And People Wonder Why I Drink....

[Magpie]

One of the students at the university had a DL from another country. The date was really messed up - I think it was mm/dd/yyyy (or yy). The person checking IDs wasn't familiar enough with how this other country worked, and conscientiously checked the ID, and did the math, not realising that the LARGER number was the month, not the smaller one. It was only a couple of extra months of drinking, but when you're 18, that's a big deal. (Drinking age is 19 here, we used to have 5 year high school, that's not supposed to be 17).

[EricKei]

And a few tried to not go to the 21 standard, but the federal government put so much pressure on the individual States by threatening to cut off much-needed federal transportation/highway funding that eventually all the States folded on this issue.

Guilty ^_^ I think we were one of the last holdout states on that -- we even had out laws set up -- for YEARS -- where the *drinking* age was 21 but the "able to buy alcohol" age was 18...The feds finally sewed up that loophole back in the 90's or so, I think.

[Jester]

When I said 'European DL', I of course meant a German DL (those DLs the size of a credit card are rather uniform across most of the EU, but of course still issued by the countries)

I thought you meant European Union DL, which I had never heard of. I reiterate, though, that if someone here is not familiar enough with either a German DL or the German language, they can (and often should) refuse such an ID. Sorry, but that is the way it is.

As for the rums, thank you.

You're welcome!

I must admit, my forays into the realms of rum are just beginning (so far, I used rums mostly for mixing; those El Cheapo rums I had in my youth are simply not suited for being drunk straight...

There are plenty of rums that are good for mixing as well. It is rare for someone to jump straight from rum and cokes to sipping rums. I know *I* didn't. Even most of the rums I mentioned in my list were suitable for mixing to some degree.

until I came across a really likable rum during a whisky tasting (don't ask)

I'm asking. Do tell. Details, please!

I did an online order for a Zacapa 23y, a 15y El Dorado, a Pyrat and a Pampero just half an hour ago; let's see how much I like them. Thanks again for a list of things to try at.

No problem. And I hope with the Pyrat you got the XO Reserve, and not the Pistol (which is simply okay) or the Cask 1623 (which is extraordinary, but extraordinarily expensive...that one is a pure sipping rum!).

I mentioned mixing....the Zacapa 23 does make the best mojito I've ever had, and, if you like dark rum and coke, makes a great one of those, though of course I think that is a bit of a waste. As for the Pyrat XO, that mixes incredibly in so many drinks, including the one I invented that not only won my my first bartending contest (I've been in five, never placed better than fourth in any other one), but also got that drink on Pyrat XO table tents in bars across the U.S. If you ever see a Pyrat table tent listing the Keys Breeze, that is my own personal invention, thank you very much. (Possibly even in German bars, too. I have no idea how far the promotion goes, franikly.) I can't imagine what Pampero mixes with, though I am sure it can be done, and the thought of mixing ED 15 makes me almost violent. Yes, I'm serious. Grrr.....

Guilty ^_^ I think we were one of the last holdout states on that

Yes. You were.