This is a place to discuss favorite booze and accompanying snacks. Thought I'd start with our National Drink of choice, Arak. Please feel free to add your own choices. It can be anything including wines, beers, whiskey, vodka etc.
My Top 5 Favorite Araks
1. Arak Ghantous Abu Raad (Lebanon)
2. Arak Touma (Lebanon)
3. Arak Zahlawi (Iraq)
4. Arak Rayan (Lebanon)
5. Arak Haddad (Jordan)
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"As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - Nelson Mandela
Some boozer facts. Top 3 World’s Most Expensive Beer
1. Vielle Bon Secours:
This tops the list of the world's most expensive beer, costing around £500 (equivalent to around $1,000) per bottle or about £39 (equivalent to around $78) per pint. It can only be found in a bar called the Bierdrome in London.
2. Samuel Adams' Utopias:
This beer is brewed by the Boston Beer Company, using the brand name of Samuel Adam's Utopias, named after one of the founding fathers of the USA. This comes second in the list of the world's most expensive beer which costs around $100 per bottle (24 oz) or about $67 per pint, sold in copper bottles resembling the copper brewing kettles which are used by brewers for hundreds of years. The alcohol content is 25%, making it the strongest beer in the world (listed in the Guinness Book of Records). The process of making this beverage can take up to 12 years, giving it the unique and rich flavors. It is said that the production was limited to 8,000 bottles per year.
3. Tutankhamen Brew:
The recipe of this brew is prepared according to the recipe and brewing method discovered by a team of University of Cambridge The archaeologists sought expert advice from Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, Edinburgh and the beer is brewed in the Cambridge laboratory, costing around $52 per bottle. The production is also limited and the edition is also numbered. archaeologists/Egyptologists in the Queen Nefertiti's Temple of the Sun in Egypt. The brewery found in the corner of the said temple is believed to have been built by King Akhenaton who is King Tutankhamen's father. This is also the place where King Akhenaton queen, Nefertiti worshiped.
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"As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - Nelson Mandela
Krug's Clos du Mesnil is one of the two rarest and most expensive champagnes in the world, (the other is Bollinger's Blanc de Noir, featured next). It comes from a single, small, walled vineyard of just 4.5 acres that is planted entirely to chardonnay, so the champagne is what's known as a Blanc de Blanc. It's also extremely rare as only 12,624 bottles were produced in the 1995 vintage. The current release is soft and delicate yet intensely flavored, and remarkably accessible for a champagne so young.
Blanc de Noire is the rarest of champagnes--a fizz made entirely from the pinot noir grape. This doesn't mean that it's a red wine, or even rose; rather, it's a fine golden color, just a little darker than regular champagne. It's exclusive too--only 180 bottles of the 1998 vintage were exported to the U.S., hence the price increase of $175 from last year's survey.
3 Dom Perignon Rose 1996 - $400
Rose, after years of being regarded as a less than serious champagne, is currently in style, hence the whopping 120% price premium the rose commands over the regular DP bottling. This is one of the very best roses, one that's hugely structured with high acidity--a wine to drink now, or keep for a decade.
< Message edited by Lion of Babylon -- 6/17/2008 10:35:58 AM >
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"As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - Nelson Mandela
Here are the top 5 wines by catagory. Anyone got a spare 100k?
1. Most Expensive Regular Sized Bottle
Chateau Lafite 1787 - sold at Christie's London in 1985 for $160,000. This wine bottle was purchased for a private collection and prominently features the initials of Thomas Jefferson etched into the glass. This practice was not unusual in the 18th century when large purchases were made directly from the Chateau.
2. Most Expensive Fortified Wine A Jeroboam (5 liters) Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1945 - Wine enthusiasts consider this selection to be one of the finest of the great vintages of the 20th century. It sold at Christie's London for $114,614.00 in 1997. Of the 20th century, 1945 is considered to be one of the exceptional vintage years. The buyer of this wine remains anonymous.
3. Most Expensive Lot of Wine Sold At Auction 1775 Sherry from Massandra Collection - This classic wine sold at Sotheby's London for $43,500 in 2002. The Massandra winery is located 4 kilometers from Yalta and it is frequently honored as the finest in Russia. The winery's cellar contains well over a million bottles of both Russian (with the Imperial seal), and Western European wines. The oldest in their collection was the Sherry.
4. Most Expensive Lot Of Wine Sold At Auction Fifty Cases Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1982 - Fifty cases or six hundred bottles were sold by Christie's / Zacky's New York in 1997 for $420,000.
5. Most Expensive White Wine Chateau d'Yquem 1784 - A bottle of this wine sold for $56,588.00 in 1986 at Christie's London. As with the Chateau Lafite 1787, this bottle of wine also has the initials of Thomas Jefferson in it.
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"As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - Nelson Mandela
Final list for the day. Onto the whiskeys. Again I was quite surprised as I thought they'd be more expensive.
