What essential and favorite liquors do you keep on hand?
I always have a good rye (Bulleit is the standby) and some vermouth (Carpano Antica) in the cupboard.
I like drinks with bitters so I always keep some Angostura and Peychaud's around.
Besides also keeping Benedictine and Campari around for my favorite cocktails, I've been wondering what else to stock that allows the most flexibility for guests' requests. The Ms loves her G&Ts so we always have a decent gin and tonic syrup. Vodka seems like a safe bet. What else should I get?
And what the hell do I do with this Fernet Branca?
Try it with your rye in a Toronto. I recently invented a Fernet drink. It's a take on Fernet and Coke. 1 shot Fernet, 8oz coke juice of half a lime on ice with a float of cold brew coffee.
As far as what I keep around, Martin Millers gin, a mid grade vodka, 100% agave tequila. usually have Heering, Pimms, Luxardo, curacao, triple sec. Benedictine. I need to pick up some Campari, Chartreuse, and some absinthe.
Yeah, all that - angostura,orange and some artesinal bitter.
Pastis, Lillet, St Germaine, Disaronno, Drambuie, pomegranate,
Vermouths, sherry, Grand Marnier, kirsch, peach liquor or schnapps, cinnamon liquor or schnapps. Frangelica, Irish cream, Kailua, Chambord.
Southern comfort, Brandy, Irish bourbon & rye whiskeys, vodka, gin, rums. Port wine. Tequila.
(http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p520/madjohnshaft/0a817f642cc5a8304867012f270aefdc_zps40953399.jpg)
Fruit Juices and sodas, simple syrup, olives and maraschino cherries. Proper glassware. Cocktail shaker.
Don't forget to keep some garnishes around.
Maraschino Cherries, Pearl Onions, Olives (black and green), Margarita Salt, Sugar Syrup, Tabasco Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, bitters.
Fresh stuff like celery, whole limes and lemons as needed.
Fruitier fruit for tropical and girly drinks (bananas, pineapple, strawberries..things of that nature)
You need mixers handy;
Cola, 7-Up/Sprite, Coconut Water, Club Soda, and juices like Apple, Cranberry,Grapefruit, Orange, Pineapple, Tomato
Don't forget to have straws/swizzle sticks on hand.
I like keeping a well stocked bar at home and have pretty much all the major liquors, both Top Shelf (for sipping/shots/fancy occasions) and the less expensive stuff for most cocktails and when my degenerate, alcoholic pals come by. Don't need those cats slurping up all my nice stuff for their daily buzz. Heavy on the Vodka and Gin collection and a fair amount of Whisky, Bourbon and Some Rye. Both light and Dark Rum is a necessity as well. I also have a fairly large collection of most of the popular liqueurs (always Jagermeister for the Rock-And-Roll lifestyle) and some homemade brandy (gifted by the owner of a local, old school steakhouse and lounge) and a couple of jars of White Lightning from the hills and stills of Central Kentucky.
I also have a small refrigerator dedicated to beer. Both craft and Miller High Life.
Proper glassware and some "grown-up" shot glasses (as well as the novelty/tourist ones) are not only necessary, but will make your's and your guests drinking experience that more cool.
I've always strived to maintain a proper, well stocked home bar, despite I didn't even drink for many, many years. I think it comes from my boozy parents and grandparents, a sense of hospitality and sneaking peeks at my Dad's Playboy magazines in the 1960's and '70's.
C'mon by and have a drink or two.
I'm a fan of these cherries.
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee74/spicoli420_2007/amarena_zps5e9ca877.jpg) (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/spicoli420_2007/media/amarena_zps5e9ca877.jpg.html)
That's a big shopping list.
You buy one at a time over many years since it is so expensive. My liquor store sometimes plays heavy metal. Why is chartuese $62? Can I repeat I am in love with St Germaine.
You should have a few fancy expensive scotches - you need two. Mine just sit there in the very back looking stately in their boxes.
And some wine. You can get one of these wine fridges from your relatives and friends for free. They keep them empty in their garage and they will give it to you if you ask.
(http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p520/madjohnshaft/d56c1e34ebdfbd774aa001bb6448c8e1_zps9f32d9d8.jpg)
Quote from: MadJohnShaft on October 14, 2014, 05:04:57 PM
You should have a few fancy expensive scotches - you need two. Mine just sit there in the very back looking stately in their boxes.
and one of the two had better be from a smaller island.
My stepdad likes this
(http://www.liquorlockerla.com/wp-content/uploads/Laphroaig-Quarter-Cask.jpg)
If you have some dudes over you need a bottle of whiskey to burn through,
(http://uncrate.com/p/2013/07/bulleit-bourbon-10-year-xl.jpg)
so they don't drink all your stuff.
