Bourbon & Rye
posted March 15, 2013 9:54 PM   RSS | iCal | +googleCal

Sat March 30 at 7:00 PM, My house
72 Lansing Street, San Francisco, CA, USA (Map & Directions)
Time for another San Francisco booze meetup! This time: Bourbon & Rye whiskeys!
We've done Scotch Whisky, we've done gin. Now let's come taste/drink a bunch of bourbon & rye whiskeys!

So come on over, and bring some yummy bourbon or rye! Bringing snacks is also a good idea, because then we can drink more whiskey! Add your stuff to the Google doc. (note that there's more than one sheet)

The place: 72 Lansing St, San Francisco.
The time: 7:00pm Mar 30.
posted by aubilenon to Meetup (86 comments total)

IT'S ABOUT GODDAMN TIME.
posted by asterix at 10:40 PM on March 15, 2013


By which I mean, thank you for actually making this happen! (Especially given how long this idea has been bouncing around.)
posted by asterix at 10:41 PM on March 15, 2013


I think I'm free that night. Will check the calendar tomorrow.
posted by spitefulcrow at 12:09 AM on March 16, 2013


Booking babysitter now.
posted by benzenedream at 8:35 AM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


This is relevant to my interests.
posted by 2bucksplus at 9:30 AM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


PBZM and I hope to make it, depending on his work schedule.
posted by Lexica at 10:40 AM on March 16, 2013


My mother's visiting that weekend, sadly I don't think she'd be into it.
posted by Space Coyote at 11:32 AM on March 16, 2013


Heck yeah.
posted by gingerbeer at 7:46 PM on March 16, 2013


These are the kind of sweet nothings I love having whispered in my ear. Lovely!
posted by mostlymartha at 11:51 PM on March 16, 2013


I'm not much of a brown liquor fan but I hope to find one I like at this meetup! The babysitters (aka my wife's parents who are fortuitously in town and eager for kid time) are booked and we will be there.
posted by zsazsa at 10:29 PM on March 17, 2013


Okay, here is the thing: unlike normal people, I work on Saturdays. Until 8:30 pm. Then I have to go home and walk the dog. Until like 10:00 pm. So I probably wouldn't show up until like 10:30 pm. But I do like me some bourbons and ryes and MetaFilter-ists.

So: latecomers welcome? If so, I'm in.
posted by trip and a half at 4:43 PM on March 18, 2013


trip and a half: Yes, latecomers are welcome. 10:30 will still give you a while to schmooze with folks who want to catch the last Caltrain home, and some folks will probably stay later than that.
posted by aubilenon at 5:23 PM on March 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


Similar question... I live north of the city and would need to drive (there and back) since the ferry is shit on Saturdays. Do you have parking space? Would my inability to parallel-park be a dealbreaker? Is this a silly idea since I'd have to wait around for ages until I sobered up?

P.S. I'm basically a giant fat squirmy weirdo.
posted by subbes at 7:07 PM on March 18, 2013


I don't have anywhere you can park that won't park in my neighbor.

There is metered parking all around the place, and the meters stop running at night, but you'd have to parallel park to use it. There are some parking lots within a couple of blocks, 2nd & Howard being the closest. Not sure how much they cost.

Driving is not a bad idea, provided you are able to plan your drinking accordingly. There will certainly be enough tasty things to drink that it will make sense to have smaller than usual servings, even for non-drivers. My expectation is that hanging out chatting with mefites while drinking water for an hour or two will still be enjoyable enough not to feel like "ages". If for whatever reason it happens that you're not ready to leave when everyone else is, you can help clean up take a nap on the couch until you're safe to drive.

Weirdos are welcome.
posted by aubilenon at 7:48 PM on March 18, 2013


Bonus: You and me and chatongriffes can start a secret CYOABC coalition! Shhh!
posted by aubilenon at 7:50 PM on March 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


Stop having cool-sounding meetups when I am out of town for Easter, you guys.

