This was a fun one. Learned a lot of drinks from my friends, and got a bunch of shit for my multiple "cheap beer" picks. That said, not too bothered. I stand by my beliefs.
#15 - Mezcal Paloma
This is a good pick for three reasons. First off, the drink kicks ass. Bitter drinks are very good. Grapefruit is a perfect secondary flavor. Fuck me up with a salt rim, baby. Reason #2 is this drink being better than the tequila version. Reason #3 is how much fucking better this is than a greyhound. Vodka is for fuckin dweebuses @mmontano
#14 - Manhattan
First off, it's a good fuckin drink. More personally: My grandma was peak irish-american. For breakfast, every day: a bit of toast and coffee. For lunch, every day: a banana and a Manhattan. Then off to play bridge with the girls. For dinner, every day: a meat and potato variant. Perhaps a boiled green. On holidays, a slice of pie.
She lived well into her late 90s, and I'm putting my trust in the Manhattans.
#13 - Mad Dog 20/20
At a conference so can't talk to explain this one, but suffice it to say that when I was drinking a lot of mad dog I wasn't talking much either
#12 - Beer, Lukewarm, Canned, On a Boat
You know what it is. Taking a cooler out on a lake or the ocean, preferably sailboat, drinking all day but the beer gets warm from how many people open the cooler.. who cares. You're drinking brews with the squad on the water. Things are good away from land.
#11 - Jungle Juice (frat or airport)
When I was in college, here's how we'd make drinks for parties: 1. Steal a large trash can. 2. Triple line with garbage bag 3. Pour in 2-3 cases of beer. Drink another case on the side with the boys. 4. Pour in 2-3 handles of cheap cheap vodka that had been rebottled into grey goose bottles (appearances, babyyyyy). 5. Stir gently. Smoke a cigarette in a basement or something. 6. Add two tubs of lemonade mix or similar substance. Play around of beer pong. 7. Stir until frothy. Smoke another cig. 8. Crush up vitamin b12 pills and sprinkle for energy. Original 4loko replication. 9. Add enough ice to fill it out. Hydrate! 10. Serve via scooping a solo cup 11. Enjoy!
#10 - Malort
It's not very good but it's not really that bad either/ It's very fun to make unexpecting people drink it/ When I drink it I feel like I'm a plane thats refueling with expired jet fuel.
#9 - 4Loko
What do I even have to say. DM me for my homebrew recipe if you want it.
#8 - Genesee Cream Ale
the old can looks like the generic beer you put in the background when you can't buy rights. it kicked ass, and is drinkable enough when the right temperature that I drank a whole case on more than one occasion. the new can sucks. Beers should not be written in cursive. most importantly, my dad drank it in college, I drank it in college, and drinking beer is a proxy for memory
#7 - Vieux Carre
God tier cocktail. who doesn't love a mix of a lot of brown liquors with a cool ass name? probably the reason I got into booze-mixing for a while (which I am now less interested in, but it was still an interesting and formative period that got me a lot of cool dates (back in my day, when speakeasies were hard to find!!)).
#6 - Nighttrain / Thunderbird
Thunderbird got taken off the shelves because there was too much formaldyhyde. RIP to an ice cold legend. That said, a cheap fortified wine is hard to fuckin beat. Drinking a bottle of train and letting the night take you, what a dream. yeehaw!
#5 - Booker's Bourbon
One of the nice frat events we did was the big brother day where you got paired up with a new guy and said some nice things from the heart and then did three things: everyone hangs arounds, play football, and finish a bottle of liquor together (or at least, try). Every year, I would get this bourbon because it came in a cool wooden box. Also it is tasty.
#4 - Meletti Amaro, on ice, with an orange slice
A really top tier drink - a perfect, cold digestif for after a carb heavy meal. Sweet enough to be dessert but better when served with it. When it's cold you get a crisp and refreshing little nightcap. The family that makes it only produces this liquor and saffron, so you get some very nice flavors in the drink. Italy seems cool.
#3 - Hess's The Lion
Honest to God this is the best red wine I've ever tasted. I've had, I think, 3 glasses of it ever and it kicks ass. The Hess Collection is a combo winery and art gallery up in Napa so Anna and I go up a decent amount and check out the art, do a tasting, and sometimes get lunch. Check it out.
#2 - Speak Low (Angel's Share, NYC)
probably the best cocktail I've ever had. I used to go here a lot before it had the 2 hour waits. Rum, more different rum, sherry, and matcha, all put together by cool lookin dudes in a cool lookin place playing sinatra. if your'e in nyc, GO.
#1 - Beer, Cold, Light, Canned, Outside with Friends
Drinking beer is as much about reminiscing and memories as it is about the beer. This is the drink that has produced the most fun memories and I see no reason not to stick with it. On a boat? In the snow? On a porch? On a lawn? On the beach? In the lake? On a mountaintop? All of em.