(http://ep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-137288250956011/few-spirits-rye-whiskey-9.jpg)
Quote from: Jor el on October 14, 2014, 04:50:51 PM
That's a big shopping list.
Like MJS said, build it up over time.
Being gainfully employed helps as well.
I've relied on gift giving occasions, bars that can only pay so much and then secretly offer a trade, discount liquor stores, coupons and specials. I have also preformed weddings and have been paid in fancy scotch and other booze, as well as hanging around until the end of the event and being offered stuff the caterers left behind. Drunk newlyweds are full of booze and love and optimism and are fairly generous with the giveaway.
I've also known a couple alcoholics who decided to give up drinking and offered up what they had laying around for free.
Quote from: MadJohnShaft on October 14, 2014, 05:18:33 PM
(http://www.liquorlockerla.com/wp-content/uploads/Laphroaig-Quarter-Cask.jpg)
On Sunday Heather "The Heat" the bartender at my watering hole made a me a gin cocktail of some sort with an egg white foam infused with smokey Laphroaig, Delish.
(http://bottlebutler.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/strongbow-300x300.jpg)
My whisky chest + some rum. I also have a cupboard full of other spirits and stuff not to mention wine and beer. It's pretty ridiculous as I don't drink that much, but I get it cheep from work so I just keep on getting more stuff. :)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b106/Stickerr/17DDF25B-046D-4CD3-9D26-1EC6C5485D07_zpsuyver4om.jpg)
Do you want our shipping or mailing addresses?
I will indeed offer mine!
That's an impressive collection, Volume.
Do you work in the industry or have a connection with Mob-based liquor truck hijackers?
Sweet Baby Jesus on the Cross
Back in the day one of my sisters worked for the Greek mob liquoristas in Portland. Used to get some free booze time to time.
Your sister worked for George/was a waitress at the Satyricon?
No. Maletis. Whenever I could talk my sisters into coming to see me play at Satyricon they were always scared. For good reason.
I work on a cruise ship/ferry and we can buy stuff from the tax-free shop at a discount. If anyone's in the neighbourhood give me a heads up and we'll have a tasting.
Had some of this last night. Gotta get some for home.
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee74/spicoli420_2007/SchladererHimbeergeistRaspberryBrandy_zps133d84f5.jpg) (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/spicoli420_2007/media/SchladererHimbeergeistRaspberryBrandy_zps133d84f5.jpg.html)
I usually pick up a bottle of Rumpleminze around the same time I put the studs on the car. Gettin bout that time.
I wish I had the self control to have a fully stocked bar.
But, if it's in the hoose, it get's drunked.
Quote from: peoplething on October 16, 2014, 11:58:06 AM
I wish I had the self control to have a fully stocked bar.
But, if it's in the hoose, it get's drunked.
.
Quote from: Volume on October 15, 2014, 07:13:07 AM
My whisky chest + some rum. I also have a cupboard full of other spirits and stuff not to mention wine and beer. It's pretty ridiculous as I don't drink that much, but I get it cheep from work so I just keep on getting more stuff. :)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b106/Stickerr/17DDF25B-046D-4CD3-9D26-1EC6C5485D07_zpsuyver4om.jpg)
Bloody Hell!
Clearly you are out of space.
I got a green Chartuse which is weird shit.
I also got an expensive rye whiskey for fun. Ain't tried it yet.
(http://www.realmendrinkwhiskey.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/whistlepig-whiskey.jpg)
here's a fun drink mix guide with all the basics, some of the online drink recipes sources include too many weird things - these are pretty good.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/06/12/dining/summer-drinks-generator.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As#/?id=negroni_0-0-0 (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/06/12/dining/summer-drinks-generator.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As#/?id=negroni_0-0-0)
Quote from: RAGER on October 13, 2014, 09:19:23 PM
Try it with your rye in a Toronto. I recently invented a Fernet drink. It's a take on Fernet and Coke. 1 shot Fernet, 8oz coke juice of half a lime on ice with a float of cold brew coffee.
As far as what I keep around, Martin Millers gin, a mid grade vodka, 100% agave tequila. usually have Heering, Pimms, Luxardo, curacao, triple sec. Benedictine. I need to pick up some Campari, Chartreuse, and some absinthe.
Now THAT sounds like a beverage I can support. Weird, medicinal bitters AND coffee? Yup.
Sorry for being so negligent in a conversation is started. 6 weeks to go in nursing school had me -666% occupied.
I finally picked up (i.e. Brooklyn Hemispherical finally made) some black mission fig bitters to mimick-at-home my favorite craft cocktail bar's variation on the vieux carré. It took me 2 drinks to replicate it, but I decided on 1.5 barspoons of cherry Heering in place of the Benedictine and one dropper of fig bitters w/ one dash of Peychaud's. Had 2 of that recipe and then 2 boulevardiers with Bulleit rye, Campari, and Antica Carpano vermouth.
