8 Liquor Essentials to Complete Your Summer Bar Cart

This article is a part of Classic Summer Drinks Week, a week of content celebrating the arrival of summer. With its tank-top weather and long days, Summer can be one of the best seasons of the year. However, the scorching heat can make it tough to spend your days outside — even if you want to bathe in the sunlight before the cooler months confine you to the indoors. A refreshing, ice-cold drink can be of great assistance when it comes to bearing the sun rays. That’s why, from July 7–11, we’re celebrating Classic Summer Drinks Week with a series of recipes, recommendations, tips & tricks to help you beat the heat. Check out more Classic Summer Drinks Week content here!

The depths of summer are finally upon us. Scorching heat waves, melting popsicles and — we can only hope — a beachside vacation or two. In other words, it’s as good a time as any to stock your bar cart with essentials.

In lieu of the absolute basics, we’re looking for selections that elevate their respective genres with bright, seasonal flavors. Think gin made with yuzu or a rum cut to proof with locally harvested coconut water. The kinds of vibes that tickle the palate and inspire adventure, all without sacrificing the hard-earned cash in your wallet. With the exception of one upper-tier option for those willing to splurge, all of the recommendations on this list clock in well under $50.

For a Mixology Tequila, Bar None – LALO Blanco

(Photo: LALO)

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For a high-quality, low-cost tequila, no option takes the cake quite like LALO. Conceived in 2019 by the grandson of the eponymous Don Julio, this is a brand that shuns reposados and añejos in favor of a single, unaged expression. Best of all, it’s additive-free. Crazy rich on the nose with pops of toasted sesame oil, light earth, slate and citrus zest, LALO Blanco eventually gives way to a creamy mouthfeel chock-full of tropical fruit flavor that goes down just right on a balmy day. For $45, you’d be hard pressed to find a better tequila that pulls double duty as a mixology essential and solo sipper.

For Mediterranean Sunsets – Amante 1530

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Aperol is, without a doubt, the definitive bitter Italian aperitif. Year after year, Aperol Spritzes flow through summer like some sort of pale-red tsunami, flooding every brunch spot and trendy drinking hole from coast to coast. It can get a little overwhelming. If you’re looking for a change of pace that sticks to similar basics, we’d recommend Amante 1530. Launched a few years back by “Police” frontman Sting, the 15%-ABV amaro is produced in Rome, Italy, using a proprietary recipe brimming with comforting flavors. A hugely sweet aroma gives way to a palate stuffed with flashes of tangerine, apple, rosemary and tart grapefruit pith right at home within cocktails of all ilk. Bottles cost $35 each.

For Summer in a Glass – Citadelle Jardin d’Été Gin

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Gin is a spirit defined first and foremost by its botanicals. In the case of Citadelle Jardin d’Été, the name of the game is a luscious mix of juniper, yuzu zest, orange peel, whole lemons, Sichuan pepper and melon flesh. It’s a recipe designed from the ground up with summer in mind, and it accomplishes that goal and then some. Juniper takes a backseat to bold flavors of honeydew, citrus and almond nuttiness that envelop the experience, punctuated by a decidedly yuzu bite right at home within any highball of your choice (we’d opt for a classic Tom Collins). The price of entry is a mere $30 at most retailers.

For a Waft of the Tropics – Coconut Cartel Blanco

(Photo: Coconut Cartel)

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When we imagine coconut rum, the first thing that comes to mind is a cloyingly sweet mouthfeel and a morning after filled with regrets. Something more akin to a liqueur than a bona fide spirit. Coconut Cartel takes a different approach. Distilled using 100% sugarcane juice from the Dominican Republic, the rum is cut to proof with locally harvested coconut water that shines through in the absence of colors, sweeteners or additional flavorings. Deliciously unkitschy stuff. Aside from its namesake ingredient, the palate manages to make way for vegetal punches of pineapple, grass and tilled earth, rounded out by a peppery finish and subtle saline minerality. The only thing better than its 46%-ABV proof point is its $25 price tag.

For the Perfect Margarita  – Alma Finca Licor de Naranja

(Photo: Alma Finca)

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Alma Finca hides a few tricks that set it apart from the orange liqueur competition. Described as a farm-to-bottle product, the recipe begins with a blend of bitter orange peel, Persian lime leaves, citrus blossoms and local spices harvested seasonally in the Yucatán Peninsula. Simply put, it’s a tried-and-true margarita mixer plus some tasty perks. Pangs of burnt caramel and eucalyptus add a welcome complexity that pairs excellently with the abundantly sweet citrus vibe expected from the genre. If tequila isn’t up your alley, this $30 option works just as well inside a Sidecar, Cosmopolitan or Daiquiri.

For a Splash of Spice  – Stranahan’s Sherry Cask Single Malt Whiskey

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At the end of last year, American single malt whiskey was finally cemented as a legally defined category with its own subset of rules and regulations. In our opinion, few have perfected the wildly popular technique quite like Stranahan’s. The brand’s sherry cask-finished whiskey is a standout in the catalog, opening with slathered aromas of baking spice, cocoa, tobacco and stewed fruits. On the palate, an equally complex medley of cherry cola, pine nuts, toffee and buttercream. Though the vibe might lean a smidge more toward autumn than summer, the flavors at play have a dense, jammy quality that resembles something plucked straight from a picnic basket. And who doesn’t love a picnic? Stranahan’s Single Cask Sherry Malt clocks in at $75.

For Uncompromising Flavor – Kota Pandan Liqueur

(Photo: Kota Pandan Liqueur)

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Otherwise known as the “vanilla of Southeast Asia,” pandan is — for some reason — an ingredient that’s never quite taken off in the United States. The glossy tropical plant can be found in everything from curry to mango sticky rice, adding a custardy, biscuit-like flavor equal parts sweet and savory. If that sounds like it’d be positively delicious inside a Mai Tai, you’d be right. Introduced earlier this year by self-professed globetrotter Nico De Soto, Kota dials down the alcohol content in favor of a potent blast of all things pandan. Signature flavors of cashews, peanuts, chamomile and nutmeg steal the show. If you’re willing to take the $35 dive, we’d highly recommend cracking open a recipe book to best experiment with the fragrant possibilities.

For Aged Excellence – Appleton Estate 12 Years

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Founded in 1749, Appleton Estate is the oldest continually operating distillery in Jamaica — and among the oldest in all of the Americas. Over the centuries, the brand has indulged in its fair share of ultra-aged, ultra-nerdy releases, many of which now find themselves in the cabinets of discerning liquor collectors. Appleton 12 Years looks a little different. Crafted from a blend of pot and column still rums, the expression offers dessert-soaked flavors of brown sugar, marmalade, banana and chocolate paired with a modest $40 price tag. A surefire hit for seasoned rum lovers and molasses novices alike.