USAZorro

Science, schmeince. Don't go tryin' to muddy the waters with facts.

Let me preface by saying that nearly every alcoholic beverage is kinda nasty tasting. When I was in college (I was 18 - which was the legal drinking age at the time) I had my first drink - cheap, keg beer. Smelled and tasted like u-know-what, but the effect was undeniable. Inevitable experimentation followed. At the time, Vodka was "too Russian" for more than occasional consumption, and tequila was an exotic drink which came with legendary stories about worm consumption. I wasn't looking to "put hair on my chest" (despite a lifelong paucity that continues to present day), so whiskey and bourbon in the college student's budget range were rather out (had some Chevis Regal at a dinner party at a prof's place once and that was some good stuff, even if way out of budget and late in the collegiate experience) - which at the time left rum and gin. Bacardi was (and remains) rather budget friendly, and both the gold and 151 received audiences and generally positive reviews. Then there was Gin. I tried to like it. Why not? Except for the world's worst (now 2nd worst with the advent of Fireball) mouthwash - Bombay - it was very easy on the budget. The only problem was that unless you were sneaking it into Long Island Iced Teas, it was amongst the three vilest-tasting substances on the planet. The addition of tonic improved it in no way, shape or form.

None of my acquaintances had any fondness for the stuff either, and consequently Gin ranked lower on the desirability scale than 75 cent pitchers of Iron City beer (which is saying something). I tried regular gin. I tried Sloe gin. I had to resort to schnapps to get the nasty aftertaste to go away. Now this was the late 70's and into the very beginning of the 80's. Monty Python and British comedy in general could not be escaped if you were a somewhat nerdy college student. This exposure revealed a few very enlightening details about British society. Inescapable was their penchant for driving on the wrong side of the road, misusing "boot" and "rubber" and using perambulators, but also their fondness for gin (and also beer flavored with dirt - which is an entirely different essay) and the abysmal state of mens' teeth.

Coincidence? Why only the men then? Ah! When's the last time you saw a British actress drinking gin on screen. OK - so Elizabeth has been known to imbibe on occasion, but then again, she has to hold it in when dealing with Charles and Camilla - and frankly, while I admire her greatly, it's not for her pearly smile. So... therefore, it must be gin.

C&V content... I'm fairly certain I have a Carlton Corsa that was built by a chap who'd had a lunch of Beefeater's.