PS: I would like to gossip about CYOABC too. Secretly or not, whatever.
posted by purpleclover at 9:40 PM on March 18, 2013


Wow, I had no idea Easter was that weekend. I guess I should have been paying more attention to full moons and equinoxes. Sorry, purpleclover! We'll have more such meetups in the future!
posted by aubilenon at 10:26 PM on March 18, 2013


I hear you can simulate rising from the dead by surviving a hangover...
posted by chatongriffes at 12:01 PM on March 19, 2013 [3 favorites]


If people don't know which bourbons or ryes they should bring, I'm happy to provide suggestions. We've got a spreadsheet to fill out here, people!
posted by gingerbeer at 10:13 PM on March 19, 2013


Guys, I have tragic news. I'm going to Kentucky AFTER the meetup.
posted by chatongriffes at 2:59 PM on March 20, 2013


No, that's good, see, because then you can tell Kentucky all about the amazing bourbons you had that don't come from Kentucky! If you do it in the right tone of voice, the people you are addressing will take that as a challenge to take you to a bar and buy you a lot of Kentucky-made bourbons to show you how wrong you are.
posted by rtha at 3:16 PM on March 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


All righty, I think I'm going to try and come (I will borrow my husband's FasTrak and GPS, woo) and not squirm too much.

Is there a suggested snacks list? I don't want to be the person who brings a Giant Bottle Of Milk to the lactose-intolerant group.
posted by subbes at 4:35 PM on March 20, 2013


As a group, we are quite omnivorous. Past boozy meetups at aubilenon's have included snacking items from hummus to bacon jam to giant gourmet cupcakes to....well, like that.
posted by rtha at 4:53 PM on March 20, 2013


My plan is to let the spreadsheet fill up a bit more and then swing by Cask to pick up something(s) a) not on the spreadsheet and b) bourbon. This plan has always worked out for me in the past!
posted by grapesaresour at 5:37 PM on March 20, 2013 [3 favorites]


So sad to miss this!
posted by samthemander at 11:12 PM on March 20, 2013


subbes: As the number of people increases, the ratio of number of people who bring e.g., cheese to those who bring, say, jellied moose nos approaches the ratio of the who want to eat those respective items. So statistically speaking, everyone will be happy.

So, yeah, bring something you think is yummy, and the lactose intolerant people will just have to eat the bacon jam and hummus that other people brought.
posted by aubilenon at 2:27 AM on March 21, 2013


I like your plan, grapesaresour!
posted by gingerbeer at 9:57 PM on March 21, 2013


I will endeavor to attend and I doubt I will have to try very hard to entice my lovely wife to join me as well (she loves you people). I will make good use of gingerbeer's bourbon/rye list, as I am woefully unfamiliar with either of those liquors. We will likely also bring food of one kind or another.
posted by Pecinpah at 11:21 AM on March 22, 2013 [2 favorites]


I have added a few suggestions to the spreadsheet, with notes. There's a lot of lovely bourbon and rye out there, and you definitely don't have to spend $100 a bottle to get quite good stuff. Most are in the $20-60 range. BevMo has a good selection, and K&L Wines is shockingly close to aubilenon's (but closes at 6 pm on Saturday, so plan ahead.) If we run through those suggestions I can make some more. I have many opinions on this topic! And there are also lots of whiskeys that I've never tried and can hope someone else brings.
posted by gingerbeer at 6:26 PM on March 24, 2013


Cask and K&L are pretty much equidistant from my house. I don't think either of those stores is going to even have a shitty rye or bourbon on their shelves.
posted by aubilenon at 9:15 PM on March 24, 2013


Oh and Cask is open until 7 on saturdays.
posted by aubilenon at 9:17 PM on March 24, 2013


I will not be able to make it but I would like to point out that the traditional Metafilter Bacon Jam has bourbon in it. So... someone do some of that on my behalf.
posted by marylynn at 4:34 PM on March 25, 2013


