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A Reader Question for the Community:
We will be hosting quite a few friends and relatives over the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. My wife and I don't drink much ourselves, but we want to stock a serviceable selection of liquor/beer/wine for weekend guests. Do people have any suggestions for what to include?
I'm sure you'll receive wonderful suggestion here.
ReplyDeleteI also don't drink which is why I am going to suggest having a non-alcoholic option of sparkling cider or other special fizzy drink among the alcoholic bar offerings. That way a person who doesn't drink for medical, religious, recovery or other personal reasons won't be put in an awkward situation.
"I feel sorry for people who don't drink, 'cause when they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're gonna feel all day." - Frank Sinatra
ReplyDeleteThe best advice I can give is to keep it simple but not cheap. Get the basics: vodka, rum, gin, whisky (bourbon, Irish, Scott, whatever you like), tequila. For wines, I recommend both whites and reds. I prefer dry wines but you can get some sweeter ones for the barbarians. Chardonnay,Soave, Merlot, and Barolo are some that I stock regularly.
Another option is to take a straw poll of your guests and ask what they like. Then, you can "buy to the crowd." That way, you're not stuck with a bunch of leftover booze...although I think those two words should never go together. Have fun!
Big Sinatra fan and I hadn't heard that quote before. Funny!
DeleteYou hadn't heard it because it is a Dean Martin quote.
DeleteAre Dean Martin quotes inaudible?
DeleteI'd say to make sure you have the obvious staples of one good pilsner beer, a nice white, and a red (if appropriate). When it comes to liquor, be sure to have the proper fixings for classic cocktails: Manhattans, Martinis, Old Fashions, and Tonic drinks, etc. This would mean having a selection of bourbon, rye, vodka, and gin, as well as sweet and dry vermouth (small bottles) and at least one type of bitters (which will never go bad). It doesn't hurt to have some fresh citrus fruit if it's available: limes, lemons, and oranges. Rum is unnecessary, and mainly drunk by proles. This holds true for flavored vodkas as well.
ReplyDeleteIf rum is for proles, count me in. I'll take a good dark and stormy any day! Goslings, ginger beer, and lime is lovely.
DeleteI agree with Emily; a good dark and stormy is good any day!! As far as tonic for drinks, Fever Tree has a variety of tasty tonics. As far as red wine, Beaujolais is always a crowd pleaser.
DeleteHere in Florida rum is absolutely necessary.
DeleteAnd don't forget, the Beaujolais Nouveau will be here soon. Never hurts to have a couple bottles in the fridge.
DeleteUnknown is a snob! Nothing is more refreshing than a Mount Gay and Bitter Lemon tonic.
DeleteTo: JGilliland - I agree wholeheartedly on Mount Gay and tonic as a regular MG imbiber for 35+ years. I also like gin and tonic. I go with the spirit basics of top-end vodka, gin, rum, bourbon and scotch along with appropriate mixers, and red and white wine and a variety of beers. Often, when I am a guest, I drink beer as protection against heavy handed bartenders. That way I can better monitor my intake and avoid the Frank Sinatra/Dean Martin problem.
DeleteI like anonymous 5:24's comment; you sound like a fun, easy going person! And JGilliland, I drink Mount Gay with tonic or cola but I have never tried using bitter lemon with Mount Gay! Sounds delightfully refreshing- can't wait to try it!
DeleteAgree with Unknown about stocking bitters. Pour it on a slice of lemon and bite into it for a surefire cure for a case of the hiccups. But disagree about rum for the same reason as others - a Dark n' Stormy is a fine drink.
Delete"Sugar in drinks [is] for those from the lower ranks of society. 'Sweet alcoholic drinks are favored by the young and callow of all classes...a taste doubtless representing a transitional stage in the passage from the soda fountain to maturity.'" - Paul Fussell
DeleteAs others have suggested, keep it simple. Quality should be good but you don't need to go all out.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest gin (a London dry - Tanqueray, Bombay, or Beefeater), vodka, rye or Canadian whiskey, a dark rum (like Gosling's), sweet and dry vermouth, bitters, a local beer or two, red wine, and white wine. Whisky and bourbon are nice additions. There are lots of good, local distilleries these days, so it might be fun to share local varieties with out of town guests.
