I will be trying alcohol for the first time out of curiosity and am looking for some nice tasting alcohol that is low in price.
I prefer the alcohol to be in a small size container i.e. a can or a small bottle.
There is no special occasion and i will not be drinking just to get drunk. Any ideas or experiences?
Nice Tasting, Less Expensive Alcohol for a First Timer?
statin on 11/12/2021 - 08:20
Comments
Or Cask wine.
Passion Pop
This is the way
One way trip to a memorable sugar filled rush followed by the mother of all hangovers.
Well worth it though at $4 a bottle from memory.
Else little fat lamb is equally good/bad depending on how you look at it.
I was always about the alcohol to cost ratio so never graduated past a 5L goon bag.
Fruity Lexia - Makes you Sexier
Beer is great, screw the haters
I don't think they're haters. The op specifically said nice tasting for a first timer. I love beer. Drink plenty of it but when I started 40 years ago it was farqen awful. Beer's an acquired taste. Takes a while to get used to if you can recall. Cider would be my go to for a beginner.
Probably the worst thing to start with - tastes like shit till you get used to it.
Beer is terrible. It's bitter. I doubt someone new to drinking will like it.
Moonshine
Lemon lime bitters
You know nothing @newjerseydamo
Pretty sure it's you and a lot of other people who know nothing.
If you go anywhere and ask for a lemon lime and bitters, it won't contain alcohol. That's the standard version of it.
@DialIN: yeah but you only use a few dashes per glass … less than 0.5% in the final drink hence can be served to minors …..
@newjerseydamo: in the NT, you get a sober bob. a free softie for the driver… however they wont give you LLB as it contains a trace of alcohol..
@pformag: 44% in the little bit they put on the rim so its actually like 0.2% (Beer is like 5%) . You would have to drink Litres of the stuff to have an effect (e.g 1 beer = 25 drinks of LLB.
*lemon lime bitters vodka.
ask your parents
kahlua and milk is rather mild
.
Baileys. Not cheap, but absolutely delicious
Baileys, butterscotch schnapps, milk….the aldi version of bailey's does the job @ half the price.
Major difference is Bailey’s uses whiskey and the cheaper brands are wine based. While there is a bunch of Aldi lovers on ozbargain, spend a few extra dollars and get Baileys
It doesn't. There is so little whisky in Baileys that it comes after "cocoa flavouring" and before "colouring E150b" in the ingredients list. It's just neutral spirit.
The Aldi version isn't made from wine, either. It's made from neutral spirit distilled from whey.
@GrueHunter: I've tried Aldi's baileys, it is so weak and when mixed in the same ratio to my coffee (which is how I usually have it) I thought I forgot to add it in.
This. The cheaper brands use fortified wine and it's horrible. Basically, wine and milk do not mix.
*to my knowledge re wine
What about O'mara's country cream? I hate wine, but love that. I doubt it's wine-based, but it's half the price of baileys.
I love Aldi and dislike "premium" brands.
However, Baileys (whisky based) is far superior to Aldi's fake Baileys (wine based).
See the comment below and make your own healthier BaileysFFS, why can't people read labels?
Baileys is not "whisky based".
Aldi's Irish cream is not "wine based".
They both based on neutral spirit.
@GrueHunter: "triple-distilled Irish whiskey" - Dan Murphy's
"fine Irish whiskey and spirits" - Baileys websiteFeeney's is a comparable alternative to Bailey's.
Meanwhile Aldi's tasted wine-based (based on me reading the label years ago), same as the Cowbow's casks from Dan Murphys.
@Fobsessive: I'll type it more slowly this time:
Read.
The.
Label.Cream, sugar, spirit, maltodextrin, milk protein, cocoa extract, cocoa flavouring, Irish whisky, colouring E 150b, emulsifier E 471, acidity regulator E 331.
You realise ingredients are listed on a label in the order of their weight / volume, right? See where "Irish whisky" comes on the list?
Meanwhile Aldi's tasted wine-based (based on me reading the label years ago
So, you just tasted it, or you read the label? Because guess what it says on the label? (Hint - it doesn't mention the word "wine").
