Anyone ever "taught" themselves to drink the hard stuff?

[Bleacher Creature]

I've been a beer and wine drinker all my life, but I've never been able to drink anything stronger without gagging. If anyone saw Jimmy Fallon's skit on this with Rachel, it's an issue of not being "manly" enough. How does one teach themselves to drink hard liquor, particularly on the rocks?

[Heidi]

1. I've got better smellin' solvents in my studio.

It's got nothin' to do with bein' manly. I don't consume anything that could be used to clean my paintbrushes; in fact, I try not to even _breathe_ stuff that could dissolve plastics and break down oils.

[Left Is Write]

2. Why would you need to?

If you don't like it, you don't like it.

I only drink things I like.

[Shell Beau]

10. But how can anyone "like" some of that mess?

Vodka, gin, tequila, etc., by themselves are revolting. At least to me. No martinis for me.

[Left Is Write]

22. Some of us can like it because we don't consider it a "mess."

I don't care for gin, but I like vodka martinis. I like good cognac, I like Captain Morgan spiced rum.

I would never force myself to develop a taste for a drink I didn't like, but there are certainly many that I DO like.

[driver8]

3. I don't drink the hard stuff -- I'm happy with beer!

I drink Vodka once in awhile, but that's about it.

I can't stand the taste of whiskey, scotch, gin, bourbon...

Drink what you like!

Like the avatar -- I'm a Bills' fan, too!

[jobycom]

4. Tried my first hard liquor at 16. Vodka. No gagging, no problemo. Beer, on the other hand

I had to force past my gag reflex every time, until I finally gave up and decided I'd make a poor alcoholic.

Later, when I tried some dark beers and imported beers I learned I liked them, too. It's just the American beers I didn't like. Same with wine, come to think of it. I hated wine until I tried more expensive wines and figured out the point.

And my point is (aside from that i can ramble) that you don't need to develop a taste for something you don't like, especially if it's not going to be beneficial, anyway. There's enough variety that you might find something you like, and if you don't, why worry?

If you really want hard liquor, try some liquers, like Irish Cream. It's got the warmth of the hard stuff without the burn, and some sweetness built in. But seriously, there's nothing manly or not manly about liquor or anything else, aside from what some advertising department or some self-justifying alcoholic wants you to think.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

15. I don't consider Bailey's a hard liquor, it tastes like candy

[jobycom]

16. It's not, but it's got whiskey in it. It's a transition drug, see?

Trying to sneak the OP into lush-hood.

[DS1]

5. Do it backwards and start with the cough syrup

:D

[ZombieHorde]

6. People who don't generally drink hard liquor may have a few shots

after drinking several beers. This is one common, unintentional method of teaching yourself to drink hard liquor.

Another method is to drink mixed drinks fairly regularly, which often go down smoother than their alcohol content would imply. Long Island Ice Teas and Margaritas are found to be tasty by many. (warning, Long Island Ice Teas have a very, very high alcohol content, but don't taste like it, if mixed correctly.)

[dysfunctional press]

7. i taught myself to drink scotch when i was 19.

i never cared for beer all that much, and scotch seemed cooler anyway.
scotch became my drink of choice- i preferred blended, but i also enjoyed some single malts as well.

currently- i don't drink anything alcoholic, and haven't in over 10 years, due to the large amount of opiates i take daily for chronic pain.

[MajorChode]

8. It depends on what your objectives are

If you are drinking just to get drunk, then it's simply a matter of economics and efficiency and that's how many people get started.

Other people might start out with cocktails and drink them progressively stronger until there are no 'fillers' left. I'm not really big on cocktails. I might make a batch of margaritas every now and then because I have friends and family that like the way I make them. I like vodka or tequila with grapefruit juice occasionally and I have been known to spike a coffee with whiskey or Irish Cream. I do like a cognac after a really nice meal and I'll do a shot of vodka if asked.

Distilled alcohol is mostly ethanol, however there are always other alcohols and by-products that make it past the process. Much of what is making you gag are those by-products and other alcohols. Quality booze is going to go down smoother because it is typically distilled better and will have less by-products i.e. lower and higher alcohols that you don't want and that will go down very hard.

If you're really determined to "teach" yourself, I would suggest vodka stored in the freezer and trying that. Tito's Vodka is one of my favorite. The distillation process they use is top notch.

[vi5]

9. Start with on the rocks with a splash of water.....

Focus on sipping and enjoying. Then you'll get used to it enough to not need the water and will be able to "drink" more than sip.

I can't stand beer or wine. Scotch/Bourbon/Canadian/Irish Whiskey are my jams.

[kwassa]

11. I've never gagged on liquor.

If I did, I would think I was drinking it too fast, or it was bad liquor.

