Off Topic -- Thunderbird or Night Train?

“I'm currently investigating a wide array of inexpensive fortified wines (e.g. Thunderbird, Night Train Express, Wild Irish Rose, MD 20/20, Boones Hill, etc.). Currently in the lead is T-bird (which doesn't taste nearly as fruity as the others). Anybody have a favorite???”

“Check with Snackboy . . .he usually has a good perspective on food/drink related issues. What do you think of this??”

“I got horribly sick off Boones Farm (Strawberry Hill) when I was 15. Very fruity, but go with it.”

“They all sound icky to me.”

“That's because they are icky.”

“Almaden Mtn Rhine!!! (hic)

Monty Python does a skit about Fine Australian Fighting Wines, quite funny.”

“null”

“What's the word: Thunderbird.
What's the price: dolla twice.
What's the action: SATISFACTION”

“When I wuds coming up, it wuds "wuds da price? Fiddy twice."

Man, you s'posed to takes a swig, nots a chug!!! Gimme dat, fooo.”

“Why dilute perfectly good alcohol with fruit juice?

Gimme good old fashioned American 'shine anyday.”

“Newgirl, you know Bacpac? "Very fruity, but go with it" makes me think you do!”

“wild irish rose.

thunderbird would be my second choice, followed by the mad dog.

boones is for chicks.”

“Kids (shaking head sadly).

If you want wine, get some wine. If you simply want to get drunk really quick, just put cheap vodka in your cool-aid.”

“Diet Pepsi, you'll thank me for this advice in about 20 years.”

“ken, i didn't say that it's what i'd recommend, now. he asked about the "wide array of inexpensive fortified wines". and i told him.”

“MD 20/20, it's kosher.”

“ThunderTrain, I change my first vote. I think you should go with ken's suggestion. Cheap vodka and kool-aid kicks ass.”

“hawaiian punch with rum or vodka.”

“A friend of mine was arrested unfairly for a DWI after having "only one drink". It turns out he drank a bottle of "Mad Dog
20-20". "That's only one drink!"

It's only downfall is the purple puke stains.”

“I used to get this stuff called Tickeled Pink. It was a really cheap sparkeling wine, I think it was strawbery flavored.”

“If you want some cheap sweet wine get Manischewitz. Kosher too.

If you want real wine, that's another story.”

“But seriously... why? Why would you even consider drinking that p!ss?”

“He's hoping that the wine thing will give him a sophisticated image and help him get laid.”

“MD 20/20 and a 40 of Olde English 800 malt liquor.”

“6er of Mickey's Big Mouths always did it for me in high school. Never got into Nighttrain or MadDog really. Just went straight for the Captain chased with a Tahitian Treat or something like that.”

“What! no "Eleven Star".”

“Cover your eyes, Tea. You shouldn't be reading this.”

“Hyperpacker, that is hilariously close to my high school drinking parties.”

“How about blue maui or a cheap bottle of sparkling wine through a straw? Boones strawberry hill was a fav of mine along with black label. Don't miss those days!”

“Everclear...lots of it...in punch koolaid with real fruit chunks!”

“Don't say chunks!
Any of these suggestions will do if you get good and sick on the stuff and then swear off. Worked for me.”

“of course real men drink single malt scotch, neat, at room temperature.”

“gatorade and everclear was always a hit at school.

cisco was da shiznit, yo!”

“
There's a pretty good book by Paul Lukacs called "American Vintage" that chronicles the history of the American wine industry. It talks about how American vintners have tried (unsuccessfully) to encourage a European attitude toward wine where it is viewed as a mainstream beverage and a food staple.



Early on (early 1800's through 1950's), American vines (even European/American hybrids like Concord, Mission, Catawba, etc.) didn't make very good table wine so they were often fortified because that was the only decent wine those vines would make. And those people who were table wine drinkers often opted for European wines or made their own. So the U.S. wineries really undermined their own efforts by saying one thing (promoting table wine as an everyday beverage) and doing another (creating lots of cheap, fortified wines which were purchased for their intoxicating qualities)(especially the big ones like E & J Gallo Thunderbird{}) They continued this because of their bottom line...fortified wines were big sellers all the way through the 1960's. In fact there were many, including President Woodrow Wilson, who wanted to exempt wine from Prohibition but because the (U.S.) industry was churning out so much mediocre quality fortified wines the teetotalers won the day.



It wasn't until the mid 1960's that vinifera (European vines) were widely grafted onto American rootstock (because American vines are resistant to Phylloxera and other vine maladies) in California by a handful of vintners committed to quality.
”

“WONDERFUL WINO

Well, late in the summer of '69,
I went downtown, and bought me some wine.
Oh, I drank it down, under the table,
I said "Watch me now, I'm gon eat the label!"
Well, I'm a wino-man, don't you know I am?

36, 24, hips about 30.
I see a fine lady and I start talkin' dirty.
Boy, she looked over at me, and she raised her thumb.
She said "Jam down the road, you bum b-bum bum!"
I'm a wino-man, don't you know I am?

I went to the country,
and while I was gone,
I lost control of my body functions,
on a roller-headed lady's front lawn.
I'm so ashamed, but I'm a wino-man, I can't help myself.

I been drinkin' all night 'til my eyes got red.
Stumbled on the gutter and busted my head.
Bugs in my zoot suit. Been scratchin' like a dog.
Can't stand no water, and I stink like a hog.

Give me a five dollar bill, and an overcoat too.
Give me a five dollar bill, and an overcoat too.
A five dollar bill, and an overcoat too,
a five dollar bill, and a Florscheim shoe.

F.Z.”