Jump to content

Stock My Liquor Cabinet v2

BadgerHorn

By BadgerHorn
in Food and Travel

 Share

Recommended Posts

BadgerHorn

BadgerHorn 147

Posted
Posted

There was an excellent thread on the old site where someone was asking for recommendations on stocking his home liquor cabinet.  Since that thread is a few years old and we don't want to go to the other site anyway, I wanted to refresh that topic here.  Personally, I'm heavy on the bourbon, rye, and gin side and have gaps in the rum, tequila, and vodka areas.  Thanks to the other thread, I picked up Sobieski vodka and friends really enjoyed it.

Help me fill in the gaps in my liquor cabinet.  Preference to products in a modest price range (<$75 for whiskeys and <$50 for others) that are relatively accessible at liquor stores.  We can have a separate category for aspirational / tough to get / special occasion products.

Bourbon

Usually have a carousel of Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace, Knob Creek, Woodford Reserve.  There's already an active bourbon thread here that I have been following.  Seeing a bit about Weller and McKenna, so I'll have to see if I can find them in VA.

Rye

Bulleit, Knob Creek

Sazerac is on the shopping list.  Heard about Old Overholt as an undervalued recommendation.

Scotch

Johnnie Black.  Macallan 12 on the shopping list.  I tend to prefer Speyside and Highlands, but don't know enough here to pick out specific distilleries. Open to blends and singles.

Gin

Plymouth and Sapphire for martinis.  Tanqueray for G&T.  Sometimes cycle in Hendricks and Tanq10.  

Vodka

Sobieski. I'm not much of a vodka drinker, but want something for guests.

Rum (sipping and mixing)

Have Flor de Cana 12 for sipping.  Heard good things about Mount Gay, Diplomatico. Looking for sipping and mixing recommendations.

Tequila (sipping and mixing)

None in stock at the moment.  Looking for sipping and mixing recommendations.  Heard good things about the El Tesoro line.

Extras

I have the standard M&R sweet and dry vermouths, but know there's more/better out there.

I'm a big fan of Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, Sazeracs, and love bitters.  I have the standard Angostura, but open to new suggestions.  I think Peychaud's is traditionally used in Sazeracs.

Any absinthe recommendations for Sazeracs?

Any must have liqueurs? Chartreuse, St Germain, Luxardo Maraschino, Orange liqueurs

Favorite aspirational / tough to get / special occasion products

Cuban / Red Havana Club 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MAROON

MAROON 445

Posted
Posted

would suggest you up your sweet vermouth game to either Dolin or better yet Antica.

 

Grab a bottle of Campari so you can make a Negroni, ad since you like Manhattans, you can substitute Bourbon for the Gin in a Negroni and make a Boulevardier, which is awesome.

 

For tequila there are so many that is a matter of what do you like.  Ilike Reposado so a cheaper one that is fine is Milagro.  Also really like Clase Azul...not to mention the bottle will be a centerpiece for your bar.  Also Jose Cuervo Reserva de La Familia is a nice touch for the bar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
0xdeadbeef

0xdeadbeef 1644

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, BadgerHorn said:

Vodka

Sobieski. I'm not much of a vodka drinker, but want something for guests.

Sobieski is a really good vodka for the price, but you need a better quality one for drinking straight.

I'd suggest a Russian vodka called Imperia.  Not everyone carries it though.   It's expensive compare to other vodkas, but it's dirt cheap compared to high quality Scotch.

imperia.jpg

Edited by 0xdeadbeef
Link to comment
Share on other sites
brown water

brown water 3774

Posted
Posted

Vermouth upgrades are under appreciated.  

Dolins sweet is my go to.  Cocchi Torino is a second but it's flavor is more like Carpano Antiqua which I find can be overpowering in Manhattans (but others generally regard it as the gold standard).  Bonus on Dolins is most HEBs sell in a 375. Vermouth spoils so that helps limit the time a bottle is open.  

Cocchi Americano is my preferred dry vermouth.  Yet to find a close second. Works great in martinis and perfect manhattans.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kringelbert Fishtybuns

Kringelbert Fishtybuns 943

Posted
Posted

Gins

St George’s are good and cheap. If you want something different try their Terrior.  It tastes like a pine tree in a good way.

Wife likes Hendricks and Revolution if you want something local.

scotch

i don’t know shit about scotch, but I do like getting a couple of bottles of Glenrothers sherry cask during TW dollar days ($32)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jerry Callo

Jerry Callo 8692

Posted
Posted

I'm a bourbon drinker, so if I'm going to spend on liquor - it'll be on bourbon.  My go to tequila is Herradura Reposado.  If you are serving to people that don't care, Hornitos Reposado is good to have around.  A Polish buddy of mine brought some vodka to a party which is different, but pretty tasty - Żubrówka is called Bison Grass Vodka. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gucci_Suit

Gucci_Suit 2636

Posted
Posted

For gins: Monkey 47, Hendricks, and Beefeater. All have different purposes. 

Monkey: martini

hendricks: tonic with cucumber

beefeater: anything that needs heavy juniper. Tonic with lime for example. Or gin fizz. 

For Bourbon: IW Harper (so underrated), Buillett 10 year, Four Roses and Wild Turkey. Again, all have different purposes or moods. 

I buy a lot of these, but for some reason I can never keep my bar “stocked”. Can’t figure out why  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
closetojumping

closetojumping 62444

Posted
Posted

Fun thread. 

For Vodka, when it comes to martinis, Hammer & Sickle is outstanding. 

Tequila - Anejo is underappreciated as something good on the rocks or neat, but only if you spend the money. Walk into Spec's or something like it and talk to their tequila guy if you are interested in spending the money on anejo.

There's all kinds of excellent rums in the $30-$50 range that are interchangeable, but you've got to have a light and a dark to have a full bar.

