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Another party…an ever widening expanse of refreshments. The main course are hamburgers, hot dogs and (Hawaiian) beef stew. The available offering include (of course) Miller Lite, Alaskan Amber Ale, Corona (with or without lime), Red Bull, the new best vodka in the world, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Woodford Reserve Bourbon and the de rigueur tequila. Good thing I have the next work day off.

As I am contemplating the nuances of the new Evan Williams Bourbon purchase, I’m also wondering about the often referred to “second largest-selling” notion.  Is it the second best?  Or does it sell the second most because it’s cheaper than the first-selling and more name and brand recognized one?  I am going to venture to say that the first must be Jim Beam and maybe the black label is the smoke-and-mirror to confuse the Jack Daniel (not-Bourbon) crowd.  I only really bought this one to drink mix with egg nog, but as with most things, you should always taste the individual ingredients to ensure the final product is good.

I must admit at almost $5 less than the probable, best selling Kentucky Bourbon, I like it better.  With a more pronounced grip on your ball-sack, it is easy to see that this Bourbon would definitely be a good mixing Bourbon or simply straight.   A sweetness and an approachable flavor has its appeal.  Not as potent as my currently available favorite, Elijah Craig (R.I.P. Old Forester) I’m sure episodes of “man-up” drinking would result in less volatile situations and departures home in the night.

Side note: Maybe it’s the bottle that I selected, but this bottle does not stay flat on a flat surface…it rocks and tips.  That, in combination to the classic, can-be-wrapped-in-a-brown-paper-bag, long neck bottle just screams “dirrty.”

No doubt, for what vodka I enjoy, I really like Pearl vodka…probably so much that every time I have it in the liquor cabinet to drink, I get so consumed by it that I never end up writing a review of it.  Pearl vodka has that delicate balance and flavor of mineral, syrupy mouthfeel and a clean, crisp finish.  I think with less expensive vodka, you may get more a grainy, almost medicinal flavor that a lot of people associate with vodka, and therefore say they don’t like it.

When faced with getting a Bourbon and a vodka, I opted to buy the 2033 marketing strategy of Svedka vodka and put my $5 savings towards the 101 proof, Wild Turkey Bourbon.  Svedka is a vodka produced from wheat and distilled five times.  I am convinced the more times it’s distilled, the better…maybe the psychology being it won’t produce a hanger if I drink too much.  Svedka is very clean tasting, with just a slight hint of mineral…probably a very good mixing vodka for martinis, of course, I’ll mix any vodka for a vodka martini, the less vermouth the better the martini…but for my review, I drink it all in straight, neat shots.  To its credit, Svedka is capped with a screw top, much cleaner and less likely to spout-drip after pouring.  I doubt I’d have much different of an opinion in the future, when Svedka is supposed to become the number one vodka…if they had the Svedka girls pouring it out for free maybe…but in the meantime, I’ll drink it for what it’s worth…a.k.a. IKEA vodka.

Guess I had a “walking blackout” experience last night.  Started on beer at around 16:00, Bourbon, I ate dinner, but then continued to drink more.  My memory is sort of fuzzy around the second beer at the bar, but at least I didn’t hit anyone, hit on anyone or hit anyone in the head with a dart, but then I don’t remember anything after around that.

Admittedly, Booker’s Bourbon is good, not simply because it’s expensive or fancy looking, but because it has a very robust flavor without being…well, basically gasoline. Granted, if you’re not prepared before or after putting it to your mouth, you may very well end up with a burning surprise in your throat…I actually think it’s so strong, you get that feeling even as the Bourbon approaches your lips…like a hot, burning stove. However, if you manage to sip and taste, Booker’s has a very sweet, syrupy feel, which coaxes the Bourbon further into your gut mouth, there’s a nice full woody, aged flavor, followed by a strong, deep kick of its smooth aftertaste. I am surprised that such a high proof and high alcohol content Bourbon is really palatable. Cutting the Booker’s with water or ice perhaps would produce a fine sipping experience, presenting even more nuances as you enjoy it. I liked this Bourbon and would definitely look foward to having it in my liquor cabinet…too bad its price and accessibility is so limited (to me). Currently, I’d save it for special occasions, but too bad I don’t have a bottle of regular Bourbon for regular drinking because Booker’s is one worth saving. By the way, the boxed packaging more resembles accessing a fire extinguisher…without breaking the plastic front or the box, if I’ve got a lot of emergencies, this might not always be the best to access frequently, but it would remind me that I was drinking something special.

I recently received another (early) birthday present. I was instructed to not open it until my actual birthday date. But, from what I’ve read about the Booker’s Bourbon, I’m thinking I might actually be hesitant to open or drink it, at least without some courage or a deep breath. As it is now, I am currently drinking Knob Creek Bourbon (50%/100 proof) and I can only imagine what a 63.35% and 126.7 proof Bourbon is like. Maybe I’ll need to come up with a good way to ensure I can remember. Or is that why Booker’s is packaged in a coffin wooden box.

Miller and Coors are combining their brewing operations to compete with Anheuser-Busch. Sounds like a plan…doesn’t seem they would doing something drastic like mixing their beers together and selling it, but simply joining forces to be more cost effective.

Hmm, okay. But I thinking, when I’m standing in the beer aisle, how or what could motivate me to buy one or another?

Marketing. I actually don’t see or pay attention to any of the signage or cardboard cut-outs. I might pay attention to some scantily-clad beergirl helping me load my beer into my shopping cart though. Or beer points for drinking a particular brand or brands that can be redeemed for beer swag works for me.

Brand loyalty. You can’t really change that, especially if someone’s got the logo of their beer tattooed on their liver.

Price. Now that’s something that sways me. I’m not speaking of the stigma of second-class piss beer, supposedly beers such as Miller High Life and Busch and the lower cost for those beers versus the cost of the top-shelf piss beers like Miller Lite and Budweiser. But why are is there such a range of prices for the same beer from one week to another? Why is there always a “sale” price that is different every time? I would think that if you wanted people to buy your beer, simply find a price between the cost to produce and transport and sell the beer and the price of your competior (who probably has a similar cost) and stick to that price…no ups or downs…go so far as to stamp the price right on the bottle or box. This won’t work for beer that tastes like ass, but maybe those beer companies can partner with one of the liquor companies to sell their products together…perhaps a tiny shot of the hard stuff attached to the can or bottle of ass-beer.