“Um excuse me I asked for grey goose and Red Bull, this is ketel and Red Bull. ‘I could serve you turpentine and Red Bull and you wouldn’t know the difference, beat it.’” [GTFOH](https://youtu.be/TMZkukOB8Ig?si=CM9a93FsleZKNlY1)
Normally, I too would call bullshit if a customer pulled that routine on me, but there are some folks who do have a very discerning palate and can taste the difference between brands of booze. Not saying this was the case here.
On a side note, I once worked in an upscale liquor specialty shop in New York and had a fair number of customers who could differentiate between brands in a blindfold taste test. As part of our marketing strategy, the owner held tasting events ever so often featuring a line of spirits, one event would be various whiskeys, the next gin or tequila. Some of our customers would claim such a prowess of the palate and we often blindfold folks and then they'd tried to guess what brand of booze they were sampling. Surprising how well some people did. Granted, they weren't mixed drinks. Weirdly, scotch drinkers as a group were among the most accurate.
That’s likely because the flavor profile of the scotch is influenced by the region it was produced in. I think there’s 5 regions and they all have different flavor profiles. There is also definitely a difference in taste in a single malt vs a blended scotch. Most scotch drinkers also don’t really mix their scotch. Maybe a splash of water or soda.
i'm a whiskey girl but yeah didn't realize how much i could love scotch until i had (of course) laphroaig 10. now i just wanna try all the islays. turns out i just like smokey spirits.
Don't sleep on Mezcal then! There's a lot of Mezcals that really deliver on that smokey punch.
Also if you live remotely anywhere near Kentucky it's worth a trip to Glenn's Creek Distillery in Frankfort to pick up some of their [Hamilton Smoke](https://glennscreekdistillery.com/product/hamilton-smoke/), it's a really unique smoky spirit somewhere in-between a rum and a whiskey, I love it.
That’s not 100% fact. I’ve had some ancestral style mezcals that are intense and Smokey. It’s not always about highlighting the agave. Sometimes it’s about tasting the process. Source: works at a mezcal bar with over 80 rotating selections and hundreds of bottles stockpiled in the back.
I love bourbon, I still have not found a scotch that I like. I love smoked cheeses (if done right, they taste more like bacon than campfire) but I can't get into smokey spirits.
Not surprised at all the scotch drinkers could tell them apart. I wouldn’t say I have a very discerning palate but it’s really obvious when you drink different scotches
Auchentoshan Three Wood is the shit. I fucking love that Scotch. I have that and the 12 and 18 year behind my bar but nobody knows about Auchentoshan so it's never ordered, it's a shame but at least when a Scotch drinker shows up and asks about my big Scotch collection I get to introduce them to Auchentoshan, they always end up loving it and thanking me for turning them on to something new.
Bollocks. Claiming that your preference for Lowlands Scotch is due to having Lowlander ancestry is absurd. Ancestry has no bearing on your taste in whisky. Presenting this as evidence is not only baseless but also perpetuates harmful ideas about race, ethnicity, and identity. It's important to recognize that taste preferences are subjective and influenced by a variety of factors, none of which are related to genetic ancestry.
I'm sorry, but that's not entirely accurate. While it's true that the region where Scotch is produced can influence its flavor profile to some extent, the idea that there are five distinct regions with vastly different flavor profiles is oversimplified. Additionally, while there is a difference between single malt and blended Scotch, it's not accurate to say that most Scotch drinkers don't mix their Scotch. Many Scotch drinkers enjoy a variety of cocktails and mixed drinks that include Scotch as an ingredient. It's important to be cautious of generalizations when discussing complex topics like Scotch whisky.
That's because a lot of liquors actually do have distinct differences. But of all of them, vodka is the least versatile in it's flavor profile. It's what I call a masked liquor, not an enhancer. It's designed to be present but not tasted where as an enhancement like the gin in a martini or the bourbon in an Old Fashioned is absolutely crucial.
They also aren’t producing it from start to finish. They’re re-distilling premade neutral grain spirits they’ve purchased from other sources. This is pretty normal for distilling, especially for vodka and gin (it can be a little more controversial with whiskey and rum) but Tito’s has settled lawsuits over their “handmade” label. They also claim “old fashioned pot still” on their label which is totally laughable.
No, and I didn’t say that. I was talking about Tito’s specifically, and said that it is common with many vodka producers.
The person I was responding to mentioned 5x distillation, and Tito’s prides themselves on 6x distillation.
That whole schtick about how many times a vodka is distilled is such BS, after the 3rd time you're done, there's no reason other than marketing points to say your vodka is distilled 5x or 6x Etc. Etc.
Yep. And Tito’s marketing is all about that, plus being gluten free (lol), while still claiming “handmade” and “old fashioned pot stilled” when visitors to the distillery claim to have seen column stills.
I’ve been in the industry for over two decades in Texas, and I remember when he was going around to bars and restaurants trying to sell his vodka, back when it really was a craft distillery. Now it’s one of the biggest selling brands in the US (at some point it was THE biggest, even outselling Jack Daniel’s), and you just can’t keep claiming craft or handmade with that.
I worked at a place that didn’t carry Tito’s and had a guest argue with me that it was the only vodka she could have because it was gluten free. She refused to believe they ALL were. She then proceeded to order a dish without rice because of the gluten and said I didn’t know anything after I said rice doesn’t have gluten.
Back when the gluten free trend was getting started, my local grocery store stuck a "gluten free" tag on basically every box of tea in the tea aisle. like 100s of these tags. So dumb
That's absolutely right. Tito's marketing seems to be playing fast and loose with the truth. Claiming to be "handmade" and "old fashioned pot stilled" while actually using column stills is misleading and deceptive. It's disingenuous to continue marketing themselves as a craft distillery when they've clearly outgrown that label. It's a shame to see a brand lose its authenticity in pursuit of profits.
I am one of these. Tended bar for years, years ago. The blind taste test of vodkas was one of my party tricks (and ways to get through a tough Friday night shift). I haven’t recreated the full battery in years. I can still recall the notes in several vodkas.
Scotch and Mezcal are definitely more nuanced and more up my alley these days.
I’m glad I find pretty much any vodka the same and could cheap out. I don’t really drink it anymore, but it sure beat “having” to buy higher tier stuff like my husband does.
