Spirits We Keep in the Freezer or Fridge

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Host's note: this topic was split from The Original Bombay Dry Gin.

 

On 5/7/2017 at 6:25 AM, rotuts said:

its my understanding that Gin or any distilled spirit is ' flavored alcohol ' i.e. EtOH

 

if you just added water , would you then dilute the flavor in 1/2 ?

 

Vodka is technically pure grain alcohol by US ' standards '  of course it flavored

 

or you'd be buying pure grain alcohol if you could find it.

 

back in the day I had a bottle of Blue Sapphire in the freezer.

 

Speaking of vodka, I keep a bottle of technical reserve in my freezer...

 

http://technicalreserve.com/

 

 

Edited May 20, 2017 by Smithy
Added host's note (log)

[lindag]

Currently I have a large bottle of Lunazul Blanco in my freezer.  Margarita, here I come.

Lunazul is a really good, moderately priced tequila.

Edited May 8, 2017 by lindag (log)

[tanstaafl2]

Unicum is about the only bottle I routinely keep in the freezer.

 

Maybe the odd Limoncello when I have that and plan to use it on a dessert but usually the refrigerator is adequate. Gets nice and syrupy in the freezer.

[EvergreenDan]

20 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

Unicum is about the only bottle I routinely keep in the freezer.

It is traditionally drunk cold? I've always had it neat. Just about the most awkward bottle for the freezer -- maybe after Chambord and Galliano.

[tanstaafl2]

To be honest I have found I don't like it from the freezer and have moved it to the refrigerator. I am not sure what the traditional way to drink it is but I think it is typically drunk as just a room temp shot in Hungary and probably is not typically chilled. It is pretty piney and bitter though!

[haresfur]

When I infused ginger into vodka, I kept it in the freezer because my fear was that the heat would be fugitive, otherwise. It seemed to keep pretty well.

[Anna N]

There is ALWAYS some Taffel Akvavit in my freezer. 

[liuzhou]

Only the vodka.

[lindag]

Funny the use of the word 'neat' to describe a drink.  I've always wondered how that came about.

[liuzhou]

16 minutes ago, lindag said:

Funny the use of the word 'neat' to describe a drink.  I've always wondered how that came about.

 

Actually that meaning is the oldest. The first recorded meaning of 'neat' was 'Clean; free from dirt or impurities (1542).' It only took until 1579 for this meaning to be used specifically to describe an unadulterated drink.

 

Quote

1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 191 The Wine that runneth on the lees, is not therefore to be accompted neate bicause it was drawne of the same peece.

 

By the 15th and 16th onwards centuries it was common.
 

Quote

 

1649 Roberts Clavis Bibl. 80 Thou didst drink wine both pure and neate.    1686 tr. Chardin's Trav. Persia 124 She saw me mix water with my wine,‥she and her women drank it neat.    1712 Steele Spect. No. 264 ⁋5 The Hogsheads of Neat Port came safe.    1762 Lloyd Poet Wks. (1774) II. 6 Will you pour out to English swine, Neat as imported, old Greek wine?    1815 Chron. in Ann. Reg. 68 Accustomed to drink neat spirits.    1851 Mayhew Lond. Labour I. 359/2, I was obliged to drink rum; it wouldn't ha done to ha drunk the water neat.    1876 Besant & Rice Gold. Butterfly i, I should take a small glass of brandy neat.

 

 

What is really funny is that later 'neat' came to mean what it more generally does today - tidy or well presented.

Edited May 21, 2017 by liuzhou (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

I don't keep any spirits in the freezer. I like a little bit of dilution in cocktails. And for spirits enjoyed neat, I find they have more flavor at room temperature.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

10 hours ago, FrogPrincesse said:

I don't keep any spirits in the freezer. I like a little bit of dilution in cocktails. And for spirits enjoyed neat, I find they have more flavor at room temperature.

 

I don't care for vodka personally.  I keep vodka in the freezer for measuring freezer temperature...at 191.2 proof not something even I drink neat.

 

[lindag]

For the past couple years I've been using the big (2-inch square) ice cubes made in a silicone tray.

Nice because they don't dilute my drink as fast and they last longer. 

Ice cube trays

Edited May 22, 2017 by lindag (log)

[Anna N]

20 hours ago, FrogPrincesse said:

I don't keep any spirits in the freezer. I like a little bit of dilution in cocktails. And for spirits enjoyed neat, I find they have more flavor at room temperature.

 I could not imagine drinking Taffel akvavit at room temperature…… shudder.  In hot coffee with lots of sugar --  yes -- or ice cold from the freezer.  But there is no in between.  

[liuzhou]

21 hours ago, FrogPrincesse said:

I don't keep any spirits in the freezer. I like a little bit of dilution in cocktails. And for spirits enjoyed neat, I find they have more flavor at room temperature.

 

I don't think the practice of keeping vodka in the freezer has anything to do with flavour, but more with texture.

 

I learned the habit when I lived in Moscow almost 30 years ago and everyone kept their vodka bottle on the outside window ledge in temperatures which went down to the -20s centigrade.

 

The vodka turns pleasantly viscous yet melts sensuously in the mouth releasing the flavours as it warms. I never drink it any other way now.

[Anna N]

17 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

The vodka turns pleasantly viscous yet melts sensuously in the mouth releasing the flavours as it warms.

Pretty much describes freezer cold akvavit.  The Danish tradition is to down a shot and chase with beer but I'm happy to take it a little bit more slowly and without the beer. Not too slowly though or it will warm up of course.  When my husband was alive we would put it into a milk carton filled with water so that the water would freeze around the bottle and we would then peel off the milk carton before serving the drink.  

[Katie Meadow]

9 hours ago, Anna N said:

Pretty much describes freezer cold akvavit.  The Danish tradition is to down a shot and chase with beer but I'm happy to take it a little bit more slowly and without the beer. Not too slowly though or it will warm up of course.  When my husband was alive we would put it into a milk carton filled with water so that the water would freeze around the bottle and we would then peel off the milk carton before serving the drink.  

That's awesome. So you brought out a bottle encased in a square block of ice? I'm trying to picture the possible results  of grabbing the ice bare handed and trying to pour. Or did you have aquavit already poured into shot glasses and them encased in teeny little milk cartons? And then the guests hands froze to their iced glass? Am I missing something basic here? Haven't had aquavit in ages! Love the idea of individual servings set out in an ice floe. Party favor straws!

[Anna N]

48 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

That's awesome. So you brought out a bottle encased in a square block of ice? I'm trying to picture the possible results  of grabbing the ice bare handed and trying to pour. Or did you have aquavit already poured into shot glasses and them encased in teeny little milk cartons? And then the guests hands froze to their iced glass? Am I missing something basic here? Haven't had aquavit in ages! Love the idea of individual servings set out in an ice floe. Party favor straws!

You bring out the ice encased bottle and hold it with a clean towel just as you might a bottle of fine wine. This is the way that it was served in the Copenhagen Room Restaurant in Toronto!   I'm guessing that they used something other than a milk carton but perhaps not.  I actually have a handmade "saucer" to rest the bottle on that would allow some meltage.  We generally returned it to the freezer between pours.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Not a spirit exactly but I do return my iSi of M.R. to the freezer between pours.