top 10 mixed drinks to try before you die?

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njale

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I never been a big hard alcohol drinker, even mixed drinks, i have always stuck mostly with beer. In your opinion, what are the top 10 best mixed drinks you must try atleast once?

1. bloody mary?
2. gin and tonic?
3. mimosa?
4. bourbon and ginger?
5. redbull and vodka?
6. margarita?
7. martini?
8. screwdriver?
9. long island ice tea?
 
None of the above. The only drink I like that is "mixed" is a martini.

But if it has to be a mixed drink, I'd do this:

1. Michelada
2. Gin and tonic
3. Bourbon and water (or ice chips) but I don't think that really counts as it's more straight.
4. Margarita (but no mix- only good tequila, fresh squeezed limes, a tiny bit of cointreau and over ice)
5. Bloody Marys on Sunday mornings at 10 AM, with a possibility of bloody Marias for backup.

That's all I can think of. Most soft drink/booze combinations are vile. Mixing a nice hard liquor with things like soda/redbull/etc sound beyond gross to me.

I'd rather just have a straight Scotch than ANY mixed drink, but that wasn't the question.
 
here's something to try: absinthe, lime, mint, ice, sprite.

although I usually stick to Irish single malt these days, other than beer of course.
 
1) Martini / Dirty Martini
2) Old Fashioned
3) Manhattan
3) Dark and Stormy
4) Margarita
5) Pina Colada
6) Hurricane while in New Orleans
7) Bloody Mary
8) A real daiquiri
9) Mai Tai at Trader Vic's
10) Mojito

Yep, that should do it!
 
In no particular order, I'd like to also add:
1. White Russian
2. Mojito
3. Mint Julep
4. Jack & Coke
5. Captain & Coke
6. Caesar or a Bloody Mary
7. Lime Margarita
8. Gin & Tonic
9. Sangria - with some extra Brandy
10. Long Island Ice Tea
 
Not a mixer guy very often but these are my favorites

1. Cuba Libre - aka Rum and Coke.
2. Manhattan
3. Godfather - Scotch and Amaretto
4. Old Fashioned
5 Whiskey and Coke
6. Rob Roy - Manhattan but with scotch
7. Rusty Nail
8. Sangria
9. lime Margarita
10. Strawberry Margarita (My girly drink, every guy has one)
 
I don't drink spirits as a rule, if I do it is either neat Scotch, a Margharita or an extra dirty/extra olives martini. That being said I had something that was really cool several years ago- Flaming Dr Pepper.
 
In no particular order:

Long Island
Mai Tai - near or on a beach...oh yeah!
Margarita - the actual recipe without premade mix
Pisco Sour - Peruvian-style; definitely no "sour mix"
Dry Martini
Amaretto Sour
Whiskey & Coke
Mint Julep - I like to mix up a batch and leave it in the back of my frig for at least a couple of months
Mimosa or Belini at a brunch
White Russian
 
Manhattan
Vesper Martini
Margarita- Lime Juice, silver Tequila, Grand Ma
Mojito
Gin and tonic
Rum and coke
Old Fashioned
Mai Tai
Zombie
Sazerac
 
1. bloody mary? Can't stand tomato juice.
2. gin and tonic? One of my favorites
3. mimosa?meh, not for me
4. bourbon and ginger?haven't tried this. Sounds interesting
5. redbull and vodka?never tried it, never will
6. margarita?a classic. I prefer mine on the rocks, no salt
7. martini?had them and don't care for them. straight chilled booze...no thanks...although I do like single malt scotch but that really isn't a cocktail
8. screwdriver?a classic and very tasty
9. long island ice tea?drank quite a bit of these in my younger days. Good stuff from what I can remember

I'll add a couple of my own that a person should try at least once.

