E-Mail This Article to a Friend Liquid FAQs Local experts share their answers to the wine, beer, and liquor questions you’ve always wanted to ask BY GENEVIEVE RAJEWSKI

We’ve all been there at one point or another — wandering around a liquor store or sitting at a bar, too shy to ask what feels like a silly question. Maybe you’re not sure if you can find a good wine for the money in your wallet. Or maybe you want to know what rum might best serve as lighter fluid for what will definitely be the party of the year.

Here, a group of local experts — liquor retailers and bartenders — helps disprove the old chestnut that "the only dumb question is the one you didn’t ask."

Wine

Can you get a good wine for less than $10?

"Yes, absolutely," says Todd Forsgren, a sales representative at Best Cellars (745 Boylston Street, Boston, 617-266-2900). "There are tons of excellent small producers that are making interesting wines at good prices."

Which wines represent the best values?

"Argentinean and South American wines are often a good deal, because their economies are not the hottest at this point," notes Forsgren. "But even despite the increasing value of the euro, you can find fabulous deals from Spain, France’s Rhône Valley and Loire Valley, as well as with a lot of French village wines."

What is the difference between dry and sweet wine?

"This question really trips people up, which is understandable. Some wines have a sort of fruity taste to them but are technically dry — which means that, after they were made, they didn’t have any residual sugar left," says Forsgren.

What kind of wine goes with (insert food here)?

"I try to handle these questions on a case-by-case situation," says Forsgren. "A lot of people are shunning the classic food pairings and doing things like having red wine with fish."

Does wine go with everything?

"It is not necessarily the ideal beverage choice," says Howie Rubin, general manager at Bauer Wine & Spirits (330 Newbury Street, Boston, 617-262-0363). "Sometimes, beer is a much better match. For example, a very spicy Thai dish matches really well with Singha, a Thai beer. Chili and ribs also are better with beer."

What is a good wine to give as a gift?

"It’s hard to suggest what to give if a person hasn’t any clue what their friend likes to drink. When that’s the case, I suggest very accessible, New World wines," says Forsgren.

Can you mix a case of assorted red wines that cost $12 to $15 each?

"Absolutely," says Rubin. "I’d move it around the world a bit. I’d start with two pinot, add a couple of barberas to go with the tomatoes that are ripe right now, and then throw in some Rhône varietals such as a good Côtes du Rhône, maybe an Argentinean malbec, and some Petit Château Bordeaux."

I’m sick of chardonnay and like sauvignon blanc. Can you recommend something new?

"Try Italian vermentino, which features a nice white grape from Sardinia, or albariño from Spain," says Rubin. "During summer months, I recommend viognier, which is mostly from France’s Rhône Valley and California. You also may want to try an Alsatian varietal, pinot gris, or pinot blanc.

I drink a lot of cabernet, but can you recommend something else?

"Grenache — which hails from California, Spain, France, and Australia — is a good option," notes Rubin. "Washington State shiraz is very hot right now. Tempranillo, a Spanish varietal, is also pretty hot right now, as are dolcettos and barberas from Italy."

Are there any good sparkling wines that cost less than $20?

"Try a prosecco from Italy or the more local and very popular Westport Rivers Cuvée RJR. Brachetto is a sparkling red wine from the Piedmont region in northern Italy that is wonderful with a dessert of chocolate and berries," says Rubin.

Beer

What’s new in microbrews?

"The double IPA or imperial IPA is the newest category to hit the beer scene," says Mark Kadish, owner of Sunset Grill & Tap (130 Brighton Avenue, Allston, 617-254-1331). "These are IPAs from American microbreweries trying to out-hop each other. We have a lot on tap, and they are becoming really popular."

What’s an IPA?

"IPA stands for Indian pale ale," says Kadish. "Back before modern technology, you needed a way to preserve beverages during long journeys — say, from England to India. So, English brewers used a lot of hops, which act as a preservative, in their beer. However, not all of the beers labeled as IPAs today are true IPAs."

