp. bad though) vintages. But still pretty good wine in the broader spectrum, to be fair, I think (at least to my amateur tastes). The cost does indeed make up for it because as I said I'm looking for breadth and depth right now to expand my appreciation. I figure the more variety I can buy & taste at the moment, the more appreciation I can acquire for the overall spectrum. Mid-tier smaller growers seems the best way to do this cost-effectively. If you've got a better way to do it, I'm very open to suggestions!

>>
I was also tempted by the 85 Labegorce Zede Margaux he had just got in stock, but managed to resist buying too many bottles this time.
>>
I would not expect this to be very good based on the chateau and the vintage. If it was under $20, I'd probably want to try a bottle...

I didn't buy it so can't comment on quality. Price after discounts was the equivalent of a touch under $30, which sounded fair to me (don't forget the UK is almost always pricier in everything than the USA because of the tax structure, etc, etc.).

 

[IUtoSLU]

Finally got more Grand Marnier for Sidecars (trying it instead of cointreau). I almost bought the Grand Marnier Cent Cinquantenaire, but decided that it wasn't "next on my list". I need some good rye, among other things, before I splurge on the cinqantenaire.

 

[vinouspleasure]

Originally Posted by Holdfast

Mid-tier certainly (can't afford the top tier!

) and average (not esp. bad though) vintages. But still pretty good wine in the broader spectrum, to be fair, I think (at least to my amateur tastes). The cost does indeed make up for it because as I said I'm looking for breadth and depth right now to expand my appreciation. I figure the more variety I can buy & taste at the moment, the more appreciation I can acquire for the overall spectrum. Mid-tier smaller growers seems the best way to do this cost-effectively. If you've got a better way to do it, I'm very open to suggestions!

It seems to me your current approach results in mediocrity. I would go at it a little bit differently....try top tier producers from regions that fall under most people's radar and bottom tier producers in strong vintages.