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10 Essential Bottles for Your Bar
By Claire Willett
Stocking a superlative liquor cabinet boils down to two categories: spirits meant to be sipped and those ideal for mixed drink. Add some exquisite modifiers—we suggest Antica Formula Red Vermouth, Noilly Pratt Dry Vermouth, Angostura Bitters and Orange Bitters and Luxardo Maraschino liqueur—and you're ready to offer anything from a killer martini to an epic margarita.
01. The Macallan 25 Year Old Sherry Oak (Scotch)
Every single-malt connoisseur has his favorite, but you can’t go wrong with this smooth, perfectly balanced Scotch from one of Scotland’s oldest and most revered distilleries. A quarter century in Spanish sherry oak casks gives the Macallan its lush coppery hue and heady, ginger and cinnamon nose. Thanks to a mellow, baking spice and fig palate, it drinks like a brandy, but with a lingering, smoky finish.
Price: $650/750 ml
02. Brugal 1888 (Rum)
Sure, a mojito makes a refreshing end to a hot summer’s day, but Brugal’s latest release is a yearround pleasure. A double distillation and anywhere from five to 14 years of maturation in both American white and European oak casks result in a topnotch rum whose aroma is deliciously leathery and layered with notes of coffee beans, raisins and dried fruit.
Price: $49.99/750 ml
03. Gran Patrón Platinum (Tequila)
Selection is the key to this tequila’s success. Gran Patrón Platinum is produced from carefully chosen Weber blue agave plants grown in the hills of Jalisco, Mexico. Aged in American oak barrels, it’s triple distilled and then portions of the finest batches are blended. The result is a rich, satiny texture with hints of black pepper and citrus. While it makes a great margarita, a tequila of this complexity is best savored straight up.
Price: $199.99/750 ml
04. Cadenhead Old Raj (Gin)
Use this London dry to put your juniper-averse friends at ease. In this gin, that berry is pure, not brassy, balanced out by sweet, herbal angelica root, marmalade and even a hint of saffron, giving it a distinctive golden hue. With Curaçao, lime and bitters, it’s a Pegu Club par excellence; it also makes one hell of a martini.
Price: $57.99/750 ml
05. Belvedere (Vodka)
Made exclusively from select Polish rye, Belvedere is distilled four times in small batches and diluted with water from the company’s own artesian well. With a smooth, subtle taste and a hint of vanilla, it’s an ideal backbone for classic crowd-pleasers like the czarina and the Moscow mule. Or drink it the way we prefer—solo, in a frosted shot glass.
Price: $32/750 ml
06. Banks 5 Island Rum
The brainchild of former Hine Cognac president John Pellaton, this blended white rum gets its name from the explorer Sir Joseph Banks and its vegetal, hot peppery flavor from Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana and Java. Follow in Hemingway’s footsteps and strain it with lime juice, simple syrup and just a drop of maraschino.
Price: $34.99/750 ml
07. Combier L’Original Liqueur D’Orange (Triple Sec)
Some think of triple sec as that sickly-sweet base of scorpion bowls and kamikaze shots. To the French, however, it’s a high-quality staple of almost any cocktail that calls for citrus—consider it to add a little international flavor to your lineup. Combier is intensely orangey, comes from the oldest Triple Sec distillery and is more versatile than its upmarket competitors.
Price: $37.99/750 ml
08. Sazerac 18 Year Old (Rye Whiskey)
After decades of being relegated to the bottom shelf, bourbon’s fiery counterpart is back. The winner of a New York Times tasting in 2007, this 100 percent rye whiskey is warm and oaky, with a touch of resin, cherry and just the right amount of kickback. Honor it with a proper old-fashioned or pour out a jigger, add a few drops of water and toast to trends that return classics to favor.
Price: $169.99/750 ml
09. George T. Stagg 2010 (Bourbon)
You might think a 143-proof straight bourbon would have no place in a cocktail, but the George T. Stagg proves otherwise. The vanilla, molasses and cola flavors in this 15-year-old turn it into a high-octane base for impeccable Manhattans. Neat, the GT’s buttery, long-lasting finish attests to why noted spirits expert Paul Pacault recently dubbed it the “Top Spirit in the World.”
Price: $100/750 ml
10. Pierre Ferrand Selection Des Anges (Cognac)
A fine cognac can be both nightcap and afternoon pleasure. Aged in Limousin oak for an average of 30 years, the Selection des Anges is a sumptuous mahogany redolent with Meyer lemon, clove, licorice and honey. Shaken with Curaçao and bitters, it’ll put your grandmother’s sidecar to shame.
Price: $130/750 ml