Cocktail ingredients Utah update – June 2013

Mint Julep is a summertime favorite.

June brings the beginning of summer, and with summer comes hot weather.  Hot weather and yard work make for thirsty people, so when cocktail hour rolls around Utah amateur mixologists should have plenty of takers for their cocktails. There are some quality cocktail ingredients on sale this month at the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores, so you can get what you need to make some tall coolers or shake up some great cocktails.  The number of items on SPA (Special Price Adjustment) this month rose from around 300 for May to a more generous 357 in June.  Here are some ideas on how to use this month’s sale items to improve your cocktail offerings.

June 15 is World Gin Day, but there are only a few Gins marked down this month.  If you love Gin and Tonics to cool down in the hot weather, you might want to stock up on New Amsterdam Gin (CS# 031475 down 20% to $12), an excellent Gin for the price. Try some Tanqueray ($22) in a Classic Martini. 

The usual mix of Tequilas is marked down in June, but you might want to try my favorite bargain Tequila: Familia Camarena Silver or Reposado, both of which are marked down this month 15% to $17.  If you’ve never tried one, give the Tequila Mojito a try.  There are not a lot of Rums on SPA this month, but you might want to try some Cruzan Light (8% to $22) in a Mojito or the classic Rum and Coke.

There is a handful of blended Scotch Whiskies marked down this month, but only one 750ml bottle: Johnnie Walker 12 year old ($37).  If you’re searching for a Scotch cocktail to try this month, consider trying the classic Bobby Burns.  As for Bourbons, there are about a dozen on sale this month, including single barrel offerings from Blanton and Eagle Rare.  If you like Mint Julep (I know I do), you might want to try one with Eagle Rare (down 10% to $28).

As to any other sale or clearance items, if you see a great deal on 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 an online price book in PDF format that shows all of the markdowns for the current month.