[cjrivera]

Just finished getting the basement done and had a bar put in.

Problem is, I'm mainly a beer drinker, but wanted to make sure I stocked the bar right, so when people come over for drinks, I'm not serving them crap.

I don't want to use the price tag as a guide to buying, so I'm looking for suggestions on what is the "good stuff". Again, I'm not necessarily looking for the most expensive, but the best tasting brands...

Whadda ya think?

Vodka

Tequila

Rum

Whiskey

Bourbon

Scotch

Gin


Am I missing anything else?
(People tend to bring lots of wine, so that shouldn't be a problem...)

[IceEnclosure]

Welcome to Hangar One

tasty good vodka.

[residentEvil]

the big thing right now is flavored Stoli (Stoli.com Age Verification) so you might want to check into that.

you can't go wrong with a bottle of Hptoniq (Hpnotiq) kept chilled; awesome stuff.

and oh, lots and lots of Jack Daniel's. oh wait...that's my bar

and don't forget the Everclear; a bar is not complete without that...the 190 proof stuff too.

[Paco500]

Were it I, I would go with the standards. Not many are going to argue with brands like Absolute, Cuervo, Bicardi, Jameson, Jack Daniels, Glenfiddich and Gordons.

You can get fancy, but if it's for serving guests, a well known quality brand is the way to go. You don't want people mixing your $200 bottle of rum with diet coke.

You may want to add some popular mixers, ie Vermouth.

My $.02

[scottiB]

Originally Posted by Paco500 

Were it I, I would go with the standards. Not many are going to argue with brands like Absolute, Cuervo, Bicardi, Jameson, Jack Daniels, Glenfiddich and Gordons.

You can get fancy, but if it's for serving guests, a well known quality brand is the way to go. You don't want people mixing your $200 bottle of rum with diet coke.

You may want to add some popular mixers, ie Vermouth.

My $.02

Totally agree. This is a good stock. Avoid Mohawk, Smirnoff.

Add: tabasco for a bloody mary - and MAYBE Dewar's if someone wants a blended Scotch.

[OreoCookie]

Absolute, Glenfiddich, Captain Morgan -- and Martini!

[FireWire]

Maybe add Bailey's Irish Cream, Kahlua and/or Grand Marnier?

[scaught]

You can get fancy, but what if someone you really don't like comes over and drinks all your booze? You might need to purchase 2 of each. One "middle shelf" for the in-laws you don't give a rip about and some top shelf stuff for the good friends.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

These people recommended Glenfiddich obviously do not drink a lot of scotch. I mean, I don't even drink a lot of scotch, but even I know that Glenfiddich is the Captain Morgan's of scotch.

Speaking of which...ixnay on the Captain Morgan's idea. I mean jeez, why not buy Baccardi or something then?

I think a good, well-stocked bar should have lots of "different" rums that are delicious, but not terribly well-known or terribly over-priced.

Here are my recommendations. Remember, I'm mostly a student, so I haven't had the time/money to try out a lot of brands of alcohol, and I've mostly concentrated on darker rums. I like to get something different when I go to the liquor store, though, so here goes:

Liquer: Disaronno Amaretto (Everyone bar's gotta have an amaretto, and it's gotta be Disaronno), and the Hpnotiq already mentioned is great for effect and the ladies.

Rum: Should be at least a 5-year aged, and if you're not worrying about money at least 7-10. Mount Gay, Appleton Estate Extra, Flor de Cana 12-year Centenario (delicious!), Cruzan Estate Diamond Rum. For interesting variety and some down-home flavour to myself, there's Newfoundland Screech rum, which is a pleasant-tasting Jamaican rum with an interesting story to make your patrons laugh.

Whiskey: Canadian Club Reserve, Crown Royal Special, Gibson's Finest...and of course, the traditional Jack Daniel's that everyone loves.

Vodka: Grey Goose, Chopin, and there's another one that I can't think of at the moment that I love but is expensive.

Scotch: Glenlivet, Aberlour, and for the only "expensive" bottle of scotch I've tried, Laphroaig 15-year, which was absolutely-crazy delicious.

