Can anyone explain Scarfo's Cutty Sark and water?

I just RECENTLY seen this stuff at the local liquor store. I know it has always been around but this stuff is basically bottom shelf whiskey. Add in the fact that Nicky liked to add water to it. I don't get it. I totally understand that he did adhere to the old school rules of no flashiness but always thought that if you did drink, you would want the best......I know Nick was not a big drinker. His drug of choice was $$$$....Maybe he paid his Underboss too little and would explain why he chose alcohol but that is another debate for another day.
My ONLY guess is he saw an old school legend doing the same and he copied them. Maybe one of his Meyer Lansky trips.


Look at Gotti and his wine story.

Thoughts?

He just liked the stuff, whats the big deal?

And the water is 2 fold...Some studies say water brings out more flavor...

But for him I think it was so he could be less drunk and appear to drink more, and get guys loaded to see what kind of shit they would talk while wasted

Small guys get drunk much quicker
So he had yo water it down

Well unless your an alcoholic

Back in the 50's when he was at his party days Cutty was pretty good shit .

Now days they have better shit at bars but back then it was just bar booze and a occasional good bottle but very rare .

Now days I go to places that pour 100$ bottle of whiskey and they may have four of five different ones , not back then you had Seagram seven , cuddy shark ,Canadian club , shit you could not get Jack Daniels till the 70's in a bar.

Cutty and water was a very popular drink in the 50's through the 70's.
There was a scene in goodfella's where Tommy asked for a cutty and water.

That's right. Some people just like scotch and water. What's wrong or unusual about that?

Love cc. Its almost hard to find at neighborhood corner l stores just not popular around here anymore then my corner store owner said its costs the big distributor more money cause it crosses the border from Canada ayy. Shits smoth no the vo or others one original cc. On the rocks or with ginger.

I've seen it in liquor stores down here in Texas and I always think of "hey spider on your way over here bring me a cutty and water huh"

I just recently started drinking scotch. Never liked it when I was younger but my tastes have changed so much over the years I like it now. Got a bottle of Dewars 12 now that I like.

When I was a kid I used to drink anisette and sometimes cut it with a very small amount of water because that stuff is like drinking maple syrup.
Then later I switched to Bombay Sapphire.
Then it became Jack D strait up.
Now its anything that gets me plastered.....

I never was a wine drinker. I think being forced to drink that home made red torpedo shit as a kid just turned me off to wine.

The only wine I actually like is this stuff called riesling. Anybody ever try it? its real good.

Hey, if your from my era give a shout out if you remember the long island ice tea. Two of those would put you in bed, it was all booze, no mixers except for a tiny bit of coke to give it the color of ice tea. And then there was the good ole 7&7.

Take care everybody,
Sal

You still see plenty of old-timers who drink Cutty or J&B. I agree with the posters above that it was just hard to get better whiskey in those days--even on a TV show like Mad Men (where I think they tried pretty hard to get the details right), Don Draper drinks Canadian Club.

Albanian riesling is some of the best stuff around, when made properly, up there with the best Italian wines. You should try it if you get the chance.

Still order Long Island Iced Tea, and 7&7's those are good.

Scotch and water is a mixed drink. Like rum and coke or vodka and orange juice. I doubt Scarfo invented it. I guess he liked the taste of Scotch, or maybe he thought it was more sophisticated than drinking beer, who knows.

I never knew people used to mix Scotch and water. Wow. I was thinking Scarfo used to drink Cutty and a huge glass of water so he would not get as drunk as the guy he was trying to "interrogate" to get him to open up. I know people who do this, but not mixed, never knew about that. Would definitely not like Jack mixed with water, or Tequila and water.

Most scotch has a distinct taste if you add water or a ice cube you get a tamed down flavor that is really good .

Like Seagrams and 7up it's delicious together!

I've only ever seen Cutty Sark at a bar once. Having just finished Leonetti's book I ordered a Cutty and a water. The bartender didn't know what the hell I was talking about. I had to point it out to him on the shelf

Very popular drink in the 1950s. A lot of WW2 vets drank whisky and water. My grandfather did through the 1980s. They called them "highballs", although anymore that term is used to describe whisky and soda. A lot of older drinkers still drink whisky and water. Any bartender who hasn't heard of a "Cutty and water" is a millennial green horn.