For mixers: club soda, tonic, ginger ale or ginger beer, tomato juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, and cranberry juice. Small bottles or cans are handy. For garnishes, limes, lemons, olives, and maraschino cherries for Manhattans (Luxardo are good).
Port and sherry are nice additions for a light drink, as is a bottle or two of champagne. Festive options for non-drinkers are also thoughtful - sparkling or local apple cider, juices, sparkling water, etc.
A good local liquor store should be able to help you stock a bar that meets your needs.
Wine - a white (Chardonnay, not too oaky) and a red (a Pinot noir goes over well in my house) and a sparkling wine or champagne. The occasional drinkers always seems to enjoy bubbly at a festive event.
ReplyDeleteLiquor - vodka, gin and a nice bourbon or whiskey. Add rum if you want more variety but in my experience, most people that drink hard liquor will be happy (or at least satisfied) with the basic offerings. Over the years, too many bottles of specific scotch, tequila etc have gathered dust in my house.
Beer - Pilsner and a Lager
Non-alcoholic- club soda, toNic and mineral water.
Compliments -lemon, limes and bitters. Club soda and a couple of dashes of bitters makes a very refreshing drink.I️
Fever Tree make a lightly sweetened tonic that is the Barbour of tonics. Use Pellegrino for the club soda. Limes are essential for both drinkers and drys. Vodka, a good gin, bourbon and scotch are adequate-rum and tequila aren't necessary. Men can consume amazing amounts of wine-try a merlot as its easier to find a good one as compared to a Pinot. Chardonay is essential but a sauvignon blanc is a nice addition.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago, SWNE had a similar question asked; the question was in regard to what makes a well stocked liquor cabinet or something to that effect. Well, I recall the comments were most educational about different liquors, beers, cocktail fixings, ... If it is available, it would be nice to read the many comments again! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteBar: http://www.saltwaternewengland.com/2013/12/question-for-community-what-stocks.html
DeleteScotch: http://www.saltwaternewengland.com/2014/09/reader-question-how-do-you-drink-your.html
I'll drink pretty much anything on offer within reason, and I like to offer guests something new when hosting, so my list of recommendations would be far too extensive. One piece of advice I can offer though is to never underestimate the amount a close group of people will drink if they're having a good time. If you think you're going to need 10 bottles, get 15.
ReplyDeleteIf I may throw in a suggestion to an already greatly entertaining list, there are a lot of gluten free folks out there and an awful lot of Paleo folk as well. Tito's satisfies both crowds, as it is gluten free and carb free. You would think all vodka's would be g.f., but no.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Didn't know this
DeleteMy son and son-in-law are bourbon drinkers so I always stock what they prefer, WOODFORD RESERVE, small batch 1792 and Makers Mark. Don't forget Sherry for late afternoon sipping and it should be Harvey's Bristol Cream for sweet and Dry Sack for dry and serving with ice and and citrus. PA
ReplyDeleteI shall not except your invitation unless you have a decent bottle of Scotch whisky ( single malt ) such as Laphroaig Quarter Cask .
ReplyDeleteI bet you could get by with Monkey Shoulder, which costs much less than the preciously priced single malts. It’s a blend of three single malts IIRC.
DeleteGo to the best liquor store in town (ask a friend who drinks) give them your budget. Your done.
ReplyDelete“I should never have switched from scotch to martinis.” The last words and regrets of screen legend Humphrey Bogart
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of options that are extremely good and will save some serious money. Some of the ones I like are bourbon (Evan Williams, Old Granddad), gin (Bombay original (not Sapphire), vodka (Tito's), and even blended Scotch (Famous Grouse). Deals on single malts are elusive, but I find Ardbeg 10 to be an excellent dram and a good value. If you stock a red vermouth, I both save money and prefer Cocchi Torino over Carpano Antica. For white vermouth I love Dolin dry, much less assertive than Noilly, Martini, etc. I love it in a 3:1 martini with Bombay. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteBack when we drank rum, it was Lemon Hart's 151 proof.
