What's a good first date drink?

Subject: What's a good first date drink?

Okay, help a girl out here, people. What's a cocktail that meets my ten requirements for a good first date drink?

1. Isn't beer or wine
2. Doesn't cost so much that your date thinks you're too expensive
3. Doesn't cost so little that your date thinks you're cheap (even if you are)
4. Isn't so simple that it's boring
5. Isn't so complicated that you seem fussy
6. Isn't garnished with an umbrella
7. Is tasty, but sippable--not so tasty that you drink three of them in the first half hour
8. Doesn't have a name that's impossible to pronounce or embarassing to say out loud (suggestive is okay, if subtle)
9. Is strong enough to make you less nervous
10. Isn't so strong that you grab your date's crotch under the table, at least not before the check has arrived

Any suggestions?

damn thing doesnt exist! womens requirements as usual are tooo high!

A good vodka gimlet, up? But only if vodka is your friend...

sapphire & tonic. sophisticated but not complex. if the date is broke/cheap, (which I often am, so I can obviously substitute) go for tanqueray and tonic with extra lime. there are points to be gained for that extra lime.

i gotta go with the gin + tonic
or vodka + tonic

or ketel one + tonic

with lime of course,
of course...
of course...

This is just me, but... isn't an anything and tonic a little too... commonplace?

WhyFi wrote: This is just me, but... isn't an anything and tonic a little too... commonplace?

commonplace? no. not if you know your liquor.

then again, i have a bad habit of either ordering something irritating (harvey wallbanger) or cheesy (jack & diet coke) when out on dates. I figure I shouldn't be judged on my booze. and, of course, if I'm somewhere serving bubbly, that trumps all.

How about a Manhattan?

Also, if you go with the G+T, I say go with Tanqueray 10 over Bombay Saphire.

WhyFi wrote: A good vodka gimlet, up? But only if vodka is your friend...

You know, that used to be my first date drink, but it got me into waaaay too much trouble.

apollonia666 wrote: [quote=WhyFi]A good vodka gimlet, up? But only if vodka is your friend...

You know, that used to be my first date drink, but it got me into waaaay too much trouble.
I think RAH might concur! :twisted:

alafairnadia wrote: [quote=WhyFi]This is just me, but... isn't an anything and tonic a little too... commonplace?

commonplace? no. not if you know your liquor.
Sure, Sapphire or Tanqueray are better than whatever rail gin they're pouring (not that I think that there's that much of a difference when used in a mixed drink, in a gin martini, sure, but that's another subject), but as a bartender, I think that I poured as many Sapphire tonics as Bacardi cokes... It wouldn't surprise me if Sapphire & tonic was in the top 10 most common call-liquor drinks. Actually, it would surprise me if it weren't...

Carnivore is "Way Too Incestial"

tee hee hee...

I've been looking at the menu for this joint and I'm kind of thinking a kir or kir royale... hmm...

apollonia666 wrote: I've been looking at the menu for this joint and I'm kind of thinking a kir or kir royale... hmm...

Sounds good! But maybe too good! Sure that's not going to go down too fast? And where exactly is this joint? What's the atmosphere like? I mean, a sidecar is a great fuckin' drink, but not at a dance club, ya know?

WhyFi wrote: [quote=apollonia666]I've been looking at the menu for this joint and I'm kind of thinking a kir or kir royale... hmm...

Sounds good! But maybe too good! Sure that's not going to go down too fast? And where exactly is this joint? What's the atmosphere like? I mean, a sidecar is a great fuckin' drink, but not at a dance club, ya know?

It's a French cafe. They also have Ricard... I've never actually either. Maybe I'll try a kir at Sepia tomorrow to see what I think.

apollonia666 wrote: It's a French cafe. They also have Ricard... I've never actually either. Maybe I'll try a kir at Sepia tomorrow to see what I think.

A kir would be good at a place like that. Or you could get a Lillet on the rocks (garnished with an orange slice, of course).

oh please! a kir ROYALE always wins! please.
props to the joint if they drop a bit of lemon rind in your kir royale. friends don't let friends drink kir.

apollonia666 wrote: It's a French cafe. They also have Ricard... I've never actually either. Maybe I'll try a kir at Sepia tomorrow to see what I think.

