Favorite thing to mix with Scotch

[bonesquirrel]

Mine is Vanilla coco cola. Although Ive never tried much else besides regular coke, I just love that taste.

What about you guys?

[j_menz]

Mix??? 

[awesom_o]

For some whiskeys, a drop or two of water, but that's IT!

 

[perfect_pitch]

For some whiskeys, a drop or two of water, but that's IT!

That's like pouring Anti-freeze into a lovely bottle of Champagne... Why would you DO THAT???

For me, I like to have 1 part Whiskey, 2 parts Ginger Wine (Stones Ginger wine is nice), and a bit of ice (small amount). Really nice - it's called a Whiskey Mac.

[ted]

Forty years ago I would have said ginger ale, but all spirits have now lost their charm for me. These days I am beginning to have trouble even with a glass of wine. The pleasure seems to have gone altogether. My son likes whisky, particularly that horrendously expensive single malt stuff, which he drinks neat. He gave me one on Christmas Day and the ghastly taste stayed with me for hours afterwards. But each to his own.

[awesom_o]

That's like pouring Anti-freeze into a lovely bottle of Champagne... Why would you DO THAT???

Actually, depending upon certain things such as the cask strength, a drop or two of water can really help to open up the flavour for some single malts!

Have you ever actually been to a whiskey tasting?

They're quite fun, and you learn a great deal about whiskeys!

[bonesquirrel]

Mix??? 

Yes, mix. You can buy straight whiskey, an mix it with pretty much anything you want.

I have had shots of whiskey before, but I only do that if my aim is to get as drunk as possible as fast as possible. Ill just keep chugging them down.

But for the most part, Ill mix it in with Vanilla coke and savor it, it just takes me longer to get drunk cause I drink slowly and obviously its not straight whiskey so there is way more too drink.

I have never added ice to any alcoholics beverage.

By the way, my favorite whiskey is Grants Scotch Whiskey, its kind of in between high quality and low quality, its not the best tasting whiskey ever, but I like it

[j_menz]

Yes, mix. You can buy straight whiskey, an mix it with pretty much anything you want.

Yes. Indeed. But should you?

I was going to say "mix it, I mean" - but at your age even the "can buy" is a little problematic.

[ahinton]

Yes. Indeed. But should you?

I was going to say "mix it, I mean" - but at your age even the "can buy" is a little problematic.

I might argue that people can put what they like in whiskey but should be very careful what they put in whisky (by which statement I seek to distinguish between the Scottish kind and most others). Again, much might depend upon whether the Scotch is blended or single malt and, if the latter, whether usual strength or cask strength. Personally, I would only rarely and very selectively drink a blended whisky and never a whiskey of any kind; I also tend to steer clear of cask strength single malts because, in my experience (rather as with certain wines of 14.5%+ alcohol), these often tend to mask their full flavour by reason of their high alcohol content and, in any case, putting anything else in a cask strnegth single malt would risk being a self-defeating exercise.

So - what to put in an ordinary strength (say 40-48%) single malt whisky? Two things only.

One is water, at no more than one part water to two parts whisky - and NEVER put mains tap water into a whisky otherwise it will be ruined thereby (so use either bottled mineral water - preferably Scottish - or water that's been passed through a water filter or, better still, a reverse osmosis unit).

The other is a cheaper option; nothing at all.

Which to go for will be a matter of personal taste and may also vary from whisky to whisky.

By the way, although I currently reside in the West Midlands of England, the nearest vineyard is just 4km distant (although I'd be as wary of sampling what sounds to be their horrible insipid weak white wines as I would be of risking the outlay of some £15 per bottle on their fizz) and the nearest whisky distillery is only around 60km away; no, the former is nowhere near France and the
latter a long way from Scotland but, whilst I've no experience of the products of the former, the latter produces a fine malt that I'd struggle to distinguish from a decent (though admittedly not supremely great) malt Scotch - I refer (generously, as is my wont, of course!) to Penderyn Welsh whisky - well worth a try, look you, boyo...

Best,

Alistair (whose country of origin would not be hard to detect)...

[thalbergmad]

It is uncivilised to put anything in Scotch.

Thal

[visitor]

It is uncivilised to put anything in Scotch.

Thal

except more scotch maybe?

[ahinton]

It is uncivilised to put anything in Scotch.