I am so on the fence about this. It's happening on my birthday. On the other hand, the thing I was going to do instead fell through, so maybe that's a sign. Especially since I haven't been to a meetup since the Scotch session, which was terrific in every way.
posted by tangerine at 7:33 PM on March 26, 2013


tangerine: If you come to the meetup I will bake you a goddamn cake!
posted by aubilenon at 12:48 AM on March 27, 2013 [1 favorite]


tangerine, it's totally a sign. The universe wants you to celebrate your birthday with a bunch of people you like, and there's going to be a lot of excellent (free!) booze and food! Can't hardly lose. If you're really lucky, we will sing you an off-key (or maybe four-part harmony barbershop-style, who knows) version of the happy birthday song!
posted by rtha at 6:04 AM on March 27, 2013 [1 favorite]


Cake and harmony?! Oh man. Sold. I am SO IN.

Anyone up for another Caltrain pre-event? I'll be leaving from Mountain View.
posted by tangerine at 3:17 PM on March 27, 2013


earlier this month, i found myself suddenly unemployed. while this means i have the evening free, it also means i am achingly broke. but - i love, love, LOVE bourbon, and it has been a very long time since i had a chance to be part of a MeFi meetup. so - i RSVPd "yes" 'cuz i'd very much like to join in. i really hope i don't come across as a freeloader! i can bring some snackage, for sure. (if i can scrounge together some $$, i will bring a bottle. i can probably afford a half-pint, which ain't much, but would allow for "tasting".)
posted by lapolla at 7:08 PM on March 27, 2013


Shall we make Sazeracs or Manhattans with any of this fine liquor?
posted by benzenedream at 3:04 PM on March 28, 2013


Yes.
posted by rtha at 3:15 PM on March 28, 2013


I'll bring some absinthe and sugarcubes for the Sazeracs. Looks like Peychauds bitters are covered.
posted by benzenedream at 9:08 PM on March 28, 2013


Also I have some gum arabic on the way which they assure me will arrive in time for me to make a bunch of gomme syrup.
posted by aubilenon at 11:03 PM on March 28, 2013


Oh, rtha & gingerbeer, Bookers is considered "break glass in case of emergency" booze in my house. That's a nice addition for me atm. :)
posted by twiggy32 at 5:15 PM on March 29, 2013


lapolla, Old Overholt is one of the really reasonably priced ones that still is awesome. It's what my ex-bf and I always kept under the bathroom sink when visiting his parents.
posted by twiggy32 at 5:18 PM on March 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Aww, fuck. Y'all couldn'ta done this while I was there?

(Check out the Leopold Bros. Maryland Style Rye. It's amazingly good.)
posted by klangklangston at 5:22 PM on March 29, 2013


Okay, I'm officially in. No idea what I'll cook yet but I'll be sure to grab something tasty from either Cask or Healthy Spirits before heading over.
posted by spitefulcrow at 6:34 PM on March 29, 2013


Oh! I'm going to skip the food factor but bring some Cocchi Torino and Campari so we can make Boulevardiers, which are my latest cocktail discovery and like Negronis but better because they're made with whiskey.
posted by spitefulcrow at 6:36 PM on March 29, 2013


GUYS GUYS I JUST WENT TO RAINBOW WHILE HUNGRY AND ZOMG NOW THERE'S A LOT OF CHEESE
posted by aubilenon at 7:44 PM on March 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


Dammit! There goes my cheese idea!

klang - I've had that Leopold! I had it at, of all things, my work's holiday party, which was a lunchtime thing at a local restaurant with a (who knew?) very good bar. My boss (who is really my boss's boss, but my actual boss is in our DC office, but I digress...) and I share an appreciation for bourbons and ryes, and he has excellent taste and a generous credit card. It's quite...odd. Different. Very interesting. I'd like to have it again. Maybe I should go back to that place we had the party sometime...
posted by rtha at 8:07 PM on March 29, 2013


lapolla, you are so totally welcome to just show up and drink the whiskey. No need to bring anything except yourself!
posted by gingerbeer at 8:07 PM on March 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


