Cocktail ingredients Utah update – December 2011

When Utahans walk into the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores this month, they may think that Santa came early.  As far as Special Price Adjustments (SPA) go; there is a lot on sale for the December holidays.  These deals are great for gifts (given or received), or for stocking your bar.  (Note: later in the month there will be a separate post on pre-New Year’s price adjustments (actually available all December) on sparkling wines.)  Ready for some Christmas shopping? Don’t forget to look at the gift items that may be found on the top shelf of the Utah State Stores. These gift packages usually contain a bottle of liquor and items like glasses or a shaker (Courvoisier even has a decanter for Cognac) for around the same price as the bottle without the gift. Some of them are pretty nice, others might be a little tacky.  Shop early in the month for a better selection and buy one for a lazy relative to give you for Christmas.  Now, let’s get down to business.

If you’re into a Dickensian Christmas celebration, you might want to start off with some Gin.  This month there is a variety of Gins marked down, most of the good ones between 10 and 15%.  Gins with price adjustments include Bombay Sapphire®, Tanqueray®, Beefeater®, and even the surprisingly good, bargain Gin: New Amsterdam® 1750ml for $24 (CS# 031473).  While you’re picking up a nice bottle of Gin, pick up a bottle of Campari® (on SPA this month) and try one of my favorite Gin cocktails, a Negroni.  You can look up all of the prices for yourself by clicking through to the “SPA Product List” to open a price book in PDF format that shows all of the markdowns for the current month; then search on “gin” or the product of your choice. 

This is a great month to stock up on your favorite Liqueurs or buy them as gifts.  Di Saronno Amaretto® ($22) and a favorite for cocktails, Amaretto Di Amore® ($10), are both marked down.  Godiva Chocolate Liqueur® ($27) and Kahlua Coffee Liqueur® ($17) are on SPA, along with a variety of Irish Cream Liqueurs and Liqueurs like Alize® and Midori®, and another favorite Triple Sec substitute: Gran Gala® Orange Liqueur ($20).

There are 15 different Bourbons on SPA this month, so it’s a great opportunity to stock up.  Most of the major brands are represented, and there are single barrel offerings from Branton®, Eagle Rare®, and Evan Williams®.  There is so much available, that this post will have to be continued at a later date…

As to any other sale or clearance items, if you see anything at your local state store that other cocktailians might enjoy, post a response to this article.  See the following list “Suggested by the author” for information on how to use the Utah DABC website.  You can check out what else is on sale (e.g. the wines etc.) by clicking through to the “SPA Product List” to open a price book in PDF format that shows all of the markdowns for the current month.