Offseason Project: Stock a Bar

That’s what I like about you, Spears; you focus on the fundamentals! :)

but I’m going to try and make it to your house. Soon.

- Gin: Bombay Sapphire for Tonics, Beefeater for martini’s
- Rum: ALL. THE. KRAKEN

- Tequila: Que? (Not a tequila fan)
- Vodka: Why are you drinking a tasteless liquor?
- Non-scotch whiskey: Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Jim Beam for mixin’
- Scotch Whisky: Lagavulin16-year, or any good Highland or Islay single malt

1. John Daniel’s.
2. Making sure I’m doing my drinking with Spears.
3. Making sure I’m not doing my drinking with this jackleg.

Grenadine
Rumple Mintz (sp?)
Goldschlager
Van Gogh double espresso (coffee flavored vodka. Good drink straight imo).
Sweet tea vodka (for the ladies)

for a very nice liqueur is Chambord, if you like raspberries.

Olives are obviously a must. I’ve grown to like a simple gin and olive juice (gin + a splash of olive juice), basically a dirty martini minus the vermouth.

Brandy can be useful; I sometimes like cooking with brandy, so I never go any higher than Paul Masson Very Special. I will never claim to be Leon Phelps in that department.

Despite being allergic to peaches (and subsequently peach schnapps), I like to keep it handy should I wish to impress a lady born in Georgia. While there are many recipes for a Georgia Peach, I’ve found one which seems to be more favored than others. It’s a little bit fun making one then handing it to lass with an oh-so-cheesy-and-boy-do-I-know-it line: “A Georgia Peach for a Georgia peach.”

Walker Red, Makers, and Jäger and/or Goldschlager. I could stock other things… But there wouldn’t be any point since I wouldn’t drink them.

As I’ve said before, I’m a simple man with simple tastes.

Liquor Standard (under $20) O U Fancy, huh? ($20+)
Gin: Bombay Sapphire (only used for Gin and Tonics)
Rum: Not a big Rum guy but always have a little Appleton Estate on hand and even Bacardi for the girly drinks
Tequila: Loved Porfidio (until the owner fled Mexico for Tax Evasion), now mostly Don Pilar or Herradura (all three)
Vodka: Ciroc or Skyy
Whiskey: JACK DANIELS and if you are a good friend you get into my Bookers, Knob Creek, Blanton’s or Basil)
Scotch: Old Pulteney, Bailie Nicol Jarvie (or any aged Glenmorangie)

It tastes like my childhood. The folks did gimlets from time to time. And in a way that somehow screams of the ’60s and ’70s to me, somehow, we used to get our own little nonalcoholic cocktails once in a while, served inthe same grown-up (old-fashioned) glasses my folks used. Some of you may remember the glasses — round, almost globes, colored glass (we had green and amber ones), thick base.

On a hot summer day, I find tonic water with a splash of Rose’s is the awesome.

My dad likes a good glass of scotch when he can get it. One year for Christmas we bought him a bottle of Laphroaig. He was sitting in the basement having a glass and my mom was sitting next to him with a small bowl of Teddy Grahams. He reaches over and steals one and then has a sip of his drink. To his surprise, the combination of high end scotch and children’s cookie is considerably greater than the sum of its part. And thus was born, The Paddington Bear.

In my opinion you all need to remember this classic for cold weather cocktails. I combine a mix of dark brown sugar, stick of butter, splash of whipping cream, splash of vanilla, heat and mix. Just try not to eat it until it is cooled.

Then combine a nice double shot of dark rum, spoonful of mix, and fill the rest of a mug with hot water. Season with nutmeg if you wish. It is my absolute favorite thing about winter.

A very surprising drink I invented at the Burger Bar in Vegas, after a few days in the town.
Ingredients: 1 jigger Patron Silver, 1 jigger Vanilla Vodka, 1 jigger Coconut Rum, 2 jiggers Pineapple juice, chilled martini glass
1. Mix the Patron, Vodka and Pineapple in a shaker with Crushed Ice, Shake Well
2. Coat the inside of the Martini Glass with the Coconut Rum, and then Strain the contents of the shaker into the Martini Glass.
3. Drink
4. repeat steps 1-3
5. Stand up
6. Fall Down
Sounds horrible, but surprisingly very tasty and extremely intoxicating

(I took a picture to post, but couldn’t figure out how to make that happen)
1) Jameson Triple Distilled Irish Whiskey
2) Famous Grouse (Aged 12 Years) Scotch
3) Tito’s Handmade Vodka (The Best Vodka. Period.)
4) Crystal Head Vodka (Takes like shit, but has an awesome bottle that’s a crystal skull)
5) Kraken Black Spiced Rum (Delicious, strong, and super smooth)
6) Bombay Sapphire Dry Gin (Nuff Said)
7) McCorkmick Extra Dry Gin (For guests that I don’t like enough to give Bombay to)
8) Bacardi Dark Rum
9) Bacardi Light Rum
10) Maker’s Mark Whisky
11) Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch
12) 1.75 Litres of Crown Royal Whiskey

Yes, I like to imbibe.

I could read it every day for a year. If I may, a couple of things:

This past Christmas I started a new tradition in my family. When we were younger, my brother and I would always get to open one present on Christmas eve after the family got home from church. Now that we’re older, said tradition has long since fallen by the wayside. Christmas Eves have been pretty uneventful for a few years. This year, though, I went to the local ABC store with the intent of buying mini-bottles for stocking stuffers. Instead, I decided we would all be better served if we cracked them open on Christmas eve and had a family taste testing. My parents, my brother, and I spent the night waiting for Santa while sampling a smörgåsbord of liquor which is too expensive to be buying by the 5th. Best. Christmas. Ever.

As for difference between liquor and liqueur, I’ve always maintained that liquor will get ya drunk. Liqueur will get your girlfriend drunk.

Oh and if you’re at all into the sweeter side of life, Leopold Bros’ small batch Georgia Peach whiskey makes a damn fine Manhattan.

might i suggest seeking out a bottle of decent rye. once upon a time, it was as dominant a whiskey as bourbon in many places. even today some still feel it holds a stigma as a “yankee” spirit but i’ve found the fact it is noticeably less sweet than bourbon makes it quite useful in many cocktails. case in point, that classic of the pre-dinner drinks, the old fashioned.

and many years ago when i was trying to live up to the romantic ideal of the working journalist, my regular drink was rye whiskey with a chaser of shiner bock. a truly superb pairing, in my estimation.

books on bartending. Mr. Boston’s bartending guide is a staple but i also highly recommend stanley clisby arthur’s Famous New Orleans’ Drinks and How To Make Them. it’s not only an essential guide to southern drinks it offers a history to them that any bartender worth his salt should be well versed in.

A friend introduced me to a liqueur called St. Germain. It’s made from hand-picked elderflower blossoms from the French Alps (don’t let its French pedigree stop you). It’s got a light sweet taste but very complex and nuanced. Compared to this stuff, most other “fruity” liqueur I’ve had tastes like glorified Kool-Aid. While in general I don’t think most would drink it straight, it’s worth trying once just to sort out all the flavors. It’s very good mixed with vodka and very very good if you throw a shot of it into a glass of champagne. I’m sure there are plenty of other recipes, but that’s all I’ve tried so far. It’s hard to find; I only know of one store in Athens that carries it (J’s Bottle Shop on Prince Ave). It’s also a little pricey (IIRC, about $40 per .75 liters), but I think I’ve seen mini bottles in that same store. Give it a shot next time you’ll be making a lot of “girly drinks” or if you just enjoy trying new high quality booze. Official website

. . . picked up right about the time we started getting bad news.