Wine Coolers: What’s so great about flavored malt liquor anyway?

Itching to try the latest flavor rage in wine coolers? It came to my attention recently that many people don’t know that wine coolers are simply flavored malt liquor. It surprises me even more that that info itself doesn’t seem to mean much to many people. What’s wrong with pina colada flavored malt liquor wine coolers? Well, nothing, unless you want to drink more than one or two. If you’re anything like me, more than one or two wine coolers will leave you with hangover symptoms later on that day or the next.

If you really want a strawberry daiquiri or pina colada, why not just buy the fixings to make those mixed drinks? Of course if you’re on a budget it’s probably better to just buy the wine coolers. But if you’re planning a big party or otherwise have a bigger drink budget, I strongly suggest making your own mixed drinks rather than buy a huge lot of wine coolers. Malt liquor is notorious for producing headaches and all the other hangover symptoms.

Mixed drinks don’t have to be all that expensive to make either. If you plan ahead a little you can decide on a few different mixed drinks to have on hand at your next party and save some money by using the same base liquor. For example, rum is a great liquor for fruity drinks. Pina coladas, daiquiris and many other drinks call for rum, so that’s a great standby as far as liquors for mixing go. And of course vodka is a good all round liquor that can make many types

La Vieille Ferme 2010 Cotes du Ventoux Rouge - Special Price $8.29, Regular Price $10.00
This full-bodied and fruity wine comes from vines grown high on the slopes of Mont Ventoux, one of the best vineyards in the Rhone Valley.This blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsault grapes has produced a typical Rhone Valley style; full of fruit and spice aromas, it has soft tannins and good body.Serve at 62F to accompany most foods or to be drunk on its own, this is a delicious wine for easy drinking.
Finca Luzon 2009 Luzon - Our Price $8.79
Red purple with an intense violet rim. Clean, fragrant, fruity, intense smells of red and black fruits, powerful and very enjoyable. Big, smooth and warming, very fruity and well balanced acids. Mature tannins. Food Pairing: Roast sirloin steak, stewed meat, roast chicken, rice dishes, stews, vegetables and goat cured and semi cured cheese.
Mano a Mano 2007 La Mancha - Our Price $9.29
Dark cherry-red, with an intense purplish color round the edges. Aromas of ripe forest fruit, cocoa, violets and a balsamic flourish against a smoky background. Flavorsome, fresh, balanced and meaty, with good fruit on the palate. Forest fruits take the lead for the overture.
Bodegas Castano 2010 Monastrell - Our Price $9.29
This cuvée from Castaño is made from 100% Monastrell (Mourvèdre) from 30 year old vines. It is released young and is meant to be an easy drinking, everyday wine. It has a bright, fresh raspberry bouquet with dense, textured, cherry flavors on the palate. It is well structured with supple, integrated tannins. This wine is a great match to simple, bistro-style fare but has enough body to hold up to hearty dishes including beef, game, and strong cheeses.
Alto Almanzora 2008 Este - Our Price $10.29
From the ancient mountains of Andalucia - land that has been cultivated throughout history by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Muslims - lies this categorically modern winery with state of the art facilities and stunning architecture. This mountainous area (the nearby Calar Alto observatory sits at 2,100 meters) enjoys more than 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, providing optimal ripening conditions during the day while a 20 degree drop at night grants the necessary acidity and balance. Este is represented by a pregnant mare - a symbol of fertility that has blessed the estate's fields for thousands of years. Consulting Winemaker Rafael Palacios' skillful hand working behind the scenes is abundantly clear - a stunning wine for an even more stunning price.
Falernia 2007 Syrah Reserva - Special Price $10.79, Regular Price $13.00
Very bright color; elegant nose with black pepper and floral notes. Medium-full bodied with very soft tannins and good balance. Great length and fruity after taste.
Perrin et Fils 2010 Reserve Cotes du Rhone Rouge - Special Price $10.79, Regular Price $18.00
A beautiful deep red hue that seems almost opaque. The nose shows caramel and spices that mingle with red berry fruit. The palate is full and deep, with fine tannins and good length.
Delas 2010 Cotes du Ventoux - Special Price $10.79, Regular Price $15.00
The color is a deep ruby red, showing garnet reflections while young. With its predominately berry-fruit bouquet, this wine shows the full aromatic power of these two fine grape varieties whilst retaining the freshness imparted by well-controlled winemaking.
Mano a Mano 2009 La Mancha - Our Price $10.79
A combination of altitude and soil helps to bring out the very best in this old vine Tempranillo, and creates a fruit forward wine with structure and earth notes. Dark cherry-red, with an intense purplish color round the edges. Aromas of ripe forest fruit, cocoa, violets and a balsamic flourish against a smoky background. Flavorsome, fresh, balanced and meaty, with good fruit on the palate. Forest fruits take the lead for the overture.
Tormaresca 2010 Chardonnay - Special Price $10.79, Regular Price $12.00
Pale lemon in color, this wine is fresh and flavorful with aromas of peach, white flowers and citrus, and with flavors of exotic fruit and sea-salt tinged minerality. This chardonnay has lively acidity and lingers on the palate.


of less fruity drinks. So, a trip to the liquor store to purchase a bottle of vodka and a bottle of rum will yield all kinds of mixed drink options.

There are some excellent bartender and drink mixing websites out there that can help you make the most of your next mixed drinks occasion. There are even websites where you can input all the ingredients you have on hand and it will spit out a list of drinks that you can make. Webtender.com is just such a site. Go to http://www.webtender.com/cgi-bin/imbselect to input your available ingredients. Chances are you’ll be surprised to discover all the possible drink combinations using only the ingredients you have on hand.