Visiting the liquor store is an exciting experience. You get to select products to enjoy as-is, and maybe a few to use to create cocktails at your home bar. But plenty of people make errors when they visit the liquor store. Below, you can learn from their mistakes rather than making your own.
Mistake #1: Buying large bottles of things you've never tried before.
Finding a new product and buying a bottle to try is definitely fun. You might automatically reach for the largest bottle because it has the best price per ounce. But what if you get home and realize you don't really care for this new product? You'll be stuck with a big bottle, and you'll have wasted a lot of money. When sampling something new, you're always best off buying the smallest bottle. If you do like the product, then you can save and buy the big bottle next time.
Mistake #2: Always reaching for the familiar names.
There are some brands that do a lot of heavy advertising, and the goal of that advertising is name recognition. It works. Most people will select a familiar brand when they're in the liquor store. These brands are usually middle-shelf and medium quality. There's nothing wrong with them, per se, but you'll be short-changing yourself if you never branch out and try something else. Take the time to read about other brands you see. Some of them have more interesting stories than the big brands, and their products may be more interesting and nuanced.
Mistake #3: Walking by the pre-mixed drinks.
A few decades ago, this would not have been a mistake. Pre-mixed cocktails and the like were not great when they first started appearing on shelves. They were made with the lowest-quality liquor available. This is not the case anymore, though. You can find pre-mixed drinks and cocktails made with many popular, middle-shelf liquors. If you're short on time or you're traveling to a place where it will be hard to mix cocktails, definitely look for a good pre-mixed bottle. Plus, buying a bottle of pre-mixed margarita will often cost less than separately buying tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and simple syrup.
When it comes down to it, which liquors are worth purchasing is a matter of opinion. However, almost everyone can benefit from avoiding the mistakes above when visiting a liquor store. Keep them in mind the next time you shop.
To learn more, contact a local liquor store.
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