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I'm a fan of Broker's as well. I prefer it to both Bombay (probably my 2nd favorite so far) and Bombay Sapphire. For whatever reason, I don't like Sapphire all that much.

My my my, how I love tequila. I've never had a gin martini either, although I love gin and tonics. If it matters any, I like Broker's and Bombay better than Sapphire. But again, I've never tried them in martini's, just on the rocks or in gin and tonics.

I managed to find a bottle of Cristall Vodka for $11.29 here in PA - last bottle in the state. Needless to say, when I saw that one lonely bottle listed in the online product catalog, I went right to my local store and arranged for them to transfer it in. I'm still patiently waitiing for it though.

I was down in Chapel Hill, NC this past weekend and has Carolina Brewing Company's Oatmeal Stout and Pale Ale. Both are very good brews, but I'm sure I won't be able to get them in Pittsburgh either.

I went with the Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Yr. This is by far the smoothest bourbon I've ever had - so smooth I've been drinking it neat. I am by no means qualified to give a detailed review, and I really couldnt tell you what I am tasting. But I can say that, to me, this bourbon has a good pronounced flavor without being overpowered by oak, and it has a smooth but long, warm finish that is really impressive. To date, the only other fairly expensive bourbon I've tried is Woodford Reserve, and while it's good (probably the only other bourbon I've tried that I can drink straight), the Van Winkle blows it away. I plan to pick up a bottle of the Eagle Rare Single Barrel next, probably next month or so. Hopefully it won't disappoint.

I prefer Vodka for martini's - Pearl or Belvedere. I just started drinking gin around last fall sometime. I usually only drink it in gin & tonics though. I like Broker's, but Bombay is pretty good too. I am not a big fan of Sapphire and think Tanqueray is too strong with the juniper. Eventually, I'll get brave and try some more gin cocktails.

I've had the following craft brews recently: Magic Hat #9 - really liked, but don't think I couldn't drink it all night Victory Lager - good stuff Victory Hop Devil - also good stuff Victory Prima Pils - not bad, but I like the previous 2 better Victory Golden Monkey - I can't quite form an opinion yet. I like it but I don't at the same time. I haven't been a fan of any Belgian style brews that I've tried, but there is still something about this beer that appeals to me. Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale - pretty decent, first pale ale I've had I have quite a few more craft brews on the "To Try" list - brews from Great Lakes, Stoudt's, Troeg's, Magic Hat, and Penn (not sure if this is considered a craft brewery). If anyone can tell me where to find Magic Hat brews in Pittsburgh, I'd be appreciative. One of the local beer distributor owners said he's been trying to get some in but can't for whatever reason. I wondered if this was the case throughout the state or not. It wouldn't make much sense to me since I had the Magic Hat in Baltimore, so I don't see why a distributor couldn't get it around here.

Interestingly enough, I don't like Evan Williams black label at all, but I do like the 1783 10 yr, which is even cheaper, although harder to find. I do only use it for mixing, but it is better than any other bourbon I've tried, except for Woodford Reserve, which is probably the only bourbon I've tried that I would drink straight.

Taking into consideration that I'm still a beginner when it comes to bourbons, is there one you'd recommend over another? Is there one you'd say is softer or more beginner friendly when compared to the others?

It's $31.99 here in PA. For some reason I had thought I had seen it cheaper than that.

I was looking to pick up a bottle of good bourbon and I can't decide between the Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage or Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year. The Evan is a little cheaper, but I've heard such good things about the Van Winkle that I'm stuck. I was really impressed with the Evan Williams 1783, which is only $10 (mainly for that reason), so I imagine the single barrel is a very good bourbon for the price also. It did get very good reviews from Paul Pacult and from AlcoholReviews.com. Which would you recommend? If there are any others you'd pick over either of these, which is still in the $25-30 price range, feel free to suggest those too.

Well I'll just have to try some rye then and see how I like it. I may like the spiciness a little better when mixing with something already sweet, like ginger ale.

I picked up some 50ml bottles today: Crown Royal, Seagram's VO, and Canadian Club (didn't find a mini Maker's). I think I liked the CC best, but I wasn't really thrilled with any of them. I thought I liked Crown, but after having bourban instead the Canadian whiskies didn't seem all that flavorful and seemed to have more alcohol presence (although my basis of comparison is a 10yr bourbon). I'd rather mix the Evan 1783 with ginger ale than any of the Canadian whiskies. As for rye, I've never had it before. I may have to give it a try, since the Old Overholt is so reasonably priced. What should I expect from rye that I won't find in bourbon?