I LIKE CHEESE! I AM EXCITE!
posted by grapesaresour at 8:09 PM on March 29, 2013


very very very sorry to have to pull out at the last minute. hopefully if there's another one I can actually make it!
posted by kenko at 8:36 PM on March 29, 2013


Last minute birthday trip to wine country! Have enough fun you'll do it again soon! /selfinterest
posted by politikitty at 8:44 PM on March 29, 2013


Maryland Style Rye.

Apparently the BevMo and a Mollie Stone's near my house carry this. Being born and raised in Maryland (and not able to let any of you forget it), I think this one's mine. Dibs on this thing which I did not know was a thing. Boozing helps me learn stuff!!
posted by sarahnade at 10:08 PM on March 29, 2013


Except it's already on the google doc!! foiled by grapesaresour!
posted by sarahnade at 10:14 PM on March 29, 2013


It's okay to bring more!
posted by gingerbeer at 10:15 PM on March 29, 2013


Except it's already on the google doc!! foiled by grapesaresour!

I got the 'american small batch whiskey.' Not the rye! Not foiled!
posted by grapesaresour at 11:12 PM on March 29, 2013


rtha: I have a lot of cheese but not like 40 people a lot of cheese. Don't cancel any cheese plans!
posted by aubilenon at 11:53 PM on March 29, 2013


Okay 30 people. But still.
posted by aubilenon at 2:14 AM on March 30, 2013


Cheese plans unfoiled! Whew.
posted by rtha at 8:18 AM on March 30, 2013


It being a religious time of year I'll bring along some Redemption!

My daughter and her friend (both 21+) might come, we'll see. Looks like cheese is spoken for, I'll see if I can whip up something.
posted by jasper411 at 10:00 AM on March 30, 2013


Wow, this is gonna be a big thing. Lots of people eatin' your cheese.
posted by subbes at 12:45 PM on March 30, 2013


Last second travel plans and the fact that as much as I want to love bourbon I always get sick after one drink mean that you'll all just have to imagine I'm there enjoying with you!
posted by Nimmie Amee at 2:35 PM on March 30, 2013


NOOOOO!!!!
posted by rtha at 2:37 PM on March 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


If anyone can't find the place, has last minute questions, or whatever, my phone number is 415 577 3785.
posted by aubilenon at 4:41 PM on March 30, 2013


Just to get everybody in the mood, here is NOLA cocktail legend Chris McMillian talking about the history the Sazerac while making one. He uses a smidge more water than most, but having had a Saz made my his hand, it's a marvelous thing.
posted by mostlymartha at 5:13 PM on March 30, 2013


Late notice I know, but I'm going to have to unRSVP. I didn't plan enough and right now I don't think I can cope with the long drive and difficulty parking. I've still got the IRL alert up though and I'll try to come to another thing.

Sorry anyone who was banking on the woodford reserve. I know I'm rubbish.
posted by subbes at 6:11 PM on March 30, 2013


I just watched the video and damn if I'm not thirsty for a Sazerac now.
posted by rtha at 6:16 PM on March 30, 2013


Where are you coming from subbes? I'm driving and I could give you a lift, if it's not too far out of the way.
posted by jasper411 at 6:19 PM on March 30, 2013


FYI for those trekking in from the East Bay: some idiot wrapped his car around something large and immobile (it's only rain, people!) and the entire 280 is shut down. The bridge is pretty fucked. Take BART if you can.
posted by spitefulcrow at 6:32 PM on March 30, 2013


Had to bow out at the last minute. Happy drinking folks.
posted by twiggy32 at 7:06 PM on March 30, 2013


Dangit, I missed my train. Have fun, folks!
posted by zsazsa at 7:16 PM on March 30, 2013


On the way with some tasty non-cheese goodness.
posted by zachlipton at 7:23 PM on March 30, 2013


jasper411: "Where are you coming from subbes? I'm driving and I could give you a lift, if it's not too far out of the way."

