Sipping liquor for a non drinker?

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I'm not a drinker, not at all. I can't stand the taste of whiskey or any hard liquor but do very rarely enjoy an ice cold beer.

My Grandpa was the same way, not a drinker at all, but I remember back to when he was still alive, on Christmas Day he would open up a bottle of Blackberry Brandy and have a few sips.

I would like to find an "adult" beverage that I could open up on Christmas and just have a couple of sips like he did. Something special, a new tradition for me.

I guess I am asking for some suggestions for a non drinking person like me?

Blackberry Brandy?
Apricot Brandy?
Baileys Irish Cream?
Any kind of Schnapps?

I have no idea but am curious if any of you have any suggestions?

Thanks very much.

I recommend trying a liqueur. They are usually highly flavored and easy to drink. Some suggestions include Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur, Amaretto, Drambuie are ones that I like. Bailey's Irish Cream is nice. You might like Kahlua. Google reviews of them and others for the flavor profile and try one or more.

I would stay away from Schnapps. The few I have tried seemed harsh on their own. They are nice for mixing with other spirits, however.

Good hunting.

Not a direct answer to the question but to me the best answer is a wine. There are many great wines, from dry to sweet. Additionally - a true orange liqueur (like Grand Marnier) is great but very strong. Ports are wonderful too. Port or oporto (strictly ports coming from Portugal) are in the fortified wine group and go great with chocolate, blue cheese, dried fruits and cigars! For a new beverage consumer, I'd say port or a dessert wine. A few suggestions:

* A younger "ruby" port - there are many - Trader Joes has a good selection if you want.
* An aged tawny port - those are for more distinguished palates and I like a good ruby anyway so to each his own.
* A Moscato
* Grand Marnier orange liqueur (I"m not a fan of triple sec - the cousin)
* A nice Asti (think sweeter Italian Champagne)
* If you want to get into scotch, the "double barrel" or sherry cask varieties can be very good starting points - think Glenmorangie
* Butterscotch schnapps
* Blackberry brandy is actually quite enjoyable
* The Irish Creams are fantastic but not everyone's thing.

There are a lot of options! Pick one that is closest to your or your guests tastes and all will enjoy.

BlackBard said:

I recommend trying a liqueur. They are usually highly flavored and easy to drink. Some suggestions include Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur, Amaretto, Drambuie are ones that I like. Bailey's Irish Cream is nice. You might like Kahlua. Google reviews of them and others for the flavor profile and try one or more.

I would stay away from Schnapps. The few I have tried seemed harsh on their own. They are nice for mixing with other spirits, however.

Good hunting.

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This.

Non alcoholic if you want - Welch's Sparkling grape juice. Carbonated like champagne, but no alcohol.

the thing about liqueurs is that they can be thick and cloying.. oh and you said schnapps.. if you like mint...

the best thing to do is just try different type of alcohol and see what you like. there is a label of bacardi that is not available in the US, I think it is called 1863.. it's a sipping rum.. the 8 year is pretty close.

if you want to go toward wine, i would suggest a white.. specifically a Gewűrtraminer. it's a sweet white, and you can get good varieties without breaking the bank. another good "beginner" white is Reisling. I really like the Chateau Ste Michelle label.

I think a Port would do you just fine.

If you really just want to "have a few sips" and save the rest of the bottle, forget wine and port. They won't keep. In fact, they should be finished within a week (the sooner the better). Don't get me wrong.... I love port and I suspect you would too, but it will spoil. Your liquor store may have 50 ml bottles of various liqueurs and schnapps. I'd go that route. Good luck!

Trader Vic's Macadamia Nut liqueur. Excellent for sipping. Great with chocolate Christmas goodies.

OldAF said:

If you really just want to "have a few sips" and save the rest of the bottle, forget wine and port. They won't keep. In fact, they should be finished within a week (the sooner the better). Don't get me wrong.... I love port and I suspect you would too, but it will spoil. Your liquor store may have 50 ml bottles of various liqueurs and schnapps. I'd go that route. Good luck!

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Ah, thats a good point. Port would be good if you have other people around who would finish the bottle at least a day or two after opening.

The liquor stores around here carry mini bottles at the register. Not a huge selection, but that would be a great idea. They tend to have all of the sweeter or flavored stuff in mini bottles, so you could find something you would like. They are only $2-3 apeice, so you won't be dropping a bunch of money on a bottle of something you will pull out once a year.

Try B&B. It's a liqueur that's got a nice warmth to it. It's a mixture of Benedictine and Brandy, hence the B&B. Just a little sip will set you up nicely. If you want to do it up right, sip it slightly warmed and neat. A bottle will keep indefinitely if properly stored.

drewbie said:

Try B&B. It's a liqueur that's got a nice warmth to it. It's a mixture of Benedictine and Brandy, hence the B&B. Just a little sip will set you up nicely. If you want to do it up right, sip it slightly warmed and neat. A bottle will keep indefinitely if properly stored.

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+1 to B&B (and on B&B, no less)

Other than that, you could get pre-mixed eggnog from the grocery store. Christian Brothers does a good one and I think it's under $10 a bottle. It's very light on the alcohol (10%) and it's holiday appropriate.

Bourbon Cream by Buffalo Trace. Similar to Baileys but easier to drink!

the_edski said:

Other than that, you could get pre-mixed eggnog from the grocery store. Christian Brothers does a good one and I think it's under $10 a bottle. It's very light on the alcohol (10%) and it's holiday appropriate.

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Depending on what state you live in, you may have to go to the liquor store for that. I don't think they sell any alcoholic eggnog in SC (or any "blue law state") grocery store.

Chambord.
Great for sipping and the bottle's very nice.

mio_cuggino said:

Chambord.
Great for sipping and the bottle's very nice.

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+1
And you can serve it over vanilla ice cream.

Bailey's. Couple of sips is delicious.....and it's great with coffee or hot chocolate. Adapt the tradition to suit you.

Lots of good suggestions. I'll add Rum Creme (Rum Chata will be the easiest to get). It goes down easy.

I can second the suggestion for Chateau Ste Michelle wine. They make several Reislings including a Sweet Reisling that, while too sweet for me, would be very good for someone new to wine. I'd also suggest a Muscato or the old stand-by sparkling wine, Martini and Rossi Asti Spumante. Or get a bit drier sparkling wine, add orange juice, and spend the morning sipping Mimosas! http://wine.about.com/od/servingwines/r/Mimosarecipe.htm

Joe