ReplyDeleteI’m amused by the responses to this question and what constitutes a “serviceable bar” to entertain weekend guests. Evidently, enough to open a tavern if your own!
ReplyDelete-both red and white wine. Lately, we've favored pinot noir for red and either alberino (Spain) or gruner veltleiner (Austrian) for white, both on the dry side.
ReplyDelete-Beer if your people drink it. Sam Adams Boston Lager and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale are good general purpose beers that are widely available, but get what you like. Sierra Nevada Celebration for any IPA people.
-keeping the basic mixing alcohols simple, Beefeater gin, whatever vodka and rum you want, go a little upscale if it's a vodka martini crowd, a blended scotch like Johnny Walker red or black, Crown Royal, Evan Williams or Jim Beam bourbon - Makers Mark, Woodford if you want to go upmarket. Tequila if margaritas - silver is fine, reposado if anyone cares or might drink it over ice. Vermouth, bitters, simple syrup, triple sec are common in mixed drinks.
-Mixers: small bottles or cans of seltzer, tonic, ginger ale, coke/pepsi, juices (tomato, orange, cranberry, lemon, lime).
-Garnishs: lemon/lime slices, olives, mint (if anyone likes mojitos). cocktail onions, maybe.
-Plenty of ice.
Just reading the comments makes me feel like Frank Sinatra in the morning, or is in Dean Martin? Ha! I'm prepared to get booed out of SWNE when I say you should stick to beer and wine. If you and your wife don't drink much, you will be left with 3/4-full bottles that cost $20 to $50 to $100 each depending on what you buy. It's a waste of money and space in your home. If a guest cannot have a good time without hard liquor, he or she is probably not someone you want to invite anyway. If you feel that you must have spirits, you can stick to one signature house cocktail of your choosing--prepared with a bit of panache and ceremony.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of getting beer from a local brewery. It will give you and your guests a topic of conversation. For supermarket beer, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Sam Adams Boston Lager are good all-purpose options. The wine selection will depend on the food, of course. For general sipping, you will want to avoid whites that are too oaky and reds that are too tannic. At only $15 or so, the Joel Gott sauvignon blanc is excellent and easy to find. At the same price, Decoy merlot is terrific. I went to a blind tasting recently at which Costco's Kirkland wines stole the show. Once they are in a decanter, no one will know. ;)
Agree completely as to keeping the party slosh to wine and beer. For my own use, I always keep a porter on hand, but have Sam Adams also when people are coming over. As for wine my wife takes care of that with an OK white and red, with more white than red.
DeleteThe basic point is that when they all go home, we don't want to be stuck with a lot of things that will sit untouched on a shelf for six months or more.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAs we get closer to Christmas, the next community question should be what is appropriate cocktail attire. But, sticking with the current question, the WSJ had an article about 10 years ago on what a "proper bar" should look like. They listed the following: 1. 4 Roses Bourbon
ReplyDelete2. Overholt Rye
3. Campari
4. Grey Goose vodka
5. Patron Tequila
6. Mephisto absinthe
7. Gin: Plymouth Dry Gin; Bombay Sapphire; Tanqueray
8. Martini and Rossi vermouth
9. Irish Whiskey: Bushmills / Jameson
10. Hardy's VSOP Cognac / Courvoisier VS
11. Maker’s Mark bourbon / Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon / Bulleit Rye
12. Scotch Blend - Famous Grouse
13. Scotch Single Malt – Talisker / Laphroaig / Oban 14
14. Rum: Mount Gay / Gosling / Bacardi
15. Gran Marnier
16. Kahlua
17. Bailey’s Irish Cream
Mixes/garnishes, etc.
Fever Tree Tonic Water
Angostura Bitters
Soda Water
cocktail onions
gherkins
green olives
Luxardo Cherries
Ginger Beer
Ginger Ale
Coke
Four Roses Small Batch is for my money one of the best bourbons on the market today
DeleteAfter years of searching, for a single malt, sherry aged, I’ve settled on Edradour, discovered in London last year.
