What are you drinking right now? - Page 664

BTW, sorry for the confusion, but in the States, "well" liquor refers to the cheap spirits you have on hand just for blending.

Ah, yeah, Hendrick's is a good gin. Well makes no sense, you're right.

If you get some vermouth rosso, get the Carpano Antico. It's so good!

Drinking Tama ryoku cha right now. And cold-brew sencha ariake.

Bruichladdich Waves. Cheers!

Caipirinha

A mezcal would be good to play around with. You can make some nice smokey cocktails and not shell out dough on using a scotch to mix with.

No love for Four Roses?

I'm surprised b10somthing didn't suggest eggs!

I've been drinking, I'm not in a helpful mood.

Other liquors: Drambuie, Saint Germain, Bénédictine.

A lot of stuff is going to be hard to find in a dinky little run down river town in the midwest. Drambuie is here and maybe Benedictine I've seen. But a lot of other stuff is hard. Any good online sources?

Your tastes are a bit different from mine, so my recommendations are what I think you might like, not necessarily what I would generally recommend to someone building a bar.

My top recommendation is Ransom Old Tom Gin, a barrel-aged gin that tastes like a hybrid between whiskey and gin. Old Tom was the predominant gin in the mid-1800s, when classic cocktails were in their heyday. I don't know if Ransom's version is historically accurate, but I do know that it makes a killer Martinez, which I recall you like.

Speaking of the Martinez, you're going to need a maraschino liqueur. Luxardo and Maraska are the standards. You're also going to need a sweet vermouth. I like Dolin because it is readily available and comes in 375 mL bottles.

Once you have maraschino, you might as well buy a bottle of creme de violette so you can make the Aviation. Some people will tell you that you can make an Aviation without the violette. Don't listen to them. The drink is way too tart without it.

Judging by the bottles you bought, you would like a rye whiskey. I prefer rye to bourbon in Manhattans. Rye also makes a great cocktail mixed with equal parts Averna and Campari. Rittenhouse is a great workhouse that you should be able to get for around $20.

If you need another bottle of gin, look at Aviation, which is similar to Hendrick's in flavor profile.

I'm not much of a scotch drinker. I have JW Black, which seems like a perfectly adequate blended scotch.

As for bitters, you really only need three: Angostura (or a similar aromatic), Peychaud's, and an orange bitter. I also have Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters and The Bitter Truth celery bitters, both of which I like a lot.

For a classic cocktail book, you can't beat Dale DeGroff's The Craft of the Cocktail. It has more recipes, and goes in less depth on each cocktail, than The Essential Cocktail.

Thanks for all the reccos guys. Much obliged.

Okay, have had a martini and a (kind of) manhattan. someone recommend something else with my ingredients!

You need a Canadian whisky. I would suggest Wisers.

Look for Tito's vodka.

Check out CostCo for their tequila. It's really a good bottle and well priced.

A) No Wisers here, already looked.
B) Tito's is here.
C) No Costcos around here, just Sam's club, and wouldn't join a cheap wholesale grocer just to get cheaper booze.

Just plain old CC is not a bad whisky then. If they have sherry cask aged, score.

They definitely have CC, very reasonable. Like, $18 for a handle, IIRC. Will look for Sherry aged.

Several things. First, a pro tip - you can shop at the Sam's Club liquor store without a membership. Might be able to save a few bucks that way.

I would get a different vodka, gin (not the Hendricks), and rum. There are many choices that I'd recommend before any of those. I'd splurge Cointreau over Triple Sec. Check Sam's, I bet they'll have it for around $30. Its worth it because its much more versatile. For Tonic and Ginger Beer go with Fever Tree. Goslings has HFCS in it, which is a non-starter IMO. If you have to go with one that has HFCS, I prefer Barrett over Goslings. Its more authentic and has a nice ginger kick. Club soda you can use any old shit. I like the OXO double sided jigger. Its got handy measurements and perfect as an all in one tool.

Gin Tonic or Fizz.