G.P. 4 Kingsley Amis’ Ten General Principles
G.P. 4: Cheap alcohol for mixing with juices
Welcome back to the next iteration of my focus on the general principles Kingsley Amis lists in his excellent book, Everyday Drinking: The Distilled Kingsley Amis.
In the book, he lists ten general principles, which can be summarized:
For drinks accompanied by fruit or vegetables, try adding juice
Cheap alcohol for mixing with juices
Bubbly drinks act faster
Soak fruit in liquor before adding to a drink
Commercial mixes are okay
Wine preparation is important, but price is more so
He who believes he has a hangover does not
Eating fattens you
To refresh yourself on past principles, feel free to follow the links above to previous entries.
Here we go!
G.P. 4:
For any liquor that is going to be mixed with fruit juices, vegetable juices, etc., sweetening, strongly flavoured cordials and the like, go for the cheapest reliable article. Do not waste your Russian or Polish vodka, etc.
This G.P. comes up after Kingsley gives his recipe for The Lucky Jim. His main point is don't waste your good booze if you are mixing something with juice, in this case, cucumber juice, that will mask the flavor and intricacies of a higher quality spirit. The same goes for mixing drinks with other heavily flavored ingredients. When it comes to stirred drinks like a Martini or a Manhattan, higher-end or more delicate spirits can shine.
Now I don't know about you, but I have a few different tiers of spirits on my bar cart at home. I have liquor for drinking straight, liquor for mixing in cocktails, and even some liquor I don't touch unless we have company over or it's a special occasion. The trichotomy of "mixing booze," "fancy booze," and "don't touch it unless it's my birthday booze" mostly comes down to price.
Let's look at a few cocktails!
The Negroni is a beautiful drink for any time comprised of three polarizing ingredients that come together to make something better than the sum of its parts. Some people don't like gin, some people don't like sweet vermouth, and many people don't like Campari. I happen to enjoy all those ingredients on their own and often together.
There isn't much wiggle room with the components aside from their amounts. It must have Campari, sweet vermouth, and gin, so you get a choice with your vermouth (I like Cinzano or Lacuesta) and gin. Before you decide on the gin you will be using; you need to consider the Campari. This potable bitter red stuff is reportedly a mix of alcohol, sugar, bugs, water, and an infusion of orange, rhubarb, ginseng, and secret herbs that only one guy knows. It is the true flavoring agent of the Negroni and pulls far more than its weight if you are making the drink in equal parts.
I find that using a higher-end (read expensive) gin in a Negroni would be similar to listening to a vinyl recording of your favorite symphony while the vacuum cleaner is running in the same room—not worth it. This is a place for something from a lower shelf. I use Kirkland Signature London Dry Gin from Costco in my Negronis. Though in the past, I have reached for Gordon's or Beefeater.
The same can be said for the Rusty Nail or other similar drinks. Leave your single malts safe on the shelf and reach for a bottle of blended whisky. Any amount of Drambuie and your tastebuds won't be able to tell the difference between the $60 bottle of The Macallan and the $20 bottle of Famous Grouse or Dewars. I would even leave Johnnie Walker alone in this instance and if you must only use the Red Label. Adding Drambuie to whisky has the same effect as a smoking section in a restaurant or perhaps a peeing section in a pool if you can forgive the crude analogy. Though in terms of the smoking section, I do sometimes like to add a tiny splash of a peated single malt to the top of a Rusty Nail. Back in the day I used to keep peated Scotch in a MISTO bottle to add a little smoke to drinks if the mood struck.
Bloody Mary? Cheap out on the vodka and spend your money on good tomato juice and Worcestershire. It always baffles me when I see high-end vodka and knock off Worcestershire used in a Bloody Mary. I think everyone should have a bottle of Luksusowa around for applications like this, and I believe it even stands up to much more expensive bottles. Russian Standard isn’t a bad bottle to keep on the shelf for mixing either. In terms of Worcestershire, Lea & Perrins is the only way to go.
What about drinks with lots of citrus juice and sugar like a Tom Collins or Gin Fizz? Again, no need for a top-shelf bottle. Check the prices between Beefeater, Gordon's, and Seagrams and make the economical choice.
The Margarita fits here too, and you know what I am going to say. It's a drink with lots of lime and sugar. The Cointreau should cost more than the Tequila you use in a marg. Everyone is always so scared of cheap Tequila, but these days there are great options. Make sure the bottle says "100% Weber Blue Agave," and you will be fine. Look for a Blanco from Arette, Espolón, or Milagro, and save your pesos for a great Mezcal to drink neat.
Next week bubble over to:
G.P. 5:
The alcohol in any bubbly drink will reach you faster than in its still version. Hence, or partly hence, the popularity of champagne at weddings and other festivities.
Thanks for reading!
Also, The Nightcap Show is taking a break. I’ll keep you in the loop when it starts up again. In the meantime I’ll be developing ideas for season 2! Reach out if you have any tips or suggestions, I would love to hear from you.