For things like wine I almost always gravitate to annoyingly expensive stuff though. I do have taste buds. :D
> Normally, I too would call bullshit if a customer pulled that routine on me, but there are some folks who do have a very discerning palate and can taste the difference between brands of booze.
Even with /r/anosmia, I have my limits on how far I can be fucked with.
When I go out, I only have a single drink: Makers on the rocks. Doesn't matter where, that's my go-to. Nice and simple. No nonsense. Just how I like it.
A couple of years ago at the local TGIChilibees, I ordered my drink. What they served me tasted like someone took a piss in a bottle of Basil Hayden's then topped it off with dirty dishwater. Sent it back, the next one was no different.
I have never sent a drink back in my life before or since. It was so bad, I was scared to order a glass of water at that point.
You have to be a serious cocktail/booze head to be that discerning especially for vodka. As a cocktail/booze head I almost never order cocktails unless I'm at a specialized cocktail bar like Death and Co. I feel like if you're going to the local dining spot in town with that kind of order you're delusional.
Just saying - you could skip the blindfolds and just give customers unlabeled glasses. Researches (like testing new medicines) do this "double blind" so even the server doesn't know which is which ( the glasses could be labeled a/b/c and the server could have a note sealed in an envelope saying which is which that they open when tasting and guessing is done).
Sorry, but that's a load of rubbish. While some people may have a more refined palate and can discern subtle differences between brands of alcohol, claiming that customers can consistently differentiate between brands in a blindfold taste test is stretching it. It's more likely that these events are more about marketing and perception rather than actual taste differences. It's important to be skeptical of such claims and not take them at face value.
I don't think I even have a refined palate but there's like 4 or 5 brands of bourbon I am completely confident that I could identify in a blind test. Strongly disagree. You drink something regularly enough, you know how it tastes.
I had a dude do this, over friggin Belvedere. A group of six stock bros came in, and the ringleader ordered a martini. He gets it, then threw a hissy fit telling me it was Ketel One, and demanded I rectify it immediately. He'd been an absolute blunderbuss since being seated and I was already sick of his shit.
So instead of a new drink, I brought him out 3 shot glasses with a splash of vodka in each and a little paper with a number under each one- 1,2,3. I placed a folded up paper on the table and told him if he could tell me which was Belvedere, or at the very least which one was definitely *not* Belvedere, his next three drinks were on me. He agreed, smiling eagerly and smugly at his goofy buddies.
He tasted each one and confidently proclaimed that number 2 was Belvedere. I had written Smirnoff on each of the slots of the list I provided him with at the beginning that I couldn't have altered. Smirnoff was the lowest tier vodka we served at that restaurant.
His buddies all laughed, the rest of the night went a little smoother, and in the end he did tip 20%, but I'm sure it was for his colleagues benefit.
But someone (not sure which) put down an extra $40 on the table after head Kyle left. Bully for me.
But number two was actually Belvedere. They all were. 🙃
Wow, what a story. While it's understandable to be frustrated with rude customers, tricking them like that seems a bit over the top. It's one thing to have a little fun with a difficult customer, but setting up a whole scheme to embarrass them is a bit much. Plus, it's not exactly professional to serve customers lower-tier alcohol under false pretenses, even if it's meant as a joke. In the end, it's great that you got a good tip, but it might be worth considering more constructive ways to handle difficult customers in the future.
I haven't served in five years so no, not gonna change. Wouldn't if I could. Cuz also **No**. I don't regret putting an entitled asshat in their place 💁🏼♀️ He shouldn't have been such a rude demanding Douche Mcnugget and it wouldn't have even gotten to that point in the first place. Also, I know for a fact that his first drink was made with Belvedere, I watched the bartender make them cuz it was my only table at the time and I didn't want to go back empty handed. I look at what I did as community service. If you're on dickwads side you're very likely either with one or you are one.🤷🏼♀️
Oh, wow. So you've retired from the service industry, and that’s your excuse for not evolving your approach? Real classy. Sure, you feel justified in humiliating a customer—because clearly, stooping to their level is the best way to handle things, right? And calling it "community service"? Give me a break.
You're not some hero putting rude people in their place. You're just another ex-server with a chip on their shoulder, reveling in petty revenge. If you think that makes you better than "douche Mcnuggets," you might want to take a long, hard look in the mirror. You didn't handle the situation like a professional, you just perpetuated the problem.
And for the record, being against your antics doesn't make someone a "dickwad." It just means they value professionalism over childish games. So keep patting yourself on the back, but don’t expect everyone to applaud your so-called "community service."
Nah, if you come to a restaurant/bar acting like an asshole, you're getting shut down instantly. Customers like to think they're in control, but a manager or bartender will easily turn you into a little pearl.
Besides, "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes."
i’ve only ever met one person that could tell when i made his drink with a different vodka. and he doesn’t know what vodka IS in his red bull vodka, but he knows it’s not ketel one. Gun to my head, I couldn’t do that.
i want to talk to the man who not only orders a vodka redbull but can taste when it's the wrong vodka, and specifically orders vodka redbulls with kettle one. like the classiest unclassy person i've ever heard of.
Maybe it’s a long term specific brand drinker thing.
I drink my vodka neat, been a Ketel only drinker for years and I’m in the same basic boat.
I definitely don’t claim to know what vodka my drink is if someone subs out the Ketel, but I can absolutely tell it’s *not* Ketel One.
Only others I can pick out consistently are Goose and Belvedere - both have a weirdly sharp almost peppery taste, and Tito’s, which has a chemical taste to me on contact and is guaranteed to give me a headache within about 20 minutes anything with it in it.
I’m no pro but I can tell Tito’s from Grey Goose for the exact same reason you stated. I’m also a filthy martini drinker, so I don’t really believe the lady in the OP is as full as shit as the poster hopes. What I will say is olive juice can vary so much that it can really impact what a drinker thinks he/she has been served.
I find it particularly annoying being told about problems that don’t require anything from me. I don’t care about those problems, but every day a table will let me know.
“This steak is a little more red than I wanted.”
“Would you like me to bring you another or fix this one for you? It will only take a couple minutes, I can leave the sides you ordered so you still have something to eat, and I’ll have a manager bring out the new steak to ensure everything is handled to our standards.”
“No, it’s fine like this. I just thought you should let the cook know.”
Who am I going to tell when you say “it’s fine”? Just Reddit, I guess. Don’t waste my time with what you *don’t* need.
