Beef eater, the fellow who eats beef.. shortened, that gives you Beefeater. The name apparently really did come from them actually eating beef..

It is a proper classic gin, and it is not hard to get hold of in Korea either. It costs twice what it does in Japan, but even so it is hard to call it expensive.. I have tried all sorts of gins, and this is the one that feels closest to the archetype of gin, if that makes sense.. Clean, and the juniper berry comes through strongly too. Some people say Gordon’s is the more standard one, but Beefeater’s taste feels a bit more straight-up to me.

Jinro Tonic Water Calamansi

The tonic water itself is only lightly flavored and it does not seem to have all that much calamansi in it, but making a gin and tonic with Beefeater, it came out pretty good..

Not a sausage, but Jermi German Smoked Cheese

Sliced very thin, it is salty and rich, which makes it perfect as a drinking snack..

Tanqueray No. TEN

Tanqueray No. TEN feels like Tanqueray with extra citrus added, almost like lemon juice, if that makes sense.. I think the cheaper regular Tanqueray has the better balance..

Two of the big three bourbons, bought in Namdaemun.. Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey 101.

Well.. honestly I feel like I could have skipped these.. but everyone keeps going on about the big three, so I got curious about what they actually taste like and bought them. Namdaemun is a bit cheaper, but once you count the fare and the time spent going back and forth, you do start thinking, is it really worth it? Both are about entry level, and they are not the style that gets dramatically better if you let them sit. There is a difference in style between them, sure.. but a highball is probably about right for these.

Johncook Deli Meats kielbasa

Well.. more than the taste, you have to give credit for the effort itself.. and it would look good on Instagram too..

Classic Italian Salami..

Just so-so..

The Laughing Cow

If you can get it cheap, it is a really good snack to drink with.

Cacciatore

This one I enjoyed a lot as a drinking snack. It has a cheese-like flavor to it. It has to be at least this good to be worth eating..

Luxardo Maraschino Cherries in syrup

These are cherries preserved in syrup for cocktails. They taste like the children’s fever syrup we all grew up on, and I suspect there is something like cinnamon or nutmeg in there. Thickly sweet, with a faintly junk-food quality to it. Even though they have been reduced down properly, you can still feel the texture of the flesh when you bite into one. The price is a bit steep, but they are worth buying at least once.

Danish camembert bought at No Brand

The cheese being imported into Korea seems to have gotten better in both quality and price compared to how it used to be.

Bundaberg Lemon, Lime & Bitters

I thought it would be good for making cocktails so I bought it even though it was a bit pricey.. well.. it is not amazingly tasty or anything..

Bundaberg ginger beer

This one also feels a bit iffy for making cocktails..

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