Awkward Wealth

[CaliforniaMan]

That was 20 years ago, so I don't remember much. I think I had only tasted caviar one time before, at a bank shareholders meeting. I guess they were trying to impress their shareholders. They would have impressed us more had they not gone bankrupt. I have had caviar a few times since, but never thought of actually buying any. On crackers, if it cost the same as salami I would choose the salami.

Edit: Oh I remember now, I brought a few small bottles back (they sold in bottles too) as gifts for friends. Wow! Caviar from Russia! They ate it, but nobody asked for more. It was special only because it came from my trip. Later they sent me some in the mail. It went unopened.

[NW-Bound]

It seems like caviar is an acquired taste. Spirits are the same, or even beer. Feed a spoon of ice cream to a baby, see how he likes it. Now try a spoon of Cognac... Oh wait, that's child abuse, so let's just use our imagination here, OK?

Babies would not like beer, but many people drink beer. I doubt that many love it at first sip. Many drink sweet cocktails. Fewer like myself like the stronger stuff, while the others call it "gasoline".

So, is caviar universally liked, same as ice cream, or is it more like strong booze, only for the few who acquire the taste? I have always wondered because I found caviar difficult to eat, the same way many do not see the pleasure of sipping a stiff drink.

[EastWest Gal]

One of my mom's uncles who I only met once, about 40 years ago, lived in Fairbanks (my grandmother had 10 siblings, some of whom were left behind in Russia in 1902, and several who went to Alaska). He entertained me with stories about how Alaskans didn't appreciate caviar the way he did, they thought it was awful, so he got big quart jars of it for free.

I hope that was farmed caviar in Russia, as the wild fish need to be protected as their numbers are dwindling severely.


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[CaliforniaMan]

Speaking of an acquired taste, how about chocolate? Usually when the doughnuts get put out, the chocolate doughnuts are the first to go. But about ten years ago I started working with a lot of people born in China. At the end of the day, only the chocolate ones were left. However in the intervening decade seems tastes were changing, and I had to get there early to get a good chocolate one.

[FUEGO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Babies would not like beer, but many people drink beer. I doubt that many love it at first sip. Many drink sweet cocktails. Fewer like myself like the stronger stuff, while the others call it "gasoline".

I've got one of those babies that loves beer (is a 2 year old still a baby?). Don't worry, it was just a few mL taste in a shot glass to get him to leave us alone. After he said he liked it, he kept asking us for more. Awkward.

[NW-Bound]

Watch that kid. When he gets to teenage years, it may get a lot more awkward.

[FUEGO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Watch that kid. When he gets to teenage years, it may get a lot more awkward.

We're feeding him some bitter pale ale and telling him that's the only kind of beer that exists. Light beer is, after all, a gateway drug to harder beers.

[Sarah in SC]

Better up that grocery budget, Fuego...you will have a beer connoisseur on your hands before you know it!!


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[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FUEGO We're feeding him some bitter pale ale and telling him that's the only kind of beer that exists. Light beer is, after all, a gateway drug to harder beers.

I was about to say he should be weaned off before he started, by feeding him some stout, but it apparently did not work.

I fear the way this 2-year baby is going (yes, a 2-year old is still a baby), he may graduate to straight tequila shots before kindergarten.

Watch him. Watch him very closely.

[NW-Bound]

After all this talk about wine, I wondered what experts thought about TJ's two-buck chucks. I searched the Web and found this following article where a sommelier provided her opinion on TJ's varietals. In a nutshell, the Merlot, Shiraz, Cab, and Chard could pass for ten-buck chucks, but some others are terrible.

See: Trader Joe's Wines - Ranking And Reviews.

[cooch96]

I would have sips of my dad's beer all the time when I was three or four. "Sip, sip," I would say. One time he was drinking a martini and I wanted a "sip, sip." He declined and tried to explain it wasn't beer, but I kept reaching and insisting, "sip, sip." He finally let me take a sip. I do remember staggering with the shock of it. My father also remembers I never asked him again for a"sip, sip" again.

[Totoro]

With regards to babies and beer, in general it seems younger people prefer sweet over bitter. As one ages it shifts towards more bitter.

It's why younger people in general prefer milk chocolate over dark chocolate, alcohol pops over beer, and less strong coffee.

Women are also more sweet oriented than bitter.

Now, as with everything, some people are born to like bitter taste more. Those are the babies that love their beer

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cooch96 I would have sips of my dad's beer all the time when I was three or four. "Sip, sip," I would say. One time he was drinking a martini and I wanted a "sip, sip." He declined and tried to explain it wasn't beer, but I kept reaching and insisting, "sip, sip." He finally let me take a sip. I do remember staggering with the shock of it. My father also remembers I never asked him again for a"sip, sip" again.

DD2 likes to occasionally have a taste of homebrew. She has a tiny taster glass that looks like a miniature beer mug and holds half an ounce. A couple years ago I was grilling and enjoying a glass of scotch. I ran into the house to get a platter and when I came out DD2 was coughing and choking near the grill where I had set my glass. "Did you drink from my glass?" <nods> I gave her a reminder that she has to ask permission, but I suspect an unexpected sip of scotch was more effective.

