Refined Tastes

[come back zinc]

I'm starting up a new ladder season after a multi-year sabbatical. It didn't take long to settle into the old hotkeys and subroutines, but it has taken longer to find the right drink.

It used to be that, as a younger player, I would just drink whatever beer was left in the fridge (early 2000s). Miscellaneous beers, fruit-flavoured malts (ick), occasionally some chilled vodka. When I started playing HC (late 2000s), I would drink mostly Rum & Coke (especially when playing as a bear; dark beers for the 'zon). Now, I'm not sure how to approach it. That's not to say I need to have a drink when playing, but some nights its nice to party-up with a potent elixir. I tried cider the other night, but it just didn't feel right.

So here's my question: how have you refined your drink/play style? Have you always stuck to one tried and true friend? Or do you like to mix it up? Do you have a different drink depending on the character you play? I would think that those people who stick to the same builds probably stick to the same drinks - anyone have a better theory?

 

[MYK]

I don't drink often, but...

Any IPA ? 7% does the trick, preferably in bomber form (because it's going to blow up your liver, dude!).

I'm looking to expand my horizons with various distilled spirits (I dig on whiskey). I've even been looking up some red wines to try out. Gotta keep the red orb (glass) full, y'know? I'm pretty inexperienced with both, so I haven't yet picked out any specifics.

 

[come back zinc]

I went old-school on Friday night - I found some Moosehead in the back of the fridge and cleaned up.

Saturday was a Rum & Coke night.

Yesterday was a 7% local brew I found at the grocery store. A little too yeasty for my tastes, though it certainly had a kick.

All in all, I think the Moosehead paired best with the early stages of the sorceress. Fireballing everything makes you thirsty. It's not so much the heat as having to push the potion buttons. Plus, in the case there was a free T-Shirt AND it was American Large. What a treat.

 

[Kestegs]

This is very interesting, good stuff

I don't drink anything while I play. I haven't drank any alcohol in a couple years probably, but I don't even drink water or anything else.

I need all my brain cells and fully alert senses for staying alive!

 

[ZappaFan]

One of my favorite things is getting up early and playing Diablo while enjoying my morning coffee. Coffee for me is strictly a morning choice. In the evening if I'm enjoying an adult beverage whilst slaughtering the demonic hoards of Sanctuary, it's whatever is in my kegerator. These days that's Downtown Brown Ale by Lost Coast Brewery (Eureka, CA). Been "stuck" on this ale for about a year now, really love it. Prior to that it was Cigar City Brewery's Madura (another brown), prior to that for a very long time it was New Castle. When my gr is also playing we like to add in shots of whiskey to liven it up. Crown Royal for me, Makers Mark for her.

 

[come back zinc]

I'm not saying that I have to have a drink while playing. Most times I don't. But since it's the weekend, and the kids are asleep, and I have so little time for my vices; I'm just at the point where I need to stack vices if I'm going to get everything done.

I like a good dark beer. We have the Unibroue (which is now Sapporo owned) series here. They have a lovely set of 7-11% alcohol content beers in quart-sized bottles with names like Damned, End of the World, Ephemeral, & God's Gift (Maudite, Fin du Monde, Ephémère, Don-de-Dieu). I used to drink them all the time when I had more of a stomach for the stuff. They leave some yeast in the bottle so they age nicely and become more potent if you leave them to sit in a cool dark place.

Newcastle makes an appearance from time to time, but we don't have access to a lot of the more interesting imports. Alcohol distribution, here, is overseen by a provincial body know as the SAQ. To a certain extent this limits competition and importation, so we don't get a chance to try a lot of the out-of-province (or out-of-country) microbreweries. Though I will be in Florida in about a month's time. It's a long way from CA, but I might be able to find that brew.

On the topic of Crown, my grandfather, who lived to 93, used to have a tumbler every day at 4 pm without fail. Crown or CC. You could set your watch to it. Wow. That's an old expression.

