Many years ago, I remember touring an ouzo distillery on Lesvos and after the obligatory tour, we then went to the bar/shop for a tasting session. After sampling about half a dozen of the usual brews, I was attracted to one particular type that was in an aluminium flask, similar to what you used to find on old Claude Butler racing bikes. The geezer poured some out and I reckon he then poured about 80% of water into the glass before it even started to turn cloudy. This stuff was rocket fuel.

I enquired as to the volume of alcohol and was shown the bottle, that clearly stated 39%. "So why is it nearly twice the price of the other stuff then?" the reply was: "because it's usually closer to 60%". Apparently at that time (pre EU), the Greek government requested minimal excise duties for anything below 40% vol. They simply had labels printed with 39% on them and no one ever bothered getting the hygrometer out.

On the raki subject, some old friends in Kipseli (Northern Athens) owned a bar on Kos and one night I asked Rena if she had any raki. "Of course David, what do you need it for?" I just fancied trying it said I. "No, no. no, it is not for drinking, it is for rubbing on the children's chest when they have a cold"

Since that day, I have never felt any inclination to try raki or its close relative, absynthe. Both are distilled from what is left after wine pressings: seeds, pulp, stalks etc.... FFS it's bloody turps with an aniseed flavour added, no wonder Toulouse Lautrec went barmy

My mum lives on Rhodes where they def make the most of brewing non laws. Every year we visit the village of Siana for their fabulous honey and also the local "wine" suma. It is the single strongest thing i have ever tasted. I'm not even fond of it, its just a tradition! www.manos-siana.com/homemade_suma.php

My mum lives on Rhodes where they def make the most of brewing non laws. Every year we visit the village of Siana for their fabulous honey and also the local "wine" suma. It is the single strongest thing i have ever tasted. I'm not even fond of it, its just a tradition! www.manos-siana.com/homemade_suma.php

Thats what the old guy told Ms Lumley, he stills the clear liquid into what he claims to be "almost" 100% alcohol and its used by the women of the village for "medicinal purposes", he reckoned that the stuff he uses to drink was around 60 to 70%.

We were given some clear liquid shots in a "proper" (ie the locals ate there too) Greek restaurant when in Corfu this year which was unbranded and simply called "Holy Water", they made a big thing of it so we looked impressed when knocking it back but actually it was pretty unpleasant, a bit syrupy and burned your mouth and throat like hell, you can imagine that you wouldn't be able to drink much of it and you'd probably be dead within a few months if you made it your booze of choice.

Theres a place on the scale of alcohol content in wine, beer and spirits where the level seems to become the focus rather than what the drink tastes like, I'd much rather have a pleasant cask ale than knock back high alcohol shots, I don't want to get drunk I want to enjoy the drink.

I'm glad the gin chat has popped back up, I was away at the time. I don't think it was mentioned at the time but I recently very much enjoyed a bottle of this. www.blackwoodsgin.net/ I haven't tried the 60%, it was the 40% that I had, a very nice sip.

I'm glad the gin chat has popped back up, I was away at the time. I don't think it was mentioned at the time but I recently very much enjoyed a bottle of this. www.blackwoodsgin.net/ I haven't tried the 60%, it was the 40% that I had, a very nice sip.

Home-distilled stuff can be very dangerous to drink ... apparently the "heads" and "tails" (the first liquid to come through the still, and the last) can cause all sorts of brain and liver damage ... the knowledge to avoid those isn't very widespread.
So, it's not just down to tax alone.

All the usual suspects are OK by me, Beefeater, Gordons, Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire etc but my preference is for normal strength 40% Plymouth, the botanicals are tasty without being way too herby.

Tried Hendricks a couple of years ago ... I didn't actually like it that much and, at the price, it wasn't something I was going to give a second chance.



I'm waiting for the rum discussion.
Then I'll come to life.

Quote ="Sandra The Terrorist"I'm glad the gin chat has popped back up, I was away at the time. I don't think it was mentioned at the time but I recently very much enjoyed a bottle of this. www.blackwoodsgin.net/ I haven't tried the 60%, it was the 40% that I had, a very nice sip.'" I've just discovered my newest, favouritest website: [url=http://www.thedrinkshop.com/Drinkshop.com[/url

Quote ="Sandra The Terrorist"I'm glad the gin chat has popped back up, I was away at the time. I don't think it was mentioned at the time but I recently very much enjoyed a bottle of this. www.blackwoodsgin.net/ I haven't tried the 60%, it was the 40% that I had, a very nice sip.'" I've just discovered my newest, favouritest website: [url=http://www.thedrinkshop.com/Drinkshop.com[/url

Mine's Gerry's, I used to stand outside their place in Old Compton St like a kid at a sweetshop window.
And now they're online.

Same here in Crete. Wasn't "holy water" but something similar. We were given a plate of water melon to eat with it, after each sip (basically to take the taste away).

