It is not as much as about culture as it is about the aesthetics of the bet.
There is a place for a fine slab of beef or a vase of aged liquor.. but neither are under a hefty price tag for a name or convenience.
IMO.. there lies the issue with that bet.. it is more about stinging in the wallet than stinging in the fan hood. (For the record, I will enjoy watching the bet play out.. albeit disappointed that it lacks any personal humiliation aspect, lol.)
About once a month I grill a fine piece of steak.. filet, ribeye or porter.. but none come from a frozen box with an overpriced sticker.
Sure that is not practical for some in their surroundings, but here there are still many that don't take advantage of their surroundings and enjoy the fruits of their labor without coughing up a small fortune.
If that is the lack of culture in which you speak.. so be it.
But whom really is lacking what in the situation? ;)
I quit the hard liquor years ago.. but one thing I can attest.. you can find fine tasting elixir for a fairer price than some of the top shelf brands out there. A properly aged wine, well those are harder to come across.. but the same doesn't hold true for liquor in my experience.
Originally Posted by: Pack93z
A couple points:
1. Expensive liquor. I can't speak for $400 bottles and what they might offer. I can say that there can be a major difference between:
a. Gin that goes over $50/bottle (e.g. Old Raj 55%) and that which goes under.
b. Cognac/Armagnac that goes over $75/bottle (e.g., Martell Cordon Bleu) and that which goes under.
c. Whisky (the single-malt Scots kind, no "e") that goes over $100 instead of under it.
d. Port (okay, technically not liquor) that goes over $150 (e.g.,Grahams 40 year tawny) and that which doesn't.
2. Food.
a. I think people are operating under the belief that "buying protein online" gets you nothing more than "Omaha steak" quality. That simply isn't the case. If you know where to look (and are willing to make some expensive mistakes along the way), the high-end options are in fact more than a "step above". Fresh OR frozen sometimes.
b. I've never had a Wagyu steak. (And I expect I'll never have true Japanese Kobe.) I'm guessing, however, that not just the $120/lb Wagyu ribeye that Lobel's sells, but the $40/lb dry-aged one (both of which are going to be delivered fresh, never frozen, by the way) are going to be a far different taste than any steak most of us have access to in our grocery stores and butcher shops.
c. I've paid bucks for Secreto Iberico de Bellotta (a fancy Portuguese name for a special cut of pork skirt steak of all things). Ad claim is that they are uniquely acorn-fed. I don't know if that's it or what. I do know that, even in Iowa, it's going to take me substantial work to find that cut. I also found the taste of that pork something that I've never had in Iowa, and it isn't all my marinade. (Slayer -- Secreto is the "teriyaki" flavored one from Rourke's brunch).
d. I've bought tuna that was in the ocean on thursday and in my tummy on friday. The only better tuna I've had was at a sushi bar in Chicago.
Whether this makes me more cultured or not, I won't say. Whether this makes me an effete whatchamacallit or some other lack of essential sanity, I won't say either.
But for me, its an occasionally indulged (maybe 2-3 times a year) hobby that I enjoy.
And, while there is no doubt that such food is extravagant and over-the-top, I'm betting that as hobbies go, it's one that probably is cheaper than a lot of more "manly" hobbies involving big toys and/or trips to expensive sports fora.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)