Cutty and water? It's like Jack and water. I'm not getting the point of this thread bro....

Plastered? LOL! I have been there many times.
Made me laugh.

Not sure what part of the country you are from but, I have been able to legally drink for almost 18 years. I am from North Jersey and have been to many bars and NEVER heard anyone order any straight liquor and ask for a glass of water with it.
For what? Either man up and drink the hard stuff or don't.

I apologize to anyone who drinks this way....My Jersey is starting to come out.

I've been drinking my scotch with water for longer than you've been on this earth. That's the way I prefer it. Simple as that. And you mean to tell me in all those eighteen years of drinking you've never heard anyone order a Dewars and water???

The water's not separate. It's mixed with the drink. Think whiskey and water instead of whiskey and soda.



That would have been a great line for Spider right before Pesci turns him into Swiss cheese.

LOL..so well said SC..

I'm also one of the older guys here I'm guessing.

When I was a kid scotch and water or with club soda was a huge thing. Especially with the WW2 Vets.

I've worked in bars and night clubs my whole life. The old guys could really throw that shit back. They would take a small breath right before doing a shot, down the whole thing real fast then exhale hard to blow all the strong alcohol vapors out so they never coughed.

Sal

Cutty with a splash of soda water and a lemon is legit and I order it from time to time. And I'm a younger guy. Bourbon has kind of takin off nationaly replacing scotch but in the south we've been sippin Bourbon since before it was cool

Many drinkers will choose their poison according to where they live and weather. I'll usually stick with scotch but in the heat of summer I sometimes switch to a "lighter" and "cleaner" drink like vodka or gin. But whiskies, whether they're bourbon, rye, scotch, etc. are GREAT on a cold winter night. Take the chill right outta ya!!

LMAO!

I know understand that as a younger guy, it USE TO BE a popular one...Lesson learned.

Adding a bit of water to Scotch is how it's usually done in Scotland by the Master Distillers. But what do they know...

Millennial 'Muricans will teach those wussy Scots how to drink like men.

Speaking of Long Island Ice Tea's, does anybody know what was in them?
I had many bartender friends and I must have watched them mix one at some point but we are talking the 1980's here. Thats a long time ago.

I mostly remember that is was all liquor almost no mixer except for just a splash of coke to give it that ice tea color. If it was made exactly right you would almost think you were drinking lipton ice tea. But one or two of those mothers would get you really hamered, besides they always came in a big glass.

Another drink thats similar in that you don't realize how drunk you are getting is a perfectly made Cuban Mojito.

If a Mojito is made correctly (I think its got rum, sugar cane syrup, some kind of bruised leaf etc.) You can throw those back and never realize just how much you are drinking. When made right they are delicious.

So back to my question.....
Whats in a Long Is. ice tea?

Thanks,
Sal

I just looked it up.

Long Island Ice Tea is made with vodka, rum, tequila, gin, triple sec, and a splash of coke.

No wonder I can't remember the 80's

Years of bartending experience and I'm still in the food and beverage business. Keep in mind every place's specs are different. When I came up a Long Island was Rum, gin, vodka, triple sec, sweet & sour, and splash of Coke. If you added tequila we called it a Texas tea. Now if you think about it, if you order this drink without specifying top shelf you're getting 4-5 cheap rot gut liqours. Hangover guaranteed. The only reason to order this drink is to get fucking hammered.

Now 2 more drinks that are slight variations:

A Walk Me Down (that blue drink) is essentially a Long Island but you sub blue curaçao for the triple sec and leave off the Coke. Blue curaçao is just blue triple sec (both cheap orange liquor).

Next is the Grateful Dead. It's a Walk Me Down with a chambord (or razzmatazz if you're going cheap) float on top. Chambord or razzmatazz is a raspberry liquor that is purple. It turns the blue Walk Me Down to a tie die lookin purple. Hence the hippy name Grateful Dead.

None of these drinks are that great but if you want to get hammered, try them. Had some girls back in the day hooked on those Grateful Dead's.

