IdleRich

IdleRich
Whose death was it that led to them dying champagne with guinness to make black velvet?
Also, I always like the name high-ball, it takes me to some kind of sophisticated bright young thing type party, possibly on a cruise liner.
 

constant escape

winter withered, warm
Linebaugh's long island iced tea mixed with lite beer hits that target of ironically sophisticated college beverage, and there ought to be a proper name for it.

As for the black velvet, I thought it was cider and Guinness - but upon googling it, it turns out the cider/Guinness combo is a Poor Man's Black Velvet, which is the only one I've tried, at a pub in Santa Monica. The champagne one is enticing.

As to whose death, from wikipedia:

The drink was first made by a bartender of Brooks's Club in London in 1861 to mourn the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's Prince Consort.[1][2] It is supposed to symbolize the black or purple cloth armbands worn by mourners. It was said that β€œeven the champagne should be in mourning.” Today, the drink is not exclusive to mourning.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Feeling a bit under the weather today (got some weird kind of eye infection thing) but managed to drag myself out of bed to meet girlfriend for lunch in this kinda cheapo tavern down the road cos she saw they had liver advertised - but they had run out by the time she ordered, she was angry. Anyway, I didn't eat but in a desperate attempt to feel better I ordered a shot (which was basically more like a quadruple) of some fire-water thing I saw one of the locals drinking. God knows what it was but it tasted like aniseed tequila or something. Hairs are literally growing on my chest right now.
 

constant escape

winter withered, warm
Yeah I've been conditioning myself to that lately, with absinthe. Don't know if its the proper grande wormwood stuff, or if most of the reputation of absinthe is just myth.

But I'd imagine it can be a more dexterous ingredient if you use it in small doses, no? A hint of that anise/licquorice taste. Certainly a bit much on its own, but then again I think thats how it should be.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
What's the white aniseed one that they dilute in France? Pastis is it? Strange - in fact is it colourless until you add water?
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Yeah. I like licorice sweets (although did you read that article the other day about a guy who ate too many and died?) but in a drink I'm not so sure. I didn't know what this one was when I ordered it. Just wanted something to keep the cold out cos it is absolutely twatting down here today (and yesterday).
 

constant escape

winter withered, warm
Haven't tried Pastis, and didn't know that about it. And yeah there does seem to be a strangely wide variety of such liquors.

licorice (n.)
type of leguminous plant, the dried roots of which were anciently used as a medicine and as a sweet, also liquorice, c. 1200, licoriz, from Anglo-French lycoryc, Old French licorece (also recolice), from Late Latin liquiritia, alteration of Latin glychyrrhiza, from Greek glykyrrhiza, literally "sweet root," from glykys "sweet" (see gluco-) + rhiza "root" (from PIE root *wrād- "branch, root"); form influenced in Latin by liquere "become fluid," because of the method of extracting the sweet stuff from the root. French réglisse, Italian regolizia are the same word, with metathesis of -l- and -r-.

liquor (n.)
c. 1200, likur "any matter in a liquid state, a liquid or fluid substance," from Old French licor "fluid, liquid; sap; oil" (12c., Modern French liqueur), from Latin liquorem (nominative liquor) "a liquid, liquor; wine; the sea," originally "liquidity, fluidity," from liquere "be fluid, liquid" (see liquid (adj.)).

Narrowed sense of "fermented or distilled drink" (especially wine) first recorded c. 1300; the broader sense seems to have been obsolete from c. 1700. As long as liquor is in him was a Middle English expression, "as long as he is alive," that is, "as long as he has a drop of blood left." The form in Modern English has been assimilated to Latin, but the old pronunciation persists.

I woulda thought they'd be cognate, related somehow. Perhaps there is, and etymonline just doesn't provide account of it.

It would be strange if liquor and licquorice weren't related somehow, but I guess thats liable to happen.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
I'm not sure that they are related although there is the (old-fashioned) word "liquurish" meaning that someone is a drunk. Not sure on the spelling there.
 

constant escape

winter withered, warm
Wait a minute... I can't even edit the original post. Pretty much destroys the planned structure of this thread. But it can still function as a laboratory of sorts, feedback and whatnot.
 

constant escape

winter withered, warm
Haven't heard of raki before, but upon googling it I was presented with a short video of Michael Palin drinking some at a restaurant whilst awkwardly withstanding a serenade.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Speaking of French drinks (as I was a second ago) I am rather partial to a kir (which I think is wine and blackcurrant cordial) or better still kir royale (champagne and blackcurrant) as an aperitif.
I also like those little shots you get sometimes that are kind of like a miniature (and simpler) bloody mary but with an oyster inside.
 

luka

Well-known member
Gwyneth Paltrow is partial to a Gibson, a martini with loads of massive pickled onions plonked in it. good girl.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: sus

linebaugh

Well-known member
@constant escape I think those slap dash dude/lad 'ironically sophisticated college beverages' are moves rather than drinks. If we were to name them that would have to be considered.
 
Top