[Drinking] Saturday afternoon drinking thread

[Midget]

Yes I need to relax a little now as I left my job as Quality Manager for Asahi only last week but it does raise a serious question for me. I used to be an aircraft engineer and when there was an incident they'd put an expert on TV to explain how it happened. Too often they spoke bollocks. The same could be said of these idiots talking about beer/wine. They have a very limited knowledge about what they're talking about, often some little snippet given them by a true expert.

My issue is these people are often informing the public for the first time and influencing their understanding. While drink isn't anywhere near as important as aircraft crashes it is still misinformation. Just because I'm so sceptical of what I hear about subjects I'm well qualified in it makes me believe most of what we're fed on media is also seriously flawed.

I've seen similar myself, people in the media or in politics, top-sheeting a briefing, getting things wrong, or grabbing an irrelevant side issue and running with it out of context in completely the wrong direction, usually to fit a narrative. But speaking as if they're the utmost authority on it.

Quite depressing really when those things become accepted truths and you see others repeating them, and yes, makes you sceptical about what they say elsewhere too.

Hope I wasn't doing that. I've never distilled gin myself and I'm not an expert in the process, only digging into it as an interested consumer deciding what to drink - so sorry if anything I've said is wrong! I have extensively "researched" the end product though

Incidentally, what do you think of Air Crash Investigation? I've assumed as their talking heads are from NTSB etc, and it's usually some years after the event, that they actually know the investigation itself even if they're styling it a bit for a TV audience - but with your experience, do they?

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I've seen similar myself, people in the media or in politics, top-sheeting a briefing, getting things wrong, or grabbing an irrelevant side issue and running with it out of context in completely the wrong direction, usually to fit a narrative. But speaking as if they're the utmost authority on it.

Quite depressing really when those things become accepted truths and you see others repeating them, and yes, makes you sceptical about what they say elsewhere too.

Hope I wasn't doing that. I've never distilled gin myself and I'm not an expert in the process, only digging into it as an interested consumer deciding what to drink - so sorry if anything I've said is wrong! I have extensively "researched" the end product though

Incidentally, what do you think of Air Crash Investigation? I've assumed as their talking heads are from NTSB etc, and it's usually some years after the event, that they actually know the investigation itself even if they're styling it a bit for a TV audience - but with your experience, do they?

In regard to gin know a little bit about it more the drinking side though

Air Crash Investigates is ok but sometimes fails to nail the reason, for instance, the BA incident where the captain's window blew out. Yes the wrong bolts were used 8/32 not 10/32 so smaller diameter. The smaller bolts still tightened as the lock nuts are oval. This did indeed cause the window to work loose. The reason though was the "engineer" who fitted the window was in fact a manager who had not worked on the hangar floor for a number of years. He was only there due to the engineers being on strike. Managers, like myself, would retain out licenses and approvals once away from the hangar floor. The CAA required recency and to do this we would participate in a small "job" every now and then. We would then stamp the work sheet with our individual stamp. This would show we were current. In truth this benefited us and the company insomuch we retained our licences and they had people they could use if necessary. On this occasion though it highlighted how necessary it is to be fully aware of what you're doing.

Something else it highlights and would never be mentioned the CAA didn't allow self certification. This meant while you would sign/stamp the paperwork to say you have completed the task a supervisor would inspect the work and then "stamp off" the certification. The CAA changed this view when new licensing laws were introduced under JAA (joint Aviation Authority) the European Authority. This brought the UK in line with Europe but also aligned us with the FAA (America). Many of us argued at the time we were removing a level authority and therefore reducing the integrity of the safety of aircraft.

 

[Midget]

In regard to gin know a little bit about it more the drinking side though

Air Crash Investigates is ok but sometimes fails to nail the reason, for instance, the BA incident where the captain's window blew out. Yes the wrong bolts were used 8/32 not 10/32 so smaller diameter. The smaller bolts still tightened as the lock nuts are oval. This did indeed cause the window to work loose. The reason though was the "engineer" who fitted the window was in fact a manager who had not worked on the hangar floor for a number of years. He was only there due to the engineers being on strike. Managers, like myself, would retain out licenses and approvals once away from the hangar floor. The CAA required recency and to do this we would participate in a small "job" every now and then. We would then stamp the work sheet with our individual stamp. This would show we were current. In truth this benefited us and the company insomuch we retained our licences and they had people they could use if necessary. On this occasion though it highlighted how necessary it is to be fully aware of what you're doing.