That is all!

greg

[centerchannel68]

Vodka: Avoid absolute, grey goose, bla bla bla. That stuff just costs a lot. Pick up SKYY vodka. It's distilled 5x, to remove sulfites= less hangovers.

Rum: You need a white and a darker rum. White: Bacardi... haven't found one better yet. Dark: Mount GAY RUM! It's my favorite rum ever, and I've had a lot of rum. It's also suprisingly affordable, costing about teh same as Captain Morgan's, sometimes less. It's made in the barbados with coral filtered spring water.

As for the rest of those options... not really sure, as they're not my thing.

[His Dudeness]

12 year old and 18 year old Macallan, if you want to impress people. And plenty of Sambuca!!!!!!!

[andi*pandi]

you need some liqueurs, like amaretto mentioned above, peach schnapps, or Chambord. You have to mix something with that rum and vodka!

[vexborg]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Whiskey: Canadian Club Reserve, Crown Royal Special, Gibson's Finest...and of course, the traditional Jack Daniel's that everyone loves.

Scotch: Glenlivet, Aberlour, and for the only "expensive" bottle of scotch I've tried, Laphroaig 15-year, which was absolutely-crazy delicious.

That is all!

greg

What you put down as whiskey, isn't whiskey where I live...

Here whiskey is what you call scotch, and if you have to get a really good whiskey, my choice would be an Dalwhinnie, a Bunnahabhain, a Lagavulin or a Bowmore.

Vodka: Polish Zubrowka vodka.

Gin: Bombay Sapphire.

And if you, get some Absinthe.

[medicineman]

People always forget the mixers. Tonic water, 7 Up, margarita mix, bloody mary mix, vermouth (red and white), apple pucker, pina colada mix, Blue Curacao, Rose's lime juice, cocktail oinions and spanish olives, ginger ale, assorted fruit juices, orange juice and half and half. I hope I didn't leave anything out.

You should be good to go.

[Dakar²]

Originally Posted by vexborg 

Dalwhinnie, a Bunnahabhain, a Lagavulin or a Bowmore.

Gee, I wonder where fantasy novels derive their dwarf names from...

[vexborg]

Originally Posted by Dakar² 

Gee, I wonder where fantasy novels derive their dwarf names from...

Hehe...

[IceEnclosure]

agreededed.

Absolut for whomever, Goose or similar for special folks.

Cuervo for them, Patron for us.

etc, etc.

At my small dream bar?

Goose, Hangar One flavors, Stoli flavors, Belvedere (for comparing and such)
I'm so not kidding about the Hangar One:

Hangar One Vodka

---------------
FRASER RIVER RASPBERRY VODKA-

"People get excited about the Fraser River Raspberry vodka because it’s just like fresh raspberries, not the bubblegum chemical compound you expect from “raspberry flavored” products. We don’t add sugar. We don't add anything. It’s just raspberries and vodka.

We macerate and distill the berries, then we blend in raspberry juice. The juice adds complexity and a natural color. We had a totally fabulous design for our raspberry bottle, but when we put the finished product in it, the fresh juice didn’t like the UV rays that came through the clear glass. Now we use a green bottle that gives full UV protection, so we can keep distilling what we think is a truly exceptional spirit.

We buy red Meeker raspberries from some folks up in Washington state’s Fraser River valley. Try the vodka with some dark chocolate."
----------------------

and there's Kaffir Lime, Mandarin Blossom(, Citron "Buddha's Hand", and sometimes very limited batches. They once had a Wasabi Infused Vodka. No additives ever, just vodka and fruit(quite different from many flavored vodkas).


Any good single malt, and a blended or two. Johnnie Walker Black, rocks, splash of water please.

Patron for the very rare margarita I may enjoy, sans salt. Big fat limes a must.

Some Mount Gay and possibly Bacardi flavors for making mojitos (keep mint around and make your own simple syrup)

For later on in the evening you'd need some Frangelico(mmmm), Baileys, Kahlua, Grand Marnier.

