Eleven

Left law and entered seminary.

HE HAD A 2C. HE HAD ONE OF THE BEST. I AM SCREAMING BECAUSE OF THAT STUPID TRADE.

I know how old you are! We've talked a few times. Now this, this is the problem. And it's not about the price of the cherries. Next time you're here, if I'm still here and if @Weave is around, let's show you our favorite bourbon joint on Pearl Street. Please bring a sober wife and/or an Uber app.

I'm trying to find activities for us during COVID, and @dudacek is a tough act to follow. I'm thinking we take the entire list of 500+ Sabres players and play some Survivor. Initial rounds can be 5 or 10 players eliminated--just according to a poster naming them--until about 100 or so remain, at which point we can limit it to 3 choices or something? Don't know that it's a great idea, but it's something....

I'll be honest: I don't usually ask for fruit unless I'm with a date (not exactly possible in seminary) and/or with my niece. I don't usually eat the cherries, in other words; I give them away. But when I get one that looks like a REAL cherry, like the ones you posted, I ask for extra.

I would like to try those. Lately (last 5-8 years?), the "sour cherry" thing has been all the rage for Manhattans, old fashioneds, etc., here. Certainly, they are better than the bright red dyed stuff. But I don't know the brand--maybe they actually are Luxardo.

@weave remember when Bulleit was a less-than-average priced bottle? I MISS THOSE DAYS! Bulleit used to be about $5- $7 less than Jack. And it is such a better whisky--both the bourbon and the rye. I remember buying a bottle from Hodge (that's a store on Elmwood Ave) for about $16 about ten years ago and the owner saying, "you know your stuff." I never have seen it in a handle. I would probably need to adjust my pants if I did. Agreed, very good but not great on rocks; bad neat, on the Maker's. I don't drink Canadian whisky Manhattans so I can't speak to that part of the situation.

OK. Let's get to work here. Sobieski in a giant bottle isn't a bad idea. You're going to mix that with something that overtakes the flavor anyway. I hope. One of my brothers needed a shot to "settle his stomach" last semester, and that was all I had, and well, we really choked it down. Nasty stuff, "live." Ketel is actually a fairly good vodka. It's pretty clean-tasting, which is what I want in a vodka (unless it's buffalo grass vodka). When I used to drink vodka martinis, I wouldn't even necessarily mind Ketel in a martini. I had no idea it was sold in larger bottles. TIL. But on the Manhattan situation, oh boy. There are good bourbons that make horrible Manhattans (Maker's comes to mind) and good bourbons that make good ones (Jack, and don't start on the Tennessee sour mash thing; it's the same stuff). But there are no bad bourbons that make good Manhattans. It's impossible. I've tried. The best I've had involve some mid-high bourbons, and the worst I've had involve stuff that you find in handles.

I needed the two-way player. Can make a Manhattan, can drink on rocks. Four Roses did the trick at the right price.

We crossed each other--see above.

Also I know of a cognac that is $250 for a 1.5 oz pour at a place I used to frequent. No, I never did. No, it wouldn't be worth it to me. I remember texting with you about just this last fall--I was looking for bargain good bourbons. I'm just not a fan of either. Settled on Four Roses, right?

Cask strength is probably not right for me anyway, so no big deal... Ok then. Still, you're not getting anything of quality in those, are you? I mean, some utility vodka or whisky that you're just going to mix with something is fine, but I don't think I've ever seen anything in a bottle that big that I'd want to drink straight or over ice. Except like milk or lemonade or something.

@Weave what do you think? My thought is that they were lucky enough to have it in stock, if they ever did.

It's been the standard liquor size in the US for about forever--one fifth of a gallon, today approximated at 750 ml. In my experience, most of the good stuff isn't available in "handles" (1.5L).

Your friends are only getting "hooked up" because those prices are insane to begin with. At my neighborhood liquor store, Buffalo Trace is $32, Eagle Rare is $45 (but is out of stock, so price is probably jacked), and Wild Turkey 101 is $27, all for standard fifths. https://gatescircleliquor.com/shop/special-Bourbon/

Part of that is suggested by the sentence represented by @nfreeman's second ellipsis (freeman couldn't have quoted the entire answer and been within the bounds of what this board considers fair use of paywalled stuff): "That should help Botterill get a sense of how liberated Beane must've felt when the Bills gutted the roster Doug Whaley built." The key difference, though, is that Beane has proved himself to be capable, and Botterill has not.

That would explain why my response is not included.

This conversation SO belongs on barstools, but this is the best we can do for now. More to come...

It's $32 for a twelve-pack of soda? They have it at Wegmans. I didn't find it to be anything special. But yes, very very sugary.

They're playing this over and over tonight again.

I don't hate those, but I like a so-called "traditional" veggie burger, like a black bean burger or something, better. Lots of flavor there if it's done right. It's just not beef flavor.

I'm glad to have something to do, because my brain won't shut down... 1. Miller was MVP of the tournament, not the gold medal game. He started six games. Not too far from how many Crozier started in the playoffs in 1966. 2. I don't care if it came at the age of 95. No star's rookie year is their best, whether it be Roger Crozier or Ryan Miller. 3. Miller would have won Vezinas in the 60s and 70s. There's no way Crozier would have done the same in Miller's era (to use a comparison that you proposed) and certainly Crozier didn't back then. 4. Yeah, when it took four wins to get there, not twelve. 5. Crozier led his team to the finals once, not twice, and it only took four wins to get there. Miller won more games in that Olympics that you discount than it took Crozier to get the Red Wings to the finals. The other time Crozier went to the finals was in Buffalo, and he played roughly 28% of the available minutes in the playoffs. Desjardins led that team in that playoffs. Crozier was a heck of a goalie. Miller was better. There's no way I can look at a Miller highlight reel and even imagine Crozier doing the things Miller did. Anyway. I'm probably up for a little while longer if you want to go another round!

That's why I'm leaving it up.

Oh! I thought you meant the last question about O'Reilly. If you mean Crozier's Conn Smythe on the losing side, well, can't help you if you want to get back into that. Miller was a better goalie, and also managed to win two playoff series as a starter in two different seasons, something Crozier never did. A Calder is immaterial if we're talking about a player in his prime, and Crozier's losing-side Smythe is equalled by Miller's losing-side MVP in the Olympics. Crozier also never managed to win a Vezina, even in a six team league. And Miller would win that trophy ELEVENTY million times in Crozier's day. So yeah, it seems like nostalgia to me.