Brought a bottle of something similar back with us after another Greek holiday. It's not nice, but not totally unpleasant.

Do you seriously expect us to believe you loitered around Old Compton Street, just to look at booze through a shop window? Some defence that would be

I hope you didn't have short pants on?

Someone once left a bottle of Albanian plum brandy after a party at our house. Now Slivovitz this wasn't, it was the foulest tasting beverage I've ever had the misfortune to drink. I tried unloading it on other people when we were invited to their parties but they always insisted we took the bottle back home. I finally got shut of it when we had a barbecue and some people turned up late. The embers had all but died, so I piled on more charcoal and poured the plum brandy over to get it going again. Instead of a clear blue flame, this yellow, acrid smoke rose up, like burning sump oil. One little sip of this was enough for anyone, for about three days afterwards, whenever you belched or farted, you could taste & smell it.

There are (or were last time I was down there) three very very good shops there, the booze shop, the Italian Deli opposite and the French Patisserie not too far away, all there way before the pink pound was thought about.

the booze shop and Deli are were still there in September, not sure about the Patisserie.

Spot the bearded one

Quote ="cod'ead"icon_thumb.gif I've just discovered my newest, favouritest website: [url=http://www.thedrinkshop.com/Drinkshop.com[/url'" Christ, that really needs to come with a health warning. Now, should Ms. Terrorist be getting me a Kindle for Christmas, or maybe I'm thinking this... www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nl ... rodid=6809

Quote ="cod'ead"icon_thumb.gif I've just discovered my newest, favouritest website: [url=http://www.thedrinkshop.com/Drinkshop.com[/url'" Christ, that really needs to come with a health warning. Now, should Ms. Terrorist be getting me a Kindle for Christmas, or maybe I'm thinking this... www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nl ... rodid=6809

I shouldn't really be casting too many aspersions EB's way seeing as this was one of my ex-locals,

Please yerself, water off a duck's back to me.

But I have been fond of Old Compton St for a looooong time, largely for Gerry's, which (last time I looked) hadn't changed in many a year.
They didn't take cheques or credit cards, strictly cash only, and it was more like an old fashioned ironmongers inside with an old lino-topped wooden counter and shelves stretching away behind.
Now they are online, I guess they maybe take credit cards in the shop now.
Gerry's had and still has the largest range of Rums I have seen anywhere in the UK.
Being a long-standing fan of the cane-based sip, I found it difficult to walk past the area without one or two bottles from Gerry's finding their way into my collection.

They have brached out a little and now have a small shop in Upper Briggate, Leeds, which is (compared to the Old C St one) very swish.

The Algerian Coffee Stores used to be a favourite of mine on that street as well.
There used to be (might still be there) a very good Malt Whisky shop along there too.

Plus, if one is in the area, there's a branch of Cadenhead's Whisky shops not far away, just off Covent Garden.

One could get stocked up on decent spirits and good coffee and then flop into Norman Balen's pub (Coach & Horses?) for a pint and listen to him slagging-off people (usually tourists) who had the temerity to ask if he sold crisps.
Long gone is Norman, he had the reputation as the rudest pub landlord in the UK.
Jeffrey Bernard used to be in there very frequently, until he became unwell.
The Private Eye crowd used to meet upstairs there too.
Must pop in there sometime and see what it's like now.

Aaaaah ... memories.

In your dreams buddy.

Yup, Patisserie Valerie is still there (the ORIGINAL) ... and is now all over the country as well.

Ah, takes me back, that does.
We were always a close family.

Mmm one of the Broncos lot used to run this before they made it into a gay pub.

It wasn't a gay bar when I supped in there, mid/late 80's.
Comptons across the road was where all the leather waistcoats hung out.

Not far away is De Hems, in Macclesfield Street.

I was once in there drinking Belgian beer with a German colleague listening to American jazz in a Dutch pub in Chinatown.

I love London.

Quote ="El Barbudo"All the usual suspects are OK by me, Beefeater, Gordons, Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire etc but my preference is for normal strength 40% Plymouth, the botanicals are tasty without being way too herby. Tried Hendricks a couple of years ago ... I didn't actually like it that much and, at the price, it wasn't something I was going to give a second chance. I'm waiting for the rum discussion. Then I'll come to life.'" Good shout! I love my spirits but in particular love a drop of Pussers blue label rum love the taste but love the smell just as much : www.pussers.com/t-rum.aspx

Quote ="El Barbudo"All the usual suspects are OK by me, Beefeater, Gordons, Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire etc but my preference is for normal strength 40% Plymouth, the botanicals are tasty without being way too herby. Tried Hendricks a couple of years ago ... I didn't actually like it that much and, at the price, it wasn't something I was going to give a second chance. I'm waiting for the rum discussion. Then I'll come to life.'" Good shout! I love my spirits but in particular love a drop of Pussers blue label rum love the taste but love the smell just as much : www.pussers.com/t-rum.aspx