Cheap Ingredients
Home bartending principle number two: Mind the Cheapest Ingredient
I’ve been thinking about Mike’s list of cost-saving tips and they’re pretty good, but the one I’d quibble with is a biggie:
Don’t buy the expensive stuff. In fact, much of the time, it’s no better or even worse.
I see what he’s saying. Some liquor is expensive because of marketing and brand status. The clear liquors in particular fall prey to this. Bottom or mid-shelf vodka, gin or rum can be perfectly fine. For the dark liquors and liqueurs you are going to see a quality difference, often a huge one. Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark; 2-year aged rum and 8-year; cheap cognac and expensive – you’re almost drinking two different spirits depending on how much you pay.
My response is to compromise with mid-shelf liquors, ones that hover in the mid-20s-to-30 dollar range a fifth. I spend more on Cointreau and Grand Marnier and save a little on the cheaper clear spirits. It’s enough to ensure decent quality but not so much that you’ll be counting the dollars for each sip your guest takes.
The price difference is especially crucial when you’re making cocktails rather than mixed drinks. With cocktails, unlike mixed drinks, there’s nothing except the booze.
That’s why I’m increasingly fond of the rule that you ensure the quality of the cheapest ingredient. It’s all about the least common denominator: a low-quality liqueur or mixer can quickly negate the advantage of an expensive bottle of spirits.
- Don’t get cheap liqueurs/schnapps in plastic bottles unless your liquor comes in plastic bottles. I go to great lengths to avoid using Hiram Walker products in anything.
- Spend the extra bucks for Cointreau. Bottom-shelf triple sec can be fine on occasion (pitchers of margaritas, for instance), but most of the time it makes cocktails sickly sweet.
- Don’t get generic tonic water (there’s a difference) and, please, never serve your company diet tonic water, no matter what low-carb diet you’re on. It’s happened at the fanciest of South End parties, to my horror. The same goes for Coke, etc.
- Don’t use bottled lemon juice, lime juice, or any substitute for fresh ingredients. I realize it’s common for bars to make margaritas with artificial sour mix, but to me that’s the same as making a screwdriver with Tang. When possible, squeeze citrus juice fresh.
- Avoid mixes of all kinds. It’s not hard to make drinks from scratch.
Where you draw the line will depend on your budget and your taste, certainly, but there’s no reason to combine top-shelf vodka with Triple Sec.
The tip you quibbled with was certainly the one I’d quibble with as well. I think you did a good job of expounding on it.
The funny thing is I have a long row of Hiram Walker products in the back of my home bar. I agree that diet tonic water is horrible. Even people who drink Diet Coke won’t touch it. However, I personally haven’t noticed any difference with generic tonic water and usually drink Shaw’s brand. I think it really depends on individual taste.
I do use mixes, though. This is primarily for larger parties when I don’t have the energy to squeeze fifty limes. It’s also much cheaper, especially at times like these when limes are really expensive.
You should really give Marie Brizard products a try when it comes to orange liqueurs.
Their orange curacao is nearly half the price of grand mariner, and I feel it’s as good as or close enough for the price to Grand Mariner.
Their triple sec is a touch different from Cointreau, but in all honesty I prefer it.
Of the two, if I had to choose one orange liqueur to keep in my bar it would be the Marie Brizard Orange Curacao. For one of the most used spirits in my cabinet, I think $16 a bottle for such interesting aromas and flavors (that aren’t too sweet) is a find.
I’m actually working on an orange liqueur article, but I wanted to chime in here to get your thoughts. I have heard the van Gogh orange curacao is also good, but I have not had it.