Hello Kash,

Thanks for the info on the LI ice tea.

May I ask you about a Mojito?

I live in South Florida and very few bartenders can make one right, its a native drink of Cuba. It has to be some kind of real good rum, I believe sugar cane syrup, and (I'm not sure on this) bruised mint leaves??

If they are made by somebody who knows what they are doing it might just be the most refreshing drink ever. Close to really good lemonade with a shot of rum, but way better.

I'm serious when I say that you could down 3 or 4 of these and not realize how trashed you are getting.

Ever make one of these?

Thanks
Sal

That's another one where there is a bunch of different ways. My way was simple syrup, squeeze a lime, and a couple mint leaves. Muddle that. Top with ice and then build with quality white rum, soda water, and then garnish with lime. Some people use a little sweet & sour or 7up instead of soda but I like the more traditional recipe. You can get creative and throw a strawberry in with the simple syrup & mint to muddle for a twist. Great brunch drink after a long night of boozin. When it's done just right it's a citrus semi-sweet cocktail and that mint gives it a cool sensation more than a mint flavor.

Thanks,

Yeah, I see what you mean. I looked that drink up too and there are a dozen different ways to make it and every one of them say "authentic mojito"

In your professional opinion what do you think is the very best non blended scotch out there. Forget price, whats the very best?

Where I live thats called an AMF - Adios Motherfucker

That name is probably more appropriate

Loaded question. When it comes to single malts, some like the heavy peat, some don't. And you can buy some rare 26 year bottles that will run you thousands. I keep a bottle of 18 year glenlivet for a a scotch drinking guest at the house. It's a good single malt and is roughly $100 a fifth where I live. Probably a little more in other areas. JW blue is a blend but has a high roller reputation. About $400 a bottle. This is a broad stroke statement so don't take it for 100% true in all situations. Scotch market is more stable than Bourbon at the moment. Scotch price and quality is closely linked. Bourbon is in a shortage so prices are ridiculous jacked up. So a $300 scotch is probably a better pour than a $300 small batch Bourbon.

Kash,

For a time Jack D was my drink of choice. At the beginning of he night I would put just a splash of water in it, then as I got to feeling good I would start drinking it strait up.

A few or more years ago Jack Daniels came out with a "Sinatra Select". It was 90 proof instead or the usual 80 proof, but they where charging a small fortune for it. I tried it once and to me , other than the proof I really couldn't tell the difference.

You know whats all over the internet lately, is this moonshiner Popcorn Sutton "likker" shit. There are all sorts of small companies making this corn liquor now. Just an empty Popcorn Sutton mason jar can sell for hundreds of dollars on ebay.

The spirits business seems to be very crazy at times.

I usually do a gin and club, itbhelps me not get drunk so fast at least I think

Sal,

Nothing wrong with Jack. I keep a gentleman jack bottle stocked in my home bar. And you hit on the marketing part of the booze business. Jack probably had some research that said they could do numbers in a certain demo that Sinatra's name would reach. Throw Frank's estate a check, tweak the recipe, charge a premium. Bud light platinum is bud light ice rebranded because it only sold in the hood. They still have bud ice for the hood but rebranded the light to bud light platinum to get white folks to buy it. Demographics marketing

I think pretty much any drink made with Scotch is a drinking man's drink. And most people grow out of the "Drink till you Puke" stage at 23 or 24. Getting a little buzz so you relax and have a nice time is enough.

It's not really an old school thing Sal, I probably had 1 in the last decade or so..I bet if u went 2 a non stuffy joint,u would receive 1 w/out any funny looks.

When I was kid in the 70s Cutty was one of the beverages that was always stocked in my parent's liquor cabinet and at relatives homes as well.

Another Scotch they had was Old Smuggler.

Times change.

These days it's all about boutique this and small batch that. You don't even see too many folks drinking Jim Beam anymore although they are trying to change that with Mila Kunis. Am I supposed to think that if I drink Beam I'll score a hot chick OR am I supposed to drink enough Beam that any girl will look like Mila?

I stick to the classics, Jack, Crown, J&B, Herradura and Stoli.