Well then a sidecar is great! It originated in France!

alafairnadia wrote: oh please! a kir ROYALE always wins! please.
props to the joint if they drop a bit of lemon rind in your kir royale. friends don't let friends drink kir.

What have you got against aligote? Kir royales are good and I know you like bubbles, but a basic kir is also a good drink!

Carnivore wrote: [quote=alafairnadia]oh please! a kir ROYALE always wins! please.
props to the joint if they drop a bit of lemon rind in your kir royale. friends don't let friends drink kir.

What have you got against aligote? Kir royales are good and I know you like bubbles, but a basic kir is also a good drink!

I'm sure it's lovely. never gonna drink one. I LOVE kir royales. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

er. I drank my way through france on kir royales. and. the best kir royale I've ever had in nyc is at (big surprise) the river cafe. they not only put the lemon rind in the drink, they twist it in. there's a nice bitterness to their kir royales that I adore.

I think I'm less likely to mispronounce "kir royale" than Lillet or aligote...

maybe i martini is too strong, but on the other hand, since it's not sweet, i find i don't down them too fast.

gin of course.

and on the subject of saphire: i do love it for a dry martini, but honestly, i prefer a tanqueray tonic. i don't think there's much point in a saphire tonic, since its taste is so smooth that i can't taste it over the tonic. i think tanqueray has a slightly sharper, citrusy taste that's nice with tonic.

I'm a fan of Plymouth. It gets no love/marketing.

And for vodka fans, try Tito's. Happens to be about $17 for a 750, but it's great at any price. I have yet to try it back-to-back with the Goose, though...

sweet tea wrote: and on the subject of saphire: i do love it for a dry martini, but honestly, i prefer a tanqueray tonic. i don't think there's much point in a saphire tonic, since its taste is so smooth that i can't taste it over the tonic. i think tanqueray has a slightly sharper, citrusy taste that's nice with tonic.

really? I can taste the spiciness of the sapphire over the tonic. then again, I usually only drink one sapphire tonic and then switch over to sapphire and seltzer. but it's pretty rare for me to pick any hard liquor when there's champagne available.

hmmm. well, i have to admit that it's been a while. i guess there's no way to know if you have a point without engaging in some experimentation. in the name of scientific inquiry, of course....

sweet tea wrote: hmmm. well, i have to admit that it's been a while. i guess there's no way to know if you have a point without engaging in some experimentation. in the name of scientific inquiry, of course....

happy hour!!

Carnivore wrote: [quote=apollonia666][quote=WhyFi]A good vodka gimlet, up? But only if vodka is your friend...

You know, that used to be my first date drink, but it got me into waaaay too much trouble.
I think RAH might concur! :twisted:

you know I was reading through this string and thinking "oh man not the gimlet" and sure enough carnivore beat me to it. (he sure has earned the way too incestuous title) gimlets are trouble.

I vote for lillet. I love that stuff.

RAH wrote: I vote for lillet. I love that stuff.

Pronounced "lee-lay" or something like that?

Yeah, I haven't had a gimlet since a first date that resulted in my first and only lifetime bar ban. Oof.

apollonia666 wrote: [quote=RAH]I vote for lillet. I love that stuff.

Pronounced "lee-lay" or something like that?

Yeah, I haven't had a gimlet since a first date that resulted in my first and only lifetime bar ban. Oof.

I admit it - I have no idea what lillet tastes like. I tend to focus on what I know I like.

alafairnadia wrote: [quote=apollonia666][quote=RAH]I vote for lillet. I love that stuff.

Pronounced "lee-lay" or something like that?

Yeah, I haven't had a gimlet since a first date that resulted in my first and only lifetime bar ban. Oof.

I admit it - I have no idea what lillet tastes like. I tend to focus on what I know I like.
Happy Hour pre-party at my place? I have Lillet. And oranges.

Carnivore wrote: [quote=alafairnadia][quote=apollonia666][quote=RAH]I vote for lillet. I love that stuff.

Pronounced "lee-lay" or something like that?

Yeah, I haven't had a gimlet since a first date that resulted in my first and only lifetime bar ban. Oof.

I admit it - I have no idea what lillet tastes like. I tend to focus on what I know I like.
Happy Hour pre-party at my place? I have Lillet. And oranges.

I'm sitting at home now. your move!