I'll have to try and find a 50mL of Maker's Mark and give it a try. I'm trying to find a bourbon a little friendlier on the wallet though. Keep in mind I only want if for mixing. Then again, that could change. As for the Canadian, do you think the VO Gold or CC Reserve warrant the extra few bucks over the regular VO and CC Classic? Like I said, I do like Crown but the general concensus is that it's overpriced. So I was looking for a lower priced alternative that is comparable/better in quality and taste.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Rebel Yell is a "wheated" bourbon, right? So when you says the flavor isn't too exciting, do you mean it's too soft in flavor (which would be expected from being wheated and only 80 proof), or do you mean it just doesn't taste all that good?

Hey all, I'm pretty new to anything whiskey (or whisky) related. I wanted some opinions on good brands for mixing. I've used Crown Royal and Evan Williams 1783 10 yr in highballs. I like both but there are obvious differences in taste between Canadian and Bourbon, so I'd like to have one of each around for variety. Crown is a bit overpriced so I was looking for some opinions on other Canadian whiskys - Seagrams VO & VO Gold, Canadian Club Classic and Reserve, ect. As for the bourbon, I like the Evan 1783, but I'm not a big fan of the Evan William 7yr black label. Some other brands I was interested in were Rebel Yell and Elijah Craig 12 yr. Eagle Rare 10 yr caught my eye too, but that's because I like the bottle. I probably wouldn't buy that to mix with. Other brands I've tried in the past are JD and Black Velvet. I don't like JD at all, and would buy the Evan 7yr first. I honestly can't remember what Black Velvet was like it was so long ago. What brands, Canadian and/or bourbon do you use for mixing (with whatever)?

Yeah I see what you're saying. I've heard the Van Gogh triple sec is really good, but unfortunately for me it's not available in PA. So it's either Cointreau or Marie B.

I'm just curious why you would say GranGala would do and not Marie Brizzard Triple Sec. Many people have commented that the Marie B is very close to Cointreau. As far as GranGala, it's a Grand Marnier imitation and not a triple sec, so if we're talking quality ingredients, why not suggest Grand Marnier? More importantly, if a sidecar calls for Cointreau, wouldn't using GranGala or Grand Marnier really change the nature of the drink? I've never had a sidecar so I'm not speaking from my experiences here. I was just curious. I know E&J was recommended as good budget brandy, but what about Paul Masson? I have a friend who likes the VS but I've never been a brandy drinker so when I tried it I had nothing to compare it too. There is also a VSOP which is just slightly more expensive than the E&J VSOP.

I can do that. These are the typical PA sale prices for 750mL, since I almost always pick up a bottle when it's on sale, and the sales are fairly regular. Retail prices range from $1-3 more. 1. Pearl - $18 2. Vincent Van Gogh - $19 (retail, I haven't seen this on sale yet) 3. Tito's - $16 4. Grey Goose - $22.50 5. Luksusowa - $12 6. Absolut Level - $24 7. Ketel One - $20 8. Rain - $16 9. Finlandia - $14.50 10. Stolichnaya - $17 I don't see myself buying anything other than Pearl and Luksusowa as of now. Luckily, if I have to budget shop, I know I can't go wrong with Luksusowa.

That's because it's a hell of a vodka, definitely a good recommendation Marlene.

Are you saying you didn't like these beers as a representative of their styles, or you just didn't like the beer style? I've always thought Hoegaarden was an excellent example of a Belgian wheat beer - although I'm not sure it belongs in the discussion here, since it's hardly a craft/microbrew. Haven't tried the Franziskaner Dunkel, although their hefe-weissen is pretty good. But for a good American craft/microbrew, generally true to style, you can't go wrong with Goose Island. ← I just didn't like the beer style. They were the first witbier and weisse styles that I have had. I did not like either enough to plan on trying any other of the same style from other breweries. I knew the Hoegarrden wasn't a craft beer. But I had gotten some suggestions to try beer of this style and it was the only witbier the bar I was at had, so I decided to try it out. Never heard of Goose Island, but I'll keep my eye open for it.

Here are my updated vodka rankings (top 10) for anyone who may be interested. 1. Pearl 2. Vincent Van Gogh 3. Tito's 4. Grey Goose 5. Luksusowa 6. Absolut Level 7. Ketel One 8. Rain 9. Finlandia 10. Stolichnaya

I bought some Broker's gin for G&Ts and I think it's pretty good, especially for the price. I like Bombay Original a little better though. For comparison, I like both better than Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray. I haven't had Seagram's for years, but will never buy it again due to an extremely sick night thanks to it. Not that it would taste significantly different than most gins in a G&T, it's just a mental thing I guess. And the Broker's is only a litlte more expensive anyway.

Well last night I tried a few new ones. Sam Adams Winter Lager - I really like this Hoegaarden Witbier and Franziskaner Dunkel - I didn't like either one at all....I suppose I shouldn't try any more wheat beers, Belgian or German

For Mexican beer I like Dos Equis alot. Tecate wasn't too bad, I had alot of that when I was in Mexico this past spring.