|
Stocking my Liquor Cabinet
I'm looking for some recommendations as to what to add to my personal stock of alcohol to make it more complete.
At the moment I have: Absolut Vodka 100 Proof Bacardi 151 Baileys Irish Cream Cuervo Tequila Jack Daniels Whiskey Jagermeister Butterscotch Schnapps Peppermint Schnapps Peach Schnapps I plan to buy: Disaronno Amaretto Goldschlager Kahlua Based on everyone else's experience, what should I add next? What would I need to make your favorite drink? |
Make sure to have Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice for Margaritas and Kamikazes, and you'll need some Triple Sec as well.
Otherwise... I'm coming to your house! |
An apple liquor for making appletinis or candy apple martinis (mix with the buttershot)
Cinnamon schapps is also nice - mixes well in hot chocolate... Godiva chocolate liquor (either white or dark for m aking chocolate martinis) There are some out there that like the spiced rum - i'm personally not fan of rum but others like it... I'd also go with a good scotch.. single malt... for the grown up drinkers... especially if you like cigars... You also want a good cocktail shaker... the professional bar style, where the little cup fits inside the big cup is the best to use... i think it's called a boston shaker) and a strainer to go on top... Nice glassware...you don't need to spend a lot of money, but it's so cheesey drinking good booze out of paper cups... get some double old fashioned, some high ball, and a stemmed cocktail glass.... |
On brand of triple sec - Will Dekuypers work? That's the brand of my Schnapps and I've liked them for the most part. Is there triple sec good?
|
there's so little triple sec in a margarita - that dekuyers is fine... You also might want to consider a premium sipping tequilla - there's a tequilla thread in this forum already that lists the good ones...
Chambord - a very nice raspberry flavored liquor is nice - it looks pretty in a glass of champagne... (the chocolate liquors are also really nice in champagne - an doyu don't even have to use the good champagne - sparkling wine will do fine) |
I would probably add a Gin, I prefer Bombay, but there are some others out there.
|
Gin - if you are getting fancy go with Tanqueray 10 or Hendrick's otherwise Bombay Sapphire is a nice mid-range gin
Vermouth - how can you have a martini without the vermouth? Lime Cordial - essential for serving Gimlets Scotch - single malt or blended... just don't buy the cheap stuff Ouzo and/or Patis - Anise flavoured liquors... just add a splash of water to make the clear liquid turn cloudy and you have an excellent apertif. |
I was going to say Kahlua, but you've got it -- good for so many things, often great when mixed with desserts and such, as is Godiva chocolate liquere, which Mal mentioned. I would also recommend adding a gin; g&t is a nice, down-the-middle drink, neither too frilly and fancy nor too simple and brutal :-).
And, if you can afford it, one bottle of 100 percent blue agave tequila -- for _very_ special occasions. |
strongly depends on the kinds of drinks you and your friends enjoy.
as noted, two categories missing there are gin and sipping drinks (scotch or high end tequila). but those are both fairly particular preferences...so they may not apply. irish whiskeys can be good, esp. with guiness draught. |
I usually keep some Cointreau and Chambord on hand to mix up my margaritas a bit, Frangelico for coffee, Captain Morgans for my rum, Dewars or Jamesons Irish Whiskey, and I'm going to try and find some Kir for sipping. Also waiting for Feigling to show up (on backorder at the liquor store) for when I just want a good shot... flavored vodka. Splendid. Grey Goose and/or Belvedere vodka sets you a bit above the Absolut crowd if you're looking to impress, just don't set it out in the middle of a big party or it's a goner! :D Also good to have if you're doing margaritas or flavored martinis is higher-end salt and sugar for rimming the glasses. Nothing sucks more on a margarita than table salt or coarse cheap salt.
And I've got seven beautiful bottles of wine from my favorite vineyard in Sonoma--Viansa. They've got a great wine club. |
I'm mainly looking at mixed drinks (Sex on the beach, tequila sunrise, jack and coke, etc) and shots (Red headed slut, slippery nipple, etc)
I think Triple Sec and the bombay gin would be my next two bottle choices. Then probably try a different Whiskeys - Probably an Irish Whiskey and Captain Morgans. I'll hold off a while on the Scotch I think. |
minor threadjack.. Scooby snacks... http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink528.html
Your friends will love you. Mine do. :D |
Yay, a home bar post! I've just recently been stocked my own home bar (with Sage's help of course) and would be happy to lend my own personal experience to help out the cause.
