What Our Parents Drank.

[cowdery]

Ken's post in the Kentucky Tavern thread gave me this idea. What did your parents drink when you were growing up? Please don't answer if they got drunk every night and beat you, but if your beverage alcohol example in the home was a positive one, share it here.

My parents drank Mattingly & Moore, the cheapest straight bourbon they could buy in control state Ohio. My parents believed that anything worth doing was worth doing exactly the same way every single day of your life. When my dad came home from work, mom would pour a bourbon on the rocks for each of them. Dad would have his at the table. Mom sometimes would sit but usually she was finishing making dinner. They would drink their drinks and talk about their days. We kids were usually in the next room watching old Three Stooges shorts.

[BourbonJoe]

My parents did not drink hard liquor (my dad may have had one once in awhile). They were beer drinkers. They drank Rolling Rock. They drank LOTS of Rolling Rock. I was sadend to hear that Rolling Rock will no longer be made in Latrobe, PA. They sold out (I think to Busch) and are moving the operation to New Jersey. Heaven forbid. It will now probably glow in the dark. If my old man knew that, he'd roll over in his grave.

Joe :hot:

[elkdoggydog]

My folks drank Evan Williams 7 YO, and for the most part still do.

[Gillman]

Beefeater gin and tonic or water, at parties. Some Canadian whisky was always around too, V.O. as I recall.

However at larger parties (and I've spoken about this here before) all drinks were served by family friend and bartender Wally. I used to talk to Wally (this is early 70's) about drinking. He didn't drink at all, didn't think it was good for bartenders to do that. All his spirits were "Schenley" because he worked for or somehow represented them. He was very proud of that, I'd say, "Wally what rye's the best?", he'd say, "O.F.C.". I'd say "yes but what about V.O., that's good too isn't it"? He'd say, "Don't bother with anything other than Schenley, it's the best".

Gary

[doubleblank]

My parents were not much drinkers of alcohol.......it was either Lone Star or Pearl beer when they wanted something (both made in San Antonio). But at my first wedding rehearsal dinner in 1980, my Dad bought a case of Old Fitz BIB. We went through several at the dinner. I still have a few from that case....they have lasted much longer than the marriage did. My ex, mother of my daughter, and I still share a drink of the Old Fitz from time to time.

My mother now likes margaritas...made with a good reposado....like Herradura.

Randy

[tritioch]

Parents drank a number of things. Jameson's was particularly popular with them when I was real young, then Tsing Tao Beer, the Gordon's Gin and tonic. Now mostly wine.

[bluesbassdad]

My parents never drank in front of me. However, I'm pretty sure one or both did drink. (Is there any non-imbibing use for Mogen David? I saw empties in the trash more than once.)

Fast forward a decade. They drive 450 miles to visit my wife and me in our home for the first time. I open and drink a beer in conjunction with grilling hamburgers outdoors. The next morning, with only the feeblest of excuses, they arise earlier, pack and leave -- cutting short their planned visit by two days. My wife believes they were offended by my drinking, just as she and I know hers would be. I never discussed the incident with my parents.

As with so many things in my life the benefits of those experiences accrued to my son.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[wku88]

Dad drank a lot. Mostly beer and bourbon. First bourbon I remember him drinking was Yellowstone (remember the cap on even the half pints was about the same size and shape as a shot glass?), mebbe Old Fitz on occaision, because he had a cousin that worked there. He always lit up like a Christmas tree around the Holidays if he got a bottle of Maker's as a gift. Turned to VOB, and it stayed that way for years. Nowadays, he might have a sip of Kentucky Gentleman.

Beer (again starting from my earliest recollections) was Falls City, then Stroh's, then to Sterling. After Sterling, it was a mis-mash of beer of the month/cheap stuff. Milwaukee's Best was the latest.

Thanks for bringing this up. Brings back a lot of good memories, and some bad, but mostly good memories of my Pop.

[TimmyBoston]

My folks never drink, unless you count that beer and glass of white zin (ewww!) on New Years Eve. I don't know where I acquired my love for aged grain spirit.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

My folks are beer drinkers. Old Milwaukee when I was little. When they got a bit ahead on the mortgage they often drank Bud. These days they drink Bush Lite. I don't know why. The mortgage was paid off long ago.

There was sometimes a bottle of Mogen David Concord Grape wine at family gatherings. There would be some left with 20 or more adults drinking it. Later, when Americans started to appreciate better wines, the Mogen David disappeared. I kind of like it myself.

Nowadays Dad drinks wine fairly often. There was often a bottle of whiskey in the house, but one bottle would last for years on end. I couldn't tell you what kind for sure. Maybe Jim Beam White. I remember seeing Canadian Club, too.

