Photography by Wes Kroninger
Your home bar might be stocked with items that are pleasing to the tongue, but does it have anything pleasing to the eye? Peruse over this collection of impressive-looking bottles and decide which ones would be best suited to spruce up the homestead. They’re readily available in Columbus, and none of them will break the bank.
Tullamore D.E.W.
The old-timey moonshine jug design for this blended Irish whiskey harkens back to its 1829 creation, when it was a pot still whiskey. It’s Irish whiskey, so serving it neat is always an option, but for something more creative, consider this cocktail named after the year of the distillery’s founding. $31.05.
The 1829
Ingredients:
35 ml. Tullamore D.E.W.
30 ml. freshly squeezed orange juice
20 ml. sweet vermouth
25 ml. Maraschino liqueur
Directions:
Shake all ingredients together and double-strain into a champagne saucer. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.
Courtesy www.tullamoredew.com
Grant’s Family Reserve Blended Whisky
The unusual geometric shape of the Grant’s Blended Scotch Whisky bottle helps differentiate it from the variety of other Scotches on the typical store – or home bar – shelf. Scotland meets Italy in this refreshing cocktail, but don’t have too many, lest you provoke an international incident. $16.20.
Grant’s Godfather
Ingredients:
50 ml. Grant’s Family Reserve
20 ml. amaretto
Orange bitters
Directions:
Fill a cocktail glass with ice cubes and add Grant’s, then amaretto. Add a splash of orange bitters – orange juice may be substituted – and garnish with an orange zest.
Courtesy www.grantswhisky.com
Amaretto Di Amore
Di Amore isn’t the only amaretto to boast that stylish square cap – famous rival Disaronno does, too – but the squat, divoted bottle is decidedly different. The almond liqueur – made by Sazerac, which is also responsible for Buffalo Trace bourbon and Dr. McGillicuddy’s schnapps, among many other brands – is best served with complementary flavors, such as fruit and chocolate. $10.25.
Banana Di Amore
Ingredients:
1 oz. Amaretto Di Amore
1 oz. crème de bananes
2 oz. orange juice
1 oz. sweet and sour mix
Directions:
Blend ingredients with a cup of ice until smooth, then pour into a red wine glass. Garnish with orange and banana slices.
Courtesy www.drinksmixer.com
Hammer + Sickle Vodka
If the pure, unflavored Russian vodka doesn’t evoke images of Communist-controlled Russia, the sleek, industrial look of Hammer + Sickle’s bottles might. With its flavoring fruit hailing from Russia’s Communist neighbor to the southeast, China, this potent martini will have the drinker saying “Da, comrade!” in no time. $19.20.
Lychee Hammer
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Hammer + Sickle vodka
½ oz. lychee liqueur
½ oz. apple brandy
½ oz. lychee syrup
Directions:
Combine ingredients, shake and serve up in a martini glass with a lychee as a garnish at the bottom of the glass.
Courtesy www.hsvodka.com
The Kraken Black Spiced Rum
Thanks in large part to Pirates of the Caribbean and Clash of the Titans, krakens in general cut powerful figures these days, but the double-handled bottle housing this dark-as-the-night-itself rum is an impressive image all by itself. Celebrate the holidays with this seasonally-appropriate concoction and prepare to release the … oh, you know how it goes. $19.20.
The Kraken Spice
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. Kraken rum
¾ oz. butterscotch schnapps
4 ½ oz. eggnog
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail glass and garnish with whipped cream and a cherry.
Courtesy www.krakenrum.com
Bluecoat American Dry Gin
There’s something about a blue-hued bottle that commands attention, and Bluecoat – a five-times-distilled gin made with organic juniper berries – understands that power. Also commanding attention is this cocktail, essentially the gin equivalent of a mojito. $24.15.
Bluecoat Mint Gin Fizz
Ingredients:
2 oz. Bluecoat gin
1 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
Fresh mint leaves
Club soda
Simple syrup to taste
Direction:
Combine all ingredients with ice in a tumbler and shake, then strain into a highball glass over ice. Top with club soda and stir.
Courtesy www.bluecoatgin.com
KAH Tequila Blanco
What better way to serve tequila than out of a vessel hand-painted to resemble a traditional Day of the Dead sugar skull? For such an elaborate bottle – and KAH makes several different types of skulls for its different types of tequila – it’s only fitting to use an elaborate recipe. $45.55.
Muertos Fresca
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. KAH Tequila Blanco
½ oz. tamarind paste
3 oz. hibiscus juice
1 oz. agave nectar
1 oz. fresh lime juice
(To make hibiscus juice, combine 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers with 2 cups hot water, allow to cool and strain juice from flowers.)
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and shake well. Strain into a Collins glass and garnish with marigold, lemon and lime wheels.
Courtesy www.kahtequila.com
Christian Brothers Frost White Brandy
If the sight of a clear white brandy isn’t enough to grab your attention, maybe the creatively ridged bottle it’s served in will do the trick. White brandy like this one from Christian Brothers mixes best with fruit juices and soft drinks, so here’s a recipe that utilizes a couple of the former. $12.30.
Nantucket
Ingredients:
2 oz. white brandy
1 oz. cranberry juice
1 oz. grapefruit juice
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a highball glass and stir. Garnish with a lime slice.
Courtesy www.barnonedrinks.com
Gentleman Jack
Just as the double charcoal mellowing process made the taste of Gentleman Jack Tennessee whiskey iconic, the wide bottle with its metal emblem made the look of the bottle iconic. Some folks would dispute the notion of mixing Gentleman Jack with anything, but here is an option for those who dare. $31.05.
Gentleman Sour
Ingredients:
3 oz. Gentleman Jack
1 ½ oz. lemon juice
1 ½ oz. simple syrup
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and shake. Serve over ice in a rocks glass and garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
Courtesy www.jackdaniels.com
Crystal Head Vodka
The vodka is distilled seven times, three of them through semi-precious crystals; the company was co-founded by comedic actor Dan Aykroyd; and the container is in the shape of a crystal skull. That ought to be enough to hook you, but take a look at this cocktail just in case. $44.95.
Cocoa Infatuation
Ingredients:
1 ½ Crystal Head Vodka
1 oz. white chocolate liqueur
3 oz. milk
1 oz. raspberry puree or coulis
1 Tbsp. sweet cocoa powder
1 tsp. dark chocolate shavings
Directions:
Rub raspberry puree or coulis around the lip of a large, chilled martini glass. Mix cocoa powder with chocolate shavings and lightly rim the lip. Fill a shaker with ice and add vodka, liqueur and milk. Shake well, strain into the rimmed glass and lightly swirl puree or coulis on top. Garnish with a fresh raspberry.
Courtesy www.crystalheadvodka.com
Frangelico
Any discussion of unique bottles has to include Frangelico, the Italian hazelnut liqueur sold in a vessel shaped like a monk. It’s not exactly a monk’s robe, but this cocktail ought to keep you warm on a chilly winter evening. $20.99.
Nutty Cien-Sation
Ingredients:
2 oz. Frangelico
1 oz. amaretto
1/8 oz. cherry brandy
Hot chocolate
Whipped cream
Directions:
Mix Frangelico and amaretto in a coffee mug, then pour in the hot chocolate. Add whipped cream on top, then carefully pour the brandy over the whipped cream in a curving motion. Garnish with a cherry and chopped hazelnuts.
Courtesy www.frangelicousa.com