First of all if you're going for completeness I would try to have represented each of the six major categories of base spirits: Vodka, Gin, Tequila, Brandy, Rum, and Whiskey (which can be further subdivided into Irish, Scotch, Bourbon, Tennessee, and Rye). Having a good bottle of each of these (not as essential on the different sorts of whiskeys, as they are less frequently used in cocktails) will pretty much ensure that you can make whatever your guests want. In addition to the base spirits, then, you obviously want to cover your bases as far as mixers/cordials/liqueurs go as well. There are tons and tons and tons of these, many of which are only used in a couple of things, if ever, and there's no way you'll ever be able to have all of them (unless your bar is freakin huge and your wallet is too) but there are several more common ones that do get used pretty regularly. You've mentioned triple sec already, this one is definitely important. I'll get to brands later on. Also in my home stock are curacao (orange and also blue for the occasional crazy blue drink, they taste the same but some drinks call specifically for the different colors), creme de cacao, and creme de menthe. I also have irish cream and creme de cassis, but unless you have a friend who specifically likes something involving those you probably wouldn't use them much. Then after you've got standard spirits and mixers covered you might want to branch out a bit into the liqueur area with things like Grand Marnier, Benedictine, Campari, things of that nature... but this is really just going to be a personal preference sort of thing and completely unnecessary. Cointreau is a very nice quality triple sec and some drinks just wouldn't be the same without it, but it is again not necessary. As far as brand recommendations go, here's my personal list, but these are definitely personal preferences and your own are probably different from mine. Vodka Recommended: Finlandia, Pearl, Absolut, Skyy Not Recommended: Luksusowa, Stolichnaya, Grey Goose, VOX I find the Finlandia to be consistently the best, tasting like... well, water, which is what vodka should taste like, as it is simply straight alcohol diluted with water. Surprisingly I found GG, Stoli, and Luksu to be quite distasteful, especially the Luksu which to me tasted like water that someone squeezed a potato over. If you want a completely decent cheap vodka, Gordon's is both of those. Finlandia, my favorite, is not terribly expensive, and certainly beats stuff like GG pricewise. Gin Recommended: Bombay Sapphire (for martinis or drinks that feature the gin), Tanqueray (for cocktails and drinks that you want to make sure that the gin is not overpowered by the other ingredients) Not Recommended: Seagram's Gordon's also makes a completely decent cheap gin. Tequila Recommended: Sauza Hornitos Not recommended: Sauza Silver, Jose Cuervo gold I'm not especially experienced with tequila. Generally for mixing you want a lighter tequila (though the Hornitos is nice and light while still mellow from a bit of aging) and the darker anejos should be saved for sipping. Brandy Recommended: Raynal VSOP Not Recommended: Martell VS The Raynal is quite tasty and also quite cheap. E&J VSOP is also totally decent. For a good mixing Cognac I'd recommend Salignac, which is also nicely inexpensive. Rum Recommended: Gosling's Black Seal, Appleton Estate V/X, Myer's Dark Not Recommended: Anything in Bacardi's entry-level, though the darker Select is a LOT better than the clear Superior which IMO you should AVOID at ALL POSSIBLE COST ;). Also I find the Malibu coconut rum to be way too industrial tasting, but some people apparently dig it a lot. With rum you generally want to have a good light/gold rum (Appleton Estate V/X is in this category) in addition to a darker rum (Gosling's or Myers). Some people like Captain Morgan's, some people like a good mellow sipping rum. For this I would recommend Cruzan Single Barrel Estate. My personal own best rum experience ever is with Pyrat XO Reserve, though this rum is rather pricey (but completely worth every cent!) Whiskey Recommended: Maker's Mark Bourbon, Wild Turkey Rye Not recommended: Canadian Club blended, Jim Beam Rye I'm not so much of a whisk(e)y fiend, and I probably wouldn't know a good scotch or irish whiskey if it bit me on the butt, but I have had experience with Ryes and Bourbon to a degree, which is really all you're going to need if your focus is cocktails anyway. That's pretty much it, I hope this can help you out with your new home bar and that you have as much fun with it as I have with mine! |
Oh, IMPORTANT note: I know it can be a hassle, but in basically every single drink ever made that calls for fruit juice, FRESH fruit is infinitely superior to canned fruit juice or (shudder) sour mix.