Now there is a bottle of Knob Creek and a bottle of Evan William's SB that I left there last time I was home. At least I think it is...

Ed

[T47]

My Dad was a Martini drinker...Beefeater Gin and he passed the bottle of Vermouth over the glass...maybe a little fell in as it passed...He drank a lot of those...

[robbyvirus]

My dad drank martinis with Booth's Gin. My mom drank white wine. My parents are now in their 80s, and my mon still drinks white wine, while my father has moved on to vodka on the rocks. He drinks whatever is the cheapest (often really rotgut stuff in plastic bottles), although if we go out to a fancy restaurant, he'll order an Absolut.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

As a self-appointed hedonist, my father enjoys both wine and beer. It is only in recent years that I have managed to tune him in on whisk(e)y. He still prefers Cognac, though.

According to him, when he grew up (born 1943) whisk(e)y was held in disdain and looked upon as something inferior to Cognac.

Apart from the odd liqueur to accompany a cup of coffee, my mother´s interest in alcohol is almost nil.

[pepcycle]

My first recollections were beer. Rheingold, Ballantine and Schaeffer.

In the 60's, there was a shift to wine. Sangria, Cold Duck, Grandpa's burgundy, Gallo Jugs and wicker covered Chianti. Remember the wine bota?

Then my dad started on Jack Daniels; Choir Practice, as he called sessions with fellow minions of the law.

Microbrews in the 90's and now its classic martinis.

[chasking]

My dad always drank bourbon, but tended to pick a favorite from among the cheap bottom-shelf brands. The ones I remember are Early Times and Cabin Still, and eventually Evan Williams. He thought Dickel No. 8 was really the good stuff. (Hey, Tennessee whiskey, like Jack Daniel's, but cheaper!) He also drank a lot of beer, whatever was on sale.

Since I took up whiskey as a hobby, I've been trying to steer him towards better bourbon. He recently moved up to Old Forester as an everyday pour/mixer, and I usually give him a bottle of some better stuff for Christmas or his birthday. I gave him a bottle of Weller 12yo recently and he really liked it---it went in a hurry.

[Gillman]

I'd be remiss not to mention the 70's matinee star amongst approachable inexpensive wines, Blue Nun (and its imitators). This always was ordered in our set at dinners downtown in Montreal (there was another one we liked, too, made by Deinhard). It went well with the "Continental"-style food popular then. Continental meant vaguely European food such as coq au vin, various schnitzels, the unforgettable trout or sole amandine (which is actually very good), orange and other duck preparations, and so forth. (Someone should create a 70's dinner complete with accompanying wines, that would be a gas - Old Fitzgerald cocktails to start). I should buy Blue Nun and that Deinhard again and see if they taste the same. They were good entry wines for people who were put off by the rituals, pricing and abv's of traditional wine service.

Gary

[Rancastle]

My father kept the garage frig. full of either Blatz, Falstaff, or Hamms beer, which ever was on sale. The house frig. always had a bottle of Mogan David blackberry wine. And his small liquor cabinet always had Early Times.

[gr8erdane]

Mom didn't drink a drop. She used to say it was because the last time she drank she lost her underwear at a party. Dad was at that party I believe and the rest was history.......

Dad didn't drink much at home, an occasional beer or two when company came over but not much hard liquor. Later, after Mom passed and he remarried he developed a taste for G&T with Tanqueray his Gin of choice. I do remember a short period where he and his buddies and their wives were into Sangria and we had a bottle or two in the fridge then. Now he doesn't drink but an occasional beer or glass of wine with dinner lest my currrent stepmother apply her teetotaling cold shoulder towards him.

One of my fondest memories of early drinking dates back to when Mom wouldn't let dad keep beer in the fridge. He left an old Coleman cooler at the side of the patio after a fishing trip that was full of Hamms beer in the keg shaped cans. Over a period of a couple of months I snuck those out and drank em. When he discovered them gone, he gave me a wink and a smirk but never said a word so Mom wouldn't find out. Gotta love my old man.

[Gillman]

My parents did not like beer but I made up for it.

Mention of 70's brands like Falstaff, Schlitz, Old Milwaukee, Schaefer, Ballantine, Piels, Blatz brings back memories. I enjoyed buying all these and others in border towns and trying the different tastes. Although it is popular now to deprecate the mass-produced lagers of that time I enjoyed them and did not find them all the same. Each, while of course broadly in the same style, had its own taste. I remember Falstaff quite well, I liked that one, and especially Schaefer and Ballantine. I remember buying the first Coors "bootlegged" east and sold in small stores in upstate New York. Even somewhat overaged it was good. I liked Michelob too (and still do). While I later became an acolyte of the craft beer revival I never lost my taste for these beers, the taste for which I acquired before the micro and import trends really got going. PBR too, I remember 'em all. Some by the way could give the micros of today a run for their money including Prior Double Dark of Pennsylvania, Kentucky's own Royal Amber (maybe - probably now that I think on it - a descendant of the pre-Prohibition Kentucky common ale), Ballantine IPA which I LOVED, Maximus Super (a malt liquor from West End Brewing in Utica, NY, which makes the well-known Saranac line today), Yeungling Porter, the Augsburger beers, and there were others. They were especially good. There were also certain imports I associate with that time, like Dinkelacher. "Drink the Dink" went the slogan, and I did!

