About 70% of people have had an alcoholic drink at least once within the past 30-days. But what are people actually drinking when they imbibe? What is the natural go-to-drink for most people?
It turns out that most people turn to vodka when they want to drink or throw a party. According to CNN, vodka was the most popular booze to purchase in 2017.
Yet, is it the most adventurous? If you have ever wanted to give unique liquor gifts for a party, how many times have you bought vodka?
Vodka is fine and dandy, but there are many other kinds of spirits that can energize a party and make your gift stand out from the crowd.
If you need ideas on what kinds of booze to bring for any kind of party, check out Rancho La Gloria for mixology recipes and tips.
Here are some tips on what kinds of booze to bring to every kind of party.
Rum
Bring a bottle of the spiced spirit rum to a party, and people soon may ask that Jack Sparrow quote, “But why is the rum gone?”
Rum is a spirit that people can enjoy drinking straight as well as in a cocktail. This is a spiced spirit that imparts a host of complex, tasty, spiced, smoky, and sweet flavors on the palate when you drink it.
Drinking rum is a lot less harsh on the tongue and the back of the throat than swigging vodka, gin, tequila, or whiskey. The sweet spiciness of rum makes it the best liquor for gift giving, especially at parties, because it is so flavor accessible relative to other kinds of booze.
Rum Flavor
The spiced, sweet flavor of rum and the way it is manufactured makes it the best liquor gift at parties.
The rum distillation process usually begins in tropical, warmer climates like the Caribbean and South America. The base starting material for rum distillation is molasses, a sugary byproduct that is created after grassy sugar cane is harvested and boiled. A broad heady mix of sugary rum spiciness is created during the fermentation process.
Although federal regulations mandate that bourbon and whiskey can only be aged in new wooden barrels, the rum barrel aging process is exempt.
As rum is distilled to remove impurities, old bourbon and whiskey barrels have their interiors strategically blowtorched for sanitation and flavor augmentation. As the rum is aged in these repurposed, wooden booze barrels, the lingering vanilla and caramel flavors of the previous spirits, as well as the char creating from the sanitizing blowtorching, a complex smoky flavor is added to that sweet, spiced rum flavor kick.
Rum Cocktail Recommendations
Rum is one of the more unique liquor gifts because it works so well straight or when added to a refreshing cocktail. Bring a bottle of rum to your next party and try out some of these cocktails:
- Jungle Bird
- Rum and Coke
- Dark & Stormy
- Jean Harlow
- Hurricane
- Knickerbocker
- Mojito
- Strawberry Daiquiri
- Cable Car
- Air Mail
- Bushwacker
Related – 10-Second Spicy Watermelon Margarita Cocktail Recipe
Gin
Good alcohol gifts usually start with the presentation of a good bottle of gin. Bring a bottle of gin to a party or get together and say, “you are the gin to my tonic,” for a little extra appreciation.
Gin can have a strong flavor because the best varieties are distilled to an 80-proof to 100-proof level. Gin a prime spirit starter for cocktails for its natural nutty and fruitful flavor that most people fail to notice because of its strong flavor.
The starting fermentation mash for gin distillation includes cereal grains like rye, barley, or corn, flowers, herbs, and fruits. In fact, the distinct fruit flavor you may notice when drinking gin is the juniper berry, which is added as a flavor aromatic during distillation.
It is the juniper berry that also imparts a pine-like flavor trace in gin as well.
This complex distillation process, borne from a fruit, grain, and herb mash, creates a well-rounded and concentrated gin flavor that is a welcome addition in most cocktails.
Gin Cocktail Recommendations
Drinking gin straight might be a little too harsh on the palate for most partygoers. And anyone can make a gin and tonic, so here are some gin-based cocktails to try out at your next party:
- Negroni
- Broken Spur
- Gentian White Lady
- Gin Fuzz Cocktail
- Tom Collins
- French 75
- Southside Fizz
- Gin Gimlet
- Beaverkill River Cooler
- The Austen
Related – 10-Second The Tropical Peach Margarita Recipe
Cognac
There is a reason why superstar rappers like Busta Rhymes and Nas have written songs about the appeal of cognac. Unique liquor gifts like cognac presented at a party will differentiate you from the other gift-givers.
Rum and gin are good alcohol gifts for a party. However, cognac is a far costlier, fancier, and distinguished liquor and booze of prestige.
Cognac is a prized and premium version of brandy. What separates cognac from brandy is where it is distilled and manufactured. You can make brandy from anywhere on Earth.
Real cognac can only be double-distilled from premium white wine made from specific grapes grown along the Cognac Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée region of France. This is an area that comprises the shores of France’s Charente River out towards the Atlantic Ocean.
There is only a 5-month distillation window of opportunity to distill cognac in France annually.
Cognac must be double-distilled in proprietary copper stills and then aged for two years or longer in French oak barrels. Cognac has a strong taste with flavor hints of caramelized citrus fruits and oak.
So, while all forms of cognac are brandy, not all brandy can be classified as cognac.
Cognac Cocktail Recommendations
One of the best Christmas liquor gifts may just be a bottle of cognac. If you present one as a gift at a party, here are some cocktail recommendations:
- Almond Crusta
- The Sidecar
- Bamboo #2
- Bermuda Highball
- Corpse Reviver #1
- French Connection
- Morning Glory
- The Stinger
- Apricot Sunray
- Mata Hari
- Roosevelt Punch
Expand Booze Expectation Horizons
If you are going to a party, chances are better than good that several people will bring vodka as a gift.
Stand out from the crowd and consider other kinds of booze to bring to a party. A greater liquor variety at the party will also ensure a greater variety of refreshing cocktail combinations as well.
Always check out Rancho La Gloria for mixology tips and recipes.