As far as I know pretty much the only drink you should be using Rose's Lime Juice in is a Gimlet, while your Margaritas should definitely be getting fresh-squeezed lime juice. |
Holy crap yes... Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice is like.... giving someone a glass of maple syrup when they asked for water. Yick....
|
Vodka's are all a matter of taste... :)
Quote:
Grey Goose and ketel one are outstanding but if you are mixing, they might not be worth the premium pricetag... ... Absolut is absolutely blech.. (absolut peppar makes an awesome vodka sauce though for over pasta. ) Stoli is good if you keep it in the freezer... and it gets nice and thick - right out of awam bottle - not so good... I'd also stay away from some of the infused vodkas and make your own instead - many of the fruity ones - just taste soapy to me.... |
I'd grab some bitters, too. Angostura are good.
|
Yeah, I'm suprised Martel didn't say that- he was trying to get everything else in I suppose!
We've got the Angostura, as well as Orange bitters and Pechoyd's that he ordered off the internet... He's so dreamy :icare: |
Oh yeah... I was so into liquor mode that I forgot about bitters!
Angostura are definitely a must, get em at the grocery store. There's plenty of drinks they add a little something extra to, and a good number of drinks that just wouldn't be right without 'em (Manhattan, anyone?). Like Sage mentioned, you can also get Peychaud's Bitters (used in lots of older New Orleans cocktails and also cooking) and Regan's Orange Bitters #6 (these are new, really tasty, and hard to come across) online at Buffalo Trace's gift shop. |
Quote:
We sampled a whole bunch of different vodkas in little airplane bottles and basically what I found was that they all fell into one of two categories: oily (like Luksusowa and Stoli) or crisp/tangy/spicy/hot/there's-not-really-a-word-for-it (like Skyy, Absolut, and VOX) and that if I want something in a drink that's going to be as unobtrusive as possible then I want it to minimize both of these characteristics, which is what Finlandia does (for me at least). |
I've noticed that my liquor cabinet has been growing, because I add bottles from time to time but I don't drink from them that much. Maybe it's the emotional support of having all these lovely bottles in my appartment that I really need :)
For gin, I'll second Bombay Saphire. It's pretty good plus I just like the blue bottle :) Charlatan mentioned Ouzo / Pastis.. Definitely good if you like licorice! In fact Pastis is the most licoricy or them. The Lebanese alcohol, Arak, is pretty similar to Ouzo, so I always have arak in my cabinet :) A triple sec liqueur is always nice to have around for sipping, especially after a heavy dinner. My favorite is Cointreu, it tastes of bitter oranges, mmm. Grand Marnier is really good too. Another good liqueur is Drambuie. Finally, black sambuca is always good for shots :) |
I'm a vodka snob, so I tend to prefer more expensive varieties e.g. Chopin, Belvedere, Grey Goose, and Ketel One. Sometimes I drink Stoli for when I'm drunk enough not to notice how bad it is. I drink vodka straight occasionally, but usually mix with a small percentage of fruit juices.
Oh, and Goldschlager is awesome. GREAT cinnamon schnapps. I usually drink that straight. |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
The current liquor collection:
http://www.donbarber.net/~grubbt/liquor/DSC01788.JPG http://www.donbarber.net/~grubbt/liquor/DSC01791.JPG As far as Rums go, I agree with an earlier post that their entry level stuff is not suitable for human consumption. As far as spiced rums go, the absolute best spiced rum on earth is Sailor Jerry's Spiced Navy Rum. Sailor Jerry is excellent stuff, 92 proof, and very addictive. I'm quite certain that god invented coke as a mixer for SJ. As far as the gin is concerned, I like Tanqueray for a good entry level Gin. I'm new to the gin, so I'm working my way into a bottle of Bombay Sapphire as well and am looking forward to trying Hendricks, which supposedly has a curious hint of cucumber. A good base collection of Whiskey, Scotch, Gin, Vodka, Rum and Brandy will open the doors to most good drinks. Be sure to focus on mixers and fruit juices, as they are just as important (imho) as your alcohol selection itself. |
Alright, I'm nearly stocked fully with everything I could dream of wanting, but I s till have a few empty spaces that I'd like to fill so I have a few questions -
Whiskey/Scotch - Where should I go with that? The brand I hear most about is Crown Royal because it's heavily advertised, so I don't know the truth behind whether it's a worthwhile brand or not. What's good whiskey that is recommended? Amaretto - I'm looking at Di Saronno, any reason I should avoid this brand or go for something different? I like my vodka - Should I hit Chopin which on a website that did blind taste tests was voted best, or Grey Goose? I have absolut as a mixer, and Ketel One, but I'd like to have a pretty decent supply of vodka since I like it. Spiced Rum - I saw a hit for Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum. Is this really that good? Any other spiced rums out there? What should I look for in a spiced rum? Also, how does that compare to Captain Morgan Private Stock? I read a review on Sailor Jerry and it was voted to be pretty good, but Captain Morgan PS was voted a bit higher. Any thoughts on that? Thanks for all the help. I'll have photos after this weekend of what I have and all that. |