Gary

[doubleblank]

Dane....I have a good "Dad and drinking" story too. I was 16yo and working at a bank (VOE student). After work, a group headed to a local bar to drink and shoot pool (I looked over 18). I had a few Black Russians. Then I remembered the family was going out to dinner so I headed home. They were waiting for me when I got home....so we headed for the car. Unfortunately, the family Olds Delta 88 was in the shop...so all five of us stuffed into my Dad's Ford truck...the good ol days before seatbelt laws, etc. We are sitting in each other's laps. I'm trying not to exhale....

My Mom asks "Randy....have you been drinking?" in that familiar tone we have all heard at some point in our lives.

Before I could answer (with a lie, of course), my Dad says

"No Dana.....I'm letting Randy try out that new aftershave I picked up the other day".

The ruse worked......my Dad and I still laugh about that, but not in front of Mom.

Randy

[Joeluka]

Both my Grandfathers (both named Joe) and my Dad (also a Joe) drink Johnny Walker Red. Its the only bottle I can ever recall at any family function. I recently turned my dad on to bourbon and he is a Van Winkle addict like me now. We went to a bourbon tasting hosted by a local liquor store about 3 months ago and it was a Van Winkle tasting. They had Julian there teaching the differences in all his products. For $25 a head the had 14 people there and they opened up 2 bottles of ORVW 10/107, Lot-B, Pappy 20 and Pappy 23. After the 14 of us had a minor pour of all of them 8 people left and the rest of us FINISHED off all the bottles. I brought with me a bunch of bottles for Julian to sign and was talked into opening my Old Time Rye 12yo. When my dad found out what the price of the 20 & 23 were he couldn't believe that me and him finished off 3/4 of a bottle of both of them for $25. Now there is always a JWR, Lot-B and Pappy 20 open in his bar at all time.

[scopenut]

Growing up in NY, I remember my parents drinking Rheingold, Ballantine, and Schaeffer beer. Sometimes Canadian Club for New Years.

Moving to Florida in the late 50's, my parents' beers stayed about the same, with the addition of Black Label. Later, went through the sangria phase (does anyone remember Bali Hai wine?).

Got introduced to bourbon by a music teacher (jazz accordion player from Chicago) when I was 17-18, who drank Beam white almost exclusively. Little did I know there were so many superior products out there. But I do now.

Kevin

[BobA]

My parents essentially didn't drink when we were kids. Maybe the rare wine with a fancy dinner out, or my dad might order some german beer. They did drink (but very lightly) after we all left (my oldest siblings suggest that they were returning to earlier practices), but pretty much just more of that. The one whiskey I remember my father liking was Bushmills, but probably had one bottle in his last 15 years. There was a fair stash of liquor that had been given as gifts after they dies; some had disappeared over the years (i wasn't me!) and I think Dad may have made sure any good drink found some takers.

Bob

[Whiskey Willie]

Great nostalgic thread!...

Dad was not much of a drinker. A six of Falstaff would last him a solid year. On holidays he usually brought out the Jim Beam and Kessler and had 7-Up on hand to mix.

[cas]

My folks drank a variety of things over the years - in later years my mom drank Thunderbird (and actually referred to it as wine). The first time I brought my girlfriend (now my wife of almost 16 years) home to meet my parents my mom asked her if she'd like some wine and I had to intervene and explain that beer was probably a better choice. Any beer.

One of my earlier memories is grabbing a bottle of OGD in a decanter with a cork stopper - by the stopper and emptying much of it on the living room rug ~ probably about 1962. I think it had been a Christmas gift. Fortunately, my dad forgave me, and the rug quit smelling ... after a time.

I remember a period of whiskey sours, starting with a hand cranked ice crusher, eventually moving to a blender. They were usually made with a blended whiskey - Seagrams 7 or something similar. If we went out to eat my dad would often order a Manhatten.

In his last few years my dad drank mostly Jack Daniels and we were able to share a few good glasses in the months before he passed away. I had just started drinking good bourbon about the time his health started to fail rapidly. We did share some Rare Breed but, sadly, we never had that glass of ORVW 15 together like I had planned.

Craig