1. The Macallan 1926
In 2005 a South Korean businessman paid 70 million Korean won (about $75,000) for a 1926 bottle from The Macallan’s "Fine and Rare" range. “The actual purchase took place at the liquor retail store, Interbang, in the upmarket Gangnam area of Seoul," according to a statement from Macallan. "However, the precious bottle was safely stored elsewhere in a safe and only released when full payment was received.
2. The Dalmore 62 Years
If you happen to cross paths with the anonymous buyer of this £25,877.50 ($51,000) bottle, here are Dalmore Master Blender Richard Paterson's suggestions for tasting: Prepare the palate with a cup of warm Colombian coffee and milk; let the noble spirit drift over the tongue; finish with a bitter-chocolate such as Cote d'Or or Godiva. "The combination of coffee, The Dalmore and the bitter chocolate," says Paterson, "will ensure the experience is unforgettable."
3. 1937 Glenfiddich
In April 2006, a bottle of Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937 sold at auction in New York for $20,000. The prized liquid hails from a single oak cask that slumbered in a dunnage warehouse at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland for 64 years before it was bottled in 2001.
4. Balvenie Cask 191
David Stewart, The Balvenie Malt Master, writes of this 50-year-aged Scotch: "The Balvenie Cask 191 Single Malt Scotch Whisky has a complex nose, intense with toffee, marzipan, sweet oak, raisins and nuts. The depth of flavor is astonishing, developing from butterscotch to clover, honey, liquorice and chocolate—elegantly balanced with drying oak and spice.†Where available, this heady smorgasbord retails for around $13,000 a bottle.
5. Macallan 1928, 50-year-old (Sorry not image was available?)
Martin Green of McTearâ auction house says two bottles of the 50-year-old Macallan have sold recently for £4,400 and £6,000 (or $8,700 and $11,900).
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"As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - Nelson Mandela
When I was a wine merchant back in the 80's i met a man who was a denture maker, he was big time collector of wines, and vintage port. His wife collected vintage everything else including Champagne. Surpringly she would burn a boiled egg, couldn't cook whatsoever.
At a dinner party at their house, we had prawns cocktail from supermarket, fish and chips from round the corner, and ice cream from god knows where. But we had 1912 Chateau d'Yquem, which was out of this world, we had 1975 Trokenbeerenauslesee from germany, also an Ice wine from the 60's, 1924 a rare vintage port desouza, and a Pomerol from 70's. That was a night i will never forget. Although we were asked to stay the night, my girlfriend wanted to get home for some reason, I was of course happily drunk, and who wouldn't. And some how I managed to drive from coventry to Leicester and find our house. I used to teach people taking masters in wine, my subject was vintage port.
When I was a wine merchant back in the 80's i met a man who was a denture maker, he was big time collector of wines, and vintage port. His wife collected vintage everything else including Champagne. Surpringly she would burn a boiled egg, couldn't cook whatsoever.
At a dinner party at their house, we had prawns cocktail from supermarket, fish and chips from round the corner, and ice cream from god knows where. But we had 1912 Chateau d'Yquem, which was out of this world, we had 1975 Trokenbeerenauslesee from germany, also an Ice wine from the 60's, 1924 a rare vintage port desouza, and a Pomerol from 70's. That was a night i will never forget. Although we were asked to stay the night, my girlfriend wanted to get home for some reason, I was of course happily drunk, and who wouldn't. And some how I managed to drive from coventry to Leicester and find our house. I used to teach people taking masters in wine, my subject was vintage port.
The good old days.
These cosmetic dentists not only make a great wage but are bloody generous too. Do you still have his number?
Chateau d'Yquem 1912 - Price per bottle $3,368
Trokenbeerenauslesee 1975 - Price by case £399
vintage port de souza 1924 - Couldn’t find this vintage but a 1947 bottle costs £124
Chateau Petrus Pomerol - £860 to £1143 a bottle depending on the vintage
By the way, I've been watching a great wine program on the BBC food channel here in Jordan called Oz and James great wine adventure. It follows English wine expert Oz Clark and James May (of Top Gear fame) as they travel around France tasting wines. It's highly entertaining watching Oz Clarke is attempting to educate May about the finer wine points. The constant bickering and arguments (usually centered on Clarke's frustrations with May getting tanked at every opportunity) make for great viewing. If you get the chance watch it.
I'm no expert but I know my Chablis from my Bordeaux. Wouldn't it be great to travel around France in the summer on one of these wine tasting holidays? I couldn't imagine a nicer way to see the country and get plastered at the same time.
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"As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - Nelson Mandela
Vodka’s country of origin is in dispute, but there is no doubting its rich Russian history dating back at least 500 years. Imperia Vodka aims to capitalize on that legacy, utilizing a 19th-century recipe developed by chemist Dimitri Mendeleev (inventor of the Periodic Table of Elements), and patented by the government of St. Petersburg. Winter wheat, harvested from the black soil of the Russian steppes, creates a liquor that undergoes a total of eight distillations before glacial water from Lake Ladoga brings it down to proper proof. The liquid then passes through both charcoal and quartz crystal multiple times to strain out any impurities.