[CoolChange]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FUEGO We're feeding him some bitter pale ale and telling him that's the only kind of beer that exists. Light beer is, after all, a gateway drug to harder beers.

Be careful with this approach: My daughter did not think she liked beer very much for years; her friends all drank light beer which she did not particularly like but would drink occasionally. In her mid-20's, she tried one of my full flavored beers (either a pale ale or stout) and discovered that she really does like beer.

A similar thing happened when she discovered that a really good cab is so much better than the sweet wines her friends drank.

[CaliforniaMan]

My mother told me this story. When I was about two years she and a friend were drinking a glass of wine. I asked for some, but she of course said no. Now as anyone who has had small children knows, saying no to a 2 year old can sometimes be difficult. So she gave me a glass with vinegar and told me it was wine. I drank it and as she relates, asked for more, apparently wanting to be an adult.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Totoro ... Women are also more sweet oriented than bitter...

Men who remember that will do well.

[FUEGO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoolChange Be careful with this approach: My daughter did not think she liked beer very much for years; her friends all drank light beer which she did not particularly like but would drink occasionally. In her mid-20's, she tried one of my full flavored beers (either a pale ale or stout) and discovered that she really does like beer. A similar thing happened when she discovered that a really good cab is so much better than the sweet wines her friends drank.

If my kids make it to their mid-20's before they discover they love beer, I'll be totally okay with that. Should increase their odds of finishing college in <3 years and reduce the wallet sucking sounds that fourth year.

[braumeister]

My father, although born in the Midwest, came from a very German family background, so he followed their custom.
When I was just a few years old, it was the custom to give me a shot glass of beer with Sunday dinner. I really enjoyed it, and when I got to be 5 or 6, I would occasionally get a little juice glass (max 5 ounces) on special occasions.

By the time I was 8 or 9, I could sometimes get a whole can to myself on a hot summer evening (this was before air conditioning).

By the time I was a teenager, it was normal to have a few cans a week (not all at once!). So there was never any mystique to alcohol; it was just another type of food.

When my teenage friends were anxious to work some scheme where they could get someone to buy beer for them so they could sneak off someplace to drink it, I just marveled at their attitude.

I think my folks did the right thing, since I've never had a problem with alcohol (and I still like beer best).

[Amethyst]

Interesting - my family are German and Irish (mother was a direct import from Dublin) and in the summertime when I was 4 or 5, they sometimes gave me a tiny glass of watered beer to drink alongside my Dad. There was probably 1 ounce of beer and 1 ounce of water in my glass.

At Christmas and New Years, I got a small glass of eggnog with a tiny bit of whiskey in it. I remember thinking it made the eggnog taste warm.

None of this led to anything when I became a teen. There was alcohol in the home, and I left it alone. I knew kids who snuck their parents' booze, but didn't quite "get" them. Tales of young people getting drunk, throwing up, etc., didn't seem enticing! Besides, I could be quite silly all on my own without any liquid help

I drink a modest amount of wine every week but have never been drunk. I think my parents may have inoculated me against it!

Amethyst

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister My father, although born in the Midwest, came from a very German family background, so he followed their custom. When I was just a few years old, it was the custom to give me a shot glass of beer with Sunday dinner. I really enjoyed it, and when I got to be 5 or 6, I would occasionally get a little juice glass (max 5 ounces) on special occasions. I think my folks did the right thing, since I've never had a problem with alcohol (and I still like beer best).

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Pricey? How could that be? I have no idea now how much a bottle cost then (there goes my oft-claimed of "superior memory"), but could still remember the time in 1980, we were newlyweds, I started my 1st real job, we just bought our home, was saving to pay off the money borrowed for the down payment. Just brought it up to my wife, and she remembered. "Yes, we ate summer sausage, drank lots of Riunite..." And we watched TV from our bean bag chairs, because we had no other furniture, the big 25" console TV that visitors admired and we bought from Appliance TV City on installment. The room had just the TV and the two bean bags. How was I able to buy Riunite if it was "pricey"? Were there different classes of Riunite that I did not know about? Are you playing with my memory? But this remembrance! I do not remember when my wife stopped drinking. A long time ago. She drank Riunite with me back then, but perhaps stopped when I started to buy the "real" stuff. Tomorrow, I am going on a quest to find a bottle.

I am bumping this thread for an update. I ran across this Riunite "Sweet White" recently, and bought a couple of bottles. I served it to the women at the dinner party yesterday, and they loved it.

This Sweet White is a new concoction that did not exist back in the 70-80s. The Banfi wine site says that itt's 50% Trebbiano, 30% Montuni, 20% Chardonnay. It's way too sweet for me, but if I can get some more to serve to the ladies, I will. I also have the usual Riesling and other German sweet wines that I rarely drink and should use up.

Around here, I still have not seen the old red Riunite Lambrusco that we used to drink in our early 20s.