I started in ancient times drinking the cocktails my parents made, which were mostly bourbon or scotch on the rocks. My dad also made an excellent martini, which I still like, though have great respect for. I mean a real martini made from gin and vermouth, with olives, not what passes these days for a martini.

I usually have a small single-malt straight up with a few drops of water. It is a slow sipping drink that lasts a long time. Great on a cold winter's night. Gin and tonics with lime are my favorite summer drink.

That's about it. Maybe an occasional margarita.

[Swede]

12. Try some good scotch on the rocks.

It goes down reeeaaallll smooth.

[nomorenomore08]

14. Johnny Walker Black!

It's got a certain honey-like sweetness that most Scotches don't - contrast with Cutty Sark, which is about equal in quality but tastes more bitter and smoky.

[TZ]

13. Its a matter of taste.

If you don't like it, you don't like it. I've never liked wine and beer. But I'll occasionally have vodka straight up on the rocks.

[azmouse]

17. I love the taste of Scotch, Bourbon, Cognac...

I didn't have to 'learn' how to drink it.

[MrScorpio]

18. I'll drink liquor before any beer

I hate the taste of beer

[mwooldri]

31. I'm in that club.

Beer - even good ones, I just couldn't get my head around. I think I managed to drink a half pint of Guinness in my life before giving up. Eurgh. As for those American beers... nasty. Plum nasty.

But wine and liquor - no problem. I like Baileys. I like a good Scotch but then again I like even a crappy Scotch when mixed with Coke. Green Monsters done Dundee University Student's Association Style... that's a kicker: 1x bacardi rum, 1x vodka, 1x Blue Curacao, 1x advocaat, topped up with Scrumpy Jack cider (alcoholic, of course). Anyone sensible who drank one of these would be wasted. On my 21st, I drank 3.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

19. I was apparently born with a taste for whisky

[Cruzan]

20. Start with rum

[crim son]

21. I started on Everclear.

Everything else is just water to me. :)

[Skip Intro]

23. Not sure it's a good thing to acquire a taste for hard liquor. But, might I suggest Wild Turkey.

Mix it with diet coke.

If you do it.

Don't do it if you don't want to. Has nothing to do with being manly.

Didn't see the skit.

[Lasher]

25. 101 proof, of course.

My personal favorite, with diet coke just like you say. Put it in a pint mason jar and throw 2 or 3 ice cubes in there. Wild Turkey is less likely to punish you the next day since it is a quality bonded bourbon, not blended. It usually made me real thirsty but no headaches, etc.

I gave up the hard stuff a few years back. I got so I was getting more goofy than I should. Now it's almost exclusively beer.

[Kitty Herder]

24. I've never been much of a drinker, but I discovered that if you mix vodka with enough

Hawaiian Punch, you can't even taste the vodka. ;) Of course, I haven't done that in years.

[Vattel]

26. drink good stuff

sapphire and tonic, don julio anejo, a good single malt scotch.

[mitchum]

27. Like Robbitussin?

[crimsonblue]

28. Crazy women, shitty jobs, quiet desparation.

One of the three above-mentioned is what is required to become a hard liquor man.

[Jamastiene]

29. I used to use chasers.

Mountain Dew makes a great chaser for the clear liquors like vodka and Everclear.

For the non clear solvents, I always used Coca Cola.

[rrneck]

30. Nope. I liked

the taste of whiskey and tequila right off the bat. And a Prairie Fire is a real treat. I prefer the taste to the effects of the alcohol.

If I could get good Moonshine Whiskey easily I might become a complete drunk.

[hfojvt]

32. this video will teach you how

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRv0jVZtdbY&feature=related

or why.

[LostInAnomie]

33. It's rough at first, but it gets easier really fast.

[Inchworm]

34. I tried not to respond

but the premise sucks.

I think booze is more trouble than it's worth. You dont teach yourself that grabbing hot coals are ok. You don't say.. what's it like to be blind and gouge yer eyes out...

Annyways...

As I sip my last beer, you make no sense unless yer 14.

:hug:

[BikeWriter]

35. Practice! I've been practicing since I was drafted.

[1]

36. absolutely. its not the taste of the liquor. its the "fumes"...

anyone can drink the hard stuff. its all in breathing control.

hold the shot in your hand. take a deep breath. exhale half of that breath. slam the shot. exhale slowly the rest of your breath.

you won't even taste it because the taste is in the fumes. which you just exhaled.

booya!

[Sky Masterson]

37. Depends on the hard stuff.

A nice top shelf Tequila taste a boatload better than say Montezuma or other cheap tequilas
A nice Aged in wine barrel Whiskey can taste like heaven and a cheap whiskey like McCormics can taste like acetone.
It's all in the quality.