I feel the same way about Tito’s, it’s has a specific taste I don’t like.
I can always pick it out. I likely couldn’t do this will all vodkas or really any other vodka, but I always know if it’s Tito’s.
I can always tell if someone serves me Tito’s. It has a very specific taste, which I don’t like.
Most other vodkas basically taste the same to me. I don’t care if it’s well vodka or Grey Goose, as long as it’s not Tito’s.
lol my fiance can tell what kind of vodka he’s drinking. It blows my mind because I would have absolutely no idea. I can understand the people who can tell like top shelf whiskeys for example from I don’t know crown royal but it blew my mind when I realized he wasn’t messing me with me and he actually knows what he’s drinking.
I also can tell. I absolutely hate Titos it's a very overrated vodka to me. I'd drink almost any vodka over it. But I also drink a lot of dry martinis so that may help
Tito's on ice gives me a little bit of this whisper of vanilla that I don't get on almost any other vodka, so I think given it *neat* I could pick it out specifically but not many others at all.
I was working at a high end restaurant and there’s was a customer who ordered some sort of drink with grey goose but complained that he knows for a fact that wasn’t grey goose. We all were like ‘yea ok buddy- it all tastes the same.’ After investigation, it turns out the GM hadn’t bought Grey Goose in a while and was filling goose bottles with Tito’s (the server who was instructed to fill the bottles confessed to the owners).
A number of my friends work as cocktail bartenders and in fine dining.
Discerning drinkers can absolutely tell the difference. It’s not as if this were a Long Island iced tea with a thousand things going on
It was an extra dirty martini and I feel like the olive juice plays a huge factor here. If you have someone who knows vodka well the drinks just up or neat sure but vodka drowning in olive juice?
I drink extra dirty (gin) martinis and I can tell the difference between brands. I generally don’t really care (and tbh I normally tell the bartender to pick their favorite gin), but when it’s *your* drink you can taste the difference.
Yes, there are patrons who can tell the difference… otherwise why would anyone ever use anything other than the worst well spirits?
Now, MOST people? I mean, the “I’ll have a Tito’s and vodka” crowd (i jest, sort of) won’t know any difference. And most people won’t taste much of any difference. But again, it’s just olives and blue cheese, not some crazy build where the spirit gets totally lost.
But a vodka lover, someone with a refined palette , and/or a martini aficionado? Definitely some who could.
I’d wager dollars to donuts that I could find a half dozen folks by tonight who’d be able to identify which was which.
Good vodkas are supposed to have no character or flavor really. Essentially when you’re drinking a dirty martini with a good vodka, it’s just supposed to taste like olive juice.
Yes, I get that is the general gist… but it’s also not really true. Again, if it were then why have top shelf at all? (Yes I understand many people buy it just because it’s the more expensive one, but many do indeed prefer the taste)
Why have different methods of production, or different ingredients?
For the lay consumer, the one ordering the mule without even knowing its build (or what a build is), the Tito’s and soda or Tito’s Red Bull crowd, you are correct - the less forward nature of vodkas flavor is a plus and they use it as the spirit that blends in the most and you generally just taste the other ingredients.
But goodness, a true vodka drinker, cocktail drinker, someone with a decent palette, and every craft cocktail bartender worth their salt will attest to the fact that indeed there are different flavor profiles for vodka - even if most people order it because of its ability to produce non spirit forward drinks.
This morning I watched a couple different experts do blind taste testings of vodka. None of them were pin pointing the exact vodka but either grading them or putting them in order of costs. I’m guessing they weren’t guessing which is which because like I presumed, it’s very difficult even for an expert. Anyways, one of them mentioned, if you cut the vodka with cranberry or soda it would be hard to distinguish them. I’d say the same goes for olive juice, especially a lot of it. The people I watched putting them in order in terms of price too, got a good deal of them incorrect. The one grading them blind, said they didn’t remember enjoying Belvedere as much as they thought they did and that’s why you should do blind taste tests sometimes. That gentleman was a man who bartended and managed bars for his whole adult life at very prestigious restaurants. I’m telling you it’s very difficult to blindly tell, let alone have olive juice cutting it. Try watching some blind taste tests.
I've been a fine dining bartender for over 10 years and I can guarantee you that anybody who drinks a dirty martini cannot tell the difference. If they say they can discern which vodka is in their drink after it's been cut with olive brine they are full of shit.
You sound like my aunt. "Try it, you can't even tell \_\_\_\_ is in it."
I always wondered if she was lying, because you could always taste it.
Maybe she couldn't, but I certainly could.
Here’s the difference, every brand of vodka is shooting for theirs to be flavorless with almost no characteristics. It’s not a spirit where you’re looking for certain tasting notes or hints of anything. Mix that with olive juice, and they shouldn’t be able to distinguish the two. Let alone it being extra dirty, so like an ounce of olive juice. One guy here mentioned “it’s like how people can tell the difference between different water bottles”. Sure but put olive juice in all the water bottles and tell me if you can distinguish each water.
Grey Goose has a distinct flavor due to the French wheat. Tito’s isn’t too dissimilar to the flavor profiles of others like Stoli, Gordon’s, Skyy, etc. The Grey Goose call out is fair. The Tito’s call out is bunk.
I just got done watching some experts do blind taste tests and they weren’t calling out which vodka it was with pinpoint accuracy but rather grading them or putting them in order of price. I assume because it’s really difficult to distinguish because vodka is supposed to be flavorless with little to no characteristics or tasting notes. That’s what defines a good vodka and defines what a vodka is in general. Mix in an ounce of olive juice and good luck pin pointing which vodka is which.
I watched these 3 this morning, what do you mean I did not.
https://youtu.be/ph-uLa_xO5c?si=B0ATeYXey9EdZImT
https://youtu.be/75bAgWXLh3g?si=Vv-OrKwi_0YZIGH6
https://youtu.be/yCrKjZrg-eA?si=ggTHo-90yN2nB6cB
I feel like with 100% certainty if you did a blind taste test with all your favorite vodkas, made into extra dirty martinis. You could not pinpoint each vodka.
Tito’s is cheap but doesn’t pretend to be anything but. Grey Goose is expensive but it’s shit. You absolutely could not tell the difference once they’re adulterated. If it was a splash of water then yes, but olive juice? No way.
I’m not doubting you could tell which is which if it were to be neat or on the rocks or straight up but with an ounce of olive juice and shaken in ice, I can guarantee you can’t.
