What drink should I try?

[EscherEnigma]

So I've been enjoying my Midori sours† recently. They're quick and easy to make, and the sugary/fruity flavors hide the buzz-kill of the burning alcohol nicely. So it's a nice quick drink while I'm gaming on the weekend.

But I also like variety. Anyone have ideas for what else I could try‡?

Anyway, I'm blatantly fishing for ideas 'cause I tragically skipped the "going out and getting smashed every night of the week" phase of college. Geek-themed ones would be amusing and perhaps enjoy a bias.
________
†As I make it, one shot Midori, one shot Vodka, fill the rest of the cup with Lemonade and Sweet & Sour mixer. Serve with a chopstick for stirring.
‡Restrictions:

• No ice. I'm fine keeping liquor, mixers and such in the fridge or freezer as appropriate (yay for no kid!), but ice is a [insert vulgarity of your choice here] to get home on my bike so that's not going to happen.
• I do have a drink mixer. Haven't tested it yet, it was kind of an impulse purchase along the lines of "oh! shiny! I'm sure I could get use out of that!" before I remembered I don't actually know any recipes that use a mixer.
• No drinks that use caffeinated beverages. I'm trying to shake my drug dependencies! ... the irony of talking about shaking my drug dependencies while asking for suggestions of drink recipes isn't lost on me. Drink responsibly, kids!
• I do have a preference for drinks that mask the booze and would look dashing with an umbrella in them. Not a requirement, but just throwing it out there.

 

[Kramodlog]

Bloody Caesars are awesome. They can be pretty spicy ifyou like that and they go well before/with a meal.

Have you tried good white wines? You would need to try a few, maybe ask the guy at the liquor store, but I am sure would find one that you would like. And then it would be like chug chug chug...

 

[Robin Hoodlum]

PBR man!
You must drink the Pabst Blue Ribbon!
It's awesome!

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Bloody Caesars are awesome. They can be pretty spicy ifyou like that and they go well before/with a meal.

Have you tried good white wines? You would need to try a few, maybe ask the guy at the liquor store, but I am sure would find one that you would like. And then it would be like chug chug chug...

I think EE would like moscato wine. They are light refreshing, and sweet. They are also cheap, so if he doesn't like it, he won't have wasted much money on it.

 

[Kramodlog]

Are moscato the same as muscat? Cause I second the choice.

Reislings and ice wines would also work for him. Sweet, fruity, flavorful, seems to be what he likesin a drink.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

I'm pretty sure it's the the same thing. But yeah, he would probably go for that type of wine.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

For sweet I prefer moscato and reisling. Ice wines are too sweet. Overpoweringly so, IMO. Don't like it.

If you could make ice at home (and why don't you??) I think you'd really enjoy a mojito. Wonderfully refreshing.

 

[Enforcer]

Hi! I'm a professional sommelier and avid cocktail enthusiast (my home bar has 50 different bottles on it...). I've worked behind the bar at serious restaurants in the past.

First off, make some ice. You said you have a freezer, right? The water that results from shaking (always when the ingredients include fruit juice and/or dairy) or stirring (always if all ingredients are booze) is an integral part of any cocktail recipe and not to be excluded.

Try a Corpse Reviver #2. It's a respectable cocktail with some sugar to it. Equal parts gin (I typically use Beefeater), lemon juice (fresh squeezed or don't bother—a rule that applies to all cocktails), Cointreau, and Lillet Blanc (or Cocchi Americano which is harder to find but matches the original recipe better) with a dash (i.e. 1-3 drops) of absinthe. A legit cocktail bar won't make fun of you for ordering one (unlike a Midori Sour).

Now, maybe you don't want to go out and buy all that stuff (though a London dry gin and Cointreau will be useful for lots of drinks), fine. Try a Sidecar. Brandy (any cheaper VS cognac will do), Cointreau (again, this is a good staple of any home bar), and lemon juice. You can adjust the ratio according to taste, but a good starter recipe is 1.5 cognac, 1 Cointreau, 0.5 lemon juice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Or even a Moscow Mule. Vodka, fresh lime juice, and ginger beer (not ginger ale).

As to other points in the thread, moscato is not the same as muscat, though they of course sound similar. Moscato is a slightly effervescent wine from Piedmont, Italy, made from the moscato giallo grape while muscat is a different grape. Moscato is almost never a serious wine, but is tasty and fun—I describe it to customers as sparkling liquid candy. Muscat is the poster child for so-called "aromatic varietals". The really good muscats (good producers from Alsace are a safe bet) can be really interesting wines. And PBR sucks, should any have taken Robin Hoodlum's post seriously and not in the sarcastic vein it was obviously intended. They won the blue ribbon in 1892 (at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago!) and American craft brews, especially in the last couple decades have really improved since then.

Riesling is one of the greatest values in wine. You can buy world-class stuff for $50 a bottle, which sounds expensive unless you know what top-notch Burgundy costs. And you can buy seriously good riesling for under $15 a bottle. Even the Dr. Loosen "Dr. L" is pretty good and very affordable (and very easy to find).

 

[Enforcer]

Oh, and ice wine is very sweet but when paired with a good blue cheese or something like foie gras is foiled quite nicely.

 

[Kramodlog]

Hi! I'm a professional sommelier and avid cocktail enthusiast (my home bar has 50 different bottles on it...). I've worked behind the bar at serious restaurants in the past.

First off, make some ice. You said you have a freezer, right? The water that results from shaking (always when the ingredients include fruit juice and/or dairy) or stirring (always if all ingredients are booze) is an integral part of any cocktail recipe and not to be excluded.

Try a Corpse Reviver #2. It's a respectable cocktail with some sugar to it. Equal parts gin (I typically use Beefeater), lemon juice (fresh squeezed or don't bother—a rule that applies to all cocktails), Cointreau, and Lillet Blanc (or Cocchi Americano which is harder to find but matches the original recipe better) with a dash (i.e. 1-3 drops) of absinthe. A legit cocktail bar won't make fun of you for ordering one (unlike a Midori Sour).

Now, maybe you don't want to go out and buy all that stuff (though a London dry gin and Cointreau will be useful for lots of drinks), fine. Try a Sidecar. Brandy (any cheaper VS cognac will do), Cointreau (again, this is a good staple of any home bar), and lemon juice. You can adjust the ratio according to taste, but a good starter recipe is 1.5 cognac, 1 Cointreau, 0.5 lemon juice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Or even a Moscow Mule. Vodka, fresh lime juice, and ginger beer (not ginger ale).

As to other points in the thread, moscato is not the same as muscat, though they of course sound similar. Moscato is a slightly effervescent wine from Piedmont, Italy, made from the moscato giallo grape while muscat is a different grape. Moscato is almost never a serious wine, but is tasty and fun—I describe it to customers as sparkling liquid candy. Muscat is the poster child for so-called "aromatic varietals". The really good muscats (good producers from Alsace are a safe bet) can be really interesting wines. And PBR sucks, should any have taken Robin Hoodlum's post seriously and not in the sarcastic vein it was obviously intended. They won the blue ribbon in 1892 (at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago!) and American craft brews, especially in the last couple decades have really improved since then.

Riesling is one of the greatest values in wine. You can buy world-class stuff for $50 a bottle, which sounds expensive unless you know what top-notch Burgundy costs. And you can buy seriously good riesling for under $15 a bottle. Even the Dr. Loosen "Dr. L" is pretty good and very affordable (and very easy to find).

Where do you get your absinthe?

Sorry to break it to you, but RH was serious. Yeah, I know...