Get a 50mL bottle of Bailey's from any bottle-o. Pour it into a glass and take a small sip. Then add an ice cube and swirl it a bit and take another sip. If it's still too strong, add a little milk till it's 50-50.
Do not buy any other brand of Irish cream. Some are almost as good as Bailey's but most are much worse, it's not worth the risk of wasting your money.
Here's what in Baileys:
Cream, sugar, spirit, maltodextrin, milk protein, cocoa extract, cocoa flavouring, Irish whisky, colouring E 150b, emulsifier E 471, acidity regulator E 331.
Put another way: UHT cream, generic white spirit (not whisky), coffee whitener (don't overpay for cream base if you're making your own spirits), with a splash of chocolate and Irish whisky.
(I've always wondered why all online recipes for it are nothing like this).
There's nothing amazing or special about it. It's just what most people have for their first Irish cream, and it sets a standard. Other stuff isn't worse. It's just different.
I've always wondered why all online recipes for it are nothing like this
Because most people don't need a stable drink, they just need a right now drink. Baileys is designed to ship internationally and sit on a shelf out of the fridge for months, then be drunk over the course of months, all without separating or going off. If you are making a drink for right now, you can literally just throw Jamesons into regular whipping cream, stir it (though shaken with ice is best), and drink it. Making it the way you describe it's going to taste like arse, because you are missing the bucketloads of sugar in Baileys to cover up the maltodextrin preservative (which you are very likely to find in whitener) and the fact there really isn't much real cream involved at all.
@Parentheses: Except making the way I make it (which is using the same ingredients as the label) makes something that tastes more or less exactly like Baileys, whereas a mix of Jameson and cream together tastes absolutely nothing like Baileys. It's not missing the sugar - I just didn't mention it in the second ingredient list.
And no online recipes for Baileys just say "mix Jameson and cream". They say "and then add almond extract, and eggs, and other weird sh*t that very clearly isn't in the product you're trying to mimic."
@neyo: I was setting out how the long list of different ingredients is really just splitting out the components of a much smaller list of ingredients, and making it clear what they meant by cream (it's UHT treated and includes emulsifiers) and "spirit". Guess what? The sugar is just sugar and doesn't need a (profanity) explanation.
But hey, feel free to point out the part where I wrote "and this is the list of ingredients for my recipe". I'll wait. In the meantime, see the bit where I wrote "the way I make it (which is using the same ingredients as the label)"? And see how that list includes sugar? Didn't think so.
IMO you are better off learning to make some easy cocktails rather than getting premixes/beer/wine as it's easier to adjust the alcohol content to your taste that way. Personally I've never liked any premixes, and beer and wine are more of an acquired taste for most people.
Some easy cocktails that are not too strong are mojitos, sangria, or daiquiri
this, cant go past a good daiquiri or mojito
Mojitos make for awesome low-calorie/keto drinks as well, less calories than a single Timtam
Ingredients (ratios depend on taste obviously):
25ml of lime juice
25ml of white rum
2tsp of Erythritol simple syrup
6 large Mint leaves
200ml of Schweppes Zero Sugar Lemonade
Ice-cubesSteps:
1. Mix lime juice, rum and Erythritol simple syrup at the bottom of a glass
2. Add Mint leaves into the glass and stir the mixture with a butter knife, making sure to crush the leaves against the glass while stirring to muddle it
3. Fill up with Schweppes Zero Sugar Lemonade until there's about half a finger of room left in the glass
4. Adjust for taste. Add more simple syrup if it isn't sweet enough, more lime juice if it doesn't have a kick, more lemonade if it's too rum-y, or more mint if it just tastes like strong lemonade. Often takes a bit of balancing while you work out what you like
5. Mix it together then fill it up with ice and enjoySuper easy to up-scale the recipe and make a jug of it for a party as well
Lemonade?! Noo, mojito uses plain soda water.
And you shouldn't be crushing or muddling the mint too much. Makes it too… chlorophyll-y
@SuperMrBlob: Have you actually tried using Schweppes sugar free lemonade? Regular lemonade ruins Mojitos, but Schweppes just adds extra sweetness and citrus flavours
And that's why you use a butter knife to mix it together, only need to gently crush the leaves against the walls of the glass while stirring, found using a spoon crushes it too much
Apple Cider
or
a Shandy
plus to both these, pacific radler is a lemon shandy.
yeah start with an apple or pear cider. too much sugar in these though but definitely nice tasting.
if you want cheap cheap get a moscato wine
Cruisers are a good start but are expensive (~20 for a 6 pack).