What is cask-conditioned beer?

"Cask-conditioned beer is in the secondary fermentation stage of a cask keg," says Kadish. "It is unfiltered and unpasteurized, so it still has yeast in it, which makes it a lot more flavorful."

Which foods does beer go well with?

"It’s very difficult to pair the wrong beer with food — even desserts," Kadish says. "You can match beer with food by region. Spicier foods might call for a more hopped-up or full-bodied beer. But it’s really all a matter of personal preference."

What makes beer go bad?

"Light is what skunks beer the most, but the freshness factor is also key," says Kadish, "Store beer in a cool, dark place, and don’t keep it around for a long time."

What is the difference between German and microbrewed Hefeweizens?

"I think the German Hefeweizens have a nice, minerally flavor," says Rubin. "They are spicier and taste a little more assertive in the nose."

Why don’t you carry Yuengling?

"We can’t get it from Pennsylvania," says Christina Petrillo, a manager at Liquor Land (874 Harrison Avenue, Boston, 617-445-0560). "It is not available at liquor stores north of New York."

Why don’t you list Samuel Adams Boston Lager as a local beer?

"Sam Adams does make some fantastic beers in Boston, but Boston Lager isn’t one of them," says Kadish. "It’s made in Ohio and other locations."

Liquor and spirits

What are the hottest new gins?

"Broker’s, which has a derby on the bottle, and Old Raj gin; both are from England," says Rubin.

What do you recommend as a vodka for drinking straight up?

"I like Armadale, a great vodka from Scotland," says Petrillo.

What are the hottest new single-barrel bourbons?

"Buffalo Trace came out at a good price," says Rubin. "Woodford Reserve and Eagle Rare are also great bourbons."

What is cachaça?

"Cachaça is a Brazilian liquor made from sugar cane that has a flavor between rum and tequila," says Rob Macy, bartender at West Side Lounge (1680 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617-441-5566). "It’s the main ingredient in a caipirinha, which also features the juices of a whole lime muddled with a spoonful of sugar."

What does the age on a bottle of Scotch mean?

"The age designation reflects the youngest malt in the blend or the youngest malt in the bottle from that distillery," explains Joe Gomes, store manager and liquor buyer at Blanchard Liquors (103 Harvard Avenue, Allston, 617-782-5588). "For example, a Scotch that contains 12-year-old oak-aged and sherry-aged malts, an 18-year-old malt, and a 21-year-old malt would be labeled as a 12-year-old malt."

Are aged Scotches better?

"It is really a matter of taste," says Gomes. "Some people like young malts better, because they have not aged and mellowed and tend to have an edge."

What Scotch should I start out with?

"We carry more than 100 single malts and each one tastes different," says Gomes. "I recommend that, instead of spending $60 to $80 on a bottle they may end up disliking, people first try a few Scotches at a good bar for $5 to $10 a shot. Maybe even go with a few friends and have everyone order a different malt and sample each other’s. When you find a type you like, you can buy a bottle and take it home."

Which rum has the highest proof?

"Bacardi 151; J. Wray Overproof, a Jamaican rum with a proof of 126; and Forres Park puncheon rum, a 150-proof rum from Trinidad," says Petrillo.

Do you sell grain alcohol?

"No," says Petrillo. "It is illegal to do so in Massachusetts."

Why don’t you just surprise me?

"This cocktail order has me asking the questions," says West Side Lounge’s Macy. "I start by asking the customer if they want something strong, milky, or fruity? If they say ‘strong,’ I use bourbon, the A-1 liquor that puts hair on your chest, as a base. For ‘milky,’ I start with Bailey’s Irish Cream or Kahlúa. ‘Fruity’ opens the door to numerous options, such as pear or blood-orange purée, or one of the many flavored vodkas."

Genevieve Rajewski can be reached at ticktockwordshop@comcast.net.