April 03, 2005

The beverage tasting institute, (the organization that is cited in Grey Goose vodka advertisments) has a website, listing their ratings of beers, ciders, wines, liquors and mixes of all sorts. It's search function reveals that there are a great number of spirits which, although not widely marketed, have tested superior to more expensive and common choices. Nemiroff premium deluxe vodka, for instance, is the second highest rated vodka in tests, despite being under $20 a bottle. I can personally vouch for the quality of this vodka.

Seems not to list all brands, oddly. I found the informational sections very useful earlier today when I had a tequila craving and realized I knew nothing about the stuff.

posted by ActuallySettle 19 years ago
  • Not to be confused w/ The Beverage Network, the place I go to get reviews of caffienated drinks...
  • Cool sites both. Tributes to the uppers and downers of liquid refreshments. Have to try that Nemiroff tonight.
  • It's odd how marketing, rather than flavor, informs stores as to what to stock. And by odd I mean maddening.
  • As I understand things, ActuallySettle, the BTI only tastes samples that are sent to them, which explains the absence of some fairly important brands. A longtime reader of Tastings, I can vouch for the accuracy of the BTI's judgements: their ratings of scotches and bourbons have been especially useful to me.
  • God I fucking love being drunk. Even a little bit drunk. That's so goddamn fun and nice. Once in a while, of course.
  • On a related note, has anyone else out there tried Tito's Vodka. It's a hell of a deal at Trader Joes for about 15 bucks a bottle and, if I remember correctly, is the only vodka made in Texas.
  • They should have a short promotional film that begins with a man in a lab coat intoning "Here at the Beverage Tasting Institute . . ." **insert another joke about what fun it must be to work for the BTI** I can only add that the worst vodka I've ever had is Bankers' Club, which, unsurprisingly, is not featured herein. I've never seen it outside of Pennsylvania.
  • No, but I heard good things when I was in Austin. You can visit the distillery, or so I'm told...
  • "A little bit" is, in this drinker's opinion, the best amount of drunk to be. Your jokes are funnier, you dance better, and all around you find you more attractive. Beyond that, you may think things have improved, but you'd be mistaken. I wish the site reviewed more Irish whiskeys. I'm becoming quite a fan.
  • I pretty much only drink microbrews, and there aren't very many I've tried on the site. I guess not too many small breweries send BTI their product. There's a local organic brewed just a short way from the house, at the Mill Street Brewery, and it's what I've been drinking (other than stouts) for a while for beer. I'm off liquor pretty much for now, so the scotch bottles gather angry dust. The rest of the family drink rarely, too. On the other hand, we have the juicer going every day, and I am now drinking a carrot/orange/ginger blend that is just beautiful. This morning was all about beet/apple/garlic/celery/lemon with parsley, and we had the milkshake machine whirring away after dinner (banana and chocolate), so I can't say we're deprived in the good beverage department.
  • coppermac, have you visited BeerAdvocate.com? It's really just an epinions.com for beer, but there are a lot of fairly smart people posting intelligent reviews of (usually imported and microbrewed) beer. They have reviews for ten beers from Mill Street, and rate your Mill Street Organic Lager a relatively high 3.75/5 - I'm going to have to see if I can find a six-pack of it hereabouts.
  • Interesting site, thanks very much.
  • eamon try red breast if you can find it. wonderful stuff for a special treat. tullamore dew, rated on the tastings site, is my favourite normal priced irish. if you're feeling particularly flush, midleton is a good way to spend your money.
  • Thanks, Mm, that site looks like it could be useful. Useful in a 'drink more interesting beers', not a 'drink more beer, become less productive and fall into a life of drunken revelry' type of way. I'm trying to avoid alcoholism, but there are so many tempting beers.
  • One of the members of the board (Mike Miller) owns one of the best bars in Chicago, Delilah's (somedays I wish I drank again)