A sweet apple cider like somersby might be good.
If you're looking for cheap, nothing like a bit of fruity lexia.
Cruisers don’t come in 6 packs
Yeah you are right - mainly 4 packs. Still around $20.
Combined with their alcohol content (1 standard drink) it's not exactly what I'd call a high yield investment.
You're better off with 10 pack of somersby or 2 boxes of fruity lexia for the same price.
Or even invest in a bottle of vodka and OJ
Cruisers are awful.
How are they awful? I'd agree they are awful in terms of cost per alcohol ratio.
But otherwise they are basically cordial with alcohol in them. For a first time drinker 2-4 would get you feeling a good buzz.
Vb
One way of putting someone off drinking for life!
Vodka and anything is very easy to drink. You can get tiny little bottles at the counter of most liquor stores.
Vodka + Ribena was the thing that got me down this dark path. The sweetness and fruitiness of the syrup masks the harsh vodka taste. After a while you will get the hang of it.
Some pointers (assuming youre 18):
Go to a wine/whisky tasting course (try and get educated at the same time)
If you're near wine country, take a drive but don't drink and drive
Ask others if you can sample their collection
Go to a wholesaler and buy cleanskins (although this would be bulk buying)
See if your local bottle o has quality recommendations on sale.Start as you mean to go on. Expensive =/= good but nasty always = bad.
If you were raiding my cupboard atm I'd let you at:
- Angove organic moscato Longrow
- Bleasdale Sparkling Shiraz NV cleanskin
- maybe a whiskey tasting
- the random bottle of Corona no one wants in my fridge 🤷♀️I didn't downvote but I think your advice is only good if OP wants to become a connoisseur not just a casual drinker
The rest of the advice on here seems to send them down the road of headaches and goon bags.
Doesn't need to be expensive to have a bit of class!
for a first timer this really isn't good advise. Wine or whisky tasting course would be wasted. Sure if you have gotten a bit of a taste for wine or whisky and want to learn more and find out what your palate prefers then that works. But as a first time you want something simple that leans towards your taste preference.
Yeah I disagree… Think back to when you very first started drinking… Wine and beer tasted like shite, and I couldn't think of anything worse to recommend to a beginner than whiskey. It's certainly an acquired taste..
If you have a sweet tooth - moscato.
Brown Bros is the best tasting for the price and you can often get it in a 200mL bottle.If you don't like sweet things but want to try wine, go for a pinot noir - it's much milder than anything else. Avoid shiraz if you're just starting out.
you mean vomit in a bottle
This. Brown Brothers anything tastes great at a good price.
Could be the most addictive! Better join the first Australians at any bowser….
Brown Brothers is the go to, but Banrock Station is also meant to be excellent and is cheaper.
Brown Brother's Cienna is also a great introduction if you're into sweet things :)
Apple cider is quite an easy drink as it's sweet and fizzy with generally a low alcohol content.
Beer can be a rough start if you're not used to the taste spectrum - I still prefer really mild beers like Carlton Dry and Hahn Super Dry that don't have a strong taste to them.
Baileys is great as a nice smooth drink.
Vodka mixes well with most things, and you can add as little as you want to get used to it
White wine is much more potent, and reds are even stronger tasting so I'd avoid those.
Best option is to find a friend to walk you through the different options (not all at once!!) and see what you like and don't like
Curatif. They do premade cocktails in a can that are bar quality in flavour. They’re about $11 a can, but the cans are small and you may only need one if you’re new to alcohol, because they are quite strong. Go direct for their full range of flavours, or some are in Dan’s.
Yes the ozb way would be to buy all the different ingredients separately as it is cheaper per drink, but if you want to try a bunch of cocktails without having to buy the ingredients, it’s a great way to test them all to see what you do like. They also now offer a sampler pack with a mix of different flavours.
Maybe try Rekorderlig if you like sweet drinks.