A couple of red wines, a handful of white wines. No Santa Margherita please. Instead, get a nice Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Chardonnay:

"At first youthful, fresh, crisp, clean and lean then classic ripe Chardonnay aromas of honey, pear nectar and citrus blossom, softly framed by toasty, caramelized oak tones. The entry is smooth, with concentrated tastes of pear, apple and clove. The middle is a smoothly textured cascade of fruit flavors and the finish recalls fleshy, segmented pink grapefruit."


Big fat wine glasses, nice snifters, rocks and cocktail glasses. Martini glasses of course.

I didn't list any gin, but you can add it to my bar if you like.

Oh, and a bottle of freezing Jagermeister when you feel like punching yourself in the face.

[Heavy Fluid]

Whisky: Crown Royal, Canadian Club, Seagrams 7, Jack Daniel's
Gin: Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, Gilbey's
Vodka: Grey Goose, Skyy, Absolut

You may want to pick up other types of alcohol, like Amaretto.

On a side note, three of my favorite drink recipes.
Vodka Popper
In a shot glass, pour 1/2 whiskey, 1/2 Mountain Dew, put towel down on table, cover shot glass with hand, slam shot glass on table, and do the shot.

Crown Royal Royal Crown
Add ice to glass, add Crown Royal Whiskey to glass, add Royal Crown cola to desired taste.

Liquid Cocaine
In shot glass, pour equal amounts of Jagermeister, Rumple Minz, and Bacardi 151. Drink.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by vexborg 

Here whiskey is what you call scotch, and if you have to get a really good whiskey, my choice would be an Dalwhinnie, a Bunnahabhain, a Lagavulin or a Bowmore.

Lagavulin is my favorite.

-t

[Nivag]

Jim Bean and Makers Mark to add to the list of the ones above

another good mixer is Ginger Wine - Welcome to the Stone's Original Green Ginger Wine Web Site - Please Drink Responsibly!

[centerchannel68]

Did you guys completely ignore my post?

Absolute= crap.

Grey goose = expensive crap.

Get skyy. It's distilled 5x, so it's hangover free, and very tasty. You're letting the advertising speak for you without looking into the facts, folks. Plus it's cheaper.

[medicineman]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

Did you guys completely ignore my post?

Absolute= crap.

Grey goose = expensive crap.

Get skyy. It's distilled 5x, so it's hangover free, and very tasty. You're letting the advertising speak for you without looking into the facts, folks. Plus it's cheaper.

There are a lot of very good Polish vodkas, reasonably priced. Unless your drink 'neat', there is no need for expensive brands.

Oh yeah, don't forget an ice bucket and blender.

[centerchannel68]

That's my point. Skyy is very cheap compared to Absolute and Grey Goose, yet it's distilled MORE. You're getting better vodka for your money.

As for a blender, don't get a new one. Hit up an antique store or estate sale and buy a big chrome badass one for next to nothing. I scored one still in the original box for $20 at an estate sale:

[scaught]

^ Will it Blend? That is the question.

[centerchannel68]

It'll blend diamonds, baby.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

I've drank lots of Skyy - it's my best friend's favourite vodka to buy. I certainly like it. Having said that, when we're celebrating we go and buy expensive Flor de Cana rum and Grey Goose vodka, which both of us think is a better-tasting vodka than Skyy.

It also certainly isn't "hangover-free" - I've gotten hangovers from Skyy, the most recent being a week ago Tuesday, and I usually don't get hangovers at all. Of course, I drank a lot, but that's not a label you can affix I'm afraid. Even better, your claim that distilling more means a better vodka doesn't even make a lot of sense either - it's certainly one measure of "goodness," but there's nothing to say that distilling 4x vs 5x makes a difference in taste, or the quality of ingredients doesn't make a larger difference.

And yeah, I've tried lots of different brands of vodka, and there were a couple classy names I really liked; unfortunately I usually only recognize them in the liquor store and I'm too lazy to go looking for them at the moment. I know at least one was Polish, though.

