Blog | Essential Cocktails Spirits To Stock for Your Luxury Yacht Charter

Unless you’re whipping up a Manhattan or any other spirit-forward drink, it would normally be sacrilege to mix up sipping spirits with cocktail ones. Here’s a selection of versatile distilled spirits that every yacht liquor cabinet should have for the much-awaited cocktail hour. Plus, they’re easy recipes with minimal ingredients and absolutely no muddling involved. Whatever you do, don’t let the Redbreast 27 anywhere near a shaker.

Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin 

While yes, Hendrick’s tends to be a cabinet staple, those strong cucumber notes aren’t for everyone. If you’re part of that group, ever-expanding realms of botanicals are ready to welcome you. Monkey 47 is made with plants from Germany’s Black Forest and joined the Pernod Ricard umbrella in 2016. It boasts 47 handpicked ingredients – including its signature lingonberries – that you’ll want to speak in your cocktail of choice. Try a Tom Collins (i.e. non-virgin lemonade) or substitute the gin with bourbon and you have yourself a John Collins! Celebrating a special moment? The French 75 rarely disappoints. 

 

Tom Collins 2 oz. dry gin 1 oz. fresh lemon juice 0.5 oz. simple syrup Club soda  Garnish: Lemon wedge, maraschino cherry   Shake ingredients with ice. Serve strained on the rocks and top with club soda in a Collins glass.

French 75 1 oz. gin 0.5 oz. fresh lemon juice 0.5 oz. simple syrup 3 oz. Champagne  Garnish: Lemon twist Shake ingredients with ice, serve in a flute glass (or over ice in a Collins glass) and top with Champagne.

 

WhistlePig Rye 10 Year

Created by the late Dave Pickerell, former master distiller at Maker’s Mark, WhistlePig Rye 10 Year stands rather well on its own, but its oakey sweetness makes excellent, thirst-quenching cocktails – including Boulevardiers. Want to indulge in even more decadent sweetness? Grab your syrup from the breakfast pantry and give the Maple Old Fashioned a whirl. 

 

Maple Old Fashioned 1.5 oz. 100% Rye 0.25 oz. maple syrup  3 dashes Angostura or maple bitters Club soda Garnish: Orange peel Shake all ingredients with ice and serve strained on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass. Top with club soda.

 

Fortaleza Tequila Blanco

Earthy in flavor, the Fortaleza Tequila Blanco boasts aromas of fresh citrus and rich roasted agave. The award-winning Blanco is made by the fifth generation of the Sauza family in Tequila, Jalisco, using fully mature Blue Weber Agave in artisanal processes. Out of Cointreau for your margaritas? The no-frills Paloma tends to be a crowd-pleasing alternative. And if you have absolutely no mixers on hand, rest assured that Fortaleza Tequila Blanco is a fine choice for sipping.

 

Paloma 2 oz. blanco tequila 2 oz. grapefruit juice 2 oz. club soda 0.5 oz. fresh lime juice Garnish: Lime/grapefruit wedge, salt rim  Shake ingredients with ice and serve strained on the rocks. Top with club soda in a salt-rimmed Collins glass.

 

Goslings Black Seal Rum 

The Dark ’n Stormy is the 26th North Yachts drink of choice, so we’ll only be recommending the Goslings Black Seal Rum and its strong molasses notes. If you’re looking to play things up, try the Sea B3 by Death & Co – an East Village cocktail institution. 

 

Dark ’n Stormy 2 oz. Goslings Black Seal Rum  0.5 oz. fresh lime juice  3 oz. ginger beer Garnish: Lime wedge Shake ingredients with ice. Serve strained on the rocks in a Collins glass and top with ginger beer.

Sea B3 2 oz. Goslings Black Seal Rum 0.5 oz. fresh lemon juice  0.5 oz. fresh orange juice  0.5 oz. grenadine Shake all ingredients with ice and serve strained in a coupe glass.