Cocktail ingredients Utah update – June 2015

Put some Scotch to good use in a
Bobby Burns Cocktail.

June brings the beginning of summer, and with summer comes hot weather (upper 90s this weekend).  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. Just in time, the number of items on SPA (Special Price Adjustment) in Utah this month rose from around 260 for May to over 400 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 stir up some great cocktails.  Here are some ideas on how to use this month’s sale items to improve your cocktail offerings.

Irish Whiskey lovers will be happy to discover that Jameson Black Barrel is now on SPA for the first time since it became available in Utah last year for $30 (from $35); I had a chance to taste this one in Portland three years ago and can tell you that you will enjoy it.  Rye aficionados are in luck this month, too: Bulleit 95 Rye is marked down 11% to $25, along with George Dickel for those seeking a lower price point.  As for Bourbons, there are about a dozen on sale this month, including single barrel offerings from Basil Hayden and Elijah Craig.  If you like Mint Julep (I know I do), you might want to try one with Gentleman Jack (down 9% to $29.5). 

Lovers of Scotch Whiskies should be happy this month: there are ten single malts and six blends marked down just in the 750ml size.  The single malts range from ten to 16 years old, so enjoy.  The blended Scotch Whiskies include Johnnie Walker 12 year old ($35) and Chivas 12 year for $32.  If you’re searching for a Scotch cocktail to try this month, consider trying the classic Bobby Burns.

There are not a lot of Rums on SPA this month, but you might want to try some Appleton Estates VX (14% to $19) in a Mojito or the classic Rum and Coke.  June 14 was World Gin Day (we missed it), 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 19% to $13), an excellent Gin for the price. Try some Tanqueray ($23) in a Classic Martini. 

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.