The Foundational Spirits

You can spend a lot of money on bar basics, especially if you’re trying to re-create the precious craft cocktails designed by people whose job is to come up with specialty drinks at trendy bars and restaurants. Just this morning I read a recipe for a drink that required two different kinds of Guyanese rum (plus one from Trinidad). To me, that’s ludicrous. Drinking is supposed to be a readily available human indulgence, not an Amazing Race scavenger hunt to the far corners of the world.

For those of us who just want to have enough spirits on hand to make the basic cocktails that we like and our guests might ask for, here is a list of what I call the foundational spirits:

• Vodka
• Gin (London Dry will do for most of your gin cocktails)
• Rum (light or dark depending on your preference)
• Whiskey (if you drink it regularly you probably have a favorite)
• Bourbon
• Tequila

None of these should be in any way “flavored”! If you like a flavored vodka and use it regularly, buy that in addition to a plain version – trust me, “birthday cake” vodka will not mix well with tonic (or much of anything else).

Your neighborhood liquor store will generally carry two or three “tiers” of these spirits – the higher the shelf placement, the more expensive they will be. For regular usage, stick to those in the middle range, at about eye level. They will taste a lot better than the stuff in the plastic jugs on the bottom shelf, and give you a less hellacious hangover should you happen to over-indulge. The taste of the top-shelf items won’t be exceptional enough in your pre-dinner drink to justify the additional expense. Save those for special occasions, or if you really want to impress your fiancee’s father.

There are cocktail recipes that call for a specific version of these spirits – Canadian whiskey or aged rum, for example. In my experience, the bottle you have in your bar will taste just fine in most mixed drinks. If you want to be sure that making authentic Irish Coffee is worth purchasing the Irish whiskey, buy a pint of it and make both versions at the same time, so you can taste-test between the Irish and the whiskey you keep in your bar. If you like the Irish version better and are going to make a lot of Irish Coffee this winter, you’ll know the cost of the 750ml bottle will be worth it.

Next: Other essential bottles

Welcome to GrogDogBlog! Here’s What We’re About.

Cocktail fans, here the philosophy behind GrogDogBlog: There’s no reason you can’t enjoy happy hour every day. Spending time and money at a bar every day may not be feasible, but you can make and enjoy your own cocktails at home without a lot of fuss or expense. In just a little more than the time it takes to uncork a wine bottle or tear into a 12-pack, you can pour yourself a delicious and simple cocktail that suits your mood – or gets you into one.

If you like to drink the same thing all the time, that’s cool. If you like wine or beer, that’s cool too. (I like wine and beer myself, and drink them frequently.) My posts, I hope, will encourage you explore something different without having to pay $15 at a bar to sample a drink you’ll never be able to recreate at home. Many of the new craft cocktails require specialized knowledge and/or ingredients that are mostly inaccessible outside NY or LA… But don’t let the foodie/drinkie magazine articles or web sites intimidate you into thinking those are the only true cocktail choices.

Author’s disclaimer: I am a self-taught cocktail aficionado. My only credentials are that I drink (almost) daily; I really enjoy drinking; I’ve done a lot of research and taste-tested many types of cocktails; and I don’t like to spend a lot of time making fussy drinks. Read About GrogDogBlog for more info.

Good citizen’s disclaimer: When your drinking even slightly interferes with your ability to do other things (driving, caring for your children, holding down a job, keeping your temper, staying healthy), you should stop drinking – until you sober up or until you can function normally over the long term. Enjoying a daily cocktail or two is much different than boozing it up every night and doing things that you will probably regret and might harm yourself or others. This blog should in no way be interpreted as endorsing, supporting, encouraging, or otherwise being in favor of plain old getting drunk. If you think any of my posts contain comments that in any way imply that I do, or promote inappropriate or excessive alcohol use, please let me know.

Next: The very basic, most essential tools for daily mixology. (Good news: You probably already have them!)