[erockrph]

My Uncle (mother's older brother) was a Catholic Priest, and one of the better people I have had the privilege to know. RIP, and God rest his soul. We got along like peas in a pod. I'll never forget one time I went to work on his computer, (he just loved MS word and publisher and PCs in general), and when we were done, he  gave me a Sake gift set and said here, if you like this sort of thing, this is supposed to be some really good Sake.  Gekkeikan Sake, I'll never forget it.  The set came with 4 glasses and a cool ceramic fired bottle.

I tried it and omg, it was horrible.  Not wanting to waste, I put it in the cupboard and yea, not drinking that sh&*^*.  Lmao.  This was in my early 20s. I had a party at my house later that summer with all the hoodlums in the neighborhood invited, it was an epic bash.  Midnight came and went, there were card games going, horseshoes and volleyball outside still, and loads of people massively drunk. A few talked about how they NEVER throw up, and I overheard this and I made a challenge to any takers.  Drink ONE shot of this Sake and you can't hurl, $10 bet/payout!  Not a single person was able to drink that crap without throwing chunks all over the yard.  I'm lol remembering it now.  One sip had been enough to give me dry heaves when I was sober, I couldn't imagine trying that stuff after 12 hours of drinking.

Yeah, Gekkeikan is definitely NOT the good stuff lol. It's like the Bud/Miller/Coors of sakes. There's nothing technically bad about it per se, but there's not a lot good about it, either. It's generally the stuff served hot at hibachi places, or watered down and filled in those little peeing boy water guns that they spray your mouth with around the grill. Sake is an acquired taste for many, but good sake is sublime. If you're up for trying some better quality stuff Tyku Black is a solid example that is widely available, at least in my area. Drink it cool or cold depending on your preference (white wine temps down to fridge temps).

[CounterPressure]

^^^^ They say it's been around for centuries. Like since the 1600s or so.  It didn't inspire me to go try other brands, that's for sure. For the most part I avoid distilled spirits. Thankfully I never acquired a taste for it and don't want to try now.  Some mixed drinks I can do, but rarely and few.

[Drewch]

^^^^ They say it's been around for centuries. Like since the 1600s or so.  It didn't inspire me to go try other brands, that's for sure. For the most part I avoid distilled spirits. Thankfully I never acquired a taste for it and don't want to try now.  Some mixed drinks I can do, but rarely and few.

Sake isn't distilled. It's essentially* unhopped 100% rice beer.

* I know this is a gross oversimplification.

[CounterPressure]

Sake isn't distilled. It's essentially* unhopped 100% rice beer.

* I know this is a gross oversimplification.

Cool, I was not aware of that. Never looked into what it was, I assumed it was some sort of spirits.  But a really bad sort, lol.

[craftyape]

I will definitely say that Malort made me feel like my insides got punched

[Andy Farke]

Many years ago when I was a grad student doing fieldwork in Madagascar, we were looking for some after-hours beverages. Tequila was super duper expensive, but the "tequila-flavored spirits" were super cheap. It turns out this was for a very good reason -- they smelled like baby wipes, and the flavor wasn't much better. I don't think we finished the bottle, which is saying something for grad students.

[Drewch]

Sake isn't distilled. It's essentially* unhopped 100% rice beer.

* I know this is a gross oversimplification.

Cool, I was not aware of that. Never looked into what it was, I assumed it was some sort of spirits.  But a really bad sort, lol.

I did too until after I started homebrewing and started reading about how different stuff was made ... wine vs beer vs sake vs cider vs whatnot...