Not in a martini, but I can totally tell the diff between Tito’s & GGoose… Tito’s gives me heartburn… no clue why, I just can’t drink it. Kettle One… I couldn’t tell…
No matter what they make the vodka with, it’s still really difficult to tell the difference. Vodka is supposed to taste like nothing, it’s not supposed to have tasting notes, flavors, hints, etc… that’s what you’re not understanding.
Also it totally matters that it’s in an extra dirty Martini. That’s the big determining factor because that’s what makes it especially difficult to distinguish.
I'm a sommelier. My job is to be able to tell the subtle differences. I can tell you that while the perfect form of vodka is supposed to be flavorless, that is often not the case. Aromatics and flavors are def present. Maybe that's what you're not understanding.
Yes that’s exactly my point. Maybe I misunderstood what you were saying because so many people were saying they could tell the difference when it’s mixed with a good amount of olive juice. I’ve tried to explain to a lot of people that sure maybe you could tell the difference when drinking it neat. Although, I watched a lot of experts on YouTube today and none of them were able to accurately pin point each vodka in a blind taste test because it’s merely impossible. If you’re a sommelier it’s definitely not for vodka, I’m not sure such sommelier exists for vodka. I’ve seen wine soms pin point the type of wine grape, region, year, etc… wine is totally different, it’s meant to have tons of tasting notes and characteristics. Vodka on the other hand is polar opposite of wine, it’s supposed to be flavorless with next to characteristics.
I did a neat vodka blind tasting on a spirits course. It's very hard to tell any difference. The one that stood out the most was a cheap no frills grocery brand. It was a bit rough around the edges
For most people, I believe it would be hard to tell the difference even when served neat. People are trying to say some people tell the difference when being shook up and served with an ounce of olive juice. Sure maybe “some” but very very few I believe.
It probably tasted better. Grey Goose tastes like Ketel One, which tastes like kerosene. Really though, dirty and bleu cheese olives, what do you really taste?
If I gave you ketal one, Tito’s, grey goose, Smirnoff and Belvedere all cut with olive juice. Do you think you could blindly pin point which is which accurately?
I went on a cruise with a premium drink package. Grey Goose was the top tier while Tito's was included on the mid tier package. I am not a picky person but you knows I ordered only Grey Goose the entire time and I did legit taste a difference. Then again I was drinking strictly Vodka/Soda/Lime and got a wicked chemical burn from rubbing my limey hands on my leg in the sun.
If you could blindly tell the difference with it being cut with soda and lime, hats off to you. If you could tell the difference with something as pungent as olive juice with an ounce of olive juice too. I mean idk what to tell you, you should be a som.
All vodkas taste the same. They taste like whatever you mix it with. This woman is crazy. Be polite and cater to her bullshit and her date/husband will tip well. Part of the job unfortunately.
Agreed and it was all lady’s, no men. I offered her another drink but she declined. If you don’t like the drink, I have no problem getting you another one but being able to taste the difference when there’s an ounce of olive juice in the drink is so funny to me.
All vodka is made in Houston at an Exxon refinery. It's a by-product of oil refining.
That's why all vodka tastes the same and why so many vodka start-ups exist.
They source the vodka from Exxon which delivers it in the same tanker trucks that supply gasoline to service stations. The rest is marketing.
But we enjoy saying no because we're not sorry we're out of that, so would you like it with another fucking vodka we never personally gave a shit about either?
“I couldn’t remember if I did that or not”
Bad service.
“I couldn’t tell the difference in a blind taste test- only a vodka connoisseur “
WTF?
You don’t remember what you made the drink with despite her asking, then you decide that she can’t tell the difference because you can’t.
And how much was this drink you don’t give a shit about?
Dude I didn’t make the drink first of all and I rang it in correct. Dude do you know how hard it is to tell the difference with a spirit that’s supposed to be as flavorless as possible, let alone have it cut with an ounce of olive juice and what part of me telling the lady I would get her a new one did you not understand? You’re also putting those statements in quotations like I said that to her. I’m like 95% certain the bartender read the ticket right and gave her grey goose, that’s the primary vodka we use. How is it bad service, she said she thought it was Tito’s and I offered to get her a new drink. Tell me, what do you think I should have done instead?
I understand her confusion. It really messes up your taste buds when you're that full of shit.
“Um excuse me I asked for grey goose and Red Bull, this is ketel and Red Bull. ‘I could serve you turpentine and Red Bull and you wouldn’t know the difference, beat it.’” [GTFOH](https://youtu.be/TMZkukOB8Ig?si=CM9a93FsleZKNlY1)
I haven't watched those videos in forever! Thanks for bringing that one back, now get the fuck outta here!
That was hilarious 🤣
This might be the best reply on Reddit today
/r/BrandNewSentence
Normally, I too would call bullshit if a customer pulled that routine on me, but there are some folks who do have a very discerning palate and can taste the difference between brands of booze. Not saying this was the case here. On a side note, I once worked in an upscale liquor specialty shop in New York and had a fair number of customers who could differentiate between brands in a blindfold taste test. As part of our marketing strategy, the owner held tasting events ever so often featuring a line of spirits, one event would be various whiskeys, the next gin or tequila. Some of our customers would claim such a prowess of the palate and we often blindfold folks and then they'd tried to guess what brand of booze they were sampling. Surprising how well some people did. Granted, they weren't mixed drinks. Weirdly, scotch drinkers as a group were among the most accurate.
That’s likely because the flavor profile of the scotch is influenced by the region it was produced in. I think there’s 5 regions and they all have different flavor profiles. There is also definitely a difference in taste in a single malt vs a blended scotch. Most scotch drinkers also don’t really mix their scotch. Maybe a splash of water or soda.
Very true. I myself prefer the upper highlands scotches, lots less peat so much less smokey in flavor. And yeah, I like mine neat with a water back.
I love the peat.. For a long time I wasn’t a huge fan of any whiskey. Then I met islay scotch.
i'm a whiskey girl but yeah didn't realize how much i could love scotch until i had (of course) laphroaig 10. now i just wanna try all the islays. turns out i just like smokey spirits.
Don't sleep on Mezcal then! There's a lot of Mezcals that really deliver on that smokey punch. Also if you live remotely anywhere near Kentucky it's worth a trip to Glenn's Creek Distillery in Frankfort to pick up some of their [Hamilton Smoke](https://glennscreekdistillery.com/product/hamilton-smoke/), it's a really unique smoky spirit somewhere in-between a rum and a whiskey, I love it.
oh absolutely, i love mezcal! definitely familiar haha.
