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I've always found that I have a lot of bases covered with a decent selection of whiskys and a few other basic ingredients. A couple of decent scotches like Oban or Octomore for drinking straight at room temperature. A Japanese whisky like Nikka or Yamazaki, as they are designed to be drunk with ice or soda or both, as a summer beverage. Then a few thinner, cheaper whiskys that you wont mind mixing with things. Cutty to make Old Fashioned's, Canadian Club or Crown Royale for Manhattans. The only other ingredients you need for those are some sugar cubes, aromatic bitters, red vermouth (cheap, and one bottle lasts forever because it is gross as poo poo by itself) and some maraschino cherries for garnish. For guest with a real sweet tooth, who are sure they don't like whisky, keep some Sweet SIppin' Maple Whiskey handy. Regarding other spirits. Captain Morgan is pretty redoubtable. Hendricks is a decent gin and can be enjoyed straight or with tonic and lime. Wyborowa is the best Vodka for drinking by itself that I can afford. If you're mixing it with stuff, I'm not sure it matters. I keep both El Jimador and Jose Cuervo in the cabinet, as while I enjoy both I feel that Jimadors strength lies in being a mixer where as Jose should be drunk straight. I am aware you're meant to use silver tequila in a Tequila Sunrise but eh. On that note, keep some grenadine in the house. It's decent.
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Feb 9, 2015 04:21
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Gwynplaine posted:I've always found that I have a lot of bases covered with a decent selection of whiskys and a few other basic ingredients. this is ridiculous. loving oban? for a non drinker to stock in his house? japanese whiskys? I love all this poo poo, but dudeman asking how to be a basic host alcohol wise doesn't need to keep around a $70 bottle of scotch and have bitters and vermouth on hand. really, oban is my favorite scotch, but this is really just pretentious and over the top imo.
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Feb 9, 2015 07:40
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Mindphlux you have good taste - Oban is one of my favorites. Distillery is really worth checking out too if you get that way because it's just this little industrial building tucked back in an alley and is actually one of the least interesting things in the whole town, and not nearly as pretentious as most of the other distilleries that you might visit. But yeah your home bar advice is spot on.
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Feb 9, 2015 15:48
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mindphlux posted:this is ridiculous. loving oban? for a non drinker to stock in his house? japanese whiskys? I also laughed really hard at suggesting Jose Cuervo and then laughed harder at drinking it straight.
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Feb 9, 2015 16:18
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Cuervo's traditional line is 100% agave and perfectly good for mixing. The regular is awful, however.
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Feb 9, 2015 18:09
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Re -reading it, yeah I was getting too caught up in my preferences that I kinda missed the point of this being basic boozes. I've lucked out and been able to stock up on some good things duty free, but I was being a wanker. My apologies. Actual basics: Cutty, Bombay Sapphire, Morgan, Jimador, Wyborowa. All acceptable and about 33 bucks on average.
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Feb 9, 2015 18:26
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Mr. Wiggles posted:Mindphlux you have good taste - Oban is one of my favorites. Distillery is really worth checking out too if you get that way because it's just this little industrial building tucked back in an alley and is actually one of the least interesting things in the whole town, and not nearly as pretentious as most of the other distilleries that you might visit. sometimes I'm afraid I like oban because it's a little sweet and not that smokey or peaty, and that my manhood has failed and I secretly don't like scotch at all and I should just throw myself off a cliff wailing and gnashing my teeth. good to know others like it too. when did you visit the distillery? I've been to scotland a couple of times, and wished I could go - but no one I was traveling with was much into it, and it was a little out of the way.  mmmm oban
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Feb 10, 2015 02:29
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If you want to go to Iona, you first have to go to Mull. And the only way to get to Mull is via ferry from Oban. And if you're going to be in Oban, why not check out the distillery? What I like about it is that it's quite briney, in addition to being a bit sweet. Lots of good iodine flavor and what not. Oban is a good scotch fo shizzle.
