Post #566749 by Chip and Andy on Sun, Nov 28, 2010 5:34 AM

For mixing you can't go wrong with some stuff typically on the bottom shelf...

Eldorado Gold is around $12 a bottle in my area. Enough flavor to make it work, inexpensive enough to use generously.

Ron Rico Gold is around $15 a bottle. Same as above. Ron Rico used to be premium top-shelf stuff back in the day, today not so much. It still has just enough flavor to make it a worthy rum for your budget bar.

Angostura makes a brand called Old Oak that is pretty decent for its price. The White is not much better than a sweet vodka. The Gold, however, makes a pretty decent Mai Tai when paired with some Appelton. And again, they are in the sub-$15 bottle range.

Depending on your region you can sometimes find rebates or discounts, up in the northern end of the US right now there is some kind of deal on Cruzan 9 where the final price per bottle works out to less than $10 each.

Even in this 'New Economy' the same rules apply to your bar just like they did way back when.... get the best booze you can afford. There is no shame in having/using lower priced bottles. Unless your a cheapskate and cutting corners and then you should be beaten with the sticky side of the barmat.