Something else it highlights and would never be mentioned the CAA didn't allow self certification. This meant while you would sign/stamp the paperwork to say you have completed the task a supervisor would inspect the work and then "stamp off" the certification. The CAA changed this view when new licensing laws were introduced under JAA (joint Aviation Authority) the European Authority. This brought the UK in line with Europe but also aligned us with the FAA (America). Many of us argued at the time we were removing a level authority and therefore reducing the integrity of the safety of aircraft.

That's a really interesting (and slightly troubling) insight - thank you!

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

That's a really interesting (and slightly troubling) insight - thank you!

Another thing needs bearing in mind, there is often a huge element of protectionism. Manufacturers will always try to protect their reputation and try to blame the maintenance and the airline pilots etc. This does lead to bias, the FAA would "help" Boeing though that has been somewhat hard for them to do recently! If they can all blame a human even better. The CAA published a monthly paper called Human Factors. This detailed all incidents around the world emphasizing where human input contributed. Easy to blame a dead pilot.

 

[The Clamp]

I bet you lot are the type of bores that preach to people how you’re the only human on earth that knows how steak should be cooked.

Jiminy cricket! Just enjoy your drink.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Guinness Zero

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I bet you lot are the type of bores that preach to people how you’re the only human on earth that knows how steak should be cooked.

Jiminy cricket! Just enjoy your drink.

I don't preach, my job was to educate.

Anyhow If you want to ruin a steak that's your business.

 

[Midget]

I bet you lot are the type of bores that preach to people how you’re the only human on earth that knows how steak should be cooked.

Jiminy cricket! Just enjoy your drink.

Not trying to preach, just talking gin.

I am very boring, though.

 

[Bakero]

Long Sunday morning gin ramble follows, don't read if that will bore you.

I prefer a London Dry, either with soda, neat ("a Churchill"*), or the odd martini/gibson. I'm a supertaster so I like getting the subtle flavours through - the bitterness in tonic overpowers it for me. Not meaning to sound poncy or purist, just how my particular tastebud/brain combo works.

A London Dry is distilled with its botanicals, rather than adding flavours after, or macerating. The name describes the method, not the location, and there are also restrictions on things like the amount of sugar used.

My go to mainstreams are Tanqueray no. 10, regular Tanqueray, or Sipsmith. Always had a large Sipsmith & soda at Covent Garden pre-pandemic, comes nice & cold in a tapered double rocks glass with the thinnest black straw known to man. Feels all posh like.

London No.1 is quite nice as well.

Hendricks is ok, best in the hottest part of summer with a slice.

I find Plymouth gin (not a London Dry) too sweet, and also a bit too heavy on the alcohol for its botanicals. Generally find around 40% give or take a couple works best, but I think Tanqueray No. 10 is an exception to that as it's quite citrus-based so it holds with the stronger alcohol.

Gordons, Beefeater, Greenalls, taste to me like they've been run through a corroded metal gutter pipe. Bleugh.

If you have to go cheap there are better ones around, even Tesco used to do a good own-brand one although it had gone downhill a bit last time I had it. M&S do a pretty decent one if I recall.


I like trying new distilled gins with more unusual botanicals and recently there are more of those out there too, but it's a bit hit & miss.

Highly recommend Gin Mare before a nice meal with maybe a few green olives & some rosemary bread or something salty.

Tanqueray Rangpur & soda is excellent before or even with a curry if you fancy something non-lager. Perfect with poppadoms & pickles.

Opihr Oriental is another semi-mainstream-ish one with a very unique taste, black pepper and warm spices. Haven't tried their other ones yet.


I don't go a bundle on flavoured (i.e. macerated) ones, even those that are gin strength & less sweet still taste closer to a liqueur than a gin to me, too heavy on one taste. But when people are adding loads of tonic as many do, and sometimes they're flavoured too, and then a strong garnish as well, I guess they can all just fight it out in the glass where the distilled flavours would just get thumped. So I can see why they're so popular at the moment. Too much for me personally, but I am a bit weird - each to their own.


Finally, if you've never had a Corpse Reviver No. 2, try it. Four equal measures: gin, curaçao, cocchi americano, and lemon juice. Then a tiny dash of absinthe to lift it. A great example of where the right bitter doesn't overpower the gin but complements it.