ReplyDeleteIf you feel compelled to furnish a fully serviceable bar, there is some good advice above on how to stock it. Should you decide to go that route, make a note of which bottles are shelf stable and which ones are perishable. My general rule is anything below 20% ABV should be refrigerated after opening and be considered perishable. All the others can be tucked in a cabinet to await your next event.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I would press back on the notion that you need more than some bottles of red and white wine on hand. “We were only served wines” is not compliant I’ve ever heard from a gracious guest reflecting on someone’s hospitality. The booze should not be the most memorable part of the evening.
I'm also a non drinker, but found mixing 'mocktails' to be enjoyable and a hit among friends and family during the summer. For my drinking friends in the cold months I like to wow them with a warm cremaet, which is thankfully easy to make, and delicious.
ReplyDeleteSticking with a selection of tried and true beverages, from the standard range, should do quite nice! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteIt is funny to me that this site, long associated with the traditional New England, pre-preppy set, has so many comments offering ideas on building out a full bar. Historically this crowd leaned pretty heavily on just a few drinks: martinis and G and Ts, Scotch for daddy, rum and something for summer along with those G and Ts, Bloody Marys, and beer and wine. The beer was usually reasonably inexpensive and invariably golden (Miller High Life to Heineken and all points in between). The wine was decent but not esoteric or expensive. The hard liquor bases were easily covered with handles of Tanq or Bombay, Famous Grouse or Dewars, some inoffensive vodka, and a bottle of Mount Gay. There were usually bottles of bourbon and one or two liqueurs like Gran Marnier or Kahlua towards the back of the liquor cabinet, but no one seemed to touch them. If someone thought they might like a margarita, you just "changed their mind" and cobbled together a very strong daiquiri. Their next drink probably came from the already mixed pitcher of martinis. If someone just had to have a drink that required a full bar, you just said, "Hey, let's go out for dinner!"
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent description of a drinks table from my parents' generation. One could make a similar post about preppy food.
DeleteThere’s no reason to break the bank and end up with leftover booze you’ll never drink. Find out what booze and beer your guests prefer and buy accordingly. The finicky drinkers might bring their own as a “gift” during the holidays. For wine, go with a $15 Sauvignon blanc and a $25 Chianti or Langhe Nebbiolo, both of which are very approachable. Avoid the expensive liqueurs and cognacs altogether.
ReplyDeleteEvan Williams Black Label. Green Label is for weaklings.
ReplyDeleteWe rarely drink, except when entertaining. My suggestion, if it is reasonable, is to know your guests preferences. Most people are pretty flexible about brands when hospitality is offered, however some people only drink one thing. For the holidays, we only have family over and they aren't beer drinkers, so we stick to wine and liquor. We'll buy wine that works with the menu. If it isn't to someone's taste we have a few other wines (mostly received as gifts) on standby. We'll also have non-peaty single malt (Aberfeldy), bourbon (Makers Mark), vodka (Finlandia), rum (Baccardi and Goslings), gin (Plymouth), dry and sweet vermouth, a specialty liqueur to offer after dinner, and various soft drinks and juices.
ReplyDeleteLots of great suggestions here. Please consider serving a hard cider, scrumpy, or pearsecco...Woodchuck Cider (or the Aldis version, made by Woodchuck) or Champlain Orchards. These pair up great with holiday meals.
ReplyDeleteMy preferred cocktail these days... 2 oz of Lairds Applejack, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 1 oz apple cider, a few dashes of bitters all well stirred in a pitcher of ice and strained into a martini glass. Toss in a couple Luxardo cherries. Prost!
ReplyDeleteAs for Lairds. seek out their true apple brandy or bottled in bond. Their base applejack is cut with neutral grain spirits.
DeleteYes. Agreed. I will heartily admit to making a brandy alexander with their apple brandy on a cold winter night.
DeleteWhat ? No grappa ? The Nardini almond grappa is an exquisite digestive. .
ReplyDelete