It's no secret that there are so many different kinds of liquor that it can be tough to know
what you're getting, even after you've spent way too much time stressing over the decision.
These are the liquors you should definitely be drinking, and the ones you should ban from
your liquor cabinet for good.
Don't bother drinking: Rebel Yell
Rebel Yell is a cheap, bottom-shelf sort of bourbon that's popular among the college crowd.
But, while some of your college favorites might be worth revisiting, this one isn't.
There's a catch here, too.
You might see this one at the liquor store and think that it looks a bit different from
what you remember, and you'd be right.
Rebel Yell was given a makeover in 2015, and its olde-timey Western labels were replaced
with something that makes it look like it's some kind of artisanal, craft whiskey.
The change was just on the surface, though, and the recipe remained exactly the same.
It's still unbearably sweet, not to mention rough enough to kick you right in the gag
reflex.
Avoid at all costs.
Do drink: Old Fitzgerald
There's a lot to be said for pouring yourself a little something after a long day, and if
you're looking for something that won't make you cringe when you see the price tag, check
out Old Fitzgerald.
It was originally made in the 1870s as sort of an exclusive, premium bourbon, and it actually
survived prohibition by getting a medicinal distilling permit.
The recipe has changed since then, but it's still exactly what the doctor ordered.
Pick up a bottle of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, and you'll get a decent bottle for
bottom-shelf prices.
There's a little bit of honey flavor, a little vanilla, and a lot of oak.
There's none of the harshness that you might expect from something in that price range,
either, and that all makes this one a great choice to keep on a shelf in your kitchen.
Don't bother drinking: Grey Goose
Grey Goose is routinely touted as being among the best vodkas you can buy, and that's reflected
in the price.
It's the bottle you turn up with when you want to impress.
Well, we hate to break it to you, but you might as well be throwing your money away.
Not only are you spending way too much on a bottle of vodka, but Grey Goose regularly
fails taste tests when it's put up against other, cheaper vodkas.
Refinery29 put Grey Goose up against Titos and Smirnoff in a blind taste test, and Grey
Goose was voted as tasting the cheapest.
The Telegraph did a blind taste test with 10 different vodkas, and Grey Goose came in
at number nine, well below bottles that cost a third of the price.
And Under the Label had Grey Goose go head to head with Kirkland's Signature Vodka, which
is the generic store brand of vodka for Costco, and Costco won.
So, don't bother reaching to the top shelf for Grey Goose, because you can find something
better for a fraction of the price.
Do drink: Pinnacle Vodkas
Chances are you know somebody who just loves flavored vodkas.
There's no reason to drop a huge amount of money on the tasty stuff, though, not when
France's Pinnacle vodka has a top-shelf quality for bottom-shelf prices.
Even their unflavored vodka is respectable, they took home top honors at the 2013 International
Wine & Spirit Competition.
It's definitely good enough to add it to any mixer you want and it won't be harsh or overpowering…
and those flavors!
Pinnacle offers a huge variety of flavors, from strawberry and cranapple for the fruit
lovers to habanero for those who like their bloody marys extra picante.
Why pay three or four times the price for high-end vodka when you have a perfectly respectable
option at a low price point?
Don't bother drinking: Jose Cuervo Especial
Anyone who's ever had a bad experience with tequila has probably had it with Jose Cuervo
Especial.
It's cheap, and it's the stuff of a 20-somethings' Friday nights and skeevy frat parties.
You might already have some uneasy feelings about this one, and not only can you blame
it for the worst hangover you've ever had, but also for straight-up giving you the wrong
idea about tequila.
Here's why.
Jose Cuervo Especial is what's called mixto, and that means only 51 percent of the alcohol
content actually comes from agave.
In good tequila, that jumps to 100 percent, and there are tequilas in the Jose Cuervo
family that do have 100 percent agave alcohol… just not this one.
Jose Cuervo Especial is labeled as being tequila because it technically is… but only on a
technicality.
Give this one a miss, and pick up a bottle of the real stuff: you'll know it because
it'll proudly declare it's 100 percent agave right on the label.
"Tequila!"
Do drink: Del Maguey
Picking out a good tequila or mezcal can be intimidating, especially given how many people
seem to have a hate-hate relationship with this particular liquor.
But if you want to try something you know is going to have a positive impact on people
and be super-sustainable, Del Maguey is the way to go.
Del Maguey is made with the help of 12 villages in the Oaxaca region of Mexico.
When founder Ron Cooper set up the roots of Del Maguey in 1996, he chose to work with
villages that were growing semi-wild, semi-cultivated plants rather than sourcing materials from
artificially cultivated plantations.
They're implementing management strategies they hope will leave a positive impact on
the environment, they've also invested heavily in renewable energy, water accessibility projects,
and education projects for their employees' families.
That makes this a good choice for anyone who wants to be environmentally conscious in their
choice of liquor.