My wife is an Advanced Cicerone, a Level II Sommelier, is certified in Sake and a number of other things as well. she is employed as a professional educator for one of the largest liquor distributors in the country. She teaches their staff, and any staff of their accounts who wish to learn more. It's safe to say we are beer wine and liquor snobs....to an extent.
That being said, I agree with the others here in that my tastes and preferences do not always coincide with others, and I do not spread my snobbery to others! An oft repeated saying in our house when among company is "drink what you love, love what you drink"
Yes, we have the bottles of high end wine, rare hard to find beers, and top shelf liquor. Note however, that is only a small part of our collection. We drink alot of what many folks would consider "low end" libations as well. Thats because there's a time and a place for just about everything (except coors light, haha).
i travel to breweries all the time and have been to $300 beer dinners, but on the flip side I have drank more Coors Banquet, Miller High Life, and PBR than anything else, and I still drink them regularly. There is value to beer as such.
95% of the wine we drink is less than $15 per bottle. Because I want to have a wine I'm going to enjoy and not worry about drinking when I sit down with the dinner we just made.
Of all the whiskey I consume, I hands down drink more Evan Williams than anything else. I love it. Love it love it love it. Do I sit there and sip it over ice? No, but its ideal for a number of cocktails and its dangerously cheap. Moscow Mules, Old Fashioneds (I find it too sweet for a manhattan, as I prefer perfect manhattans or dry), it excels in those roles. It constantly accompanies me on camping trips. Perfect woods whiskey. And Evan Williams, price wise, is pretty much at the lowest end of the spectrum. But, it's been around forever and does a great job at a number of things when I dont want to tap into a $50 bottle. at this price point, Evan is an incredible value at $15 for a half gallon...and its even classy enough to come in a glass bottle
Also, on that note, if you havent tried Evan Williams single Barrel, its worth a try. $35ish for a 750ml. I like it neat.
On scotch, I suck down a ton of this store brand stuff from Total Wine. I love me some Balvenie 21 Portwood, but its not always the right time to pour a dram from a $220 bottle. I've found my ideal "everyday" scotch. Shieldaig Highland is super peaty which obviously is not super typical of a highland, but its decent, and its like $16 for a 750ml. I drink that stuff like its going out of style.
So, in conclusion, theres something for everybody, we all have our favorites, whether it be taste or tradition or the memories associated with it. i understand this, I consider myself a bit of an aficionado, but i still drink what alot of people would consider swill. I'm never one to judge somebody on their libation of choice nor how they drink it...unless its coors light.
Well it ain't just the smoke and the traffic jam that makes me the bitter fool I am But this four-wheel buggy is A-dollaring me to death.
For gas and oils and fluids and grease, And wires and tires and anti freeze....And them accessories, Well honey, that's something else.
)