Bartending at Home (Part Two: Essential Liquors)

There's still snow outside.  I'm looking out my window as I type this, and wondering when all of this white stuff that has graced us with its presence littered the ground for upwards of four months is gonna melt for good.  Hopefully Fargo will miss the impending storm that's supposed to dump a few feet of the cold stuff on South Dakota, but that still leaves the little bit of frozen stuff left on the ground that just refuses to leave me alone.  I remember the intro to my Valentines Day post, where I was talking about a nice day with temperatures above freezing, and now we just can't get much of that to get rid of what we still manage to have by mid-April.  Alright, I got the rant out of my system, now I figure I can talk about something that won't freeze in what Mother Nature throws at us, hard alcohol.  To continue on with starting up your own bar at home, I brought some good spirits to have on hand at all times that will perform well in most drinks!  I sell all of these liquors at $25 or less for a 750 mL bottle, so they are also pretty reasonably priced, but not necessarily cheap.

Whiskey

Let's start out easy with my favorite spirit, whiskey, and I never really had to put too much thought into this one, because it has been the most steadfast staple in my bar since soon after I started working in the liquor industry.  It's Buffalo Trace Straight Bourbon Whiskey.  This stuff is wonderful with heavy notes of caramel, light undertones of nuts and apple, and wrapping up with a beautifully smooth finish, you can't get much of a better value on whiskey anywhere in my opinion.  While I think that some classic cocktails, like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan, would be better suited to an American Rye Whiskey, Buffalo Trace holds its own in these drinks and does remarkably well in most whiskey drinks out there (try making the sour from last month with this, its wonderful).

Vodka

Let's move straight to what is the best selling spirit out there, vodka.  You can save a little bit of money on this one by buying Tito's Handmade Vodka.  This has all you want in a good vodka, smoothness.  This one is distilled from corn which lends a nice sweetness to the spirit as well as making it 100% gluten free.  Tito's does great in everything you want it in, from Bloody Marys to Martinis and everything in between.

Rum

Rum ended up being a little bit more difficult for me to pin down one type.  White rum doesn't have much character behind it, but is quite important in certain cocktails like the Mojito, spiced rum is probably the most sold of the rums, but doesn't stand up well in most cocktails, so the only thing left for me to pick is a good aged rum.  Appleton Estate Signature Blend gets the nod here for being super smooth, with sweet notes of molasses, vanilla, caramel, and a slight fruity note that I can't put my finger on.  In the end, this one stands up quite well to most rum drinks in general (do a rum and coke with a lime with this stuff, and you will never go back to Captain...).

Tequila

This one was another tough one for me, choosing between the 3 major types of tequila was not an easy task,  Silvers can tend to be a little harsh, while Anejo tequila ends up tasting a bit too much like whiskey, so the only thing left was a Reposado.  For those who don't know, Reposado tequila spends usually about three months in a barrel, so they end up smoothing out nicely, while retaining a lot of good qualities in a tequila.  My pick for your bar is the Espolón Reposado.  This one is nice, oaky, caramelly, and smooth, with a slight hint of smoke lingering in the background to give some beautiful complexity.  From plenty of experience, this one does great in Palomas, Margaritas, and everything else you could dream of.

Gin

Brandy and gin were by far the most difficult for me to pin down for multiple reasons.  The reason gin was tough for me was because until this post was written, I haven't actually ever owned a bottle of gin.  Its a really refreshing spirit in the summer, and those botanicals can make for some very unique drinks, but it seems I will always be partial to spirits that have some age to them.  Regardless, I have a few friends who adore gin and they were quite disappointed in me when I had to ask about which gin to get.  Regardless, they told me to pick up Plymouth Gin, and I can say in confidence, that it was a quite nice first gin purchase.  Relatively soft on the juniper piney character that gin is known for, it gives way to some light citrusy and coriander notes.

Brandy

This one was tough as well, I wish I could just tell you guys to get a decent bottle of cognac like Meukow VS or Hardy VS, but those both end up over $25, and everything in my $20-25 sweet spot ends up being really obscure and I have no clue about any of them.  So I ran to my friend who is practically an expert on brandy, and he told me to try out Raynal VSOP.  This one is produced in Cognac, France, but they use grapes from all over the country, so it can't be called cognac, thus bringing down the price.  Regardless, this one is a stellar deal that flies under everybody's radar, with a very nutty and slightly fruity flavor.  In the end, this one is so tasty and is well worth the small price tag.

Cocktail of the Month

Chocolate Old Fashioned

2 oz whiskey (Buffalo Trace)

1 bar spoon maple syrup (about 1/3 oz)

3 dashes chocolate bitters

Orange peel for garnish

Add whiskey, maple syrup, and bitters to a rocks glass filled with ice and stir.  Make sure you stir for a little bit longer than normal to get all of the syrup mixed in well.  Squeeze some of the oils from the orange peel over the drink and drop the peel in.

On Wednesday, I attended Fargo's Whiskey Fest, and at each sampling table there was a different bar that got to make a cocktail for each table.  This one was first made with Tullamore Dew 12 year old Irish Whiskey, but it works out great with Buffalo Trace as well.  The reason it stood out to me wasn't the start, which wasn't too far off of a standard old fashioned, but the finish, which reminded me so much of a Tootsie Roll!  Easy to drink (and make), with a sweet chocolatey finish, this one is a really good one to twist up your standard Old Fashioned.

One of these days, I should really put a little bit more time into my ending for my blogs.  Regardless, that's about all I have for now.  I'll finish off the Bartending at Home series with a post about a bunch of classic cocktails that are an important part of any bartender's repertoire, but that might be put on the back burner until June, because I have a better idea for May.  I'll let you guys wonder about what that is until then.

P.S.  Please drink responsibly, please.

P.P.S.  Also, don't drink and drive.

P.P.P.S.  All of the opinions expressed in this blog are mine, and don't represent those of my employer.  All items are subject to price change and availability.

P.P.P.P.S.  The Penny Sale starts up next week, come and visit me, get some good wine for cheap, and join in on the biannual biggest wine sale ever.

P.P.P.P.P.S.  Today, a few of my work friends showed me a few studies.  One saying about how having only one drink a night shortens a life span, and another how being a night owl shortens your life span.  If those are both true, I guess my funeral is long overdue, and I'll be going home to visit loved ones after I post this.  My funeral will be on May 3, after the Penny Sale, of course.  All are welcome to attend.