The Pro Bar

Written By Alexandra Vaughn 

green&yellow_chartreuse

At this point, you should have a pretty good range of staple spirits. Now it’s time to start adding some abstract flavors and higher end spirits that can be enjoyed straight or on a large ice cube. This list builds on the spirits already listed in the beginner and intermediate bar.

Adding More Flavors To Your Bar

MESCAL: Del Maguay Vida This artisanal, organic, price friendly mezcal is a favorite in the bar world. Aromas of fresh fruit, honey and vanilla are followed by smokey, silky palate with ginger, cinnamon and sandalwood.

PISCO: Macchu Pisco An all natural, female produced 100% quebranta grape distilled spirit hailing from the Ica Valley of Peru. Notes of grapefruit, berries, grass and pepper. Try it in a Pisco Sour!

BOURBON: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon pioneer Rev. Elijah Craig is credited as the first distiller to use charred oak barrels. This highly-sought after bourbon can vary from batch to batch however it’ll always be aged 12 years and have sublte tobacco, chocolate and leather flavors.

AGED RUM: Ron Zacapa 23 Year Made from rums 6 to 23 years old this Guatamalan blend is aged in old american wine, port and whiskey barrels giving it a smooth, complex and unique flavor. Try it on its own or in a Maple Rum Old Fashioned.

COFFEE LIQUEUR: St. George Nola As a tribute to New Orleans style coffee, St. George’s head distiller Dave Smith teamed up with professional roaster Brad Joyce (who has roasted every batch of beans for Nola since the 1950’s) to create this robust coffee liqueur. The use of the fruity, chocolaty Yirgacheffe coffee bean balances out the chicory root’s bitter undertones. Drink this for breakfast! (or anytime!)

HERBAL LIQUEUR: Green Chartreause Comprised of 130 herbs, plants and botanicals, and named after the Grand Chartreause Monistry this French liquor has been produced since 1737 by the Carthusian Monks. It is sharp, herbal, pungent, and complex but the strong flavors are rounded out with a soft sweetness.

FLORAL LIQUEUR: Rothman & Winter Créme de Violette Simple and elegant, this liquor is naturally flavored and colored by infusing Queen Charlotte and March violettes of the Alps in a brandy base. It is widly used in the Aviation cocktail but goes great with bubbles too!

CHERRY LIQUEUR: Luxardo Marachino Crystal clear in color, approachable and sophisticated this classic is considered the standard for Marachino Liqueur. Originally it was produced in 1821 in the city of Zara off the Dalmatian Coast (now Croatia). The distillary was destroyed during WWII and most of the family killed. Giorgio Luxardo, survived and fled to Italy with a cherry sapling. He reconnected with a collegue who had the Luxardo recipe book in Venito. Today, the sixth generation is active in the company and they produce a full line of Italian liqueurs.

AMARO: Amaro Nonino Made from grappa and infused with herbs, barks and roots, Nonino displays the quintassential biter qualities of an amaro. It can be enjoyed as an aperitif or digestif or sipmly on the rocks.

APERTIF: Aperol Named for the French slang word for aperitif which is apero and produced by the Campari Group, this an Italian aperitif is flavored with gentain, rhubarb and cinchona. It’s bright orange color really stands out in cocktails.

BUBBLES: Sparkling Wine such as Cava or Prosecco

FRESH FRUIT & JUICE: Grapefruit, Pineapple

OTHER INGREDIENTS & GARNISHES: Ginger, Fresh Herbs, Eggs, Cream and Coconut Cream

SYRUPS: Maple, Oregeat

BITTERS: Chocolate Bitters, Orange Bitters, Tiki Bitters

Cocktail Ideas

We hope you are as excited as we are at this point! You have so many options when it comes to crafting cocktails. If you need some ideas to get you started here's a list of ideas that you can now make with your fully stocked bar!

Spirit

Cocktail

Ingredients

Bubbles

Aperol Spritz

Aperol, sparkling wine

French 75

gin, lemon, sugar, sparkling wine

Creme de Violette

Violette Royal

Creme de Violette, sparkling wine

Aviation

gin, Creme de Violette, Luxardo, lemon

Green Chartreuse

Last Word

gin, Green Chartreuse, lime, Luxardo

Bijou

gin, sweet vermouth, Green Chartreuse, orange bitters

Tequila

Paloma

tequila, grapefruit, soda

Amaro Nonino

Paper Airplane

bourbon, Aperol, lemon, Amaro Nonino

Coffee Liqueur

White Russian

vodka, coffee liqueur, cream

Pisco

Pisco Punch

pisco, pineapple, lemon, simple syrup

Rum

Piña Colada

light rum, pineapple, coconut cream

Mai Tai

light rum, dark rum, orange 

curaçao, oregeat, lime,mint

>