Being a good host is about being able to predict the needs of your guests, and that includes ensuring you have home bar essentials for every palate.
That brilliant time of year is almost upon us and with the arrival of the summer months comes the chance to be the host with the most. However, you’ll need to ensure you have a few of the essentials at home in order to meet the demands of whomever you’re entertaining and for whatever occasion. Now obviously you can’t dedicate whole rooms to your guests’ often-fickle requests, but you can lace your home bar with enough interesting products to ensure every appetite is sated. We’ve assembled a few fail safes you might be interested in.
READ: Joburg’s Sexiest House of Slumber
D1 Potato Vodka
For the perfect mixing spirit, D1 Potato Vodka is a superbly balanced spirit that lends itself to a host of seasonal cocktails. Made by the D.J. Limbrey Distilling Company from German potatoes and pure English water from Lancaster, D1 Potato Vodka is a purist’s drop; with buttery potato and sourdough aromas, and a touch of Szechuan pepper on the finish, expect a superbly pure spirit with a velvety finish thanks to a distillation process that includes over 2,000 purification plates. Perfectly suited for bold vodka martinis or on the rocks with a hint of citrus, this multi-award-winning vodka is presented in an eye-catching cut-glass bottle with skull designs by Jacky Tsai.
READ: These Sophisticated Slip Ons Comes to You From one of Rap’s Greatest
Humboldt’s Finest
Humboldt’s Finest, the first legal emps-infused vodka of its kind, is now available in selected US states, making for a great gift for avid vodka fans. Produced by award-winning Humboldt Distillery, the first micro-distillery in Humboldt County, New York, this curious small-batch hemp seed-infused tipple begins with a unique botanical aroma and an appealing herbal character, and ends with a smooth finish.
Perfect for contemporary cocktails, the spirit, (which doesn’t boast the THC levels of marijuana), is produced using legally-grown Southern Oregon hemp, the cultivation of which has only recently been authorised with the passage of the 2014 United States Farm Bill. Try it with honey and thyme for a new take on a vodka spritzer.
READ: Turning Heads with the Rolls-Royce Wraith
Grey Goose VX
For vodka connoisseurs looking for the ultimate drop, Bacardi has unveiled Grey Goose VX, an ultra-premium expression of the iconic Grey Goose vodka that boasts precious drops of cognac from the premier cru region of Grande Champagne. Created by cognac Maitre de Chai Francois Thibault, using Grey Goose vodka made in Cognac, France, this ‘Vodka Exceptionelle’ captures the aromatic notes of precious cognac, including orchard fruits, plum, apricot and the mild flavours of wild honey.
Boasting a harmonious balance of white fruit blossom, honeysuckle and violet with hints of apricot, and a long, lingering finish, Grey Goose VX is presented in a stunning extra flint glass bottle reminiscent of prestigious French decanters.
READ: A New Watch to Match Your Bentley
Slyrs Pedro Ximenez Finish Edition No. 3
A whisky for true collectors, the Pedro Ximenez Finish Edition No. 3 is a single malt from Bavaria’s whisky pioneers. Made with the finest Bavarian cereals and alpine spring water, and aged in new American white oak barrels, the spirit is then allowed to soak up the sweet goodness of 60-year-old Pedro Ximenez sherry casts for up to nine months, taking on the unforgettable aroma and tannin that won it the 2014 World Whisky Award Best European Single Malt as well as the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Gold Medal.
With cedar, mahogany, and black tea, as well as faint cigar smoke and hints of old leather, this truly special tipple displays notes of toffee apple on the nose and of burnt sugar, cherries and baked apple on the finish.
READ: 5 Essential Beard Tips for Suave Facial Hair
Sipsmith Damson Vodka
It won’t be long until summer is upon us and that means long cool drinks to beat the heat. A perfect solution for that is Sipsmith Damson Vodka, the brand’s own sipping vodka, steeped in fresh English damsons to create a wonderfully sweet and floral spirit at 28 percent ABV.
