With people cutting back across the board, one easy way to save money is to limit the number of drinks you buy at bars or restaurants. If ever there was a time to have a good home bar, this is it. People think they need every liquor and cordial under the sun, but really all you need to make a majority of drinks are these 10 basic liquors:
1. Dirt-cheap vodka: Buy a 1.75 liter for under $15, and once it's cold in the freezer it tastes perfectly fine with heavier mixers like cranberry, Red Bull or orange juice. Keep a big bottle in the freezer and you can always have after-hours at your place, even if the crowd is big and you don't like them very much.
2. Middle-of-the-road vodka: Preferably a small batch brand like Kansas' own Most Wanted or Tito's. When it's really cold, it tastes as good as stuff that's twice as expensive. This is the vodka to use for tonics or vodkatinis.
3. Aged whiskey or scotch: The liquor equivalent of a sports car. It's not for everyday, but rather to impress certain people on certain occasions. I'm partial to Irish whiskey (Red Breast is excellent) but any fine aged one will add prestige to the bar. Nearly every good whiskey also has a good story about how it came to be. By learning that story, you can impress visitors and also make sure they remember the brand next time your birthday comes round.
4. Gin: Forget vodka, this is what martinis are made of. The New York Times found Plymouth English Gin to be best for martinis.
If you think you're going to be spending more time making gin and
tonics, though a gin with a more rounded flavor like Hendrick's is
better. To be on the safe side, stick with a dry gin like Tanqueray or
Beefeater.
5. Bourbon: All bourbon is whiskey but not
all whiskey is bourbon. While it doesn't have to come from Kentucky, it
must be made with at least 51 percent corn. Cheap bourbon is smoother
and mixes better than cheap whiskey which is why I'd keep the scotch
expensive and the bourbon cheap.
6. Tequila: The shot
king. Yes, the more expensive tequila does go down smoother but I've
always thought the point of tequila was to shock you. If you have
limes, it's the best -- if not the safest -- way to begin or end a party. The big problem is that any drink or shot with tequila also
involves limes.
7. White Rum: I haven't
touched rum in four years. I never liked it, especially golden rum. But white rum has more uses with mojitos and daiquiris, and because rum
and Cokes are so popular (if boring) it's sure to be a crowd pleaser.
8. Limoncello: The homemade variety of course, not Danny DeVito's.
So easy to make and then impress people with the fact that you made it. (Or
give as a gift in a nice glass bottle.) Not only is it the definitive
summer drink, it doesn't need a mixer.
9. Vermouth: Whether
you go with sweet or dry depends on what type of bar you're
running. Dry vermouth is for the classic martini. Problem is, that's
really its only use. Sweet vermouth can be used in Manhattans,
Americanos and negronis, or you can drink it straight up. It's important
to invest in a quality vermouth, though, because it's
pointless to have an expensive vodka with a crappy vermouth.
10. Brandy:
Really, any after-dinner apertif like cognac, port or Bailey's will
work. Just something sweet that can be served neat. I've never seen the
reason to invest in a top-notch cordial since the sugar levels are
so high. Also, by the time a person is drinking brandy after dinner,
there's a good chance they've already had several drinks and won't mind
secondary quality.
Bonus: A bar also needs items like seltzer water, bitters and juices. Fortunately, Drinks after Dark has put together a great list to get you started.
I expect my invitation any day now.
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I like Sobieski vodka and Evan Williams (Black label) bourbon, both are inexpensive but very good. I've been building quite a bourbon collection over the years. I 'vat' or mix various bottlings to match a 'sweet' bourbon w/a 'dry' one. Found a mixture I like and usually buy the ingredients in bulk as the handles go on sale throughout the year. In autumn I mingle a batch and drink most of it, give some away at Christmas. A little bit of rye goes in the bourbon mix, it's good stuff if I say so.
Paul Masson Grande Amber VSOP is the best tasting QPR (Quality/Price ratio) brandy I can easily find. It's great for Sidecars, and stomach-settling Brandy-soda.
These days I prefer Beefeater's Gin (Buy 'handles' on sale) for martinis, Gordon's or Seagrams gin to mix w/juice. I always keep a flask of Rose's lime and Seagram's gin mixed 50/50 in the freezer. Raymond Chandler's recipe makes a dandy frozen gimlet.
Single Malt scotch I leave for the rest of you to enjoy, my tastebuds and my wallet can't reach a compromise so I bow out of that particular competition. But I like JW Black label (and Green and Gold labels), and in Gude Scots fashion I buy them on sale.
For a Scotch cocktail like a Rob Roy or Rusty nail I like Grant's, Teacher's Highland cream and White Horse (Missouri only). I keep Power's & Jameson's Irish to mix and Black Bushmills on hand to sip.
Gosling Black Seal Rum for Dark & stormy, Cruzan white rum, Bacardi Solera (dark) for other cocktails.
Rye - Old Overholt for 'everyday' Rye and Ginger, Wild Turkey 101 rye and/or Wild Turkey's Russell Reserve rye for a Sazerac or Manhattan. I don't care for sipping straight rye, but I keep Van Winkle and Sazerac 20 year around for "celebration" Manhattans.
I want to try Danny DeVito's limoncello but I can't find it anywhere. I make my own too, but there's so much buzz I'd like to try it.
It's also the fascinating concept of premium pricing at work. I honestly think Most Wanted would sell more if it were 50% more expensive.
Thank you JJS. I guarantee Most Wanted could stand up in a test against premiums. The thing that drives me made about vodka is that the more you pay, the less flavor you get. The upper-end brands are all in people's heads.
When I used to be in advertising people would tell me that they're not influenced by ads, so I'd ask them what type of vodka they drank and often, yes, they were definitely influenced by ads.
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