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Feb 10, 2015 06:03
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If your friends aren't assholes, I'm sure they'd appreciate you being thoughtful enough to stock any booze in your home specifically for them. And the fact that you're going through the lengths to ask for good recommendations is cool. Can I be your friend, Dick Trauma? For what to get? You've gotten lots of good advice so far, but here's what I'm thinking. If you really want to get your friends some booze, maybe get one drink's ingredients. Get some a bottle of Goslings or Kraken dark rum and a bunch of ginger beer for Dark and Stormies. Get two or three sixers or some craft beer. Get a bottle of bourbon and a case of coke. Or if you want, get the things for a cocktail of some sort. If your friends don't like it, well, that's on them. You are already doing something cool, so they can take it or leave it. Any leftover stuff can stay and if you want, you can get another "drink" for the next time you hang out. It's a good way to build up a bar naturally. Rotten Cookies fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Feb 10, 2015 |
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Feb 10, 2015 21:03
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Dirty Beluga posted:Nobody without a beard and a fixie drinks gin Chicks dig G&Ts man. Don't bother with vermouths: I'm a drinker and I struggle to finish a bottle of Martini before it goes sour. You're going way above and beyond if you offer them quality spirits or a cocktail, I'd expect to bring my own booze or be offered beer or wine at the very most. You're a considerate host!
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Feb 10, 2015 23:33
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Buy a half gallon of each of the following: Monopolowa or Tito's Vodka El Jimador or Hornitos Tequila W. L. Weller Private Reserve Whiskey Gordon's Gin Sailor Jerry or Myers's Rum A few basic juices and mixers. Bam! You now have something respectable for most every taste and spent less than 200. Edit: and once those are gone you can fill em up with rotgut and your guests won't call you out on it! Gentwise fucked around with this message at 04:01 on Feb 12, 2015 |
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Feb 12, 2015 03:59
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Oh Dick Trauma, you've come such a long way from when I started reading your travails in the A Ticket Came In threads. Glad to hear you don't need an IV of whiskey to make it through the day any more.
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Feb 12, 2015 04:03
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That I can sit here without immediately consuming the Herradura Anejo and Buffalo Trace I bought the other day is a miracle. I'm looking forward to my brother visiting because he has an appreciation for the finer things in life and will probably think he's in the wrong apartment.
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Feb 12, 2015 04:40
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Any serious bourbon drinker will have their preference but will recognize the quality of Evan Williams. That's good for you (it is cheap) and good for them (it is good). New Amsterdam gin is similar, though it is more of a "gin for people who don't like gin" but if you're rocking g&ts for the ladies, that is probably your target market anyway. Kirkland vodka from Costco is another great one, you'll lose prestige on the label but if people want a good drink was opposed to a good label, they will be down. Grab some bitters, some tonic and soda water, and you've got a very basic bar that no one would object to. Consider adding flor de Cana 4 years if your friends gravitate towards darker liquor or their white rum if your friends gravitate towards clearer liquors and/or the bar is mostly for ladies you are bringing home. Either way, have (diet) coke and lime if you want to be "fancy". If you are looking more to impress, while keeping costs down, I'd go with bulleit or buffalo trace for the bourbon, Bombay or tsnquaray for the gin and the fanciest looking bottle of vodka that costs roughly the same as the bourbon and gin. Keep the floor de Cana for your rum, but get a bottle of both the 4 year dark and the white rum but also consider s bottle of gosling. Bitters, tonic and soda master, some vermouths you keep in the fridge and some (diet) coke and ginger ale. If you want to go a little further, you can add baileys, kaluha, hornitos or milargo tequilas and so on. Beer in cans lasts a long loving time. If you are concerned about people not drinking it, go that way.
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Feb 13, 2015 08:22
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Because you don't plan on drinking the booze, I would get a rum and a vodka that you can mix with things you will drink yourself. Non offensive options that most can be happy to drink, without breaking the bank and without having to give them a menu with the 15 bottles of booze you don't drink.
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Feb 13, 2015 19:31
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Shbobdb posted:Any serious bourbon drinker will have their preference but will recognize the quality of Evan Williams. That's good for you (it is cheap) and good for them (it is good). New Amsterdam gin is similar, though it is more of a "gin for people who don't like gin" but if you're rocking g&ts for the ladies, that is probably your target market anyway. Kirkland vodka from Costco is another great one, you'll lose prestige on the label but if people want a good drink was opposed to a good label, they will be down. Grab some bitters, some tonic and soda water, and you've got a very basic bar that no one would object to. Consider adding flor de Cana 4 years if your friends gravitate towards darker liquor or their white rum if your friends gravitate towards clearer liquors and/or the bar is mostly for ladies you are bringing home. Either way, have (diet) coke and lime if you want to be "fancy". Evan Williams White Label Bottled in Bond is my go to bourbon, and it's about $17/fifth here in Ohio. I drink Old Fashioneds almost exclusively, and EW White makes a great one. Easily the best cheap 100 proof bourbon out there. MullardEL34 fucked around with this message at 06:39 on Mar 10, 2015 |
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Mar 10, 2015 06:33
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