Thanks, Jasper, but I'm like an hour's drive north of the city!
posted by subbes at 7:39 PM on March 30, 2013


In an Uber on the way. Damn rain.
posted by spitefulcrow at 7:50 PM on March 30, 2013


Will be there soon.
posted by benzenedream at 9:07 PM on March 30, 2013


So much bourbon!
posted by gingerbeer at 9:17 PM on March 30, 2013


Lots of excellent liquor and company and ... Cheese.
posted by rtha at 9:48 PM on March 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Good night bourbon. Good night rye. Good night cheese.

Good night mefites everywhere.
posted by benzenedream at 12:28 AM on March 31, 2013 [6 favorites]


Thank you everyone and especially aubilenon for a bang-up bourthday. Good night bourbon cheese cheese baba ganoush gougères Canned Fucking Dough Crescents pie cake cheesecake cheese. Oh and Martha has redefined the cocktail dress for all time.
posted by tangerine at 1:57 AM on March 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Lovely, lovely, lovely evening! I'm honored to have sipped and supped in such fantabulous company.
posted by mostlymartha at 2:55 AM on March 31, 2013


just got in.
damn, the 38 geary is GRIM on a late saturday night. GRIM.

yet, i must concur with mostlymartha - LOVELY evening!(THANK YOU SO MUCH for the fabulous manhattan, and thanks to your charming fella, for the most excellent baseball banter!)

thank you Jessie, Lauren, Dzin and Mikhail (sp?) - you are AWSM hosts. and Victor, too.

thank you Sarahnade for the ride to fillmore!

Chatongriffe, i am contending with kitten claws right now... i truly appreciate the new words!

Benzenedream, that Canadian whiskey was really quite delightful. Sasketchewan produces some charming folk, it seems.

Zachlipton, i tripped over something in the dark , on the walk home; it turned out to be an alphabet block... of the letter Z!

happy birthday Tangerine!

everyone else - thanks so much for being totally cool - thanks for putting up with my drunken rambles - thanks for making it a great night. so glad i joined in!

ok now i think i am gonna pass out. G'NIGHT!

oh and - how 'bout that rainbow:-)
posted by lapolla at 4:08 AM on March 31, 2013


Thanks for coming out everyone! I had a great time, and my only complaint is that I didn't have enough time to talk to any one of you. (The Host's Curse?)

Mikkel is spelled Mikkel; I dunno much about spelling Norwegian names, but that's how he spells his.

(Also, while we're on the topic, I spell Jesse "Jesse". ("There's no 'I' in Jesse", as the motivational posters almost say)
posted by aubilenon at 5:05 AM on March 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Fantastic gathering, thanks so much for hosting, aubilenon!
posted by jasper411 at 10:47 AM on March 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Jesse, you are the best host and I always enjoy meetups at your house! Next time you should engage a co-host so you don't have to do everything!!

I dont know guys, maybe it was the company and the conversation, maybe it was the shared cheese-love, or maybe it was the tasty alcohol, but I feel rejuvenated and incredibly heart-warmed after last night.

Schmoopy tastes like winnemere spruce-cheese and smokey whiskey.
posted by sarahnade at 1:27 PM on March 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Thank you everyone for a great time and excellent whiskey, and huge thanks to aubilenon for the hosting (and for letting me taste his mysterious white powders imported from other countries.)
posted by gingerbeer at 9:29 PM on March 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


What's been running through my head all day in an odd chant: Michter's and Maker's and Booker's and Baker's.
posted by tangerine at 12:24 AM on April 1, 2013 [4 favorites]



This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments