There’s nothing like a good drink! Wine, whiskey, gin, vodka, cocktails, you name it! There’s something out there for just about everyone. (Provided you’re of legal drinking age of course!) However, a lot of people find that they aren’t really aware of what it is they’re ordering when they go up to the bar. They might see the huge walls of bottles behind the bartender and wonder what they are, but they don’t really know where to start! The truth is that many of us just end up ordering something because of the way that it sounds which is something of a gamble since you could end up with something delicious or you could end up with something that tastes like motor oil. However, the best way to get around this is to try and gain a better understanding of exactly what it is that you’re ordering. Here are some of the most popular drinks out there and how you can get to know your drinks just a little bit better!
Get to know You Drinks a Little Better
**This is a collaborative post with Fat Joe Media**Read our disclosures here**
Wine
Ah, the classic! Maybe the most popular drink there is, and with good reason. Whether you’re sitting out in the sun on a hot summer’s day, having dinner with friends, or just curled up in front of the fire with your partner, there’s a wine for almost every occasion. The question is, what is that wine? Most people tend to know that there are red wines and white wines and that’s about it. However, there are so many different variations in style and flavor that you could spend your life learning them all. In fact, many people do! If you really want to understand wine better, talking to people at your local liquor store is often the best option. If you tell them the kinds of flavors that you like, then they can easily guide you in the right direction.
Beer
A lot of people tend to turn their noses up at beers because their only experience is with cheap stuff that has practically no flavor. However, the truth is that beer can have as much variation in style and flavor as wine a lot of the time. From pilsners which are perfect for sipping chilled out in the sun, to porters with their chocolatey flavors and rich, full body. One of the best ways to get to know beers a little better is to visit a brewery and speak to the people who make it. Most brewery tours will offer you tastings where you can get a much better idea of the kinds of things that are available to the discerning beer drinker.
Whiskey
If you think you know scotch whiskey, there’s a good chance that you’re mistaken. There’s a huge difference between the typical blended scotch that most people order at the bar and single malt whiskey which is where all of the really great flavors are. Really great liquor stores will almost always have a decent selection of single malt whiskeys, and once you try one of those, then it’s pretty certain that you’ll never go back to the blended stuff.
Gin
If you think that gin begins and ends with a G&T, then you’re really missing out! Sure, there are few things better than an ice cold gin and tonic, but there are so many different kinds of gin that many people simply aren’t aware of. Sure, there’s the dry style of gin that’s popular in most cocktails, but there are also aromatic gins with strange and interesting botanicals. Many of these come from Scotland and have a totally different flavor profile than you might expect if you’ve only ever tried dry gins. The best way to get to know these differences, start trying different things of course! Don’t be afraid to ask your bartender what gins they have and what they’re like!
Vodka
For a lot of people, vodka is little more than the thing that you at mixers to in order to have a drink without really having to taste it. And sure, there’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s doing vodka a serious disservice to assume that that’s all it’s good for. The truth is the really high-quality vodka is unlike anything else in the world. It can have a beautifully clean and crisp taste that works wonderfully in everything from cocktails to simply served ice cold in a glass on its own. If the idea of straight vodka sounds disgusting, that’s just because you’ve never had really great vodka before.
Rum
Rum is often the best spirit for people who are first getting into trying more interesting drinks because it has the most accessible flavor profile. It’s often one of the sweetest spirits out there and mixes well with a lot of different things. However, whether it’s white or dark, hailing from Ghana, Jamaica, or Venezuela, there are so many different kinds of rum that you could spend your time trying them all and never run out!
Tequila
Yes, it’s true. Believe it or not but you can actually use tequila for something other than doing shots. The truth is that the tequila that most people drink, one brand in particular, simply isn’t very good. And that’s a real shame because it means that a lot of people are missing out on one of the most interesting and delicious spirits out there. Known for it’s totally unique, slightly smoky flavor, really great tequila is the kind of thing that works both in cocktails, with mixers, or simply sipped on its own for that wonderful warm feeling in your stomach.
Of course, there’s no reason why knowing all of this is suddenly going to make you enjoy every drink out there. You might simply hate the taste of whiskey or beer or gin or anything else. The reality is that drink orders always come down to personal preference. By knowing a little bit more about what it is that you’re drinking, you’re able to make sure that your drink orders fit your personal preference as well as possible and you’re not going to end up ordering something you’ll regret.
It is great blog post. I like it. Helpful and Informative blog. Thanks for sharing it with us.
this is a good read especially for those who decide to look for what good alcohol they want to drink…i surely know mine now!