What brand you should take home? Beefeater London Dry Gin ($18, on average, for a 750mL bottle). Bartenders across the board described it as dry but striking the right balance between citrus and piney juniper notes, which makes it a versatile partner for a wide range of drinks.
Rum, for a Daiquiri
What’s in the well?Overwhelmingly, Plantation 3 Stars. Other brands mentioned by more than one bartender included Appleton White, J Wray, Barton’s, and Flor de Cana 4 Year.
What do customers request?Bacardi, trailed by El Dorado 12 Year and Plantation 3 Stars.
How does top-shelf rum change the drink price? On average, the “well” Daiquiri cost $12, compared to the $13 “call spirit” Daiquiri.
What brand you should take home? Plantation 3 Stars white rum ($20 on average). “This spirit manages to combine both the depth of wood-aging with the freshness of a spirit right off the still,” explains Nicholas Bennett, beverage director at New York’s Porchlight. “Combined with the brightness of some lime juice, it creates a fantastic cocktail.”
Pro tip: You can also use the bottle to make a house blend, as rum haven Blacktail does. Head bartender Will Pasternak says he mixes Plantation 3 Star, Cana Brava 3, Rum Barbancourt, and El Dorado 3 Year “to best replicate the Cuban rums of old.”
Tequila, for a Margarita
What’s in the well?Olmeca Altos Tequila Plata, by a wide margin. Runner-up: Pueblo Viejo.
What do customers request? Casamigos and Don Julio tied for the top spot, followed by Patron and Espolon.
How does top-shelf tequila change the drink price? It makes a big difference, raising the price from $11 on average for a “well” Margarita to $15 on average for a Marg made with a “call” spirit.
What brand you should take home? Olmeca Altos Tequila Plata ($25 on average). “It's got a nice, earthy terroir flavor but has some hints of fruit as well,” notes Harrison Peaks, Head Bartender at the Patterson House in Nashville.