Overview: Industry professionals recommend expanding home bars beyond standard options like vodka and bourbon to include unique, often-overlooked spirits. Recommendations come from directors at major resorts and hotels who specialize in cocktail creativity and flavor profiles.
The Full Story
Clinton Fowler, Director of Food and Beverage at Black Rock Mountain Resort, suggests taking old-school cocktails as a starting point for building something new by adding a little bit of creativity. He mentions the bar’s Adios NOLA cocktail as a great example, which uses chili liqueur in combination with tequila to create something that is wonderfully — but not overpoweringly — spicy. Chili liqueurs and spirits are recommended for any drink that might benefit from a little bit of warmth, such as an old fashioned, bloody mary, mule, or margarita.
Rohit Ray, Food & Beverage Operation Manager at The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, agrees on the versatility of amaro. He notes that there is no single ‘amaro flavor,’ with some being citrusy and easy-drinking while others are intensely bitter, herbal, or earthy. Jennifer Turano, Food and Beverage Manager at Topside Terrace Kitchen & Bar at Hotel Republic San Diego, suggests fernet as a type of amaro that might be one of the best-kept secrets in the bar industry. Fernet-Branca is described as a very distinctive, complex type of amaro – a liqueur that’s herbal, very minty, and offers a bitter kick.
Zak Lindahl, Beverage Director at The National Autograph Collection in Oklahoma City, recommends genever, a Dutch spirit with a unique drinking ritual. He explains that it has familiar gin character but the malted grain base adds more weight and depth. Zak Lindahl also recommended rhum agricole as an oft-overlooked option. This isn’t your typical rum; thanks to fresh sugarcane juice, it is grassy, earthy, and a nice way to add complexity without leaning sweet or fruity.
Kenna Chipman, a bartender for Farley at Cavallo Point, states that aquavit is easily one of the most underrated spirits out there, especially for gin drinkers looking for something new. It brings a bit more weight to the glass with traditional caraway, dill, and fennel notes. Teddy Petit, a bartender at Casa71 at The Westin La Paloma, prefers Green Chartreuse neat but says it is just as good incorporated into modern-style classic cocktails if done correctly. Brandon Crumpler, a bartender at The Ranch at Laguna Beach, recommends cachaça, noting that even though it might be considered rum-adjacent, it differs completely in taste and distillation method from Caribbean rums.
Andrea Baldi, Bar Manager at Kimpton Grand Roatán Resort & Spa, explains that grappa is worth exploring if looking for something different, as it can vary hugely depending on the grape, aging, and whether it’s flavored. Nicolas Pierregrosse — the Director of Beverage at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples — suggests turning to sotol, describing it as really the next step between tequila and mezcal. It is earthy, herbal, and can range from fresh and grassy to mineral and subtly smoky.
Samantha Diaz, the Director of Food & Beverage at The Westin Nashville, recommends checking out Nixta, a unique and funky corn liqueur from Mexico made using an incredibly old process called nixtamalization. Luigi Tartaglia, head bartender at The American Bar at The Stafford London, says mezcal is a great way to change things up and can sometimes be used in the place of gin. Carla Carbone, Bar Manager at W Sardinia — Poltu Quatu, suggests checking out Bénédictine, a liqueur originally created by 16th century Benedictine monks. DB Kelly notes that absinthe is something unparalleled when customers come looking for something new, and it actually makes outstanding frozen cocktails.
Production & Profile
Specific production methods distinguish these spirits from standard options. Rhum agricole uses fresh sugarcane juice rather than molasses-based rums. Nixta is made using an incredibly old process called nixtamalization that involves treating corn in alkaline mix. Pisco is distilled once, there’s no water added to adjust the proof, and there’s no extra additives allowed.
Grappa is initially created from the waste products left behind by the winemaking process. Calvados must be done in Normandy and is an aged spirit sometimes made with the addition of pears. The production process for Bénédictine is complex and top secret, while the liqueur is amazingly deep, delivering spiciness and sweetness with notes reminiscent of cedar, ginger, and warm winter spices.
Brand & Industry History
Historical context exists for several of these spirits. Amaro was originally invented as a medicinal tonic and digestive in the 1200s, and Aperol is one of its most famous representatives. Calvados has a history that goes all the way back to the mid-16th century and must be done in Normandy. Grappa has a long history back to the 15th century. Bénédictine is said to have been originally created by 16th century Benedictine monks. Rhum agricole traces its history back to French colonies in the Caribbean, and the key ingredient in its production is the fresh sugarcane juice. A fascinating mix of history that involved Napoleon, the cross-Atlantic sugar trade, and a blight that nearly destroyed the French wine industry all led to the evolution of rhum agricole as the preferred drink option.
Consumer Takeaway
These bottles offer the drinker specific profiles ranging from citrus-forward to spicy and floral, or earthy and herbal. The recommendations provide options for neat sipping or mixing into cocktails like Negroni, julep, piña colada, daiquiri, martini, old fashioned, bloody mary, mule, margarita, Sazerac, celery gimlet, mai tai, Collins, fizz, sangria-adjacent punch, Vieux Carré, Tom Collins, whiskey sour, or Manhattan. Some are ideal for after-dinner sips to wind down in the final hours of the day.
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