And no matter how rough or tired you feel, it'll sort you right out. Best. Cocktail. Ever.




*I call it this to pretend swigging gin neat is socially acceptable... Apparently when Churchill was asked how he wanted his martini, he said to pour a large gin into a glass and whisper "vermouth" at it

This. I also like the Tanqueray Sevilla.

Never tried that cocktail though. I'll give it a go if I can track down some Cocchi Americano.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Yes I need to relax a little now as I left my job as Quality Manager for Asahi only last week but it does raise a serious question for me. I used to be an aircraft engineer and when there was an incident they'd put an expert on TV to explain how it happened. Too often they spoke bollocks. The same could be said of these idiots talking about beer/wine. They have a very limited knowledge about what they're talking about, often some little snippet given them by a true expert.

My issue is these people are often informing the public for the first time and influencing their understanding. While drink isn't anywhere near as important as aircraft crashes it is still misinformation. Just because I'm so sceptical of what I hear about subjects I'm well qualified in it makes me believe most of what we're fed on media is also seriously flawed.

Is it possible there's no single defining opinion though and for these 'experts' you talk about to have differing views? This must surely be the case with beer and wine? What did he say that was so wrong? The area I work in has many experiences and knowledgable people with varying views on things.....and they are referred to a key opinion leaders. To give you an example there are a few schools of thought regarding bugs and to grossly simplfy things one is to high doses to nuke the bug and another is lower doses to more 'manage it'. Nether is necessarily right or wrong, both have merits.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Is it possible there's no single defining opinion though and for these 'experts' you talk about to have differing views? This must surely be the case with beer and wine? What did he say that was so wrong? The area I work in has many experiences and knowledgable people with varying views on things.....and they are referred to a key opinion leaders. To give you an example there are a few schools of thought regarding bugs and to grossly simplfy things one is to high doses to nuke the bug and another is lower doses to more 'manage it'. Nether is necessarily right or wrong, both have merits.

No basically. He bullshited about the brewing process and the affect gas has in and on the beer. That isn't up for debate.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

No basically. He bullshited about the brewing process and the affect gas has in and on the beer. That isn't up for debate.

What affect does gas have on beer then? And what did he say which is wrong?

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

What affect does gas have on beer then? And what did he say which is wrong?

Surely you know as you're a craft beer expert.

 

[Brovion]

Weirdly, it goes with some decent cheeses almost by accident, as a kind of cheap port.

It's not really red wine though.

'Cheap port', that's a good description. I brought a bottle of it once (it was on offer) thinking it was a standard red wine, never again. I didn't really expect the label to be an accurate description, but it really did taste like it had been made from jam that had gone mouldy in a shed.

 

[GJN1]

Ah yes, the term "crafted" used to conjure up the image of hipsters in their shed inventing new taste experiences with their creative minds. Then add £30 a bottle to the price.

For 'crafted' see also 'artisan'.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

For 'crafted' see also 'artisan'.

Hipster?

 

[sydney]

Depends whether you are a Gordon’s man or actually like crafted gins. Tanqueray No 10 is probably one of the top premium small batch gin brands in the world and that’s flavoured with 4 different citrus fruits, liquorice and juniper, coriander and angelic. Notlets Silver Gin, another global recognised brand, is crafted with peaches, rose and strawberries.

I prefer a Bombay Sapphire personally but these crafted gins are really popular - the only thing any ‘gin‘ needs to have in common is they must predominantly taste of junipers.

we have a ginnery in the swan valley 20 minutes from us , you need go in an uber

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Surely you know as you're a craft beer expert.

I just drink the stuff, I know the absolute basis about the brewing process but would never claim to be an expert. I do know that gas can affect beer as they use nitro pumps on some craft beers to make it smoother. You mentioned the actual brewing process though....just curious what the person said which was wrong.

 

[Ludensian Gull]

'Cheap port', that's a good description. I brought a bottle of it once (it was on offer) thinking it was a standard red wine, never again. I didn't really expect the label to be an accurate description, but it really did taste like it had been made from jam that had gone mouldy in a shed.

Well I enjoyed it ,each to their own I guess

 

[Brovion]

Well I enjoyed it ,each to their own I guess

Oh absolutely.