On top of all that, you've got the 'ol prestige thing to consider if you want a nice, classy little home bar. If you pull out the Skyy - well, that's cool and stuff, and people might like it. If you've got Grey Goose on your self, it definitely raises the roof a little more, no matter how much you might think Skyy is a better "bang for the buck."

Killer blender, though.

greg

[Dakar²]

I'm on the edge of my seat for the response to that post.

[centerchannel68]

You know, I might agree with you if you're making straight up martinis, but if you're serving vodka, chances are it's going to be mixed with something else, OJ, kahlua, rum, etc, so to me, the ultimate 'this one tastes 10% better than this one" is not worth paying a $5-20 premium for, especially considering the mixers and other liquor usually masks the vodka anyway. Skyy produces vodka that tastes very good, and ..yes... technically you're correct, it isn't hangover free, but it is much better than Absolute... distilling reduces the number of sulfites and impurities which cause hangovers... so again, the only vodkas I even like are Skyy, and Voxx, which is also distilled quite a few times. It's all about bang for your buck, to me. If you really think the lable is that important, buy a grey goose, and just refill the damn thing with Skyy. I doubt anybody would EVER notice.

[His Dudeness]

Popov makes the BEST vodka.

[mitchell_pgh]

Just my 2¢, but I wouldn't stock your bar.

The trick is, to stock a bar, the alcohol is only the tip of the iceberg. You also need the mixers, limes, lemons, olives, liqueurs, sugar, salt, etc. that go along with it...

Instead, I would focus on 3-4 "drink specials" and make sure that you have everything for them. IMHO, it's better to have 3-4 great drinks vs. numerous "I can make that too" type drinks. It also makes it easier for your guests.

I guess I've just been far too many parties were they have tons of hard alcohol, but they don't have everything else that's required to make a good drink.

[centerchannel68]

very funny.

[centerchannel68]

Mitchell, good point. I focus on drinks with rum, white russians, and ... well... wine. I pretty much only drink rum though.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

You know, I might agree with you if you're making straight up martinis, but if you're serving vodka, chances are it's going to be mixed with something else, OJ, kahlua, rum, etc, so to me, the ultimate 'this one tastes 10% better than this one" is not worth paying a $5-20 premium for, especially considering the mixers and other liquor usually masks the vodka anyway. Skyy produces vodka that tastes very good, and ..yes... technically you're correct, it isn't hangover free, but it is much better than Absolute... distilling reduces the number of sulfites and impurities which cause hangovers... so again, the only vodkas I even like are Skyy, and Voxx, which is also distilled quite a few times. It's all about bang for your buck, to me. If you really think the lable is that important, buy a grey goose, and just refill the damn thing with Skyy. I doubt anybody would EVER notice.

Having been a bartender, I couldn't agree more.

For mixed drinks, most well vodka will do. The money can be better spent on better mixers. It's simply mathematics. If you improve the alcohol (which makes up 25% of the drink) by even 25% (over a cheap well alcohol), you are still talking a fraction of a fraction of improvement.

You are also correct about Skyy regarding the filtering process, but I think Grey Goose is better. In my price, I would have noticed the difference.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

You know, I might agree with you if you're making straight up martinis, but if you're serving vodka, chances are it's going to be mixed with something else, OJ, kahlua, rum, etc, so to me, the ultimate 'this one tastes 10% better than this one" is not worth paying a $5-20 premium for, especially considering the mixers and other liquor usually masks the vodka anyway. Skyy produces vodka that tastes very good, and ..yes... technically you're correct, it isn't hangover free, but it is much better than Absolute... distilling reduces the number of sulfites and impurities which cause hangovers... so again, the only vodkas I even like are Skyy, and Voxx, which is also distilled quite a few times. It's all about bang for your buck, to me. If you really think the lable is that important, buy a grey goose, and just refill the damn thing with Skyy. I doubt anybody would EVER notice.

Yeah...I usually drink my vodkas and rums on the rocks or with very little mixer, but that's generally pretty unusual (especially amongst the ladies). Since he's not worrying terribly much about price, and since every good little bar has at least a couple varieties of alcohol, perhaps at least a Grey Goose and a Skyy could fit well in the vodka section?