As I indicated, it is indeed uncivilised to put most things in Scotch, but many Scots who are familiar with imbibing the amber nectar would be fine with adding a little water to it provided that it is as pure and clean as possible, otherwise drink Scotch neat, as you say.

Best,

Alistair

[awesom_o]

As I indicated, it is indeed uncivilized to put most things in Scotch, but many Scots who are familiar with imbibing the amber nectar would be fine with adding a little water to it provided that it is as pure and clean as possible, otherwise drink Scotch neat, as you say.

Best,

Alistair

Spoken like a true connoisseur!

[dcstudio]

Chivas + 2 ice cubes...  ahhhhhh

[bonesquirrel]

It is uncivilised to put anything in Scotch.

Thal

Dont you even think that putting more Scotch then what your mixing the Scotch with is acceptable? I mean if I got a glass and put 30% or 20% coke in it, whats wrong with that?

[j_menz]

Dont you even think that putting more Scotch then what your mixing the Scotch with is acceptable? I mean if I got a glass and put 30% or 20% coke in it, whats wrong with that?

Then the glass has 40%+ scotch in it, and that makes you look like a lush. Until you have two and they make you look like a drunkard.

Nothing, or a little pure water.

[bonesquirrel]

Then the glass has 40%+ scotch in it, and that makes you look like a lush. Until you have two and they make you look like a drunkard.

Nothing, or a little pure water.

My issue with this "Not mixing anything with your Scotch" thing, is that I love to drink Alcohol the same as all drinks.

I mean not mixing anything with the Scotch so you have to drink more of it too get drunk is like getting a high quality tobacco and smoking it really fast without savoring the taste. Isn't it better to spend longer performing the action (drink, smoking etc.) then getting big hits of it for a shorter period?

[j_menz]

Isn't it better to spend longer performing the action (drink, smoking etc.) then getting big hits of it for a shorter period?

Sip, don't swig. Then you don't need pollutants.

[perfect_pitch]

Sip, don't swig. Then you don't need pollutants.

Yes - I completed agree. Although, sometimes if you're given cheap whiskey, sometimes it's not worth sipping and worth mixing with something a little more flavoursome.

If you were given a proper whiskey - that's worth savouring the original taste.

[j_menz]

If you were given a proper whiskey

... it wouldn't have that pesky "e".

[perfect_pitch]

... it wouldn't have that pesky "e".

Whisky or whiskey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisky

[outin]

Yes - I completed agree. Although, sometimes if you're given cheap whiskey, sometimes it's not worth sipping and worth mixing with something a little more flavoursome.

Exactly! And the only thing that really works for that is beer.

[dcstudio]

I mean not mixing anything with the Scotch so you have to drink more of it too get drunk is like getting a high quality tobacco and smoking it really fast without savoring the taste.

"tobacco" ?  lol.  mixing coke with scotch is like getting really high quality ...ahem..."tobacco" (like from Amsterdam) and mixing it with "homegrown" lawn clippings.  Get the picture, now? 

besides..as a former bartender I can tell you that ordering scotch and coke makes you look like an amateur...seriously.   

[bonesquirrel]

"tobacco" ?  lol.  mixing coke with scotch is like getting really high quality ...ahem..."tobacco" (like from Amsterdam) and mixing it with "homegrown" lawn clippings.  Get the picture, now? 

besides..as a former bartender I can tell you that ordering scotch and coke makes you look like an amateur...seriously.   

Ok, yeah I kind of get the picture now, lawn clippings are a bit of an over exaggeration of the fact, but I see what your trying to get at.

Whats with all the tobacco crap though, if you have something to say about my mention of tobacco then say it, don't be sarcastic and expect me to know what your talking about.

[dcstudio]

Ok, yeah I kind of get the picture now, lawn clippings are a bit of an over exaggeration of the fact, but I see what your trying to get at.

Whats with all the tobacco crap though, if you have something to say about my mention of tobacco then say it, don't be sarcastic and expect me to know what your talking about.

mary jane, reefer, weed, kush, ganja,     apologies--I really thought that's what you meant when you said tobacco.

lol 

[bonesquirrel]

mary jane, reefer, weed, kush, ganja,     apologies--I really thought that's what you meant when you said tobacco.

lol 

No. When I said tobacco, I meant tobacco.

[dcstudio]

No. When I said tobacco, I meant tobacco.

oops!