Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you really want to celebrate, all you need is tequila, lime, and shot glasses.

I think the OP is not 22 years old.

It was a joke, old lady.

Woodford Reserve is the most delicious bourbon. I wish I could afford (both for my health and my finances) to drink it every day. (No, I'm not an alcoholic and I'm not dependent on bourbon. It's just tasty.)

Strongly second (third or fourth?) tito's vodka. Good value, too.
Most importantly, agree green hat is rotgut. Taste is fine but your guests will feel awful in the morning. Sorry. I promise I wanted to love it.

Anonymous wrote:Go to the liquor store. Normally the most expensive bottles are the best. I don't know anyone who drinks rye.

Total wine and more could recommend good wines.

Rye and Bourbon are wildly popular and experience a major resurgence. I drink Bulleit for both. Knob Creek in a pinch. Willet's or Basil Hayden's bourbon if you are feeling fancy.

Hendrix or Tanqueray Gin

Tito's Vodka

Anonymous wrote:If you really want to celebrate, all you need is tequila, lime, and shot glasses.

I think the OP is not 22 years old.

If you really want to celebrate, all you need is tequila, lime, and shot glasses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Gin- go local Green Hat Gin


Please, no! Worst expensive gin I've ever had and I really want to support the local economy. Better off with Tanqueray, Beefeater or Plymouth.

No you have no taste. tanqueray, beefeater and Plymouth? My god go back to your vodka.

What basis could you possibly have for bashing Plymouth, which is a lovely and extremely well-regarded gin?

Anonymous wrote:
Gin- go local Green Hat Gin


Please, no! Worst expensive gin I've ever had and I really want to support the local economy. Better off with Tanqueray, Beefeater or Plymouth.

No you have no taste. tanqueray, beefeater and Plymouth? My god go back to your vodka.

Anonymous wrote:I think your family drinks too much. Why does alcohol have to be the focus of the celebration? How about your dad instead?

Please go back to Private, Independet Schools or General Parenting Forums. Food, Cooking, and Restaurants is the forum for positive people who enjoy their lives.

You should also get both sweet and dry vermouth for mixed drinks. Nouille Prat ( spelling?) is fine.

OP, did you mention a budget? Overall, I agree with 15:59, particularly about the reds.

A lot of people cannot stand Pinot Noir, and the inexpensive ones (I assume OP doesn't want to spend upwards of $30 on each bottle) aren't great.

Although Cabs can be a tricky, too, at lower price points.

There are far more Shiraz, Syrah, Malbec, and Zinfandels that are quite nice and still priced well enough to make sense for a party.

Sy

Anonymous wrote:You want a mix of pinot noir, merlot, a fruit forward malbec and other sweeter wines like white Reisling. California wines are always excellent, like Blackstone.

Do not get shiraz or zinfandel, disgusting. Just my opinion though.

This depends. This is okay if you have only casual wine drinkers, but you'l fine that more serious wine drinkers often like a variety leaning towards drier rather than sweeter wines. Since you aren't wine drinkers, I would recommend that you want to stock some sweet and some dry wines of both red and white:

Sweeter white wines: Reisling and Gewurtztraminer (although if you go with Alsatian you can find drier Gewurtz)
Drier white wines: Saugignon Blanc, Pinot blanc or pinot grigio
Sweeter red wines: Merlot or Beaujolais Nouveau
Drier red wines: Cabernet, Shiraz and Zinfandel

I strongly disagree with the PP. Many serious red wine drinkers will prefer Shiraz/Syrah or Zinfandel over Merlot or Cabernet

Since you aren't a wine drinker, I would recommend you go to one of the big stores like Total Beverage, Total Wine (formerly Corridor Wine), etc and get the store staff to help. But you can find good, inexpensive varieties of wines from the Pacific Northwest and Australia. Both are good sources of decent wines of each type that are less expensive than similar wines from France or California.

For other liquors, here are some recommendations:
Gin: I actually stock Bombay Sapphire instead of Tanqueray. I don't drink it, but two of my gin-drinking friends recommended it.

Vodka: Ketel One and Skyy are the two recommended to me (also don't drink Vodka much)

Single Malt Scotch: This I do drink. At some of my parties, I do scotch tastings for friends and even for those who don't drink much Scotch, here are some popular ones. For lighter (not as strong a kick), Oban is one of the favorites. For medium, the Macallan is a classic and quite popular. For the stronger Scotches, my favorite is Talisker, but many like/prefer Laguvallin. They are very different in flavor, Talisker being a peaty flavor and Laguvallin being an oaky flavor.

Irish whiskey - Black Bush (the higher quality version of Bushmill's) is an excellent choice that many Scotch drinkers will like as well.

Anonymous wrote:Alcohol use is linked to higher incidences of cancer. Seems stupid now that he's in remission.

Seems stupid to comment in a thread without reading the OP. The father is not drinking.

Alcohol use is linked to higher life expectancy. It would be foolish not to provide booze for everyone else.

Alcohol use is linked to higher incidences of cancer. Seems stupid now that he's in remission.

Keep it simple with beers. Get a few varieties

Miller Lite (beer snobs roll their eyes, but it's still very popular with a lot of people)

Sam Adams original, not lite

then get a mix of craft IPAs, stouts, whit beers, seasonal beers-- anything by Flying Dog is good, and is "local" (made in MD). You can often find variety packs, which makes it easy.

one fairly common import -- Guinness, Stella, Pacifico, Bass, Newcastle

Tito's Vodka is great and actually not that expensive (although as its appeal has caught on it's much more expensive than when I bought it locally in TX)