I also agree with the Mitchell. Lots of alcohol is no fun when no one really knows what to do with it and everyone just ends up having rum-and-cokes slash vodka OJs. Visit some quality bartender sites and stock up on some basic "background ingredients" for each major alcohol catagory (vodka, rum, whiskey, etc...most overlap pretty well). Also, get a good drink book and learn to make say 10 different drinks well (practicing regularly, of course!), or at least a few basics with each alcohol.

One cool think that I've seen at a home bar was a little LCD screen at one corner...the guy had it hooked up to a PC laptop underneath the bar, and he had some kind of "bar program" hooked up where you could see or search for a list of drinks and their ingredients, and how to make them. It was actually pretty cool, because it was fairly entertaining to look through and pick something you'd never heard of, and get him to make it. That would get a good use for an old computer you'd otherwise throw out....

greg

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

Mitchell, good point. I focus on drinks with rum, white russians, and ... well... wine. I pretty much only drink rum though.

I usually have Gin + Tonics, Lemondrops, White Russians, a Flavored Martini and Wine along with a app. 6-8 six packs of various beers.

I also specifically tuck a few of the six packs away and "put away the bar" [me cleaning up the bottles] so that I can control how long the party lasts. Nothing is worse than having a drunk and annoying guest with an unlimited supply of alcohol.

[centerchannel68]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Yeah...I usually drink my vodkas and rums on the rocks or with very little mixer, but that's generally pretty unusual (especially amongst the ladies). Since he's not worrying terribly much about price, and since every good little bar has at least a couple varieties of alcohol, perhaps at least a Grey Goose and a Skyy could fit well in the vodka section?

I also agree with the Mitchell. Lots of alcohol is no fun when no one really knows what to do with it and everyone just ends up having rum-and-cokes slash vodka OJs. Visit some quality bartender sites and stock up on some basic "background ingredients" for each major alcohol catagory (vodka, rum, whiskey, etc...most overlap pretty well). Also, get a good drink book and learn to make say 10 different drinks well (practicing regularly, of course!), or at least a few basics with each alcohol.

One cool think that I've seen at a home bar was a little LCD screen at one corner...the guy had it hooked up to a PC laptop underneath the bar, and he had some kind of "bar program" hooked up where you could see or search for a list of drinks and their ingredients, and how to make them. It was actually pretty cool, because it was fairly entertaining to look through and pick something you'd never heard of, and get him to make it. That would get a good use for an old computer you'd otherwise throw out....

greg

http://www.idrink.com/

Enter what you have, and it lists all the drinks you can make with it.

[jaydon34]

I'm actually a fan of Bombay Sapphire (gin) and Patron (tequila). Patron is a little expensive but it taste a lot better than Cuevo

[centerchannel68]

Seems like a good place to post this:

The Automated Bar

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

Seems like a good place to post this:

The Automated Bar

I would be careful of using any computer software near the bar. Sure, it's cool that you can make 80 drinks with your 14 ingredients, but I would still rather have 3-4 good options [with recommendations from the host] with solid wine and beer backups. You don't want people randomly testing drinks, especially when you're paying for the alcohol.

Also, as with party music, you should have the drink selection all ready to go before your guests arrive. Tinkering around on the computer during a party is a "code red geek alert" in my book.

That thing is rather cool! An automated bar... very interesting. It would only be better if there was a conveyor belt!

[TheWOAT]

Originally Posted by jaydon34 

I'm actually a fan of Bombay Sapphire (gin) and Patron (tequila). Patron is a little expensive but it taste a lot better than Cuevo

Cuervo Gold or 1800? 1800 is decent. the 13 dollar bottle of Cuervo is crap, and its also 49% sugar cane based.
I have heard from many in the know that Patron is slightly overrated and that Don Julio is commonly referred to (in Mexico) as the best tequila you can buy.... at a store. The ultimate best tequila comes straight from the distillery in oak barrels and is served at weddings and other large gatherings...

