What did you last drink? #2

Tried Stella Artois last night. It was better than I expected. Green bottles are a bad thing regardless.. I figure Stella gets a bad rap because it is an InBev product like Bud etc. Hoppier than expected. It was ok but something I would not buy again. Leffe blonde ale is another InBev product I had tried and thought it was ok. I am still looking for their brown version. It just sounds good. I wanted to have a cocktail I could make easily. An Old Fashioned made with rye whiskey like the old days might be good. Maybe then graduate to a Manhattan. Whiskey and cocktails are new to me. Picking a rye is confusing. I'm not buying anything without lots of research. Rittenhouse rye seems a good choice but it was too overpriced at $30. The cousin of Rittenhouse (Pikesville rye) was $40 which was actually a good price for it but too much for me. Rendezvous rye seems a good choice but it is $50. Could use some input on the topic. An authentic Old Fashioned would be made with rye whiskey that is mostly rye not just 51%. Lemon peel for rye, orange peel for bourbon as a rule means both should be used which is actually a thing called rabbit ears. I do not know when rabbit ears were in style. Demerera sugar is the correct choice. Edit- I did not know whiskey was so popular these days. The store had a huge selection of expensive new choices and special barrel select offerings etc. It is a little crazy and very confusing. After doing more research I have discovered that 96% of booze was rye whiskey before prohibition. Rye was hugely popular back then and it did not involve any corn the way most do today. MGP {in my home state of Indiana} distills various base whiskeys that a whole lot of the different whiskey brands buy and blend in their products or downright claim it as their own product without manipulating it much at all. Some retailers have MGP blend a whiskey to their specifications and include their name (Big Red for example)... a house or store special. MGP started in 1847. Cardinal Spirits in Indiana has a rye whiskey that is 95% rye 5% barley malt . This is the old time rye formula and it was bought from MGP not distilled by them. Looking further at the highly acclaimed Rendezvous Rye from High West I see that it is a blend of that same 95/5 formula from MGP and their own formula consisting of rye and malted rye only. MGP recently started making their own rye whiskey again with a product called Rossville rye. I noticed limited single barrel 100 proof barrel select versions of it at the local bottle shop. Choice of savory or spicy. All of these Rossville whiskeys were $24 dollars regardless which is odd. It is way below suggested price. The Cardinal rye was only $20. Obviously its a promotional thing. Even the grain used is local which is kind of cool. The historic bit is kinda cool too. I could have historically correct Old Fashioned(s) if I wanted to. The bitters are a bit of a mystery as those are long gone but there are some that claim to be revivals or at least educated guesses. 90 to 100% rye formulas make me a bit leery having not tried rye whiskey ever. Another edit... sorry. I had noticed English recipes often use a combination of rye and bourbon. I have no clue but suspect they are just trying to sell more stuff. I do not see any American cocktail recipes like this. It raises a question... can I blend my own custom rye and if so, does it need to return to a cask? Sounds overly complicated and a burden regardless. I may be wrong. For the price of some of the fancy rye whiskeys I could buy decent cognac. I am not rich but if I was, I still would be careful to attempt researching to try and get the most value for the money. I guess I should try some rye whiskey now. I may not even like it. Sorry for going off on a tangent. That's what I tend to do. Last edit: Gleened from wikipedia footnotes regarding (Old Fashioned)- 1895 recipe for whiskey old fasioned called specifically for Angostura bitters, lemon peel garnish, sugar cube (raw sugar as mentioned above), and RYE whiskey which must be assumed (the 95% rye formula not the "Kentucky style" with corn). Stirred with a spoon that is left in the glass. Bottled in bond did not start until 1897 but 100 proof seems much more appealing to me because it would hold up to being diluted by melting ice better. It is hectic being a stickler for details.
 
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Drinking instant tea mixed with lemonade mix. It is much more appealing than either alone. I got a Yeti insulated drinking vessel which is expensive as a gift. I use it exclusively now because cubes last all day or night and it wont be sweating on the furniture ever.
 
Venti Carmel Frappuccino with non fat coconut milk exactly 2 1/2 cups of sugar with 4 chocolate drizzles, 6 1/2 pump of caramel drizzle, 3 expresso shots mixed in Extra whip cream, chocolate flakes, pump of vanilla, one pump of hazelnut, banana slices mixed in, chocolate shavings coating the bottom, cinnamon dolce and just a pinch of matcha powder
 
Decided to splurge and try Pikesville rye whiskey. I did not like it in an Old Fashioned. I did not like it as much with a bit of water or even ice. Bold flavored. Not complex but tasty and it reminded me in a way of cherries. Not like the fruit itself but more like a hint of Kriek or cherry ale. Ballast Point Sea Rose tart cherry wheat ale comes to mind. I did not like the ale at first but then decided it was oddly alluring. Not sickening sweet from corn, hints of herbaceous bitterness balanced it in a nice way. Spicy but not overly so. 110 proof drank straight.... holy cow! Fancy. Although it seemed at times to lack full depth it made up for that with an alluring pleasant taste and balance. Little sips otherwise it will get you. A gulp would surely induce the dreaded whisky snort which might do me in. Worth 40 bucks? I think it is a fair deal. 50 bucks... No.
 
I went down the lane to pick some morel mushrooms to cook with my eggs for breakfast and dug up a sassafrass root for tea. Last Saturday I had a few Weihenstephaner Original brand beers. it is Munich Helles and high quality. This is the season for German Maibock style beer but that is not very easy to find. The roots should be dug before the leaves open up. Sassafrass trees are all over the property and I know exactly where to find the mushrooms each year without walking more than the length of a football field. I have walked directly to the spot and walked right back for so many years that I lost count
 
I finished some water from my hydroflask. It's my 3rd time refilling today. Drink water, it makes your body happy!!
 
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