It's like Tracey Grimshaw lied to us!
Brown Brothers Moscato is sweet and easy to drink.
Tasting alcohol will kill you. Why has no one warned OP?
If you meant alcoholic drinks then you need to try every category as tastes AND preferences are different.
most people missed your point/humour
How longs' a piece of string?
Any of the 5000 different drinks sold at Duncans or any bottle shop..
I don't think op having one drink constitutes a "moderate to heavy drinking session".
Twas but a play on the OP's username.
Speaking of OP.. where is OP?? Seems to have disappeared from their own thread.
Stalin therapy?
If you're looking to try wine and don't know where to start, I recommend Yellow Tail reds. They're very smooth, easy drinking, and shouldn't turn off new drinkers like many wines can. They're also cheap at around $8 per bottle.
Highly recommend Bourbon and Coke. Bourbon and coke is so nice tasting in the way that it goes down so smooth.
I reckon if you were to go straight to spirits and coke, it'd be Jameson and raw cola. No bourbon with coke goes near that smooth.
Depends on your tastes. If you drink softdrink then a 50ml bottle of whiskey mixed with coke (use half of it) or vodka mixed with pretty much any other softdrink and you're done. It'll add a new flavour to what you drink. Plenty of premixed versions too. There's a reason there were specific laws around premixes to stop kids drinking them.
If you like juice, cider. I'd go pear cider rather than apple. Apple cider has a lot of variation from overly sweet to almost white wine levels of dry. Pear tends to be very easy drinking. Sweet tooth - rekorderlig.
If you really like savoury, then there's a world of options out there for you. Big fan of vegemite? Beer might be your thing. Although most beer drinkers I've ever met didn't like their first beer. A few I know drank it solely to fit in. Seltzer tends to be low on the sugar side with those kind of hint of fruit things (like soda and lime. Although if you like soda and lime, just add vodka).
I know "pear cider" seems to have been adopted as the standard term for it these days, but the proper name is perry. It's called "pear cider" primarily as it gives a familiar reference point for what to expect.
I don't know if it was ever available in Australia but there was a popular drink in the UK in the '70s/'80s called Babycham that was perry (they never referred to it as perry or even pear cider). It always has some extremely '80s adverts https://youtu.be/eBthQyw7gkE
Goon bags
Little fat lamb. Sure to get the party started for a mere $20.
This is sure to turn any first timer into a mess… I used to love writing myself off with this stuff…
Also if you don't like it, it's not the end of the world.
Me personally I don't drink alcohol, not because of health, not because of religion, not because of problems in the past, I just don't like the taste of it.I have also never understood the concept of "it's an acquired taste." "That tasted terrible, you know what, I gonna try it again just in case I like it this time."
I think it used to be also the main addiction of the largest religion to control you.
I think those left handed bum cleaners have it made, stay away from it if you can!I've tried many beers trying to like it because of the Aussie beer/drinking culture and have never liked it.
I didn't properly start drinking until I was 19 because I couldn't find anything I actually liked. Eventually settled on Vodka/OJ or Vodka/Coke.
Since then I've enjoyed cider, white wine and sparkling to a degree, but still not beer.
I'm not a fan of the pressure to conform to whatever other people enjoy to drink.
Good to know that I am not the only one. On the acquired taste: if you feed people a bad tasting food everyday since they were little, they will most likely "acquire" the taste. I know taste is subjective, but I believe that there are many types of food and beverage with taste that everyone likes. And alcohol is not one of them.
There is no such thing as nice tasting alcohol. I think people just pretend that they are nice, because of various reasons. They are also expensive. I wonder if alcohol does not make us drunk, will we still drink it at all?Me too!! There are dozens of us!!!!
In my old age of 42 I now only drink water. Literally, it's the only drink I consume lol. So healthy because of it too.
gin and tonic. Easy to drink, can be cheap.
If I reflect on the 30 years when I did drink, the last 5 when I didn't and the drinking habits and resultant outcomes of many people I have known over all those years, then weigh up the pros and cons, I wish I had never started in the first place.
Therefore, my recommendation is that the choice of your first alcoholic drink is largely irrelevant, it's what you do afterwards that will shape the rest of your life :-)
Beer.