I originally meant to mention that I'm engaged to get hitched next September. I fully plan on hosting a stock-the-bar stag party.
I was ready to request a bottle of laphroigh and then a buddy told me he "hated" in favor of "younger" Macallans. Whatever. Beggars should not be choosers. Please, give me delicious booze.
I general, Laphroaig is very different from Macallan. Laphroaig known for it's peaty and smoky taste, while Macallan is smooth and sweet, with toffee and marmalade flavours. Peronally I think the Laphroaig 10yo is overrated, it's very harsh, the older ones are excellent though. I the end it's a matter of preference, do you like smoke and peat or smooth and sweet.
As far as Scotch goes, I've got the following on my bar:
Hellyer's Road Tasmanian 10yr old: Very honey and floral-y single malt from Tasmania. The barley supllier for Hellyer's road is currently producing a small batch of brewing malt that I'm very much looking forward to trying.
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 12yr old, matured in sherry casks. Too sweet for my tatses
Balavenie 15yr old. Meh.
Glenfarclas 15yr old. Quite honeyed, but a bt harsh I prefer the younger Hellyer's Road to this.
Laphroiag 15yr old. Wow!
Ardbeg Uigadail. Double wow. A bit harsh, but a show stopper if you like super smoky, phenolic Islay malts.
You need arms - a baseball bat, zip ties, pepper spray, surveillance,. Oxygen.
Start with the basics - black jack, Roulette, and poker. Watery drinks and watererier waitstaff. Only Romanian super models.
Volume, please tell me you live in Sydney and are willing to invite me over for a tasting.
As for me, I don't keep spirits in the house, other than a bottle of voddie in the freezer and a bottle of dark rum that's been in the cupboard for 5 years. There might be some shitty Scotch that's been there for 10 years as well. If I want cocktails, I go out to a bar. I can't remember the last time I made a drink at home. Maybe I need to get more grown up and start buying stuff that could be described as 'peaty'?
I'm sorry to say I live about as far away from Sidney as you can get, in Turku, Finland. The offer still stands though.
I have beer and tequila..thats all you get if you are at my place..
You need to buy one Vodka and one Blended scotch and a Makers whiskey.
Dorm Room vs. Home Bar.
Both are exceptable.
I go old school..no pun intended..
Toga!
all you high falootin' designer drinkers...pshaw.
here's my home bar-
(https://lintvwivb.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/labatt1.jpg)
^and there's just enough for me and MORTLOCK, so keep your filthy mitts off my giant tall boys.
Quote from: black on November 06, 2014, 02:23:10 PM
Dorm Room vs. Home Bar.
Both are exceptable.
and maybe a tallboy for BLACK. but that's it.
I appreciate your taste, style and generosity.
Skål!!
When I last took all the bottles off the shelf to dust, they filled the entire kitchen table. We did a quick bit of math, and figure there's probably upwards of $3K worth of booze there. I used to keep all the top shelf stuff on the literal top shelf, until my girlfriend pointed out we live in an earthquake zone, so I moved all the expensive bottles to a low shelf where they only have a few inches to fall.
Most of the value in in scotch, but I've been branching out and developing my bourbon and rye pallet over the last year or so. I'm also a big fan of value... bottles that are reasonably priced but still quite drinkable. Tamdhu scotch, Cazadores tequla, Four Roses bourbon are all examples. Maybe not the most refined versions in any of their categories, but good enough to feed to someone you're trying to convince to broaden their horizons, without wasting it if they don't like it.
I'm not much of a gin fan, but I keep some for those that are. I keep some utility vodka (Stoli) for cocktails and Caesar's, as well as a nicer 100% potato vodka that I drink neat. The same small distillery makes a Kartaufellschnapps (potato schnapps) that my girlfriend is crazy about. On a recent trip to Cuba I had fun tasting all the top shelf dark rum, and ended up selecting a Santiago and Mulata to bring home.
I'd say the basics you need for a good bar have been covered pretty well in this thread. I must admit I'm terrible at keeping mixers stocked... I drink most things neat anyway. If you're going to have any Canadians visiting, make sure you've got Clamato for those Caesars. And Bailey's to Irish up the coffee on the weekends.
Someone here should school me more on bourbon.
Nice !
I bought a lot of mixers and liquors some of which are not very good.
Hey Shaft,
You have the fixin's/copper for a Moscow Mule ?
I do!
(http://blog.kirstendanielle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/moscow-mule.jpg)
/wellequipped
Yah - bought the copper mug a while ago.
Some visitors from Minsk gave me a bottle of Minsk Vodka - which was just terrible warm. Maybe once it's in the freezer it will seem better.
