Mixing spirits is all about balancing sweet, sour, bitter, salty, savory, texture, and presentation. By understanding the distillation process of spirits, we can learn how to better balance flavors. Surprisingly, the first six are the only six! That’s because there are only six core spirits for cocktails, also known as hard spirits.
Alcohol and spirits, is there a difference?
In a word, yes! Spirits have a higher alcohol content and are produced by distillation. To increase the alcohol content of fermented liquids, distillation boils and condenses them. Although we are oversimplifying, the process is more complex. There are different processes for alcohols, but today we are going to look at the main spirits used in cocktails and how they change the flavor.
The 6 Core Spirits in Cocktails
Each core spirit has its own flavor. Let us talk about how they differ and what mixes best with these hard spirits.
Vodka
Vodka is distilled primarily from starchy plants and is usually more flavorful. The most common base is potatoes, but rye, corn, grain, grapes or beets are also used. There is no aging process for vodka. Instead, many focus on texture.
The mild taste of vodka makes it the most flexible spirit for all cocktails and mixers. It can be sweet, spicy, fruity, spicy and bubbly. Cocktails like Cosmopolitans, Moscow Mules, Bloody Marys, martinis, shooters, and flavored vodkas like Deep Eddy, Flavored Ciroc, and Flavored Svedka are popular.
Tequila
Tequila is made from blue agave that is boiled or steamed, then fermented and distilled. This core spirit tastes sweet and earthy. Some tequilas are aged in barrels, while others are blended. There are five main types. Tequila is a robust spirit with few calories, no sugar and no carbohydrates.
Unless you enjoy premium tequila or drink shots, this is not a spirit to drink neat. The best mixers are lemon or lime juice, pineapple juice, orange juice, ginger beer, and bone dry or semi-sweet white vermouth. Mixers that are naturally tangy or spicy will harmonies with the earthy sweetness of tequila.
Pro tip: If you want to give your Bloody Mary a little kick, skip the vodka and add a jalapeno-infused tequila!
Gin
Made from distilled grain and flavored with botanicals, some argue that gin must be aged. Botanicals during the distillation process set gin apart from other spirits. Unflavored gin usually has a dry taste with hints of juniper (pine), citrus or even malt wine.
Many gins also taste slightly sweet and can be flavored with various spices or fruits. The spicy and sometimes slightly citrus flavor profiles of many gin bottles make great mixers, such as Sprite, 7-Up, ginger beer, grapefruit, orange juice, and tonic. Classic cocktail favorites include Gin Tonic, Dry Martini and many others.
Rum
The sugar in rum is either molasses or sugar cane. Therefore, it’s not surprising that this core spirit is sweeter than the other hard spirits. As a rule, light rum is used in cocktails, while golden or dark rum is drunk neat, on ice or for cooking. Rum flavors can be sweet, earthy/rich or spicy.
Mixers include ginger ale, ginger beer, pineapple juice, tonics and colas, which enhance the sugar taste, soften the sugar taste and bring out the other rum flavors.
Rums from the Caribbean are typically used in mixed cocktails such as Daiquiris, Dark ‘n’ Stormy, and Mojitos. Great rum recipes will make you feel like you’re on the beach or sailing in the Caribbean.
Whiskey
There are many classes and types of whiskey brewed by distilling fermented grain mash and/or malted grain such as rye, corn, wheat or barley and aged in oak barrels. The brewing process and the place where it is brewed give each class a distinctive flavor. Among the most famous are:
Older whiskeys are extremely expensive. However, some believe that the difference in taste between aged and unaged whiskey is no longer discernible after a certain threshold.
Whiskeys are always enjoyed neat, perhaps with a little ice, especially the older whiskeys, but there are also some popular cocktails for the different seasons:
- Scotch Cocktails
- Rye cocktails
- Bourbon cocktails
- Irish whiskey cocktails
To complement the smoke, spice, or sweetness of whiskey, you can mix it with cola, lemonade, cider/juice, or coffee.
Brandy
Typically, people drink brandy neat to experience the fruity, smoky flavors. Sweet citrus or sweet mixers are best (e.g., lemonade, cranberry, cola) and complement the fruity and smoky flavors in bottles of brandy. Classic brandy recipes like the Metropolitan, Sidecar or Between the Sheets are great.
Pick up your favorite spirit today
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Pick up your favorite classic, or try something new.