Regarding other booze, St. Germain is really underappreciated in terms of what it brings to the table when added to certain drinks. You can't have a lycheetini without one (fuck anyone who doesn't dig a properly made lycheetini due to their over the top manliness). Add some to however you normally make a Manhattan. Some will call this the gay and such, but I originally read about its helpfulness in Esquire, and they were fucking right. 

I probably have way too much fun finding recipes and making drinks. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
closetojumping

closetojumping 62444

Posted
Posted
On 8/31/2018 at 4:57 PM, brown water said:

Vermouth upgrades are under appreciated.  

Dolins sweet is my go to.  Cocchi Torino is a second but it's flavor is more like Carpano Antiqua which I find can be overpowering in Manhattans (but others generally regard it as the gold standard).  Bonus on Dolins is most HEBs sell in a 375. Vermouth spoils so that helps limit the time a bottle is open.  

Cocchi Americano is my preferred dry vermouth.  Yet to find a close second. Works great in martinis and perfect manhattans.  

I had no idea that vermouth could spoil. It's probably not a good sign that mine, of either type, is finished off before that happens. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Trey3216

Trey3216 15335

Posted
Posted
On 8/31/2018 at 6:39 PM, Jerry Callo said:

I'm a bourbon drinker, so if I'm going to spend on liquor - it'll be on bourbon.  My go to tequila is Herradura Reposado.  If you are serving to people that don't care, Hornitos Reposado is good to have around.  A Polish buddy of mine brought some vodka to a party which is different, but pretty tasty - Żubrówka is called Bison Grass Vodka. 

Herradura Rep or Anejo are both great price point sippers, and Hornitos Rep is the most I’d go for a margarita (rocks of course).  

 

If you get some tequila, I’d suggest some Cointreau as well, or Gran Marnier.   I like Cointreau better though.   A great sipping bev is 2 oz Hornitos Rep with 1/2 oz Cointreau on 2 cubes.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Spaulding Smails

Spaulding Smails 1551

Posted
Posted

I try to have some top shelf stuff for sipping and some well stuff for mixing.  Most have posted good suggestions above.  I'll add a few.  But, you may want to grab some of the standard fare for cocktails.  Nothing worse than having a guest pour a $100/bottle bourbon for a double whiskey and coke when Jim Beam would have totally sufficed.

Tequila:  

Tequila Ocho Anejo (hard to find, but incredibly smooth)

Herradura Reposado

Rum:

Santa Teresa Gran Reserva

Link to comment
Share on other sites
HouTex

HouTex 1863

Posted
Posted
I try to have some top shelf stuff for sipping and some well stuff for mixing.  Most have posted good suggestions above.  I'll add a few.  But, you may want to grab some of the standard fare for cocktails.  Nothing worse than having a guest pour a $100/bottle bourbon for a double whiskey and coke when Jim Beam would have totally sufficed.
Tequila:  
Tequila Ocho Anejo (hard to find, but incredibly smooth)
Herradura Reposado
Rum:
Santa Teresa Gran Reserva

This. Keep the basics in stock for each liquor: basic Weller/Beam/wild turkey, Dewer’s/J&B, Bacardi, Smirnoff, Beefeater/tanquerey, and any 100% agave tequila. I would being out the good stuff when you know it will be enjoyed appropriately.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
BadgerHorn

BadgerHorn 147

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Lots of great ideas.  A little summary (not all encompassing) so far.

Bourbon

Several recommendations for 4 Roses Single.  I guess the yellow label turned me off a while back.  I'll give the single barrel a try.  Heard of Blanton and IW Harper, so I'll check them out.

Rye

Good call on Col EH Taylor.  Forgot to add that to my shopping list above. I heard good things.

Scotch

Still open to thoughts here.  I tend to prefer Speyside and Highlands, but don't know enough here to pick out specific distilleries. Open to blends and singles.

Gin

Gucci_Suit, I had not heard of Monkey 47 gin.  Looked it up and appears interesting. And definitely agree that different gins have different roles.

Vodka

For Imperia, Reyka, Hammer & Sickle, would you recommend one for martinis?  I'm assuming Sobieski is more appropriate for mixers.  None of my friends drink straight vodka - either vodka mixers or vodka martinis.  I can still add one of them, like Imperia, as a straight option down the road.

Rum (sipping and mixing)

Don't think I've seen Santa Teresa.  I'll keep my eyes out

Tequila (sipping and mixing)

Milagro, Clase Azul, Herradura all mentioned.  Not sure I've ever seen Esperanto.

Never tried Mezcal, so Del Maguey Chichicapa sounds like an upcoming adventure.

Extras

Absolutely interested in upping my vermouth game, so I'll keep my eyes out for Dolins, Cocchi Americano, Antica.

Agree with Trey (avatar always makes me laugh) that Cointreau is a good to have and more versatile than Grand Marnier

Quote

Regarding other booze, St. Germain is really underappreciated in terms of what it brings to the table when added to certain drinks... Add some to however you normally make a Manhattan.

Interesting idea.  I agree that St Germain is an excellent, subtle add in many cases.  Hadn't considered Manhattans.

A friend recommended getting an array of bitters as a relatively cheap/quick way to add a new twist to staple cocktails/mixes.

 

Quote

Nothing worse than having a guest pour a $100/bottle bourbon for a double whiskey and coke when Jim Beam would have totally sufficed.

Completely agree. I'm pretty safe there because my friends either fall into the category of:

- those who know what they are doing and would never waste exceptional spirits in a mixer

or

- those who have no idea what they are doing, but know to ask me or one of the other veterans to mix drinks for them.  That said, I have put some bottles away in the past based on guest lists.

Keep the recommendations coming

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... Advertise... COOKIE MONSTER!

×
×
  • Create New...