My personal favorite is Herradura Añejo which is darker and has an oak/vanilla flavor to it, while Cazadores is the best bang for the buck. For Margaritas, just use Sauza or Cuervo Tradicional, aka, the cheaper stuff... no need to waste $$$ on liquor you wont taste, but make sure its made from 100% agave.

[His Dudeness]

Originally Posted by jaydon34 

I'm actually a fan of Bombay Sapphire (gin) and Patron (tequila). Patron is a little expensive but it taste a lot better than Cuevo

Anything tastes better than Cuervo.

[IceEnclosure]

Anchovies don't.

[His Dudeness]

Anchovie flavored Tequila?

[MOTHERWELL]

You know I was a big fan of Patron until a friend of mine turned me onto some of the other brands of Tequila out there.

Patron is making a killing because of their marketing - if you think good tequila you think Patron. But is that really because you know Patron is better than other brands (of similar price).

This friend has been a bartender for many years, so he has been forced to try out all types of alcohol so he can suggest something.

The tequila I ended up having that night was Cabo Wabo - which was good - I am no tequila drinker, but it was nice to get something OTHER than Patron. There are about 1000 different types of Tequila out there, as there are with every type of alcohol, so you are gonna have to make up your own mind But the suggestions so far have been good.

FYI I have a bar and I don't drink much, so all of my booze has been "aging" for several years.

[Rev-O]

Originally Posted by vexborg 

Here whiskey is what you call scotch, and if you have to get a really good whiskey, my choice would be an Dalwhinnie, a Bunnahabhain, a Lagavulin or a Bowmore.

Islay drinker
My everday Scotch is Balvenie Doublewood which is my favorite. Scapa is nice as well. And All those listed above by Vexborg are very nice, but Islay's aren't for everyone.
Glenfidditch is piss. Anyone who wants a blended Scotch should be beat. If you must go blended get Dimple.
As far as Ta Kill Ya, I like Milagro Anejo very much.
Captain Morgan is my 7 times removed great grand uncle. Seriously. Can't stand the stuff tho.

[cjrivera]

Wow... I don't get a chance to check the computer all day and I get this much info...

Thanks for all the advice.

I guess I'm going to have to try and sample some of the different brands that you guys have mentioned. It's going to make for a very long New Year's Eve (or a very short New Year's Eve and a very, very long next morning.)


I don't have a lot of parties, but when I do, I wanted to make sure I had the basics (and not to be able to make every drink under the sun, just as many of you have mentioned.)

In many cases, the drinks will likely be mixed, so "well" liquor would be OK, but I'd rather have the better stuff (even if it is used in the mixed drinks) just for those people who would recognize the difference. And since I'm not dealing with tons of parties, the extra cost isn't a big deal.

I've had one brand of tequila before (and got so screwed up from it I had to email my friend who gave it to me what the name of it was) and it was called Oro Azul Reposado. That was the smoothest tequila I ever had. I usually don't like tequila and can usually drink only 1 shot (if forced to), but I had about 6-8 shots of this stuff one night because it was so good.

A lot of the women around here drink Captain Morgan and Coke, but I got a bottle of Capt. Morgan Select (or something like that) for them and they seemed to like it much better. have no idea how it compares to some of the other brands you guys have mentioned.

I hadn't forgotten the mixers (although a few were mentioned that I hadn't thought of) since many of those are pretty well the same quality no matter the brand. The blender I already have, as well as an ice maker.

[alligator]

Okay, can someone put this in plain English for those of us who don't drink? What are the bare essentials so I don't look like a complete novice when I offer someone a before dinner drink?

Please give me a simple list so I can take it to the store and stock up.

[medicineman]

A short list:
1. Highball - whiskey and 7Up (seagrams 7)
2. Martini - vodka and white vermouth.
3. Gin and tonic
4. Bloody Mary - vodka and spiced tomato juice.
5. Scotch - served either neat or with water.
That should serve for most purposes.

[kmkkid]

You can't go wrong with a few bottles of Olde English for the drunken bum on your guest list

[residentEvil]

at least get the bottle with the wide mouth; jeez!