Cocktail ingredients Utah update – June 2014

Enjoy an Aviation Cocktail in honor of World Gin Day!

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. The number of items on SPA (Special Price Adjustment) in Utah this month rose from around 270 for May to a more generous 420 in June.  That means 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.  Here are some ideas on how to use this month’s sale items to improve your cocktail offerings.

Rye lovers are in luck this month, Knob Creek Rye is marked down 11% to $40.  As for Bourbons, there are about a dozen on sale this month, including single barrel offerings from Elijah Craig and Ridgemont Reserve.  If you like Mint Julep (I know I do), you might want to try one with Jack Daniels Black Label (down 8% to $24.5).  There are not a lot of Rums on SPA this month, but you might want to try some Appleton Estates VX (14% to $18) in a Mojito or the classic Rum and Coke.  

June 14 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. 

Lovers of Scotch Whiskies should be happy this month: there are nine single malts and eight blends marked down in a variety of sizes.  The single malts range from ten to 16 years old, so enjoy.  The blended Scotch Whiskies include Johnnie Walker 12 year old ($38) and Chivas 12 year for $40.  If you’re searching for a Scotch cocktail to try this month, consider trying the classic Bobby Burns.  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 want something a little more expensive, I also like El Jimador Reposado, marked down to $37.  If you’ve never tried one, give the Tequila Mojito a try. 

Irish Whiskey lovers will be happy to discover that Jameson Black Barrel is now available in Utah for $35 (not on SPA); I had a chance to taste this one in Portland two years ago and can tell you that you will enjoy it.  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.