Since the last For The Weekenders got so many views, figured I’d continue the trend this week. So here’s three more liquors you should know about. Enjoy.

For The Weekenders: Three More Liquors You Should Know About…

Quality liquor is a vital key in having a decent get together. Here’s three quality liquors that won’t leave you hanging when you’re looking for drinks that taste great, start great, and end smooth. Out of the various brands tried, these are my personal favorites.

When you’re looking for a happy drink, choose tequila. More appropriately, Espolón Tequila. Not a lot of tequilas you can drink straight without a chaser or being chilled – this is not one of those tequilas. Usually I like to have mixers with tequila – this is not one of those tequilas.

Espolón Tequila Blanco has a nice start, light to medium bodied palate and a strong agave flavor. Really take the time out to taste it and your taste buds will pick up hints of pepper, vanilla bean, and (interestingly enough) pineapple. To top it all off it’s got a nice, smooth finish. What more could you ask for? Another great tequila from Espolón is Espolón Reposado, a much bolder, aged tequila, which you can use in this recipe:

If you’re really into cocktails, the Decolletage is for you. The name itself perks the ears up, and if any of you have seen the movie Alfie (Jude Law version), you’ll laugh a little every time you drink this:

Decolletage

1.5 oz. Espolón Reposado tequila
1 oz. Dubonnet Rouge
.5 oz. ounce Aperol
.25 oz. Fernet Branca
orange twist to garnish

Get a mixing glass and stir all the ingredients over ice, then strain into a double old fashioned glass. Break the orange twist over the drink, allowing the citrus oils to blend in, then add it as the garnish. Simple enough to make at home with any standard mini bar.

….but tequila’s not for everyone. Especially not the “angry” drunks. It’s been known to sever friendships after one too many shots. The alternative? No, not beer….absinthe, my young, boozy apostle. Absinthe. One thing I can say I love about Europe – the plethora of absinthe. The absinthe you find out in the states just isn’t the same as the kind you find in Europe, and it’s said to be made up of synthetic ingredients. Not good. Huge no.

Absinthe Original is what I used to have – which, might I add, I haven’t in quite some time. Absinthe is one of those drinks best enjoyed with a date you want to get intimate with, or a really, really close group of friends. It’s the friendly drink. The drink that makes you feel awesome, mellow, cool. The drink that no matter what should not be abused…but respected.

Though the best way to be had is straight mixed with melted sugar, there is one drink you absolutely must try…

Dead Man’s Mule – it’s not as bad as it sounds, BUT, I highly advise you have two of these MAXIMUM, and not a drop more.

1 shot Absinthe (duh.)
1 shot Goldschlager (cinnamon schnapps)
.75 shot Orgeat (syrup)
.75 shot lime juice
Top it off with ginger beer
Garnish with a decent lime wedge or two
1 long slice of ginger

Shake and strain the first four ingredients, then top it off with ginger beer. If you’re not used to the taste of absinthe, have it over ice in a collins glass or my favorite, mason jar. Add a lime wedge to garnish, cut one thick slice of ginger, and add it into the glass so the ginger juices can mix with the alcohol.

I used to drink this back in uni all the time and I can still say today it’s one of my favorite drinks.

Alright so you’ve had a taste of Latin America. You’ve had a taste of the Western Europe. Now let’s head East…but not too far east. Just enough to land us in Mother Russia – yeah, you got it: vodka. Not just any vodka. No, not Smirnoff. Not Grey Goose. Not even Absolut. Real vodka. Vodka that’ll put hair on your chest and fire in your heart…

….and the only one that comes to mind is Stolichnaya.

I used to be a fan of Absolut, until I saw the light. Yes, Absolut is smooth, clean…but somehow, one day it just stopped mixing (pardon the pun) well with me. So I switched…and lo and behold that switch introduced me to Stoli.

This one starts, and finishes smooth, with citrusy hints the same way I like my gin. Vodka is one of those drinks that should be enjoyed on it’s own, on the rocks. As I ‘ve said many times before, though there are a lot of tasty drinks out there, sometimes if I’m on a strict fitness routine and I’m changing up for strength/stamina, I’ll lay off on the drinking a bit and just go with something boring like vodka soda – and no, that doesn’t mean I’m some calorie obsessed asshole. It just means I’m conscientious when the time calls for it.

Then other times I like a bit of flavor. Still though, not wanting to lose the taste of Stoli, one of my favorite recipes for this vodka would have to be the Desiree. Which consists of….

1 oz. Stoli
5 oz. Creme de Cassis

So straightforward you can make it at home without going out and buying 50 different ingredients, and you can even instruct your casual bartender on how to make it without coming across as a “snob” or “pretentious,” as some people ever so affectionately like to call it.

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend. 😉

As always…

Stay awesome.

– Rego

For The Weekenders: Three More Liquors You Should Know About… is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life

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