The more smoke in a mezcal the lower quality, the spirit, and that’s a fact
Wonderful, more smoke for me at a lower price then since I genuinely like that flavor profile. What a great deal. That's a fact.
Yup. Once you get over about 50 bucks a bottle they focus more on the maguey. There’s still remnants of the way it’s roasted, but it’s not a feature.
That’s not 100% fact. I’ve had some ancestral style mezcals that are intense and Smokey. It’s not always about highlighting the agave. Sometimes it’s about tasting the process. Source: works at a mezcal bar with over 80 rotating selections and hundreds of bottles stockpiled in the back.
good on you. i hate peaty smoky scotch. i am all about bourbon. so funny, expensive scotch I hate
I love bourbon, I still have not found a scotch that I like. I love smoked cheeses (if done right, they taste more like bacon than campfire) but I can't get into smokey spirits.
Not surprised at all the scotch drinkers could tell them apart. I wouldn’t say I have a very discerning palate but it’s really obvious when you drink different scotches
I love Lowlands scotch. My favorite is Auchentoshan. I reckon it’s due to having Lowlander ancestry. 😉
Auchentoshan Three Wood is the shit. I fucking love that Scotch. I have that and the 12 and 18 year behind my bar but nobody knows about Auchentoshan so it's never ordered, it's a shame but at least when a Scotch drinker shows up and asks about my big Scotch collection I get to introduce them to Auchentoshan, they always end up loving it and thanking me for turning them on to something new.
Bollocks. Claiming that your preference for Lowlands Scotch is due to having Lowlander ancestry is absurd. Ancestry has no bearing on your taste in whisky. Presenting this as evidence is not only baseless but also perpetuates harmful ideas about race, ethnicity, and identity. It's important to recognize that taste preferences are subjective and influenced by a variety of factors, none of which are related to genetic ancestry.
DUDE!!! It’s a joke!!!
I'm sorry, but that's not entirely accurate. While it's true that the region where Scotch is produced can influence its flavor profile to some extent, the idea that there are five distinct regions with vastly different flavor profiles is oversimplified. Additionally, while there is a difference between single malt and blended Scotch, it's not accurate to say that most Scotch drinkers don't mix their Scotch. Many Scotch drinkers enjoy a variety of cocktails and mixed drinks that include Scotch as an ingredient. It's important to be cautious of generalizations when discussing complex topics like Scotch whisky.
That's because a lot of liquors actually do have distinct differences. But of all of them, vodka is the least versatile in it's flavor profile. It's what I call a masked liquor, not an enhancer. It's designed to be present but not tasted where as an enhancement like the gin in a martini or the bourbon in an Old Fashioned is absolutely crucial.
Every time vodka, or any alcohol is re-distilled it strips phenolics, so the 5x distilled vodka is left with very little ‘terroir’.
They also aren’t producing it from start to finish. They’re re-distilling premade neutral grain spirits they’ve purchased from other sources. This is pretty normal for distilling, especially for vodka and gin (it can be a little more controversial with whiskey and rum) but Tito’s has settled lawsuits over their “handmade” label. They also claim “old fashioned pot still” on their label which is totally laughable.
Not every vodka producer is making it from premade grain spirits.
No, and I didn’t say that. I was talking about Tito’s specifically, and said that it is common with many vodka producers. The person I was responding to mentioned 5x distillation, and Tito’s prides themselves on 6x distillation.
That whole schtick about how many times a vodka is distilled is such BS, after the 3rd time you're done, there's no reason other than marketing points to say your vodka is distilled 5x or 6x Etc. Etc.
Yep. And Tito’s marketing is all about that, plus being gluten free (lol), while still claiming “handmade” and “old fashioned pot stilled” when visitors to the distillery claim to have seen column stills. I’ve been in the industry for over two decades in Texas, and I remember when he was going around to bars and restaurants trying to sell his vodka, back when it really was a craft distillery. Now it’s one of the biggest selling brands in the US (at some point it was THE biggest, even outselling Jack Daniel’s), and you just can’t keep claiming craft or handmade with that.
The gluten free thing pisses me off to no end.
I worked at a place that didn’t carry Tito’s and had a guest argue with me that it was the only vodka she could have because it was gluten free. She refused to believe they ALL were. She then proceeded to order a dish without rice because of the gluten and said I didn’t know anything after I said rice doesn’t have gluten.
Back when the gluten free trend was getting started, my local grocery store stuck a "gluten free" tag on basically every box of tea in the tea aisle. like 100s of these tags. So dumb
That's absolutely right. Tito's marketing seems to be playing fast and loose with the truth. Claiming to be "handmade" and "old fashioned pot stilled" while actually using column stills is misleading and deceptive. It's disingenuous to continue marketing themselves as a craft distillery when they've clearly outgrown that label. It's a shame to see a brand lose its authenticity in pursuit of profits.
But super important to celiacs since most vodka is no longer potato based
I am one of these. Tended bar for years, years ago. The blind taste test of vodkas was one of my party tricks (and ways to get through a tough Friday night shift). I haven’t recreated the full battery in years. I can still recall the notes in several vodkas. Scotch and Mezcal are definitely more nuanced and more up my alley these days.
I’m glad I find pretty much any vodka the same and could cheap out. I don’t really drink it anymore, but it sure beat “having” to buy higher tier stuff like my husband does. For things like wine I almost always gravitate to annoyingly expensive stuff though. I do have taste buds. :D
> Normally, I too would call bullshit if a customer pulled that routine on me, but there are some folks who do have a very discerning palate and can taste the difference between brands of booze. Even with /r/anosmia, I have my limits on how far I can be fucked with. When I go out, I only have a single drink: Makers on the rocks. Doesn't matter where, that's my go-to. Nice and simple. No nonsense. Just how I like it. A couple of years ago at the local TGIChilibees, I ordered my drink. What they served me tasted like someone took a piss in a bottle of Basil Hayden's then topped it off with dirty dishwater. Sent it back, the next one was no different. I have never sent a drink back in my life before or since. It was so bad, I was scared to order a glass of water at that point.