Quote:
Booze-wise: Makers Mark is great Having some Captain Morgan's around never hurt The real thing is to know your audience. If this is a college age / post college age crowd, no one will care about the Gin and things like that. Gals will most want fake martinis (things called martinis with not as much booze and are uber sweet). Guys will want things that they won't actually like but look cool (Makers Mark on the rocks) and only "order" one. Most of what you will go through in that case in Rum and Cokes. If you have a different crowd that is a little older, make sure you have things that match like Johnny Walker Black or better, Martini mixin's and the proper glassware to match. Good luck and send pictures. |
I dunno, I'm a big fan of v odka tonics and gin and tonics, so I think it's just who you hang out with, not necessarily the age group. Personally I'm not a big fan of Jack and Coke, but Jack Daniels seems to be the whiskey of choice for college st udents, but it doesn't do anything for me.
|
Quote:
There's a thread somewhere in here on scotches.. and there it's personal preference as to what you like... Single malt scotches are divided up into regions, and each region has it's own very distinct taste.. (talisker is from the isle of skye and very nice... bushmills makes a really nice single malt... Johnny walker blue... is proof that god exists and he drinks scotch (but that's gonna be way out of your budget - -i think my last bottle of that was close to 100 dollars at a duty free shop) I'd pick up some small bottles (the airplane bottle size) of different scotches and see what you like... especially if you are drinking for the taste and aroma... if you are drinking to get drunk - crown and ginger.. .or makers mark will do the job... Crown makes a premium one as well that's pretty good |
Pusser's British Navy Rum makes a most exquisite rum from the British Virgin Islands.
Puerto Rican and Jamaican are probably the most recognized rum producers and rightfully so. Puerto Rican rums are probably the least expensive and most industrial but there are some decent blends Ron Don Q, the Bacardi labels, Ron Rico Jamaica has the Appleton and Myer's labels.... and I believe next to Pusser's Jamaica has the best rums. The Cruzan flavored labels aren't bad starter Rums for mixed drinks. But as with any alcohol the preference is up to the drinker. A lot of people in true blind taste tests probably wouldn't notice differences. I truly feel you need to decide why you are building a bar.... is it to entertain and have drinks? .... then buy decent but inexpensive stuff and I guarantee noone will truly notice..... is it to impress?..... then buy expensive stuff but when making drinks use sparingly and for show, then have house brands on hand like the paramounts for parties where you'll be having a lot of drinking. Me personally, LadySage and I are going to build a bar downstairs near the pool table and dart board..... I plan to stock it with mid priced but good labels and the alcohol that is barely used like Chambord's, Frangelico, Damiana Liqueur, etc. That way I know we'll have decent mixers and for those special occasions and friends we'll have the truly special drinks. Quote:
Same with Gin, some people swear by Tanqueray and think Gilbey's is cheap rot gut, some swear by Beefeater's and think Tanq is over rated and others are quite content with Gilbey's. But unless they are truly Vodka or Gin drinkers, many would never be able to truly tell the difference between the lower mid - upper price ranges. Labels and brands anymore are just based on advertising and price.... but in all honesty, many people would never truly know the difference in blind taste tests because the tastes in most brands are so slight and indistinct. It's like Jack, Jack isn't all that great but they marketed it so well and made people believe Jack and Cokes are better than just a bourbon and Coke..... when in actuality the taste may not be all that different, physically but psychologically because of the marketing and word of mouth it makes a difference. |
The run-down on whisk(e)ys:
There are several different kinds of whisk(e)y: Irish whiskey, Scotch whisky, Canadian whisky, and the various American whiskeys being the four big groups. From there they are further subdivided by region (in the case of bourbon and Tennessee whiskeys), by grain used (for instance, rye v. barley), and by whether or not it's a single malt or a blend. Crown Royal is a Canadian blended whisky. Jamesons is an Irish blended whiskey. Dewars and J&B are both Scotch blended whiskies. Macallan (in its various years) is an example of a single malt Scotch. Makers Mark is a fine bourbon. For mixing, middle-shelf Canadian whiskies and American bourbons are probably your best bet. If you're making a drink where you expect the liquor to stand on its own, I'd go with Maker's Mark. If you want to serve Scotch and sodas, go for the Dewars. It won't bust your bank account but still will turn your ears red. The thing with whisk(e)ys, as Mal said, and it's true of all kinds, and not just Scotch: it's all about your palate. Personally, I love Maker's Mark. Eventually I'll come back and post my dream bar, but be sure any bar I have will include both Maker's Mark and Bombay Sapphire ;) |
Well, I managed to pick up a bottle of Captain Morgan Private Stock and Crown Royal. For some reason my dad has broken on me drinking and it's not rea lly a problem for him.
