A Negroni may be served in a cocktail glass, or on the rocks. |
Once again there are over 600 items on Special Price
Adjustments (SPA) for the December
holidays (up from 329 last month), so when Utahans walk into the Utah DABC State Liquor Stores this month, they
will expect to hear Santa chuckling.
These deals are great for gifts (given or received), or for stocking
your bar. Still need a Christmas gift for Dad (or Mom)? Don’t
forget to look at the gift items that are often 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 for about 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.
First for Gin lovers: as the Gin revival continues, stores
have expanded their Gin sections to accommodate new brands. If your local store has a small selection,
visit a larger store when you have the chance to check out the new items. This month there is a variety of Gins marked
down, most of the good ones around 10%, more or less. Gins with price adjustments include offerings
from Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, Beefeater, and even bargain Gin: New Amsterdam
(1750ml for $24). 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. Oh, and there are 13 non-flavored Vodkas marked down this month too
(including Ketel One and Chopin, if you’re a Vodka drinker.
Now for the Whiskeys: There are 44 Whiskeys on SPA this
month (60 if you count 1750 ml bottles), so it’s a great opportunity to stock
up. Twelve different Bourbons: most of the major brands are represented, try
Bulleit ($25), and there are single barrel offerings from Basil Hayden, Elijah
Craig, and Evan Williams. Kick back on Christmas Eve and enjoy a nice Bourbon Manhattan. Three Irish that normally retail around $25 to $35 are marked down around
10%. There
are 20 Single Malt and Blended Scotches
marked down, including 9 twelve year olds and Glenlivet French Oak 15
year. This is your big chance to cheer
up and impress your old man with a
gift he’ll enjoy.
This is your chance to stock up on your favorite Liqueurs or buy them as gifts; 30 are
on SPA this month. Try Di Saronno
Amaretto ($23) over ice, or a favorite for cocktails: Amaretto Di Amore ($11);
both are marked down. Godiva Chocolate
Liqueur ($27) and Kahlua Coffee Liqueur ($16) are on SPA, along with a variety
of Irish Cream Liqueurs (great gifts for light drinkers) and Liqueurs like
Alize and Midori. A favorite Triple Sec
substitute: Gran Gala Orange Liqueur ($20) is on SPA, or feel free to go
upscale with Cointreau ($34). There are
only 11 (non-spiced) Rums on sale
this month. Appleton Estates VX Jamaica
Rum is the best of the bunch, or you can try Mount Gay Eclipse for $17. Sadly there are no high-end premium Rums to
put under your tree.
If you’re looking for Champagne
for New Year’s Eve, there’s not a lot of the good stuff on sale this
month. Mumm Napa Brut is the pick at
$19, but the Barefoot Bubblies in the $9 range are decent and have won some
awards for their price range. I haven’t
quite forgotten you Tequila lovers,
either. There are 31 choices this month
in the Blanco or better categories, including some top brands!
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.