Is there anything more fun to practice than making cocktails? Now get your mind out of the gutter and answer that again. Here are the basic spirits to start your cocktail cabinet with so you can mix yourself some classics.
If you’re looking to learn a few classic cocktails then don’t go out and get the standard spirits. Vodka, rum and whisky are fun, but they’re often not what you need to make the classics.
Here are the slightly niche but basic spirits to start your cocktail cabinet and make some classic cocktails that you perhaps didn’t realise.
Here’s the list you need…
Basic spirits to start your cocktail cabinet
- Bourbon whisky
- Dry vermouth
- Sweet vermouth
- Bitters
- Kahlúa
… and here’s why:
Bourbon whisky
Here’s the key: The whisky has to be bourbon. I’m not sure what the reaction would be in Edinburgh if you decided to use single malt to mix a cocktail. Perhaps they’ll sigh, look down at their feet and softly shake their head? Perhaps it will be violence? Ideally neither.
Bourbon has the soft, sweet taste that makes it ideal for many whisky-based cocktails. Some people like rye whisky – it’s slightly punchier – but if you’re starting to perfect your Old Fashioned then aim for the classic then experiment.
Use it in:
- Old Fashioned
- Whisky Sour
- Boulevardier
Try:
- Wild Turkey
- Maker’s Mark
- Woodford Reserve
- Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Dry vermouth
If only there was a famous film character that had made the Vodka Martini famous, we could ask them how they would like it mixed. Probably stirred? Let’s go with that.
Dry Vermouth has that mix of an almost floral taste that its still incredibly punchy, meaning it more than holds it’s own and often doesn’t need many other ingredients to mix a drink.
- Martinis
- Manhattan
- Negroni
Try:
- Martini (the spirit, not the mixed cocktail)
- Cinzano Extra Dry Vermouth
Sweet vermouth
Sweet vermouth is different to dry vermouth in that it tastes sweeter. Thank me later.
It’s often red in colour and, I’ll be honest, doesn’t taste that great neat. It’s often not as saccharine as some other spirits so it doesn’t overpower a cocktail like an amaretto might. If you drink a cocktail with amaretto in it you can forget about the other spirits.
It’s seen as a light spirit despite its colour because it tastes so light. Mix it with a punchier spirit in a cocktail for a great match.
Use it in:
- Negroni
- Manhattan
- Roy Rye
Try:
- Martini Rosso
- Cinzano Sweet Vermouth
- Cocchi Vermouth Di Torino
Bitters
I’m aware I’ve given you the ingredients to make a Manhattan in this article but that’s solely because they’re so versatile. Why did it take so long to invent the Manhattan? 1870 is slow. The ingredients have been right in front of us all along. You’ll never guess where it was invented.
Are bitters a spirit? You certainly don’t want to drink a lot of them. Bitters are different to most other spirits in that you often only need a couple of dashes (i.e. individual drops) of it in your cocktails. Less is absolutely more. Don’t be tempted to chuck a load in to make sure you can taste it, you will definitely be able to taste it.
Bitters are used to make Pisco Sours, Brandy Sours, Whisky Sours, Gin Sours, you get the picture. It’s a bit sour. Almost bitter, really.
According to Wikipedia, Angostura Bitters have medicinal purposes. I’ll just leave this here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia
Use it in:
- Manhattan
- Sours
- Gin Sling
- Zombie
- Old Cuban
Try:
- Angostura Bitters
Kahlúa
Alcohol is a sedative. If you have too much of it then your legs involuntarily start sleeping. Coffee is not a sedative, it’s very much the opposite. Presumably if you have coffee liqueur you can keep going and going? Someone phone the Lancet and get someone to run that experiment.
Yes, it’s in the Espresso Martini. So far, so Instagram. It’s also in the White Russian, a cracker of a dessert in a glass. Get some Kahlúa in your drinks cabinet and add the Espresso Martini to your armoury so you can throw your head back and laugh like you’re having the best time ever in social media photos.
Use it in:
- White Russian
- B-52
- Espresso Martini
Try:
- Kahlúa
Those were the five basic spirits to start your cocktail cabinet. But wait, there’s more…
A bonus ingredient you should have to hand:
Sugar syrup
Its sugar dissolved in water, because you can’t be chucking a load of sugar in your drink and hoping it doesn’t crunch it up. Some spirits are better at breaking down and dissolving sugar granules than others so remove the risk and dissolve it first.
You can buy some, or you can just make a load and keep it in the fridge for when you need it.
Basic spirits to start your cocktail cabinet
So go forth mix yourself some classic cocktails. You now have the basic spirits to start your cocktail cabinet.