I think I'll look more heavily into whiskeys when I'm 21, so in the mean time I'll just go with the basic popular whiskeys, scotch, etc. I also think it would be great if people posted their dream bars. That's kind of what I'm building since whenever I buy alcohol, I buy the best since, well, I want to enjoy myself on non-crappy liquor, so I'm lucky in a sense I suppose. Burning a hole in my pocket book, though, so I think this was my last purchase for some time. Edit - I've got another question - What's the preferred method of drinking whiskey? I was looking around online and a few places said adding a bit of water to bring out the flavor and all that, but I'm not sure. Any thoughts? :confused: |
I consider Maker's to be a high end mixing bourbon. It has a very clean taste, though I don't find the flavor to have a great deal of nuance. It's plenty good enough to drink by itself, and it's a great value, but there's definitely much more interesting stuff out there. If you like the wood flavors of bourbon, I'd recommend picking up a bottle of Woodford Reserve. Elija Craig makes a very good 18 year with rich apple flavors. Their 12 year is also good. I haven't been able to taste a meaningful enough difference between MM and Knob Creek to justify buying the latter unless it happens to be on sale so it's as cheap or cheaper than MM.
For mixing purposes, most people will assume your American whiskey is JD, so you're perfectly safe buying a bottle and, with mixers, most people won't be able to tell the difference. This works particularly well if you have a decent bottle of something else around to pour for people to drink straight so if they can tell the difference, they have the option of something better. If you can afford it, it's really worth having one mixer-level and one sipping-level alcohol of every type. And, as Mal (I think) said, the best way to find out what you like is to buy really small bottles and just taste them. Everyone's alcohol palate works differently, and you will best discover what to buy by trying it. |
As martel and fredweena suggested, I think cointreau is a great addition.
I'm also a fan of Tanqueray and tonic, and Gin is useful from time to time in other mixed drinks. And my favorite, Johnnie Walker Black Label. I'm surprised only one person has mentioned it so far (this also bears the MSD seal of approval) Keep some tonic water, vermouth, grenadine and lime syrup (I have matching bottles of them from Rose's) |
Here's an update on what's good for a liquor cabinet:
Not ever clear. Ever. Captain Morgan Private Stock - First of all, it's got a pretty cool looking bottle. Kind of short and fat, and it actually has a cork on top keep it shut. That's pre tty neat. This is pretty good stuff if you like drinking spiced rum straight, though I don't normally, but when it was mixed with coke it was fantastic. Tastes like vanilla coke. Never had a mixed drink that was so easy and so good at the same time. I'll comment on Crown Royal tonight |
Quote:
Others like it served over ice (which also waters it down...) others like it neat... just in a glass - room temperature... When I'm drinking scotch, I like it in a brandy snifter, do not water it down, do not put ice it in, just the scotch and only the scotch... and the warmth of my hand warms it up even more.. giving it a wonderful taste.. like a fine brandy. |
For my favorite drink you need:
1 bottle of Highland Park Scotch 1 glass |
I didn't see this mentioned yet, but an orange liquor such as grand marnier or cointreau would be a good addition as well. I usually float a half shot of grand in various cocktails.
|
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 04:46 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2
© 2002-2012 Tilted Forum Project