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- Hendricks Gin + 1 x Balloon Glass freewas $111.00 Special Price $92.00
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- Tanqueray Flor De Sevilla Gin + 1 x Tanqueray Gift Bag + 1 x Copa Glasswas $90.00 Special Price $75.00
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- Tanqueray Rangpur Gin + 1 x Tanqueray Gift Bag + 1 x Copa Glass + 1 x Hawker Wards cardswas $90.00 Special Price $75.00
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What Are Spirits?
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Types Of Spirits
WHISKY
Whisky is a distilled spirit made from fermented grains like barley, corn, rye or wheat. With styles ranging from single grain, malt, blended, Scotch, Irish, bourbon or even Japanese whiskies, there is no lack of choice from this spirit that is aged from 3 years, right up to 20 years or more. The older the whisky, the more highly sought after and valued, with Scotland crowned as the capital of whisky. With a high ABV of at least 40%, this is one alcohol that challenges the power of your liver. While that thought may stop you from enjoying whisky, we think these whisky cocktails can soothe the thirsty beast in you, like Highball, Whisky Smash, Old Fashioned etc. If all else fails, there is always the Godfather to the rescue, cocktail that is! Pick from this stash of whiskies such as Chivas Regal, Glenfiddich, Johnny Walker, Macallan.
VODKA
Vodka, derived from the Russian word for water, voda, is a clear distilled alcohol made from fermented grains like corn, rye, wheat, and even potato, made up of mostly water and ethanol. To help in the fermentation process, malt, yeast and water are added, before distillation can take place, followed by filtering. The more times it is distilled, the better the quality. The vodka producing regions are Russia, Poland, Sweden, and Finland, known as the vodka belt. Since traditional times, vodka is a flavourless, neutral spirit, popularly used in mixing drinks. However, there are some brands who are bold to go against tradition and produce flavoured vodka, which is a refreshing and welcomed change in the mixology landscape. Vodka also has one of the highest ABV, going at 40%, with popular brands like Absolut, Belvedere, Grey Goose, Smirnoff, Stolichnaya being used to fix cocktails like Vodka Martini or Vodka Tonic, and Cosmopolitan made famous by Sex in the City movie. Guess you never thought you could down a Screwdriver or even curse at having a Bloody Mary if you’re having a terrible day at work! There’s always a reason to drink to something!
TEQUILA
If you have not heard of Tequila, read on. Tequila, the alcohol beverage, not the song, is a type of mezcal, which is a distilled alcohol made primarily from the succulent blue agave plant, found in the Mexican city of Tequila. With the introduction out of the way, let’s find out what it really is. Fermented from the sugars derived from agave, it is twice distilled before aging from 3 months all the way to 3 years+, depending on which region the tequila brand originates from. Similar to how cognac and brandy are marginally differentiated, not all mezcal is tequila, but all tequila is mezcal. A distinct flavour profile is how Mezcal distillers bake the agave in earthen pits, which imparts a smoky flavour. Often drunk neat or for a playful time at the bar, you need to shoot from the hip and do this: lick, shoot, suck. Lick the salt off your hand, gulp the tequila, suck a lime wedge, then bang the empty shot glass with gusto. Expect applause and whacking of your back as initiation rites. An ABV of 35 - 50% can be found in popular brands like Patrón, Jose Cuervo, Don Julio, El Jimador.
RUM
Rum is a liquor made from fermented sugarcane juice, creating a concentrated syrup, and fermenting that before it is distilled, sometimes twice, thus raising the alcohol level. The juice may also be processed into molasses and fermented from here. Distillers can decide if they want to market the product or choose to age it from weeks to years. White rums, aged in stainless steel casks, filtered and bottled, are the youngest with the lightest flavour, think of Bacardi Carta Blanche. The ABV for rum is slated for 40%, with bar favourites like Mojito, Daiquiri and Mai Tai easily downed, mixed with Bacardi, Malibu, Don Papa, or aye-aye Captain Morgan. Gold coloured rums like Bacardi Carta Oro, on the other hand, are aged in oak casks, giving it a rich and smooth profile, although they are sometimes colour corrected with caramel. Dark rums like Angostura 1824, are usually double distilled, aged in charred oak casks, which adds a dark, rich, sweet flavour to cocktails. Blackstrap, a third distillation, creates a deep rum with complex flavours. Cachaca, from Brazil, skips molasses and uses pure sugar cane juice during distillation. The most famous cachaca cocktail is Caipirinha, which is Brazil’s national drink. Rhum Agricole is similar to Cachaca, the only difference is it is produced in the French territories, on the island of Martinique, and subject to AOC guidelines. Overproof rum with an ABV of at least 50 - 75%, this is a rum not to be trifled with. This is more a showmanship rum, used to flambe cocktails. You really do need to dilute it before drinking if your Dutch courage is doing most of the talking at the bar.
GIN
Gin is an alcoholic beverage made from the distillation of grains like wheat or barley. After it is fermented and distilled, it is infused with botanicals such as florals, citrus, fruity or spice, with juniper berries as the backbone of gin. Other unique flavours you may encounter include rose petals, citrus peels, berries or coriander to bring your taste buds on an adventure. As a versatile neutral spirit, it is easily one of the first choices for mixing drinks. The gin flavours are subtle, more like gentle notes on your palate and every gin brand produces a completely different taste profile to up the ante. Juniper berries taste almost like pine, and it is also herbaceous and floral. Used in cocktails such as the famous 007’s favourite Martini, Gin & Tonic, Southside, bartenders often reach out for bottles of Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, Gordon’s, Hendricks, Tanqueray etc with a boozy ABV at 30% for a great gin kick.
BRANDY
Brandewijn, a Dutch word meaning burnt wine, which translates to brandy, is actually made from fermented fruit juice. Bet you didn’t know that? Other common fruits such as grapes, apricots, peaches, apples and others are also used. After fermentation, comes distillation, aging and blending. Aged in oak barrels from 3 to 20 years, the master blenders of each house will create their unique blends based on their experience and closely guarded recipes. You can expect the taste to be fruity and sweet, depending on the fruit used, and how it has been blended. Barrel aged according to the years, such as VS, VSOP, XO, XXO and Hors d’Age. Brandy is cleverly used in savoury cooking; to deglaze the pan to form a sauce or to braise meat. Or to flambe the decadent dessert Crepe Suzette. Perfect, because of its high ABV of 40% and above, with no lack of choice from famous brands like Martell, Courvoisier, Remy Martin, Hennessy, and no lack of cocktail recipes like Sidecar, Egg Nog and Nightcap. And with no lack of styles to choose from, such as Cognac, Grappa, American brandy, Spanish brandy, Armagnac, fruit brandy like cherry or apple brandy.