So, if you want a better stocked bar than mine, currently? (it’s not hard, I promise.) Here’s a few of the things that you need to make sure you have on hand to be able to server pretty much anything your guests want.

Start with the basics:

There are eight basic liquors which are the fundamentals of a well-stocked bar. They include:

Vodka, rum, bourbon, gin, tequila, brandy, scotch and Canadian whisky

Hint: Always store liquors with the original cap on, not a pour spout, to minimize evaporation.

Your best bets are:

Finlandia Vodka
Havana Club Rum (if you’re in Canada) or Bacardi if you’re in the US
BeefEater Gin
Herradura Tequila
Hennessy or Remy Martin Cognac
McCallan 12 year Scotch if you have good scotch drinkers, or Glen Fiddich if you don’t
Crown Royal or Canadian Club whisky

Next, add in some liqueurs to your cabinet. The three basic flavours that will give you a good base for a variety of cocktails include:
Almond, such as Amaretto

Coffee, such as Kahlúa

Orange, such as Cointreau

And for the everything else you’re going to want to include …

Vermouth: Both the dry and sweet varieties are essential for many drinks, including the classic martini.

White wine: For a good, basic white, stock a California chardonnay, oaked and Un. Also, include a pinot grigio, a sauvignon blanc and a blend.

Red wine: a merlot, pinot noir, a shiraz, and a Cabernet Sauvignon as well as possibly a burgundy (red wine drinkers can be picky)

Champagne: $20 will buy a decent bottle of sparkling wine, or proseco. If you want real champagne (like Veuve Cliquot, you’re looking at about $65+ a bottle. That depends on how sophisticated your guests are). Sparkling wine is a good mixer for drinks, like a mimosa.

If you have beer drinkers coming over, you’ll want to see what they prefer, but in general, you’d be well to stock a good light beer, a good lager and a good dark beer. There are several sites which can provide options for you if you’re unfamiliar with beer options. If you are familiar, go with your gut and see what will happen.

Hint: Vermouths and wines do not keep as long as liquors, so you might want to choose smaller bottles. Make sure to store wine bottles on their sides so the corks don’t dry out.

The nice, but not necessary category:
Bailey’s Irish Cream, a mixture of Irish whiskey and dairy cream often used in coffee drink. Even more a possibility category: flavours.

Grand Marnier, a liqueur made from cognac (a distilled wine named after the Cognac region in France) and orange essence

B & B, a blend of Benedictine (a liqueur flavored with various plants and spices) and brandy (a distilled wine)

Framboise, a raspberry liqueur (like Chambord)

Port, a fortified wine (like Sandaman)

Melon liqueur, often known by the brand name Midori, which is made from honeydew melon

Schnapps, a distilled beverage that comes in many flavors, from peppermint to peach, and is most often used as a mixer in cocktails (look for Giffard, it’s the brand preferred by many bartenders)

Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces, used for bloody marys and ceasars

Bitters, try to keep angostura on hand, as well as some of the Fee’s Brothers flavours. You never know when you might find need.

Mix – you’ll need this
Club soda

Hint: Instead of opening a large bottle, keep small bottles or cans of juices on hand for mixers.
Garnishes

• Lemons
• Limes
• Cherries
• Salt
• Olives
• Dark Chocolate

Hint: Some drink recipes call for simple syrup. It’s easy to make; just mix equal parts of sugar and warm water. Cook over low heat until clear, and then boil for 1 minute.

That should cover all of your bar needs, for the most part. If you get a cocktail nerd coming to visit, then you might have to step it up, but in the meantime, this’ll cover most of your cocktail needs.

Post from: EveryJoe

Stock Your Bar, Save Money

Grand Marnier and Moet Chandon Rosé have teamed up to create a perfect match for Valentine’s Day, in the form of a delicious little drink called, appropriately, Cupid’s Arrow.

This cocktail is simple to prepare and wonderfully indulgent— combining Grand Marnier’s delightful orange liqueur with the rich character of Chandon Rosé and pomegranate juice for a delicate rose hue.

Cupid’s Arrow

1 Part Pomegranate Juice
2 Parts Grand Marnier®
2 Parts Chandon Rosé
½ Part Lemon juice

Shake pomegranate juice, Grand Marnier and lemon with ice. Pour into a champagne flute. Top with Chandon Rosé.

[image provided by Grand Marnier]

Post from: EveryJoe

More Valentines Day Cocktails

Pear of Hearts

2 oz Belvedere Cytrus
1 oz Pear Nectar
1 oz Pineapple juice
1 oz Pomegrante Grenadine

Add Grenadine to the bottom of a chilled cocktail glass
Shake spirits vigorously with ice and strain gently over grenadine.
Add a strawberry heart to garnish.

Heart and Tart

2 oz Belvedere Cytrus
2 oz passionfruit juice
1 oz simple syrup

Shake vigorously with ice and serve up with pomegranate seeds and mint.

