Friday Fun: Weirdest drinks

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

So this was something that I got asked this week as an "ice breaker" question for a new team, and I don't think we've asked it before.

I have a reputation with Atlassian, Adaptavist, my friends and family as someone who enjoys their drinks, be it wine, beer, tea, coffee, or, frankly almost anything else.  I live within 150 yards of a coffee and tea importer, and the best pub in town (30ish beers on regular rotation - a different pint to try out every week), and I'm always trying out new drinkies from both.  When I travel, I'm the one dragging people in the group into the independent coffee shops, bars with drinks I've not seen before, breweries, and so on!

Now, "weird" drinks probably varies by culture - I'm English, so tea, coffee, beer, wine and and a lot of spirits are not seen as "weird" here, but I expect some cultures might find some of them weird.  

So.  The question is:  

What is the weirdest drink have you tried?

Weird because of what it is, or how it tastes, or how it looks, or whether you liked it or not - just share what it was and what made it unusual for you!

Mine is a toss-up between a Jam-roly-poly beer, killepitsch, a Pu-Erh tea, fermented Yak's milk and something that was green and glowed in the dark, which I've forgotten the name of!

[Dirk Ronsmans]

Isn’t that green thing Absinth?

I don’t experiment with drinks that much, just like to learn new beers from time to time. 

One that I’ve always found an odd drink in Belgium is called a Mazoet/Mazout, loosely translated to gasoline in our dialect. 
It’s basically half a pils beer and half a coke. 

Not my cup of ‘tea’ but just odd imho 

Oh and Dalgona coffee. Don’t.get.it. 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Absinth is definitely green, but I'm not sure it glows in the dark like whatever the heck it was I drank.

I'll look out for gasoline next time I'm looking for a new beer!

[Veronique DUFOUR]

During a trip in Iceland I tasted Seaman's Shot Extra Hot (Black, sweetish, sharp, licorice notes, menthol notes, spicy). It tastes really strong. To have an idea, think about drinking something that tastes like fisherman's friend lozenge :)

[Jack Brickey]

While in San Fran years back I tried a Black Ink Martini once. Why? Well I like squid ink pasta and someone suggested I give it a go and it wasn’t my first drink of the evening so… why not!

it was actually not bad but not my favorite for sure. The squid ink provided a brine taste but complemented by cherry liqueur I seem to recall. The drink was a deep black and my tongue reflected that. 😂 

[Monique vdB]

@Jack Brickey WOW! This looks so gimmicky but I want to try it anyway, heheh

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I'm always up for a martini (not so much the dirty martini, I'm not sure of the brine).  

I'd have to question the ink though.  I've been vegetarian for the last 70% of my lifetime, which broadly means not eating stuff that an animal had to die for.  Is it possible to milk a squid for its ink?

If it is, then I'd definitely want to try that.  

[Dave Rosenlund _Trundl_]

I’m currently stuck in Montreal, unable to fly home for another day. Any time I’m in Canada I’m reminded of the Canadien take on a Bloody Mary. It’s called a Bloody Caesar.

Bloody Caesar

• Celery salt, to rim glass

• 1 1/2 ounces vodka

• 4 ounces Clamato juice (a combination of tomato and CLAM  juices.

• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce

• Prepared horseradish, to taste (optional)

• Garnish: celery stalk

• Garnish: cucumber spear

• Garnish: lime wedge

The thing that makes it ‘weird’ Is the Clamato juice — obviously.

Who the heck thought of that, you may ask.  Well, if you’re curious as I became as I was writing this, you can read more about it on Wikipedia.

[Jack Brickey]

I love Clamato in a Bloody Mary!!!

[Dave Rosenlund _Trundl_]

But if you add Clamato, Jack, you are drinking a Bloody Caesar 😉

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Oh, and I completely forgot to put this in the main question.  The one I really want to try is "the best drink in existence".  Its effects are similar to having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.

[Dave Rosenlund _Trundl_]

🤔

[Tyler T]

In the US (mostly in Chicago) Jeppson's Malört liqueur is a drink which is kind of proud being the weirdest tasting alcohol. People drink it to mess with others or as a challenge. I'm sure some actually like it. I'm not a fan.

In Oaxaca, Mexico there is an odd drink called Tejate.. it is a non-alcoholic beverage made from toasted corn and fermented cacao beans originating from pre-Hispanic times. It tastes pretty good but looks odd if you've never had it before. Definitely worth a try if you're down there.

Photo of two hands holding a red painted jicara full of tejate

[Kathy Hart]

Well, that looks like sand. but . . . fermented cacao beans? I'm in. 

[BiancaE]

One time I went to an art show in San Francisco and the reception asked me if I'd like some cava, to which I said yes. I love me some Spanish bubbly! Turns out she offered me kava, not cava. Kava is a plant based drink which is supposed to relax one's nervous system. It was a very soft, warm gel-like liquid, almost like honey and quite the contrast to the stark burst of carbonated wine I was expecting. I was very confused. 

[Ron Skyberg]

"...something that was green and glowed in the dark, which I've forgotten the name of!"
Growing up in a town that was part of The Manhattan Project, and was still enriching uranium before I left, we tended to avoid liquids that were green and glowed. 

But, the strangest non-alcoholic drink I ever had was a soft drink, Irn Bru (at a Scottish festival). To me it was like drinking bubblegum - sickly sweet and left a taste in my mouth that required copious amounts of whisk(e)y to rinse out.  

[Brant Schroeder]

I had some Halo-Halo which is a popular cold dessert in the Philippines made up of crushed ice, evaporated milk or coconut milk, and various ingredients including ube jam, sweetened kidney or garbanzo beans, coconut strips, sago, gulaman, pinipig, boiled taro or soft yams in cubes, flan, slices or portions of fruit preserves and other root crop preserves.

It was not bad but the ingredients surprised me.

[Summer Hogan]

I know I'm late to the party here, but wanted to share. The weirdest drink I have ever tried is a White Russian and while I don't exactly like Russia right now, I like the story. My late husband used to love the Big Lebowski and one time we were at the grocery store and he wanted to get the ingredients to try one. So, we made them and frankly they were gross! But I love this story because my husband is no longer with me and it is a fond memory I have of him.

[Kathy Hart]

My favorite drink, which no one has heard of, so that makes it weird, is a Pink Squirrel.

I always torment bartenders by asking if they know how to make it. Oddly enough, the guy at Red Lobster managed it without making a funny face or asking what was in it, but bartenders at more high end bars tend to just say "What?!"

The first time I had it was as an alcoholic milkshake with ice cream etc. But the true recipe is a milk shake, meaning milk that has been shaken over ice. 

Ingredients

• 3/4 ounce crème de noyaux liqueur

• 3/4 ounce white crème de cacao liqueur

• 1 1/2 ounces heavy cream

• freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish

Most bars don't have crème de noyaux liquer, but I find one from time to time. Yummy. My friends say it tastes like Christmas.