Adult Beverages

When I was about 12, my grandma said I was old enough to try “adult cheese.” As you would expect, I was not impressed and didn’t understand why anyone would eat basically old, moldy cheese. Now as an adult, there is nothing I like more than a nasty gorgonzola.  

Some things take a bit of experience to get used to and then enjoy. Then once you are used to the unfamiliar or uncomfortable taste, you start to notice parts of it ypu really like, and then you start to love it. I don’t mean put up with it, i mean really it becomes one of your favorite flavors.  If you are expecting to love the flavor of beer or wine on your first sip, you will likely  never learn to enjoy it.  

As someone who started drinking in his late 30s, I’ll tell you to start with beer before wine, try common, mild, cheap beers and then slowly try the better stuff. I can tell you that I rarely get drunk, but prefer a good beer over almost any other beverage.

Try some Fireball, it tastes like liquid cinnamon bears.

I hope West Coast Cutthroat will chime in, because he is a great resource.

As somebody who started occasionally drinking in my 40s (had literally a handful of drinks in the 4 decades prior), I also wanted to like wine. I tried some that was poor quality and it turned me off for a few years. I just wasn’t ready for it and my palate wasn’t sophisticated enough for the more complex and sharp flavors. Also I didn’t recognize how important food pairings can be to the enjoyment of a wine.

Fast forward a few years and I now find that wine is my go-to in most situations. I rarely drink mixed drinks, and will enjoy a good beer during the summer, but year-round I love to have a glass or two of wine with dinner on occasion.

I find that many of the white wines you mentioned have a decent amount of citrus flavor, bordering on grapefruit. This is even more pronounced with Gewürztraminer and Rieslings, and especially in a good Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. These actually go extremely well with spicy foods like Thai or Chinese dishes.

For a more user-friendly white you could try a good Chardonnay. Many Chardonnays will be more toward the buttery flavor, and are simply divine with a mild salmon, baked fish, or similarly buttery or creamy seafood dish. Keep it away from acidic foods like including tomatoes, or spicy Indian, Chinese, or Mexican dishes. It goes extremely well with a summer salad and a mac-n’-cheese.

I happen to love robust reds, especially when paired with a nice steak or grilled/smoked meats, or saucy beef dishes. Cabernet Sauvignon (esp from California), Malbec (from Argentina), Merlot, etc, are all wonderful. But they are certainly an acquired taste and need to be sipped to be enjoyed.

One thing you might enjoy is a Moscato, but add frozen berries to the drink. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc, add a nice touch to the wine and will help ease your palate into the new experience. This is a nice drink on a hot day, and many Moscatos are low in alcohol content and thus can be somewhat sweeter.

This link has a good breakdown of types, flavors, pairings, etc. Good luck, and enjoy! Find something that works for you and have a good time with it.

http://winefolly.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/basic-wine-101-guide-infographic-poster.jpg

I can’t really relate, because I can drink wine like it’s my job, and the only thing that stops me at about 2 glasses is 1- it makes me tired now that I’m in my 30’s (whereas earlier it was somehow more like an energy drink), and 2 – I’m vain and it’s not good for the waistline.

I second the Chardonnay. It’s a very user-friendly white, as is Pinot Grigio. For reds I like Cabs and Chianti. I personally find sweet wines like Reisling very off-putting after about half a glass, but I know some people love them.

I second the Moscato recommendation. It has a sweet fruityish flavor to it.

I’m a RED wine guy. Cheapo wines suck, and give me headaches. I have two glasses every evening.  That’s it. Good for the heart.  I like many wines that are just barely above the cheapo level.  I especially like wines from Chile, Carmeneres.  I also like chianti’s (fa fa fa fa).  I’m no snob, but was told that if you go cheap, cabernets are “hard to screw up.”

I have friends who are big into scotch.  Tried to like it, but it seems like drinking jet fuel to me, as does most hard alcohol.  Somehow though, I can drink scotch in Scotland and it seems good.

I sometimes enjoy a dessert kind of drink, like Bailey’s irish cream over ice.  Just little sips.  It’s almost like liquid icecream.

Most alcoholic beverages are an acquired taste.

Agree with those who suggest starting with milder drinks, like a light beer (Miller Lite).  If you don’t like any bitter than don’t bother with ales or IPAs. 

Re: hard lemonade, yeah you can add vodka to practically anything (juice, soda, lemonade) and as long as you use reasonable amounts you’ll hardly taste it.

Wines are very personal thing, you have to try several to see what you like.   If you’re having it with dinner, there are different wines that pair better with different food flavors.   Not a fan of sweet wines, myself.  You might try the bolder red wines like a Cabernet and then a Syrah (or Shiraz, to the Aussies) to get the complete spectrum.

Tony, try some of the Australian wines. Shiraz is a favorite of mine.

Boones Farm. Thank me later.

Have a shot or two of everclear, after that even Milwaukees Best will taste good.  The key is to drink it until you like it. 🙂

Hopefully you know I was kidding about Boones Farm. It’s basically distilled ass, and gives the worst hangovers pretty much ever.

I love the smell of wine, but never did get used to the taste. Beer, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. I don’t really enjoy the smell, but it tastes oh so good.