Vodka? Gin? Rum? Whisky? Tequila? Stocking your basic bar

Welcome back! Today, I want to talk about the different types of spirits or liquors: how they're made, how they taste (in general), and what kinds of drinks they're often used for.

Vodka and Gin are commonly referred to as "white spirits", meaning that they're typically clear rather than brown or another color. As it's Memorial Day here in the USA, it's the unofficial start of summer: white shoes, light drinks and lots of sunshine!

Vodka as we know it originated in Eastern Europe about 700 years ago and is typically made of fermented grains or potatoes with water, which is then distilled for purify and concentrate it. It's typically unflavored, so can act as a great base for other mixers and garnishes.

Gin is also distilled from fermented grain (traditionally, barley), but is flavored with juniper berries. "Juniper" is called "Genever" in Dutch, so that's where the "gin" comes from. There are several varieties of gin, which is often flavored with other herbs or berries.

Rum is distilled from fermented sugar cane, so it's mostly produced in the Caribbean or Latin America. Most rums used in mixed drinks are light rums, but you'll also see gold or amber rums (aged in wooden barrels) and dark rums (made from caramelized sugar or molasses, then aged even longer in wooden barrels).

Whisky (also spelled whiskey) is distilled from fermented grain mash, then aged in wooden barrels. Malt Whisky is made from malted barley. There are a lot of different varieties, depending on where it's produced. Some of these include Bourbon, Rye, Scotch and Irish.

Tequila (cue the song by The Champps!) is actually the best-known variety of Mezcal, which is made by distilling the syrup of the Blue Agave plant. There are many varieties of Mezcal and of Tequila that we'll learn about later.

So, what else do you need for your basic bar? I'd suggest a Rose's-type Lime Juice, Grenadine and Angostura Bitters. The rest are mixers or kitchen staples: tonic water, club soda, simple syrup, unsweetened lime juice, fresh lemons and limes, and any other juice or soda that you like to drink or serve your guests.

I'll talk more about making your own mixers and juices, but for now here are a couple of quick links about stocking your bar. Cheers!

https://www.thekitchn.com/summer-entertaining-how-to-bui-89052

https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-stock-a-home-bar/

https://www.thespruceeats.com/quick-guide-to-distilled-spirits-760713