What are the best gin cocktails to make?
The best gin cocktails are the ones that let the gin do the work, not hide it. Our short list: the Gimlet for sharp simplicity, the Classic Gin Martini for the honest test of any gin, the Bee's Knees for warmth, the Tom Collins for a long pour on a hot day, and the NW Bespoke Bliss for a house original that has won people over since the night a bartender and chef friend invented it at our counter. Eighteen gin cocktails on this page are built around Gallon House Gin.
What are the best vodka cocktails to make?
The best vodka cocktails are the ones that ask the vodka to bring something, not just sit there. Our pick: the Cosmopolitan for clean balance, the Vodka Martini for the same honest test we put a gin through, the Bloody Mary for a savory drink that earns the pepper, the Vodka Sour for a textbook sour with body, and the Lemon Drop for the sweet-tart classic that never gets old. Eleven vodka cocktails on this page are built around Silverton Vodka.
What is a good vodka cocktail to make at home?
A good vodka cocktail at home starts with three things: cold ice, fresh citrus, and a vodka with body. The Vodka Martini and the Cosmopolitan are the two we reach for first because both reward a vodka that has weight. After that, the Bloody Mary, the Cape Cod, the Vodka Sour, and the Lemon Drop are the home pours that almost never miss. Silverton Vodka's potato base gives all of these a creamy, long finish that grain vodka cannot match.
What makes a vodka cocktail popular?
Popular vodka cocktails earn their popularity by being easy to drink, easy to make, and easy to remember. The Cosmopolitan is the best example: four ingredients, a martini glass, a story everyone knows. The Bloody Mary is another: built for brunch, infinitely customizable, almost impossible to ruin. The Cape Cod is a third: vodka and cranberry, a wedge of lime, done. The drinks that stay popular are the ones that work the same way at a bar in New York and at a kitchen counter in Oregon.
What gin cocktails should a beginner try first?
A beginner who wants to learn what gin actually tastes like should start with a Gin and Tonic, then a Gimlet, then a proper Gin Martini. Those three drinks teach you, in order, what the botanicals smell like, what the spirit does with citrus, and what gin tastes like with almost nothing in the way. Once those three feel familiar, the Bee's Knees, the Tom Collins, and our NW Bespoke Bliss are the next step into more layered territory.
What's the best orange liqueur for cocktails?
The best orange liqueur for cocktails is one made with real orange peel, balanced sweetness, and enough body to hold up when shaken or stirred with a stronger spirit. Most drinks that call for triple sec or curaçao — Margaritas, Cosmopolitans, Sidecars, White Ladies — get better when you trade the mass-market bottle for a craft orange liqueur. We make Üla Orange Liqueur here in Silverton, Oregon, and sixteen of the twenty-nine cocktails on this page use it. If you want to taste the difference, start with a Margarita: same tequila, same lime, swap the orange liqueur, and the drink changes.
Where can I buy orange liqueur?
In Oregon, the easiest way to find a specific orange liqueur is Oregon Liquor Search, which shows which state liquor stores currently carry it. The better move, though, is to ask at your local Oregon Liquor store — stores can request a bottle for you even if they don't stock it yet, and that ask is what gets small Oregon brands onto the shelf. For our Üla Orange Liqueur, that is the single most helpful thing anyone can do to support the distillery. Ask by name; they will know what to do.