Happy Ending

2 oz Belvedere Pomerancza
1 oz Ginger Beer
.25 oz lime juice

Serve on the rocks topped with ginger beer with a cinnamon stick

No matter what you decide to do on Valentines Day – these cocktails will make your evening yummy.

Post from: EveryJoe

Valentines Treats

The working in a restaurant outside of New York City where we poured cheap booze into all of the name-brand bottles: a trick known as a “downpour.” Now it’s not like we came up with the idea. Bars have been downpouring since before the invention of the neon sign." [source]

While the writer goes on to say that they were certainly the exception, rather than the rule; the fact remains, it does happen occasionally, so don’t accuse your favourite bar of serving you swill just yet.

In all honesty, many folk can’t tell the difference between premium liquor and a less than premium brand, however, there are plenty of single malt scotch drinkers and small-batch bourbon drinkers who know when they aren’t getting their brand.  For each small-batch bourbon drinker you find, there are 3 times as many vodka drinkers who care not because the drink tastes different with Grey Goose over Absolut but because ordering a Grey Goose makes you look like a hot shot.

The whole point of vodka is that it doesn’t have a ton of flavor. It mixes easily with pop and juices, which is perfect for people who don’t want to taste the alcohol in the first place and to many brand new drinkers.

Although vodka can be made from a variety of things — including sugar beets, potatoes, grain and even hemp — after the fermented material is distilled the final product is pretty much the same no matter how pretty a bottle it comes in. Even the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives describes vodka as a neutral spirit “without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color.” To be fair, that definition first appeared in Treasury Department literature in 1949. And I’m sure there have been advances in the distilling of vodka since. But enough to warrant the price commanded by Belvedere, Grey Goose and Ciroc? [source]

That’s an age-old question, frankly. The New York Times Dining section ran a blind taste-test for vodka a few years back. The results of which were touted as the be all and end all from the winning brand – Smirnoff, which was included in the 20 odd premium brands they were trying.  Apparently when you pour vodka into frosted, decanter type bottles, there’s no perception of what it "should" taste like.

End result? The next time you’re having a vodka drink at a bar, or buying a bottle at the liquor store, don’t bother with the premium brands. Why pay three times more for something that simply isn’t going to make much of a difference in the end anyway? Personally, I’m gonna stick with Finlandia.

[image source provided by Grey Goose]

Post from: EveryJoe

Ever Been Caught in a Downpour?

There are three grape varieties grown in Cognac – Ugni Blanc, Colombard, and Folle Blanche. The area itself is also divided up in to three sections – forest (bois), champs (fields) and champagne (open fields). When you see “champagne” on a cognac label, it’s got nothing to do with the sparkling wine, but instead where the grapes were grown.

The foundation of all Cognac production is based in a tradition dating back to the seventeenth century. The wine is double-distilled in traditional pot stills which can hold up to 660 gallons.  The first distillation produces something called “brouillis” which distills out at 60 proof (30% ABV). This goes through the distillation process again and produces a clear young raw spirit called “bonne chauffe”. This comes out at 140 proof, and the middle section of the distillation is what yields the best and purest quality.

All Cognac is aged for several years, for a minimum of 2 years to be able to be sold in the US, but in many cases, Cognac can be aged 20 or more years. The oak casks Cognac is aged in are very porous, which exposes the spirit to slow, continuous oxidation. The brandy also picks up color, tannins and flavor from the oak. The aging process takes the harsh, hair-curling distillate into a smooth, harmonious spirt.

Aside from a few exceptions, the Cognac you get in the stores is always a blend of Cognacs of various ages, sources and vintages. The blending is done so that the character and quality that marks each brand is consistent over a long period of time.

The cognac labels generally have lots of markings on them which can tell you the minimum age of the spirit. It would take years to list them all here, but there are a few common ways to tell:

Cognacs that have been aged for a minimum of two years counting from April 1 following the distillation can be labeled *** (three or more stars) and V.S. or V.S.P.

Aged for a minimum of four years can be labeled V.S.O.P.

Aged for a minimum of six years can be labeled Extra; Napoleon or X.O.

There isn’t a designation for anything aged more than six years, so the makers use proprietary names: Triomphe, Tres Venerable, Paradis etc.

There are several fantastic drinks that can be made using Cognac, including the traditional Sazerac and the Sidecar, and then some modern cocktails like the Intrigue and the Garlic Affair.

Garlic Affair

1 oz Martell VS Cognac
1/2 oz apricot brandy
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
ginger beer
garlic clove

Gently muddle the garlic in the bottom of a shaker. Add the remaining ingredients. Shake well. strain into a highball filled with ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with a wedge of lime and a maraschino cherry.

Intrigue

1 2/3 oz Cognac
1.5 oz white creme de cacao
1/5 oz dry white wine
2/3 oz raspberry puree
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
dash honey syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a raspberry and mint leaves.

[images: Wikimedia Commons & Remy Martin]

Post from: EveryJoe

Cognac Basics

This one is one of those retro classics currently making its way up clubs with caché right now, alongside the Sidecars and the Whiskey Sours: it’s the Snowball.