1. Sex on the Beach: girly and sweet but tasty. There are also a ton of variations of this one. Sex against the wall, etc.
2. Zombie: someone mentioned this already and I'll second it.
3. B-52: layered. Looks cool and tastes nice.
4. Brain Tumor: looks disgusting but that is the thrill of it. Doesn't taste that great but you have to try it once.
5. Brown squirrel: a nice classic cocktail.
6. Mudslide: close to the B-52. Kahlua, Amaretto, Baileys, vodka, vanilla ice cream all blended up. Very rich. Can't get drunk off of it because it's so rich and filling. Tasty though.
7. Mint Julep: classic Kentucky Derby drink. I can't stand them but I had to try at least one.
8. Black Russian/White Russian: both are good classic cocktails.
9. Tequila Sunrise: Classic drink. Looks cool and tastes yummy.
10. Spanish coffee: Classic coffee drink. Mixing this is pretty fun also. Booze, coffee, fire, etc. What could go wrong?
 
If you want to make cocktails at home, I recommend Dale DeGroff's The Craft of the Cocktail. It's got sections on equipment (nothing compared to brewing), ingredients you want in a bar, and tons of recipes. The author has many recipes on the web. You're going to want a muddler, a shaker (I prefer the boston shaker--a 16 oz mixing glass and a larger metal cup), a strainer or two (hawthorne and juliep), a couple of jiggers, I like a long handled spoon, and a juicer. All of the equipment can probably be procured at a restaurant supply store for $20 or so. All cocktails should be made with fresh juice (lemon and lime juice especially). I wouldn't go near a mixed drink in a place that uses sour mix. The problem with making drinks at home with fresh juice and good ingredients is that you'll realize most bars serve disgusting cocktails, and you'll have to order drinks neat or beer at almost all watering holes in the future...

Here are six drinks I think you should try at least once if you are serious about cocktails:


  • Manhattan
  • Martini
  • Old Fashioned
  • Real Daquiri (going to need simple syrup and to juice a few limes for this)
  • Real Margarita (tequila, Cointreau (or other triple sec) and fresh lime juice. If there's a mix, stick with beer)
  • Sour (6 to 8 parts strong, 3 parts sour, 4 parts sweet).

I was trying to get to 10 and decided against the Tom Collins because it's a gin sour with a shot of seltzer water. I also left out the sidecar because its ingredients (brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice) make it kind of a sour as well. My last 4 are all rum drinks, because I like them.


  • Caipirinha. I find cachaca pretty vile so I prefer a Caipirissima made with rum, which is quite similar to a daquiri, except it has chunks in it: ice and muddled pieces of lime.
  • Dark and Stormy. I think of this as a grown up rum and Coke. It's got more flavor and less sweetness. I wouldn't bother without Gosling's black rum and ginger beer from Bermuda (stronger than ginger ale, not as hot as Jamaican). I prefer these without lime.
  • Mai Tai. Don't even try without orgeat syrup. I finally found some at the Nordstrom coffee bar.
  • Mojito. So many are garbage, but a good one is good.
 
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Haven't had a mixed drink in a while. As a result they get me quite drunk quite fast.

In the wintertime or when I am sick a Hot Toddy works well for me (Whiskey and hot tea), or a Irish Coffee.
If I drink liquor in the summer I like to order a Tequila and Tonic water. Usually will get looks from people asking me if I am insane, but once people have a taste they realize it is like a less sweet margarita. Quite refreshing but potent.
And when the booze is cheap, I am happy to have a bourbon with a little water mixed in. Helps me stretch the sobriety and I feel much better in the morning.
 
There's only one mixed drink, or shot rather, that everyone needs to try before they die:

Alien-brain-hemorrhage.jpg


Alien brain hemorrhage...
 
Curdeled shots. shudder.

And Flaming Dr. Pepper has been my undoing in the past. I found out why when someone pointed out I was pouring them with larger and larger floats of 151 every round.

There was some strange Chocolate Cake shot which my brother likes to buy people for birthdays. Does taste like it to.
 
Curdeled shots. shudder.

And Flaming Dr. Pepper has been my undoing in the past. I found out why when someone pointed out I was pouring them with larger and larger floats of 151 every round.

There was some strange Chocolate Cake shot which my brother likes to buy people for birthdays. Does taste like it to.

I forgot about flaming Doctor Peppers. I had a case of Yuengling go skunked and that was how I drank them.
 
I had a barrel aged Manhattan a few months back that absolutely blew my socks off. It was a $15 drink, but work was paying so I had to give it a go and everytime I think about steak, I think about the Manhattan I had with one!
 
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