470922 Wed Dec 19 07:53:37 -0800 2007 16 36 Spirits 0 3221635 My boyfriend is trying to "upgrade" his alcohol assortment. He recently spent $100 on a bottle of aged Grand Marnier and $75 on a bottle of single malt. He already has Hennessey and Courvoisier, Petron tequila, and lots of vodka and flavored liquors. What would be another luxury staple to have on hand that I could get for him to add to his collection? Wed Dec 19 07:53:37 -0800 2007 148678 eatsweetreats 1 3222081 How about a nice vermouth and gin so that he is prepared to make a classic martini? If you do a search of this board I think there are a couple really good threads about vermouth and how to make the perfect martini. Wed Dec 19 09:48:24 -0800 2007 3221635 14495 viperlush 1 3222406 What about other whiskeys? Bourbon and rye come to mind, and you can certainly spend a lot on either if you want to! I also second the gin/vermouth suggestion. Also, what about bitters? Not too expensive, but classy nonetheless. For potable bitters, there's campari, Pimm's, etc., and for non-potable bitters, angostura (though he almost certainly has that), peychaud's, Reagan's orange, etc, etc. Wed Dec 19 11:16:14 -0800 2007 3221635 16451 mhoffman 1 3222500 How about Chartreuse? Perhaps even more luxurious would be the aged Chartreuse V.E.P.? Wed Dec 19 11:39:50 -0800 2007 3221635 77134 skokefoe 1 3223498 How about a good tequila? Wed Dec 19 16:41:28 -0800 2007 3221635 113217 ac106 1 3224907 Here are a couple of recs from Imbibe Magazine's pages (disclosure: my employer): Rye is a great gift, many are small-batch distilled with hand-written batch IDs on the bottle. Try Van Winkle Rye. Premium bourbon is also beyond delicious—Eagle Rare and Evan Williams are a couple of my favorites. I'm leaving out years aged (10 year, 17 year, etc.) because cost can vary widely and I don't know your budget. You can read an article on rye that appeared in the mag (also makes a great gift, if I may say so myself) last January: http://www.imbibemag.com/backissues/rye.html Thu Dec 20 07:43:26 -0800 2007 3221635 34763 slobhan 1 3224915 oooh, and if he has a sweet tooth, crème de violette is back on the American scene via Haus Alpenz (http://www.alpenz.com/images/poftfolio/violettefacts.htm), but it can be very hard to find... so maybe next year! Good luck! Thu Dec 20 07:46:15 -0800 2007 3221635 34763 slobhan 2 3233795 Hard to find is an understatement. After reading the article on creme de violette I went searching for this mystical libation. I even called Haus alpenz whos staff were less than helpful. Oh well search will continue. If anyone knows a place that has stock shoot a message please. Sun Dec 23 21:42:56 -0800 2007 3224915 151816 chris the bartender 3 3234249 It depends on which state you're in; it's not available everywhere yet (although you might be able to do mail-order if your state allows it). The Haus Alpenz site lists where it is available: http://www.alpenz.com/distribution.htm Mon Dec 24 07:47:04 -0800 2007 3233795 77134 skokefoe 4 3236708 Unfortunately I live in NJ where the shipping laws for whatever reason are most strict. Tue Dec 25 22:07:37 -0800 2007 3234249 151816 chris the bartender 5 3249042 Try emailing or calling direct to Haus Alpenz; the MHW back office listed on their website handles many clients. Also, many of the New York retailers routinely ship spirits to NJ. That said, Shopper's Vinyard can get this pronto with a special order. Mon Dec 31 07:34:29 -0800 2007 3236708 152654 punchbowl 1 3225837 I see that he has decent tequila, vodka, and brandy from your posting, as well as flavored liquors. What about good Rum? I have an assortment for things I'm gonna make, like: 10Cane (for good cocktails) Myer's spiced (for those fruity drinks) And a pineapple flavored cheap rum (for those fruity drinks) Pussers (because some people like the flavor of the british rum) Appleton Rum from Jamaica (because I like it for me) or Irish Whiskey. the nice thing about Irish is that you don't have to go expensive to get good drinking stuff, I keep Kilbeggan and Tullamore Dew on hand and they're wonderful and smooth. You can get one of the others if he like peaty Irish more. Bourbon is good to have on hand. If you can find it where you live, Pappy Van Winkle will "do" if he wants a "upgraded", no I'm being too understated, Pappy Van Winkle is the Bomb if you want to get him a good bourbon. There are other good ones, of course, the list gets longer every year. If he doesn't have Irish Mist, Chambord, or Glayva (a liquer made from scotch), he might like adding those. Check his vodkas -- if he doesn't have a good potato vodka, find him one. Personally, I have a weakness for Martell Cordon Bleu brandy, and like having a bottle around. Slivovitz, I bet he doesn't have a bottle of this triple-distilled plum brandy around. Do not, on your life, buy Israeli slivovitz, it must come from the former Hungarian / Yugoslavian countries, at least, I have never yet so far had decent Israeli slivovitz. If you want to get really esoteric, look for odd liquors from small countries. Akavit, Grappa, and Ouzo are all wierd things to have lying around, some of them are even good. Thu Dec 20 11:39:17 -0800 2007 3221635 83832 fussycouple 1 3228458 Vya Vermouth- Sweet and Dry Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth Drambuie liqueur Clement Rum- VSOP, Premiere Canne, XO, Cuvee Homere, Creole Shrubb Orange liqueur Murray & McDavid rum- limited edition Trinidad, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Guyana Laphroig Quater Cask Single Malt Scotch Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch- any of the wood finished like port, sherry, etc. Gin- Plymouth, Bluecoat, Old Raj, G'Vine, Broker's, Zuidam, Juniper Green Organic, Miller's High end mixers like Fever Tree Tonic and Bitter Lemon or Q Tonic Rittenhouse 21 year old Rye-- extremely limited edition but wow! Sub Rosa tarragon vodka or saffron vodka Saaga vodka- made from antique Estonian rye Jean-Marc XO vodka- made from several French grains Any fine cognac Fri Dec 21 09:47:15 -0800 2007 3221635 10732 JMF 1 3231230 Thank you for all the great suggestions. I think I might go with a Whiskey, Chartreuse VEP or Rittenhouse Rye. Sat Dec 22 14:00:04 -0800 2007 3221635 148678 eatsweetreats 2 3236008 Got to agree with the Rittenhouse! A classic Rye. Tue Dec 25 10:52:51 -0800 2007 3231230 151670 kchasky 1 3236771 unique: blavod black vodka goldschlager cinnnamon schnapps w/ gold flecks absinthe original luxurious: remy martin XO Tue Dec 25 23:30:06 -0800 2007 3221635 56183 soypower 2 3250749 I agree with the absinthe rec. Mon Dec 31 23:04:21 -0800 2007 3236771 11375 perk