Thread: What are you drinking today?

Originally Posted by Mendip

is in fact a 'Fruit Wine Product' (whatever that may mean)

I've posted a few times about this. None of the boxed 'wines' here is purely grape wine. Many of the bottles too. They might or might not have some portion of grape juice or grape wine, or they could be fruit juices mixed with straight alcohol. The labelling rarely gives any useful information. It is misleading, not to say deceitful. That is why I started to make my own, at least I know what is in it.

This doesn't stop me from having a glass or three of Mont Clair when I am outside.

Try adding some ice and soda water and pretending it is a wine spritzer.

You can get adventurous and also add a splash of lemonade and a slice of orange. If that is not sufficiently manly then further add a splash of Regency and a slice of Thai lemon and tell yourself it is a Sangria. Best make a jug of the stuff to save time.

Originally Posted by Shutree

It is misleading, not to say deceitful.

Originally Posted by Shutree

That is why I started to make my own, at least I know what is in it.

Isn't that illegal under the laws of Thailand?

Originally Posted by Shutree

None of the boxed 'wines' here is purely grape wine. Many of the bottles too. They might or might not have some portion of grape juice or grape wine, or they could be fruit juices mixed with straight alcohol.

The excise tax stickers are different colours for real wine and those wines mixed with fruit juice.

Real wine - blue excise sticker.

Lulu's fruit wine mix - pinky/orange excise sticker.

Tried 'Gossips' - thankfully only bought a bottle. Not seen this one mentioned here - 'La Vida'.

Described as a 'Chilean Merlot' with orchard fruits. ! it's not as fruity as Mont Clair but is OK for me at 990 Baht for 5 litres.

^ KWAN, I think I've seen that at Makro but never realised it was 5 litre boxes... the packaging looked a bit dodgy so I never investigated properly.

Maybe that's the way to go... quantity over quality!

This 'Gossips' is truly awful, but I'll still drink it. I'm lucky in that I seem to have a very high taste tolerance for such things. What I have found is that if you chill the 'wine' enough and then add ice it deadens the awful taste enough to almost make it enjoyable.

I'll try your La Vida next week!

Originally Posted by Mendip

Maybe that's the way to go... quantity over quality!

or maybe not. have you bought a decent steak yet?

Originally Posted by Mendip

This 'Gossips' is truly awful, but I'll still drink it.

Originally Posted by Mendip

deadens the awful taste enough to almost make it enjoyable.

Originally Posted by Mendip

It'd be cheaper to buy methylated spirits and drink that.

Originally Posted by Edmond

the laws of Thailand?

There are so many. It's difficult to keep track ....

Originally Posted by Edmond

The excise tax stickers are different colours for real wine and those wines mixed with fruit juice.

Real wine - blue excise sticker.

Lulu's fruit wine mix - pinky/orange excise sticker.

Well, I never knew that. I swung by Makro and it is exactly as you say. The MontClair sparkling stuff has a yellow sticker. These being excise stickers I guess they denote different rates of tax?

Originally Posted by Shutree

Well, I never knew that. I swung by Makro and it is exactly as you say.

Eddo-Cheddo here to help. An asset to the community.

Originally Posted by Mendip

'Gossips' wine is in fact a 'Fruit Wine Product'

Mendip you inspired me to give the Sangria a spin last night. Take a bottle of any cheap wine-like stuff, red or white, and assemble the ingredients:



One jug, about 2 litre size, with a handful of ice cubes.
Wine 1 bottle; 750ml
Brandy, I had Regency to hand; 150ml
Triple Sec, if you have any, it isn't critical; 150ml
Fresh lemon juice, maybe 1 or 2 yellow lemons; 50ml
(Careful with Thai lemons, I have used them and their juice is a little bitter. Okay, just different.)
Orange juice, out of a carton is fine; 100ml
Soda Water, one bottle is enough for me, you can add more; 375ml
Syrup or something to balance the acid in the lemon. The Cane Sugar syrup here I use about a teaspoon or so. I have used local fresh sugarcane juice, a bit less sweet. I have also used Stevia, super sweet, just a few drops.
Mix it all together in the jug. Top with some slices of orange and lemon, because I share a bit with the gf and presentation is important.