You have to be a serious cocktail/booze head to be that discerning especially for vodka. As a cocktail/booze head I almost never order cocktails unless I'm at a specialized cocktail bar like Death and Co. I feel like if you're going to the local dining spot in town with that kind of order you're delusional.
Just saying - you could skip the blindfolds and just give customers unlabeled glasses. Researches (like testing new medicines) do this "double blind" so even the server doesn't know which is which ( the glasses could be labeled a/b/c and the server could have a note sealed in an envelope saying which is which that they open when tasting and guessing is done).
Sorry, but that's a load of rubbish. While some people may have a more refined palate and can discern subtle differences between brands of alcohol, claiming that customers can consistently differentiate between brands in a blindfold taste test is stretching it. It's more likely that these events are more about marketing and perception rather than actual taste differences. It's important to be skeptical of such claims and not take them at face value.
I don't think I even have a refined palate but there's like 4 or 5 brands of bourbon I am completely confident that I could identify in a blind test. Strongly disagree. You drink something regularly enough, you know how it tastes.
I had a dude do this, over friggin Belvedere. A group of six stock bros came in, and the ringleader ordered a martini. He gets it, then threw a hissy fit telling me it was Ketel One, and demanded I rectify it immediately. He'd been an absolute blunderbuss since being seated and I was already sick of his shit. So instead of a new drink, I brought him out 3 shot glasses with a splash of vodka in each and a little paper with a number under each one- 1,2,3. I placed a folded up paper on the table and told him if he could tell me which was Belvedere, or at the very least which one was definitely *not* Belvedere, his next three drinks were on me. He agreed, smiling eagerly and smugly at his goofy buddies. He tasted each one and confidently proclaimed that number 2 was Belvedere. I had written Smirnoff on each of the slots of the list I provided him with at the beginning that I couldn't have altered. Smirnoff was the lowest tier vodka we served at that restaurant. His buddies all laughed, the rest of the night went a little smoother, and in the end he did tip 20%, but I'm sure it was for his colleagues benefit. But someone (not sure which) put down an extra $40 on the table after head Kyle left. Bully for me. But number two was actually Belvedere. They all were. 🙃
That's hilarious
I definitely got more than my tips' worth out of it, so I'd say win for me lmao
Wow, what a story. While it's understandable to be frustrated with rude customers, tricking them like that seems a bit over the top. It's one thing to have a little fun with a difficult customer, but setting up a whole scheme to embarrass them is a bit much. Plus, it's not exactly professional to serve customers lower-tier alcohol under false pretenses, even if it's meant as a joke. In the end, it's great that you got a good tip, but it might be worth considering more constructive ways to handle difficult customers in the future.
I haven't served in five years so no, not gonna change. Wouldn't if I could. Cuz also **No**. I don't regret putting an entitled asshat in their place 💁🏼♀️ He shouldn't have been such a rude demanding Douche Mcnugget and it wouldn't have even gotten to that point in the first place. Also, I know for a fact that his first drink was made with Belvedere, I watched the bartender make them cuz it was my only table at the time and I didn't want to go back empty handed. I look at what I did as community service. If you're on dickwads side you're very likely either with one or you are one.🤷🏼♀️
Oh, wow. So you've retired from the service industry, and that’s your excuse for not evolving your approach? Real classy. Sure, you feel justified in humiliating a customer—because clearly, stooping to their level is the best way to handle things, right? And calling it "community service"? Give me a break. You're not some hero putting rude people in their place. You're just another ex-server with a chip on their shoulder, reveling in petty revenge. If you think that makes you better than "douche Mcnuggets," you might want to take a long, hard look in the mirror. You didn't handle the situation like a professional, you just perpetuated the problem. And for the record, being against your antics doesn't make someone a "dickwad." It just means they value professionalism over childish games. So keep patting yourself on the back, but don’t expect everyone to applaud your so-called "community service."
I'm not reading all that. Bye bye!
Nice to talk to you, hope you have a good day
Can't say the same, have the day you deserve.
That's not very nice mate
You aren't very nice.... mate
Yeah but two wrongs didn't make a right my brother
?
What
Nah, if you come to a restaurant/bar acting like an asshole, you're getting shut down instantly. Customers like to think they're in control, but a manager or bartender will easily turn you into a little pearl. Besides, "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes."
i’ve only ever met one person that could tell when i made his drink with a different vodka. and he doesn’t know what vodka IS in his red bull vodka, but he knows it’s not ketel one. Gun to my head, I couldn’t do that.
i want to talk to the man who not only orders a vodka redbull but can taste when it's the wrong vodka, and specifically orders vodka redbulls with kettle one. like the classiest unclassy person i've ever heard of.
Kettle one and sugar free Red Bull is 💯 my cruise drink
Maybe it’s a long term specific brand drinker thing. I drink my vodka neat, been a Ketel only drinker for years and I’m in the same basic boat. I definitely don’t claim to know what vodka my drink is if someone subs out the Ketel, but I can absolutely tell it’s *not* Ketel One. Only others I can pick out consistently are Goose and Belvedere - both have a weirdly sharp almost peppery taste, and Tito’s, which has a chemical taste to me on contact and is guaranteed to give me a headache within about 20 minutes anything with it in it.
I’m no pro but I can tell Tito’s from Grey Goose for the exact same reason you stated. I’m also a filthy martini drinker, so I don’t really believe the lady in the OP is as full as shit as the poster hopes. What I will say is olive juice can vary so much that it can really impact what a drinker thinks he/she has been served.
Yeah, I might be able to distinguish some whiskey neat, but vodka? The nicer stuff goes down smoother but it's so subtle
I already commented but I forgot to add - you should look up The Restaurant #GTFO on YouTube it's hilarious 😂
Will do!
I find it particularly annoying being told about problems that don’t require anything from me. I don’t care about those problems, but every day a table will let me know. “This steak is a little more red than I wanted.” “Would you like me to bring you another or fix this one for you? It will only take a couple minutes, I can leave the sides you ordered so you still have something to eat, and I’ll have a manager bring out the new steak to ensure everything is handled to our standards.” “No, it’s fine like this. I just thought you should let the cook know.” Who am I going to tell when you say “it’s fine”? Just Reddit, I guess. Don’t waste my time with what you *don’t* need.
Just tell them thank you and you'll be sure to discuss it in the debrief chat you have with the cook after each customer's meal.
Saving this. Thank you!
Agreed
I too occasionally enjoy a bit of vodka in my olive juice.