Seems to me chilled vodka goes down smoother than room temperature.
Low or high end stuff.
Shaft, what are we stocking our at-motel bar with?
Gun
did dong hack your account? (see the NBA thread)
Hey Shaft,
Do you think your kids will bust into your liquor cabinet ?
before taking the car for a spin?
Shit, I hope not. If that was me as a teen I'd be all over that.
I am pondering getting a three tap kegerator for my home brew and that occurred to me as a potential problem. They sell tap locks ($130) for three. I doubt wife will let me keep it upstairs.
I picked up some Basil Hayden's Kentucky bourbon since I keep seeing it around, it was okay but didn't grab me. I'll try it again when I am in the mood for it. I read about it - it's a Jim beam small batch that includes rye. It's light in body so probably great for old fashions but at $45 a bottle too expensive for that.
(http://totalbeverage.net/wp-content/uploads/Basil-Hayden.jpg)
but its got a really cool label..
Yeah
Much better is George Clooneys Tequila- delicious!
(http://www.zocalocleveland.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/casamigos_reposado_tequila__00821.1357932992.1280.1280.jpg)
^^ VERY good shit
I gave up on the utilitarian idea of strategizing liquors for guests and have been steadily amassing a collection of whatever I feel like drinking. My previous record buying budget now treats me to a new rum or two every month. I also developed a taste for mezcal. Bulleit rye is still our house booze, but more often than not I go for the rum. I think I have twenty different bottles now.
Solid!
Cognac
For sidecars, brandy milk punches, crustas, daisies, and smashes.
White Rum
For daiquiris and mojitos.
Gin
For martinis, gin and tonics, Tom Collinses, etc.
Bourbon
For Manhattans, old fashioneds, and whiskey sours.
Vodka
Vodka is the workhorse of the liquor cabinet, used in basic drinks such as vodka tonics, screwdrivers, and the vodka martini.
Tequila
For margaritas, sunrises, and palomas. The best tequilas are made from 100 percent agave; check the label.
Cointreau
A bar essential -- clean, full of natural orange flavor, and not too sweet.
Red Vermouth
For Manhattans.
White Vermouth
Essential for truly sublime martinis.
Bitters
Bitters are used not to make the drink taste bitter but to help other flavors blend.
I have vodka, raspberry rum, and some shitty whiskey. A bunch of beer though.
the raspberry rum is what gets people into trouble.
Quote from: mortlock on August 21, 2018, 12:25:52 AM
the raspberry rum is what gets people into trouble.
Ha! We won a bottle of raspberry Smirnoff during a family white elephant game over the holidays. 99% certain it will get regifted before we ever crack it open.
Quote from: MadJohnShaft on June 28, 2018, 01:19:11 AM
Solid!
Cognac
I have half-pint bottles of Remy and Courvoisier VSOP for short additions to stuff, mostly Vieux Carré.
White Rum
I've found that the white/golden/dark descriptors to be fairly misleading as there are dozens of rum expressions. An unaged "white" rum from Jamaica is way different than a rhum from Martinique and waayyyy different than Bacardi. Bacardi may as well be labeled as vodka it's been so industrially column-distilled.
That said, Havana Club and Caña Brava are more traditional Cuban light style rums that make great daiquiris. Although, I also like a daiquiri made with a darker and super funky Jamaican rum like Smith & Cross or even Plantation's Stiggin's Pineapple which is their Jamaican rum given a second maturation with actual pineapple rinds in the barrel.
Gin
My least favorite (so far). I have the basic London dry on hand for G&Ts, and I just picked up an aged gin from a local distillery. Supposed to have the finesse of gin with the oak body of bourbon.
Bourbon
Basil Hayden in the house, some gifted pints of Makers and Woodford on hand, too. Mostly we stick to Bulleit rye for Manhattans, Old Fashions, Boulevardiers, et al.
Vodka
Grey Goose bottle sees the least action of all probably.
Tequila
Been more into mescal lately. Del Maguey's Vida is as smokey as any Scotch and makes a fine ass margarita. Otherwise, our house marg' recipe is Herradura Silver, fresh lime, and...
Cointreau
...which stays permanently in the freezer just for this. We also created a bourbon cranberry punch for our wedding that used Cointreau. Otherwise, I primarily use Pierre Ferrand dry orange curaçao. Amaro Nonino subs well, too.
Red Vermouth
Carpano Antica, almost exclusively, but have some Dolin on-hand as well.
White Vermouth
Rarely used but I have an upopened bottle of Noilly Prat ready in the basement overflow storage.
Bitters
In addition to the aperitifs like Campari and Aperol, Cynar, FernetBranca, and Cocchino I have the basic Angostura and Peychauds along with various tiki, orange, cherry, black walnut, and black mission fig bitters.