“ makes the best Kingston Negroni you’ll ever have.”
TOP TIER VODKA PLUS
Denver, describes Hampden Estate 8-Year as his “desert-island rum.” Produced with wild fermentation and aged in ex-bourbon barrels for eight years without any added sweeteners or coloring, this Jamaican rum is “super funky with notes of overripe banana, pineapple and guava,” plus “flavors of cocoa, cinnamon and tobacco as well,” according to Powell. Meanwhile, Jake Powell, head bartender at Death & Co. She adds that the Demerara rums “play well in stirred rum cocktails” with their rich, silky texture. “Aged El Dorado rums make some of my favorite Daiquiris due to the vanilla notes and touch of oak,” says Paige Walwyn, bartender at Chicago’s Queen Mary Tavern, of the 12- to 15-year-old range. While El Dorado’s younger rums were popular choices for the well, the older expressions often land on the backbar. Most Popular Aged: El Dorado portfolio, Hampden Estate portfolioĪged rums are often expected to work equally well neat or mixed in a cocktail. In the clairin category, Nightmoves bar director Orlando Franklin McCray reaches for Clairin Communal when a guest asks for a recommendation: “It’s a blend of four of my favorite rums from Haiti,” he says “It has bold aromas of grass and floral elements on the nose, and a racy, sparkling acidity on the palate,” says New York–based spirits educator Shannon Mustipher, who favors it for Daiquiris, either on its own or as a split base with another white rum. Haiti’s Clairin Sajous, made from fresh-pressed cane juice, received multiple mentions. When surveyed bartenders want to add a little funk to commonly called-for drinks, they turn to agricole-style rum. Most Popular Unaged or Lightly Aged: Clairin Sajous Outside of these admittedly broad categories, there was little consensus, though La Favorite, Clemént Canne Bleue and Rhum J.M were mentioned as popular agricole-style rums to add earthiness to cocktails.
Since rum encompasses a wide range of styles, we asked bartenders to make selections for three main categories: unaged (or lightly aged), aged and overproof. “I’ll even use it as a modifier if I want to add a touch of floral fruitiness in a cocktail.” Meanwhile, Jackson says the flavor profile “makes for an amazing Corpse Reviver No. “Such a beautiful, floral and fruity gin,” says Kim Haasarud, of Garden Bar PHX in Arizona. Similarly, Fox favors the “citrus-forward” gin: “The higher proof and bright botanical profile shine in anything stirred, including my personal favorite Martini variation, a Martinez.”įinally, two Phoenix-area bartenders both selected Nolet’s as their gin pick, noting its unique rose and raspberry tones. It “oozes luxury,” says Phil Collins, beverage director for West Coast group TableOne Hospitality, who praises its citrus notes and “velvety mouthfeel” for Martinis and bolder classics like a Negroni. Japan’s Nikka Coffey gin also found fans. “It’s one of the few gins you could just sip neat (even warm) and just get lost in the flavor profile.” He favors it for a Gimlet or Last Word: “Anything with lime juice is a good plan.” “Complexity” is the draw with Monkey 47, says Michael Trow, director of bar operations for RPM Restaurants. Unlike in previous years, surveyed bartenders bypassed traditional London dry–style bottles and leaned into more varied botanical profiles as a way to add nuanced flavor and build creative cocktails. Martinis, Gin & Tonics, Negronis and a wide range of other classic cocktails call for a premium gin. “I love the softness and almost floral-like qualities.” Similarly, Alicia Perry, beverage director for San Diego’s Consortium Holdings, which includes Polite Provisions, describes Haku as “well-rounded and pleasant,” ideal for mixing into “refreshing and lighter cocktails” like a vodka Gimlet, as it plays well with bright citrus and herbs.
“Haku vodka is my go-to in a Vesper,” says Arianna Hone, lead bartender at High West Saloon in Park City, Utah. Those surveyed also praised the delicate nature of Japan’s Haku, a rice-based vodka filtered through bamboo charcoal. ” Dominique Jackson, bar manager at KHLA in Phoenix, adds, “ Belvedere makes a mean dirty Martini and meshes well with whatever gin vermouth you use for a Vesper. Britt Fox, bar manager at Washington, D.C., distillery bar Cotton & Reed, noted the spirit’s texture, adding that it makes a “wonderful Martini. And this year, unlike in our previous surveys, bartenders acknowledged that vodka does indeed merit top-shelf space.īartenders singled out Belvedere, a Polish rye-based vodka, for its particularly smooth character. For dirty Martinis, Vespers, call drinks and more, vodka shines bright on the backbar.
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