Snowballs are made with Advocaat, a Dutch liqueur that’s the alcoholic equivalent of, well, egg nog. It’s a creamy, light liqueur with a hint of fruitiness (from brandy) and eggs. But there really is no other way to drink it unless mixed in a Snowball.

And the funny thing is — Advocaat means ‘lawyer’ in Dutch. No idea why, but it may be because lawyers were the original drinkers of this fine beverage. Warninks Advocaat has been in production since 1616. Most people think it tastes like boozy custard, which makes sense, because the Dutch are known for their custard addiction – you can try hundreds of flavours of vla, or custard, in your average Amsterdam grocery store.

The traditional recipe has plain lemon juice and a lemon slice. My version is really, really simple, and a bit of an update on the classic. Pour a shot of Advocaat in a short glass over ice, and top up with fizzy Limonata, an Italian lemon soda that isn’t too sweet.

It’s a refreshing beverage with the texture of a melting snowball. The fizz of the Limonata adds a fantastic, fresh mouthfeel. I love these over the holidays and I’m sure you will too.

Gelukkig kerstfeest!

Post from: EveryJoe

‘Snowball’ fights?

At 35% ABV, Mekhong makes some fun and flavourful cocktails. Mekhong has a golden, dark amber and reddish copper appearance and its flavour and aroma is both spicy and sweet with hints of ginger, honey, toffee, vanilla, floral, herbs and citrus.

If you’re lucky enough to have a bottle of Mekhong on hand, try some of these holiday cocktails, created by several Manhattan mixologists.

Mekhong Partridge in a Pear Tree

2 shots Mekhong
¾ shot fresh squeezed Lime Juice
½ shot Elderflower cordial
1 bar spoon of sugar
¼ fresh pear cut lengthwise
3 thumbnail sized slices of fresh ginger root
½ Kaffir lime leaf

Directions: In a mixing glass muddle the pear, ginger and sugar into a paste. Add Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients. Add Ice and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds. Strain into a rock glass over ice. Garnish with torn Kaffir lime leaf.

Mekhong Mistletoe

2 shots Mekhong
1 shot fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ pomegranate fruit
¾ shot simple sugar syrup

Directions: In a mixing glass muddle pomegranate (leaving over a bar spoon of seeds to garnish) and sugar syrup. Add remaining ingredients, fill with ice and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds and strain into a Martini Glass. Garnish with remaining pomegranate seeds.

Mekhong Magi
2 shots Mekhong
1 shot Goldschläger (Swiss cinnamon schnapps – for the gold flecks)
Hot Spiced Apple Cider
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
touch of star anise

Directions: Pour Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients into a glass or ceramic mug. Mix in cloves and star anise and mix with spoon. Drop in cinnamon stick and serve hot.

Mekhong Frosty

2 shots Mekhong
1 ½ shots coconut puree
¾ shot white Crème de Cacao
Ground nutmeg

Directions: Pour Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients into a mixing glass. Add Ice and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini-cocktail glass. Ground some nutmeg on top.

Mekhong Rudolph

3 shots Mekhong
1 shot sweet (Italian) Vermouth
¾ shot Benedictine
Orange twist & a maraschino cherry

Directions: Pour Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for 35-40 revolutions. Strain into a chilled martini-cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist and maraschino cherry.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Post from: EveryJoe

New Thai Spirit: Mekhong

To make:

1 oz 10 Cane Rum
1 oz Godiva Dark Liqueur
1 oz Bailey’s
2 dashes Vanilla extract
Crushed Graham Crackers
Melted Chocolate
Bacardi 151 Rum soaked marshmellows for S’more effect (optional)

Pour all liquids into shaker over ice and shake vigorously. Rim a martini glass with melted chocolate, and press into the crushed graham crackers before the chocolate sets. Let the glass stand for a moment and serve!

This sounds to me like a yummy fall evening drink. Definitely one I’d recommend!

Post from: EveryJoe

October Cocktail

The furniture is made from reclaimed bourbon barrels from Bardstown, Kentucky. Usually, the used barrels are only used once to age bourbon, and then they’re either sold to Scotland for scotch or they’re turned into planters, or firewood (sob! how wrong!!).

Uhuru is instead taking this gorgeous charred white oak and has created the Küpe line. Heck, they make gorgeous furniture, period. I want all my stuff to be from here! 

(Image source: Uhuru Designs. Hat tip to Liquor Snob for the heads up)

Post from: EveryJoe

Bourbon Barrel Furniture

“I’m always down for a new challenge,” Dre said in a statement. “When Drinks Americas approached me about going into business with them, I knew there was a lot of competition out there but it was the same way when I started doing music. I’m going to put the best product out there, because that’s what I do.”

Dr. Dre’s spirits are slated to hit the stores in the next 60 days. The release is supposed to be timed to coincide with the artist’s next CD – Detox. (image of the consummate businessman from AskMen)

Post from: EveryJoe

Dr. Dre to release new spirits