 

[MYK]

Everything I've drank from Unibrou has been delicious. La Fin Du Monde and Trois Pistoles are the two I've picked up multiple times. In that same vein is a beer from Belgium by the name of Gulden Draak. One night I slew the Gulden Draak, but then I also became the Gulden Draak.

 

[come back zinc]

I'm in the land of screech this week. The only place i know (though there are surely others) where the time zone is offset by a half hour (GMT - 3.5). And they make you kiss fish. I'd take the Draak over the cod any day.

 

[ZappaFan]

Though I will be in Florida in about a month's time. It's a long way from CA, but I might be able to find that brew.

I live near Clearwater, FL

 

[come back zinc]

I live near Clearwater, FL

My mother-in-law is taking us (me, wife, kids) to some place near Orlando. A friend of hers is unable to use his time share - I think we're somewhere near that Disney mess.

I hope it's not a dry county. (I hear you Americans still have a few of those.) If you have some good locals (brews) you could list off, I would certainly be the wiser for it. Though I will absolutely try the Lost Coast & Cigar City while I'm down there. What's a bottle cost in FL? We're about $1-2 / 355 ml (12 oz) in QC.

 

[ZappaFan]

My mother-in-law is taking us (me, wife, kids) to some place near Orlando. A friend of hers is unable to use his time share - I think we're somewhere near that Disney mess.

I hope it's not a dry county. (I hear you Americans still have a few of those.) If you have some good locals (brews) you could list off, I would certainly be the wiser for it. Though I will absolutely try the Lost Coast & Cigar City while I'm down there. What's a bottle cost in FL? We're about $1-2 / 355 ml (12 oz) in QC.

I'm pretty sure there isn't a dry county in Florida, and certainly not near Dizzy World.

Bottle cost here is pretty similar.

Cigar City is brewed here in Tampa, and (oddly) sold only in cans. Best to find it on tap if you can imo. Lost Coast is distributed in bottles. I have not idea about their availability near Orlando.

Now having said that, if it were me, I would look into local micro-breweries. They are all over the place down here. Almost all of them serve sample sizes. Great way to try something new. Check out: http://www.orlandobeerguide.com/breweriesbrew-pubs.html

Some of these are restaurants, so it's a good place to take the whole family...

I can very highly recommend BJ's Brewhouse. Excellent food and their beer is superb. They have a porter that I just love.

 

[Jcakes1]

Everything I've drank from Unibrou has been delicious. La Fin Du Monde and Trois Pistoles are the two I've picked up multiple times. In that same vein is a beer from Belgium by the name of Gulden Draak. One night I slew the Gulden Draak, but then I also became the Gulden Draak.

I used to be able to get unibrou here, but they don't export to Australia any more :-(

 

[come back zinc]

One of my favorite things is getting up early and playing Diablo while enjoying my morning coffee. Coffee for me is strictly a morning choice. In the evening if I'm enjoying an adult beverage whilst slaughtering the demonic hoards of Sanctuary, it's whatever is in my kegerator. These days that's Downtown Brown Ale by Lost Coast Brewery (Eureka, CA). Been "stuck" on this ale for about a year now, really love it. Prior to that it was Cigar City Brewery's Madura (another brown), prior to that for a very long time it was New Castle. When my gr is also playing we like to add in shots of whiskey to liven it up. Crown Royal for me, Makers Mark for her.

I wasn't able to find the Lost Coast at the local ABC. But I did get my hands on the CC Madura. It paired nicely with microwaved white castle burgers. So nicely that I drank them back to back (a similar fate befell the burgers). I picked up a number of other locals: some kind of orange-coconut flavoured dark, some local swill, even some overly hoppy Jai Alai (I like hops, but that was downright skunky), but the Madura stood out. Good referral, Zappa.

I've also been on a Newcastle binge lately. It cures what ails you. I think I've gone through 2 six-packs and 2 four-packs since I've been back. That's solid consumption.

 

[MYK]

Coffee! Handy ingredients are coconut milk, dark chocolate (on the side, you foodie!), or even a few eggs (drink your breakfast!). Or just black, because black is always in style.