[Slings and Arrows]

I'm sure that this issue couldn't possibly be controversial.

[Slings and Arrows]

*shrug* Marketing.

---

[Doogle]

"...yeah,bout tree fitty"

[Utilizer]

Dunno about ‘scientifically detectable’ (although some differences would be bandied about for several years as to what makes a good liquor or what makes it rotgut), but speaking from experience: once you have tasted the truly fine ones... there really is no forgetting it. You will never mistake it for the cheap dregs ever again.

[ken5050]

Q: What's the difference between a $2,500 bottle of wine, and a $100 bottle?

A: $2,400

[JoeProBono]

[jocon307]

This is the advice I gave to my own child: you can drink cheap beer and wine, but if you are drinking the hard stuff, go high end.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

I’m told that Trader Joe’s single malt scotch is comparable to many of the good (perhaps not the best) “label” single malts at about half the price. I’ve not confirmed this.

[knarf]

Not after the first drink ... it’s ALL booze after that.

[Bobalu]

Old WalMart

[wardaddy]

There is a taste difference for sure but bargains to be had

I think Evan Williams tastes great for the money....my pistol packing Mississippi ginger granny drank it...nightly in her knock you dead toddies

Sobieski vodka too....plain Pinnacle as well

Cognac Chatelier VSOP....only 18 bucks....amazing value

Piper Heidsieck Monopole brut champagne....top shelf...30 bucks..half that of Vieve Cliquot

Cazadores tequila....not cheap but as good as 100 dollar a bottle stuff

Red wines....Mascarelli...cheap but good

Villa Puccini gold label ditto

Fred McMurray pinot...yep that Fred

Barbancourt black star rum.....as good as those twice the price......rhum Martinique...white...raw....dirt cheap...great stuff.......pampero anniversaro..20 bucks and worth twice that....brandy style rum

Sam Adams lager...excellent beer...PC douchebag owners

Lots a bargains in booze...I buy a lot and pay attention

Meomi pinot.....AtoZ pinot.....

Early times whiskey....dewars scotch....beefeaters gin

All Better than their price.... my opinion

I don’t drink anything but shine.....that’s it....apple pie shine made a few miles from my TN home...untaxed....cut down to 120 proof.or so.....just a few shots....goes down like sauterne but aint cheap....20/quart.....ball or mason jar...its addictive....like dope

Damn that Lawless movie....

[RegulatorCountry]

There's a big difference between cheap vodka and filtered vodka, both the flavor and the next day aftereffects. Least expensive “clean” filtered vodkas would be Absolut, Pinnacle, Svedka, maybe Sky. Not going to be nearly as smooth as Grey Goose, Belvidere or more expensive boutique vodkas, but passable. There's one from Texas, I forget the name but it's distilled in Austin, that is a comparative bargain among the better vodkas, too. Scotch just about has to be single malt, very few blends that are decent, maybe Pinch. An affordable decent single malts is Glenlivet or Glenfiddich and it goes up from there.

[AlexW]

As noted here, discussions about the best beer or liquor are mostly ego trips by those trying to outdo the others with exotic brands. I have had good and very good, but who can judge someone’s taste?
I drink a lot of wine, but I am happy with my one ltr. red wines that come from Spain. They come in a sealed box, and cost only 140 pesos, a little over three bucks. Even better, I can carry 20 ltrs with no problem. For hard stuff, I like a lite Scotch over ice, but I buy cheap brands. I do not need Lafleur. I am drinking a San Miguel beer as I type this, but I have some delightful Carlo Rossi California red to have with dinner.... Yes, I can see the expressions on many faces here, haha.

[driftdiver]

Depends on if you are drinking to get drunk or to enjoy.

[The Great RJ]

While I mostly agree with the article, the difference between vodkas has become blurred in recent years. Vodka is mostly 40% ethyl alcohol and 60% water, but there are very small quantities of other organic compounds that can carry over in distillation. These compounds can give vodka a harsh taste. Some vodka makers have moved from traditional pot stills to column distillation ... look for distilled three, four or even five times on the label. These multi distilled vodkas have a higher degree of purity and often lack the harsh taste that can be found in similarly low priced vodkas. Some vodka purists claim this multi distillation removes the subtle flavors of vodkas, but I believe most people would not notice.

An exception is Tito's vodka (made in Austin, TX) which is still made with a pot still, but has a quality that rivals or exceeds imported Grey Goose at about half the price. I have also recently discovered Mark One vodka which I find exceptionally smooth despite its bargain price.

Over the recent holidays my brother-in-law brought a bottle of bargain vodka made by a well recognized gin maker. That vodka had a harshness that reminded me of drinking gasoline and not even spicy Bloody Mary mix could mask the terrible taste. I was forced to make a Christmas eve trip to the local wine & spirits store to get a vodka that was drinkable in my holiday Bloody Mary.

[Gefn]

I suppose if you are an oenophile you could tell the difference. I’ve met many in my life who could.

As for me, I can’t tell the difference with wine. So I buy Two Buck Chuck. I really do like it.

[count-your-change]

To the real Commonsewer of Booze waking up laying face down in the front yard when the sprinklers come on the only controversial question is ‘What happened last night?’.

[ArtDodger]

When my dad passed on, I ended up with some old, unopened bottles. One was an old, old Haig Pinch. The other was a ceramic jug of Red Hackle. Talked to the experts. The Hackle was low end stuff but prewar. They said the best thing to do, according to them was to just drink both bottles. When the occasion arises, I will.
Also, a few years ago, an old soldier ran a bar in Pacific during WW 2, posted here on FR that he would pour cheap, Red Hackle and the like, booze into empty bottles of more expensive stuff and put it on the shelf. Then sit back and watch the mucky-mucks do taste comparisons not knowing it was all the same stuff. A great story!

[Hot Tabasco]

A bunch of years ago while vacationing in Honduras, we ran out of the Tanqueray gin we had brought with us so we were forced to purchase the only gin available down there. It was an “import” from Holland I believe and the most foul tasting gin I had ever had in my life........It likely would have dissolved the bristles on a paint brush if used as a paint thinner.

[SC_Pete]

The guy asked a question about spirits and got an answer about wine.

Great for the money:
Woodford Reserve Bourbon
Jamison Gold
Pinch Scotch Single Malt
George Dickel Tennessee Whskey
Ancient Ancient Age Bourbon

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

Vesper Martini ingredients