Serve



Your cheap wine-like stuff is now drinkable.

As an aside, whilst I was making the sangria my neighbour came around with his chainsaw. No need for a thread here. I have a clump of tall trees and one, not pictured because it had already gone when I went outside, had grown quite a long way sideways. In the last storm it was waving about frantically. Best to take it down before it falls on someone.



In the time it took me to make the sangria the tree was gone.



Completely gone. As agreed, he took the good wood instead of money and tidied up the foliage into a pile.



I went out with the gf's sangria and the neighbour had already left. All done. Multi-tasking at its finest.

These seemed like a good idea yesterday...

^^ Shutree, that sounds great!

At the moment I have everything apart from the brandy, lemons, oranges and syrup. Oh, and the wine because I got rid of it last night!

Originally Posted by Mendip

^^ Shutree, that sounds great!

At the moment I have everything apart from the brandy, lemons, oranges and syrup. Oh, and the wine because I got rid of it last night!

You can use rum in place of brandy. I might try Sang Som next.

My lazy way: Wine plus orange juice and soda with a splash of Regency. Who knows, maybe Ya Dong will work. Let us know.

Decided that today feels like a Martini Tuesday...

But I dont have any martini glasses... what to do?

Originally Posted by TheRealKW

But I dont have any martini glasses... what to do?

doesn't everyone but posh cnuts just put a straw in the mixer ?

shaken , stirred and imbibed

So a whiskey glass will do

Originally Posted by baldrick

doesn't everyone but posh cnuts just put a straw in the mixer ?

shaken , stirred and imbibed

gulity as charged!

With my new health regime I'm stopping the habitual couple of Leos every night in favour of only having a drink at weekends and on special occasions.

Last night I had a tin of Thatchers cider...



... to celebrate half cutting out the dead coconut tree stump. I would have finished the job if the wooden hoe handle hadn't broke.



And tonight, after fixing the hoe handle I celebrated with a vodka and tonic.



I'm building up to have a serious talk with the gardener... I shouldn't be doing this shit!

thats a serious vodka and tonic you have got going there!

^ It was a serious tree trunk!

Deserved then.

Tonight I have my stock of alcohol counted and drunk.

Neighbor assistance

Was a good night

Bonfire in the garden and all.


Showed one neighbor where he lived
Succes

Originally Posted by Mendip

... to celebrate half cutting out the dead coconut tree stump

It is satisfying and thirsty work digging up palm trees. I have just broken ground on palm tree number 4 for its big move down the hill.

So a well deserved (if I may say so) Speckly Hen tonight while taxiing round the kitchen bench in the newest addition to the squadron.

The Republic F-105 Thunderchief takes us back in time to before the F-4 Phantom. It was a Mach-2 behemoth bomber at almost 20m long and 24 tonnes fully loaded and carried a bomb-load that would put a B-24 Liberator to shame.

But even so, it was the only US fighter-bomber to be removed from service due to high rates of loss. Almost half of the 800 built were lost in combat or in accidents. It was known as the triple threat air offensive as it could bomb you, shoot you, or fall on you.

Raising a glass to Her Majesty's Right Royal Navy as they hove into exotic steamy Asian waters in the name of the rules based world order that gives all right thinking royal subjects the warm fuzzy wuzzies.

Here is a historic selection from the Fleet Air Arm

De Haviland Sea Vixen 1958

Westland Wyvern 1953

Fairey Gannet (in Australian FAA service) 1954

Friday it is.

Nice ALLAGASH white.

Beer with coriander and orange peel. Now I understand the fruit, but how did the coriander make it taste?