I’m heading off to the liquor store later this week in search of some ingredients for the Christmas cocktails recommended to me. I’ve got vodka and spiced rum I like, but for things like Coquito and the Godfather, I’m not sure what brands would work best. I’ll need a whisky (or bourbon?) white rum and amaretto. What do all of yall like for mixing?
Whisky is so broad I don’t know how to make a single recommendation.
You’ve got a bunch of different varieties. You’ve got scotch, peated and unpeated, bourbon, rye, Canadian whisky, Irish whisky, there are whiskies from around the world.
You want bourbon recommendations? Basil Hayden is good to drink neat. I particularly like Basil Hayden Sherry Cask for sipping. Blanton’s. Woodford Reserve. Eagle Rare. Four Roses. My wife likes Maker’s Mark and I agree it’s pretty good although that’s a mixing whisky to me, as is Elijah Craig. Buffalo Trace is highly regarded. Old Forrester is good but that’s for mixed drinks to me.
Scotch? Any Glen is decent. Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie are all good. They are all pretty strong vanilla flavor compared to bourbon, but especially Glenlivet. I like Glenfiddich for drinking neat. Macallan is good. I’m not a fan of peated scotch, but I think Ardbeg and Lagavulin are both highly recommended.
Rye? I’m not a huge rye fan although I do like Basil Hayden rye. Sazerac and Whistlepig are both really good and probably much more highly regarded than BH.
I don’t know much about Japanese whisky but my experience is that Yamazaki is good all around.
I’m afraid I have no recommendations for non-whisky as I’m mainly a whisky and a bit of vodka drinker.
You aren’t looking for vodka, but for anyone else Costco red label is 100% the best bang for your buck. It’s a great vodka and pretty cheap. Stolichnaya and Tito’s are both good. A lot of people like Grey Goose but it’s not in my top picks. But Costco is my favorite if costs were no object and it’s the cheapest to boot. The blue label Costco vodka is $5 cheaper, but meh. I don’t recommend other than it’s a good value.
I have had a lot of whiskey drinks I’ve liked and good scotch from my in laws, but I’ve never bought any myself so this is like… a treasure trove of information! Thanks! I am looking for mixing, like I’ve heard bourbon goes well in hot spiced apple cider and I think it’s an ingredient in Godfathers, but some just say whiskey so I don’t know if the specifics matter. I like Irish coffees a lot, do you have any recommendations for a good Irish whiskey?
I’ve never really had Irish whisky besides Jameson which I think was decent but I haven’t had enough to make a recommendation. Not much if any Canadian.
The whiskies I mix the most are maker’s mark (by far), Costco blended scotch (it’s decent enough to mix and cheap. Not a recommendation by any means but it goes well enough with Coke Zero) and Elijah Craig. Rye isn’t my fav, but Sazerac and Diet Coke is pretty good.
Now I’m a little higher end with whisky. There’s nothing wrong with Jim Beam or Jack Daniel’s or Johnny Walker as mixers, but I don’t buy them. Gentlemen Jack is decent for sipping but tbh I haven’t had any since I started really getting into whisky so idk how it would hold up in my estimation today.
Best whisky I’ve had for cider is a Traverse City apple whisky. You can make do with fireball if you really like the cinnamon, but make no mistake that shit is awful.
I’ve not had a Godfather, so no particular recommendations there, but Basil Hayden makes a decent Old Fashioned. As does Maker’s Mark. Maker’s Mark is a really good all arounder if you were only going to buy one thing. It’s not my favorite, but it goes well in cocktails and with soda.
But I can’t recommend BH Red Wine Cask enough for a sipping whisky (think I said sherry cask earlier but I was remembering it wrong). Surprisingly smooth for the price point (it’s not cheap, but it’s not 18yr Macallan expensive).