Cocktail ingredients Utah update – April 2012

When Utahans walk into the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores this month they will find that the number of marked down items has dropped back into the “average” range.  The number of items on SPA (Special Price Adjustment) dropped from around 350 last month to around 300 for April.  Cocktailians who need to stock their bars can still find some bargains, though.  There are some quality cocktail ingredients available this month, so dust off your shaker and get ready to mix some great cocktails.

Most of the Scotch Whiskies marked down this month are a mite too pricey to go into a cocktail, but if you’re looking for something to put into your Blood and Sand you might want to try some Bowmore Legend® Single Malt that has a small mark-down to $26.  There is not much in the way of Bourbons on SPA this month; they are probably holding them in reserve for the Derby next month, always a big day for Bourbon.  In the 750ml size there is Eagle Rare® Single Barrel at $28.  Sip it, or you can make a very good Manhattan, or perhaps even a Boulevardier.

If you need some Dry Gin, Tanqueray® Ten is marked down $2 to $28 and Hendrick’s® is marked down to $29 ($4).  Try these in a Classic Martini.  1750ml bottles of my favorite “economy Gin”, New Amsterdam® are marked down 11% to $24 (try it in a Tom Collins).  If you like Vesper Martinis, liter bottles of Ketel One® (it’s great with a lemon twist) are also on SPA.  There are also deals on Stoli®, Skyy®, and Absolut® in a variety of sizes, as well as the usual multitude of flavored Vodkas that are better not being mentioned.

The Rum deals are few (that may be an exaggeration) and far between this month.  If you like dark Rums, Cruzan® Dark Rum is marked down over 15% to $11.  Try it in a Rum and Coke.  Fortunately, the UDABC didn’t forget about you Tequila lovers.  There are 16 Tequilas (Platas, Añejos and Reposados) on SPA.  My favorites range from El Jimador® Reposado through Sauza Cien Años® Reposado to Herradura® Añejo; it’s Margarita time.

There are a couple of Liqueurs marked down this month.  Amaretto Di Amore® ($11) goes great in Mai Tais and is marked down around 15%.  Midori® Melon Liqueur is marked down 10% to $18; try it in a Tanqueray Taj.

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.