SKYY90
Origin: USA SKYY’s initial claim to fame was a vodka relatively free of congeners—the stuff leftover from distillation that can cause hangovers and headaches. They have gone another step with their new SKYY90 bottle: processed in a new $25 million facility, this vodka is the first ever distilled to 200 proof, meaning zero leftover water or byproducts. Water from Sierra Mountain gets blended back in to bring it down to 90 proof, yielding an impressively crisp, clean taste—and inspiring the name.
STOLICHNAYA ELIT
Origin: Russia
Don’t confuse Stolichnaya elit with its popular older brother "Stoli." This grain-based beverage is triple-distilled and undergoes a unique freeze filtration process which brings its temperature down to -18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit). As the liquid's density increases, it becomes easier to identify and remove impurities. The result: great body and texture, and a distinctly clean aftertaste.
KAUFFMAN LUXURY VINTAGE VODKA
Origin: Russia "Awesome," Christian Navarro, sommelier to the stars, says of Kauffman Luxury Vintage Vodka. “Great texture and flavor.” He plans to stock the pricy stuff at Wally’s, his West Los Angeles fine wine and spirits store, but it hasn’t yet been approved for sale in the USA. While vintage designations usually appear only on wine, Champagne and the occasional Armagnac, the Russian company behind Kauffman believes there’s enough variation in each year’s wheat crop to justify its use as they will only produce their vodka in superior years.
HANGAR 1
Origin: USA
Hangar 1 delivers precisely what unflavored vodka should: clean alcohol with good body and no defects. It’s a benchmark liquor from a pair of distilling geniuses in California’s wine country, most often used as the base for their flavored vodkas (which range from kaffir lime to wasabi), but also tastes fantastic chilled and straight up or in a martini. Hangar 1 represents a blend of two very different vodkas: one from Midwest American wheat, the other from Viognier grapes from California.
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"As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - Nelson Mandela
I'm not sure if this is true but with all the Russian Millionaires buying up half of London, Paris and Dubai it wouldn't surprise me.
quote:
World's most expensive vodka costs $1 million a bottle
Vodka is supposed to be tasteless but still, people who love its taste are ready to pay huge bucks for a single bottle. Earlier, Diaka Vodka, which is made in Poland, was touted to be the worlds most expensive Vodka (pricing unknown).
Anyway, a Scotland based company named Blackwood Distillers is producing the triple distilled Diva vodka through a sophisticate process. This vodka is ice-filtered, filtered through Nordic birch charcoal and then passed through a sand of crushed diamonds and gems to make it elegant expression of personal style.
The price per bottle of Diva Premium Vodka is between $3,700 and $1 million, depending on the choice of precious stones used in the bottle. A whopping $1 Million for a single bottle of Vodka! Sounds crazy!
Don’t confuse Stolichnaya elit with its popular older brother "Stoli." This grain-based beverage is triple-distilled and undergoes a unique freeze filtration process which brings its temperature down to -18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit). As the liquid's density increases, it becomes easier to identify and remove impurities. The result: great body and texture, and a distinctly clean aftertaste.
Awesome thread guy. This is the only vodka worth talking about. Best when when kept in the freezer and pored into a short glass with a touch of lemon. You should also try belvedere with ice or mix it in a martini. Smooth as a babys asss and perfect for drinking before hitting the town with a well endowed blond. Cool to see we have some Iraqis who appreciate the finer things in life. Later.
Cheers bro and welcome to the thread. Prefer brunets myself but sometimes beggars can't be choosers! I drink Stoli in the summer but never tried Elit. Too bloody expensive here in Jordan (around $120 PB).
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"As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - Nelson Mandela
this is pretty simple, you can find more elaborate cooler looking do it youself stills, but this will get you an idea of how easy this is to do yourself.
No kidding I had a friend from the hill of Tennissee who's family would get together anually to still shine (distill moon shine, or corn hooch). I'm not making this up, they're main reason for doing it was to make fuel for the lawn mowers, weed wackers, and chain saws. Apparently they were pretty clean running engines.
Hi all. My computer is messed up more than ever, and it's now beginning to sing in a horrible squeeky sound that's driving me crazy. No amount of alcohol will help. I left it for way too long, and just before then, I changed the internet ISP I use to a better, faster and much cheaper one. But old abu-PC crashed, and I had to reboot it. Luckily I did save my most precious files on disk and USB.
So now I am FUBAR'ed (****ed Up Beyond All Recognition) as the Americans say. I lost all the MAC files for the internet and my IP has automatically changed, so it'll unfortunately be some time till I quit my current ISP and get a new one.
I am really sorry for disappearing like that, and I really regret not being here all that time. I'm currently at the library compuer, and I'd just like to tell you all I'll be back here as soon as this mess is sorted. Take Care my friends.
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