Fans of sloe gin will love this deep ruby drop, with smacks of plummy notes, fresh summer fruits, and a silky soft mouthfeel that lends itself to loads of ice and even lashings of sparkling wine, champagne (a Damson Royale) or soda. Look out for touches of cherry and spicy cinnamon on the palate, followed by a buttery smooth finish, with little hints that will have you reaching for more.
READ: How to Get in On the Stock Market
Alto del Carmen Pisco Reservado
If you haven’t tried Pisco, the young, vivacious South American brandy, then this summer is your perfect opportunity. Chilean small-batch Alto del Carmen Pisco Reservado is the perfect drop for true spirit lovers. With its double distillation in copper stills and triple cold filtration, this silky tipple is made from Muscat grapes from the Huasco, Elqui, and Limarí valleys, home to some of the best Muscats in the world. Aged between six and eight months, and bottled at 40 percent ABV, this pure spirit lends itself perfectly to summer cocktails, including Chilean pisco sours, lighter and zestier versions of the Peruvian staple.
READ: Land of the Rising Single Malt
DeLeón Platinum Tequila
Kick the year off in style with the tequila that’s taking the region by storm. DeLeón Platinum Tequila is a provocative blanco-style tequila with a rich, complex agave honey flavour that is slow-fermented and twice distilled ensuring a silky smooth finish without compromising on character. Exquisite highland agaves are slowly roasted in traditional ovens for a subtle taste profile with a whisper of sweet agave, citrus, warm spice, and smooth vanilla on the finish. Be sure to try this blanco with a twist, fresh fruit, or in the ultimate margarita.
READ: Principles of Polo From the Maharaja of Jaipur
Sorel
For the perfect tipple for spring cocktails, Sorel is an imaginative hibiscus liqueur created from a centuries-old Caribbean recipe. Produced in Redhook, New York, but now available abroad, Sorel blends the
best flavours of the islands, including clove, cassia, ginger, nutmeg, and pure cane sugar with New York grain alcohol to create a rich and spicy liqueur that lends itself perfectly to tall spritzers and home mixology.
Perfectly matched with dark, aged spirits, Sorel also adds a touch of spice to classics like the Daiquiri, adding a vibrant purple hue in time for the warmer months.
READ: The Man Fighting for the World’s Tigers
Patron XO Café Dark Cocoa
A coffee liqueur quite unlike any other, Patron XO Café Dark Cocoa is a sibling spirit to the acclaimed XO Café liqueur by Mexican tequila icon Patron. The newish spirit, which is produced with Patron Silver tequila as its base, as well as Criollo chocolate from Mexico’s Tabasco region and coffee from Veracruz and Chiapas, takes coffee liqueurs to the next level, with predominant chocolate notes added to subtle, mellow coffee.
With a slightly spicy yet elegant finish, this special drop is blessedly heat-free and as mellow as a dessert in a glass. Patron has managed to eradicate any sense of bitterness from the dark chocolate or coffee while retaining its spiciness and creating a liqueur that will prove popular with drinkers on both sides of the tequila debate. Try XO Café Dark Cocoa in a black Russian, or over ice with a dash of condensed milk.
READ: The Three Commandments of First Dates
Deau Cognac Privilege
Finish that next gourmet meal with a drop that’s full of prestige and tradition. Deau Cognac Privilege, a superb expression of the timeless cognac tradition, is aged in newly toasted oak sourced from the Limousin Forest for a minimum of four years. The oak delivers an unparalleled complexity to this special spirit, a unique blend of cognacs selected by Deau’s master blenders, with rich yet mellow floral tones on the nose, including white rose, honeysuckle, and iris, followed by a bright and elegant finish.
An award-winning spirit from an acclaimed boutique cognac house, the Privilege’s golden amber hue is showcased in a sublime decanter that will take pride of place on any home bar.
For more Wines & Spirits inspiration click here.