Perfecting the Cocktail
Food & Wine Cocktails 2009is the ultimate drinks directory, with over 150 recipes and our spirits taste-test winners. Here, a peek.
Recipe:
Strawberry-Lemon Mojitos: Strawberries sweeten these mojitos from Joaquin Simo of NYC’s Death & Co.
Spirits Taste-Test Winners:
Gin
Plus: Gin Cocktails
Courtesy of Junípero Gin
Best Value: Beefeater
Crafted from the original 1820 recipe. $22
Best High-End: Junípero (left)
From Anchor Brewing’s distillery. $32
Best for Novices: Bombay Sapphire
Fresh and clean-tasting. $25
Best All-Purpose: Plymouth
From England’s oldest distillery. $30
Vodka
Plus: Vodka Drinks
Courtesy of Prairie Organic Vodka
Best Value: Smirnoff
One of liquor’s best price-quality ratios. $13
Best High-End: Grey Goose
Distilled in Cognac, France. $30
Best New: Prairie Organic (left)
Made of corn from Minnesota farm co-ops. $25
Best All-Purpose: Stolichnaya
Rationed to Soviet soldiers during World War II. $22
Rum
Plus: Rum Drinks
Courtesy of Gosling’s Rum
Best Light: 10 Cane
Aromatic, with notes of fruit and toffee. $35
Best Dark: Gosling’s Black Seal (left)
Bermuda’s oldest business. $20
Best Aged: Ron Zacapa 23-Year-Old
Beautiful and honey-inflected. $45
Best Rhum Agricole: Neisson Réserve Spéciale
Aged for up to 10 years. $67
Whiskey
Plus: Whiskey Cocktails
Courtesy of Wild Turkey
Best Value Bourbon: Bulleit
Created in the 1800s by a Kentucky tavern-keeper. $36
Best Blended Scotch: Black Bottle
Good peatiness. $23
Best Value Rye: Wild Turkey Rye (left)
By 55-year veteran Jimmy Russell. $20
Best Single-Malt Scotch: The Macallan
Rich and malty. $50