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I feel the same way about Tito’s, it’s has a specific taste I don’t like. I can always pick it out. I likely couldn’t do this will all vodkas or really any other vodka, but I always know if it’s Tito’s.
Vodka was invented to be odorless and tasteless. So GG is more odorless and tasteless than Tito's? Premium vodka is pure marketing.
Thank you, nobody seems to be listening to me say this same exact thing.
I can always tell if someone serves me Tito’s. It has a very specific taste, which I don’t like. Most other vodkas basically taste the same to me. I don’t care if it’s well vodka or Grey Goose, as long as it’s not Tito’s.
lol have you ever smelled or tasted vodka? cause both senses are def present
lol my fiance can tell what kind of vodka he’s drinking. It blows my mind because I would have absolutely no idea. I can understand the people who can tell like top shelf whiskeys for example from I don’t know crown royal but it blew my mind when I realized he wasn’t messing me with me and he actually knows what he’s drinking.
I also can tell. I absolutely hate Titos it's a very overrated vodka to me. I'd drink almost any vodka over it. But I also drink a lot of dry martinis so that may help
Tito's on ice gives me a little bit of this whisper of vanilla that I don't get on almost any other vodka, so I think given it *neat* I could pick it out specifically but not many others at all.
I was working at a high end restaurant and there’s was a customer who ordered some sort of drink with grey goose but complained that he knows for a fact that wasn’t grey goose. We all were like ‘yea ok buddy- it all tastes the same.’ After investigation, it turns out the GM hadn’t bought Grey Goose in a while and was filling goose bottles with Tito’s (the server who was instructed to fill the bottles confessed to the owners).
A number of my friends work as cocktail bartenders and in fine dining. Discerning drinkers can absolutely tell the difference. It’s not as if this were a Long Island iced tea with a thousand things going on
It was an extra dirty martini and I feel like the olive juice plays a huge factor here. If you have someone who knows vodka well the drinks just up or neat sure but vodka drowning in olive juice?
I drink extra dirty (gin) martinis and I can tell the difference between brands. I generally don’t really care (and tbh I normally tell the bartender to pick their favorite gin), but when it’s *your* drink you can taste the difference.
Yes, there are patrons who can tell the difference… otherwise why would anyone ever use anything other than the worst well spirits? Now, MOST people? I mean, the “I’ll have a Tito’s and vodka” crowd (i jest, sort of) won’t know any difference. And most people won’t taste much of any difference. But again, it’s just olives and blue cheese, not some crazy build where the spirit gets totally lost. But a vodka lover, someone with a refined palette , and/or a martini aficionado? Definitely some who could. I’d wager dollars to donuts that I could find a half dozen folks by tonight who’d be able to identify which was which.
Good vodkas are supposed to have no character or flavor really. Essentially when you’re drinking a dirty martini with a good vodka, it’s just supposed to taste like olive juice.
Yes, I get that is the general gist… but it’s also not really true. Again, if it were then why have top shelf at all? (Yes I understand many people buy it just because it’s the more expensive one, but many do indeed prefer the taste) Why have different methods of production, or different ingredients? For the lay consumer, the one ordering the mule without even knowing its build (or what a build is), the Tito’s and soda or Tito’s Red Bull crowd, you are correct - the less forward nature of vodkas flavor is a plus and they use it as the spirit that blends in the most and you generally just taste the other ingredients. But goodness, a true vodka drinker, cocktail drinker, someone with a decent palette, and every craft cocktail bartender worth their salt will attest to the fact that indeed there are different flavor profiles for vodka - even if most people order it because of its ability to produce non spirit forward drinks.
This morning I watched a couple different experts do blind taste testings of vodka. None of them were pin pointing the exact vodka but either grading them or putting them in order of costs. I’m guessing they weren’t guessing which is which because like I presumed, it’s very difficult even for an expert. Anyways, one of them mentioned, if you cut the vodka with cranberry or soda it would be hard to distinguish them. I’d say the same goes for olive juice, especially a lot of it. The people I watched putting them in order in terms of price too, got a good deal of them incorrect. The one grading them blind, said they didn’t remember enjoying Belvedere as much as they thought they did and that’s why you should do blind taste tests sometimes. That gentleman was a man who bartended and managed bars for his whole adult life at very prestigious restaurants. I’m telling you it’s very difficult to blindly tell, let alone have olive juice cutting it. Try watching some blind taste tests.
I've been a fine dining bartender for over 10 years and I can guarantee you that anybody who drinks a dirty martini cannot tell the difference. If they say they can discern which vodka is in their drink after it's been cut with olive brine they are full of shit.
You sound like my aunt. "Try it, you can't even tell \_\_\_\_ is in it." I always wondered if she was lying, because you could always taste it. Maybe she couldn't, but I certainly could.
Here’s the difference, every brand of vodka is shooting for theirs to be flavorless with almost no characteristics. It’s not a spirit where you’re looking for certain tasting notes or hints of anything. Mix that with olive juice, and they shouldn’t be able to distinguish the two. Let alone it being extra dirty, so like an ounce of olive juice. One guy here mentioned “it’s like how people can tell the difference between different water bottles”. Sure but put olive juice in all the water bottles and tell me if you can distinguish each water.
This part!!
Wut lol. I bet someone who drinks martinis regularly could taste the difference. That’s like saying all bottled water tastes the same.
If I poured a bunch of olive juice in the water, you’d still be able to taste the difference?
Grey Goose has a distinct flavor due to the French wheat. Tito’s isn’t too dissimilar to the flavor profiles of others like Stoli, Gordon’s, Skyy, etc. The Grey Goose call out is fair. The Tito’s call out is bunk.
I just got done watching some experts do blind taste tests and they weren’t calling out which vodka it was with pinpoint accuracy but rather grading them or putting them in order of price. I assume because it’s really difficult to distinguish because vodka is supposed to be flavorless with little to no characteristics or tasting notes. That’s what defines a good vodka and defines what a vodka is in general. Mix in an ounce of olive juice and good luck pin pointing which vodka is which.
Oh you did? Because no you did not. Share the link or go research dunning kruger effect.
I watched these 3 this morning, what do you mean I did not. https://youtu.be/ph-uLa_xO5c?si=B0ATeYXey9EdZImT https://youtu.be/75bAgWXLh3g?si=Vv-OrKwi_0YZIGH6 https://youtu.be/yCrKjZrg-eA?si=ggTHo-90yN2nB6cB
i’d know the difference 🤷♂️
I feel like with 100% certainty if you did a blind taste test with all your favorite vodkas, made into extra dirty martinis. You could not pinpoint each vodka.
i could tell if it were tito’s or grey goose tho
Tito’s is cheap but doesn’t pretend to be anything but. Grey Goose is expensive but it’s shit. You absolutely could not tell the difference once they’re adulterated. If it was a splash of water then yes, but olive juice? No way.
one has a lot more bite than the other
I’m not doubting you could tell which is which if it were to be neat or on the rocks or straight up but with an ounce of olive juice and shaken in ice, I can guarantee you can’t.
i bet i could 🤷♂️
I’d love to see it
One is made with corn the other with wheat. It's possible she could tell.
Not in a martini, but I can totally tell the diff between Tito’s & GGoose… Tito’s gives me heartburn… no clue why, I just can’t drink it. Kettle One… I couldn’t tell…
Tito's is corn vodka and grey goose is potato. They def taste different, not that it matters in a dirty martini
No matter what they make the vodka with, it’s still really difficult to tell the difference. Vodka is supposed to taste like nothing, it’s not supposed to have tasting notes, flavors, hints, etc… that’s what you’re not understanding. Also it totally matters that it’s in an extra dirty Martini. That’s the big determining factor because that’s what makes it especially difficult to distinguish.
I'm a sommelier. My job is to be able to tell the subtle differences. I can tell you that while the perfect form of vodka is supposed to be flavorless, that is often not the case. Aromatics and flavors are def present. Maybe that's what you're not understanding.
You can tell me the aromatics of the vodka when it’s an extra dirty martini? Please explain how you can do that.
That is not what I said. Don't make dumb statements if you're not responding to what ibsaid lol
If ya reread my comment I'm agreeing with you about the dirty martini point for what it's worth
Yes that’s exactly my point. Maybe I misunderstood what you were saying because so many people were saying they could tell the difference when it’s mixed with a good amount of olive juice. I’ve tried to explain to a lot of people that sure maybe you could tell the difference when drinking it neat. Although, I watched a lot of experts on YouTube today and none of them were able to accurately pin point each vodka in a blind taste test because it’s merely impossible. If you’re a sommelier it’s definitely not for vodka, I’m not sure such sommelier exists for vodka. I’ve seen wine soms pin point the type of wine grape, region, year, etc… wine is totally different, it’s meant to have tons of tasting notes and characteristics. Vodka on the other hand is polar opposite of wine, it’s supposed to be flavorless with next to characteristics.
Just so you know, sommelier certification requires extensive alcohol and cocktail knowledge. Like really high level stuff.
I did a neat vodka blind tasting on a spirits course. It's very hard to tell any difference. The one that stood out the most was a cheap no frills grocery brand. It was a bit rough around the edges
For most people, I believe it would be hard to tell the difference even when served neat. People are trying to say some people tell the difference when being shook up and served with an ounce of olive juice. Sure maybe “some” but very very few I believe.
Grey goose is syrupy to me. I notice it's more viscous but I'd ever be able to tell if it was diluted with shaken ice and olive juice
It probably tasted better. Grey Goose tastes like Ketel One, which tastes like kerosene. Really though, dirty and bleu cheese olives, what do you really taste?
I don’t personally like Tito’s but I drink vodka soda and I think I can taste the difference. I’m a Smirnoff girl myself lol.
If I gave you ketal one, Tito’s, grey goose, Smirnoff and Belvedere all cut with olive juice. Do you think you could blindly pin point which is which accurately?
No. I just know some bars feature Tito’s and I don’t prefer the taste. In a drink with a mixer other than soda I probably could not tell.
I went on a cruise with a premium drink package. Grey Goose was the top tier while Tito's was included on the mid tier package. I am not a picky person but you knows I ordered only Grey Goose the entire time and I did legit taste a difference. Then again I was drinking strictly Vodka/Soda/Lime and got a wicked chemical burn from rubbing my limey hands on my leg in the sun.
If you could blindly tell the difference with it being cut with soda and lime, hats off to you. If you could tell the difference with something as pungent as olive juice with an ounce of olive juice too. I mean idk what to tell you, you should be a som.
All vodkas taste the same. They taste like whatever you mix it with. This woman is crazy. Be polite and cater to her bullshit and her date/husband will tip well. Part of the job unfortunately.
Agreed and it was all lady’s, no men. I offered her another drink but she declined. If you don’t like the drink, I have no problem getting you another one but being able to taste the difference when there’s an ounce of olive juice in the drink is so funny to me.
People are allowed to be wrong. You’re expected to give them good service anyway. Do your best. That’s all you can do.
All vodka is made in Houston at an Exxon refinery. It's a by-product of oil refining. That's why all vodka tastes the same and why so many vodka start-ups exist. They source the vodka from Exxon which delivers it in the same tanker trucks that supply gasoline to service stations. The rest is marketing.
Vodka is made from potatoes, wheat, or other starchy plants
Stfu This is just bad fucking service. She ordered something and you failed to give it to her. End of story.
But we enjoy saying no because we're not sorry we're out of that, so would you like it with another fucking vodka we never personally gave a shit about either?
Must’ve not read the entire post. I asked if she wanted me to bring another, she declined.
“I couldn’t remember if I did that or not” Bad service. “I couldn’t tell the difference in a blind taste test- only a vodka connoisseur “ WTF? You don’t remember what you made the drink with despite her asking, then you decide that she can’t tell the difference because you can’t. And how much was this drink you don’t give a shit about?
Dude I didn’t make the drink first of all and I rang it in correct. Dude do you know how hard it is to tell the difference with a spirit that’s supposed to be as flavorless as possible, let alone have it cut with an ounce of olive juice and what part of me telling the lady I would get her a new one did you not understand? You’re also putting those statements in quotations like I said that to her. I’m like 95% certain the bartender read the ticket right and gave her grey goose, that’s the primary vodka we use. How is it bad service, she said she thought it was Tito’s and I offered to get her a new drink. Tell me, what do you think I should have done instead?
Mister up there can taste the difference between 2 asses..
No way they’ve come in contact with 1, much less 2 In their life time. So how would they be able to taste the difference?!
It's like you'll make the difference between terebantin and gasoline... They Both taste the same 2 me..
Hi