Desert-island spirits (but for your home bar)

I’m a firm believer that good things come in threes, like McGrath, Warne and Lee, the Lord of the Rings trilogy and KFC’s three-piece feed. The Margarita, Spritz and Negroni all boast just three ingredients, and we have a whole section dedicated to three- ingredient cocktails in The Dan’s Cocktail Book (available in all Dan’s stores and online).

The ‘power of three’ doesn’t stop there, though. What if I told you that your home bar only really needs three great bottles? The holy trinity of home bartending. The strong, sweet and bitter. “Blasphemy!” you’ll say. “It can’t be done!” they’ll cry. “You’re out of your mind!”. Well, I’m also a firm believer in ‘less is more’ and drinking quality over quantity. Plus, decluttering is one of my (three) New Year’s resolutions.

If there’s just one bottle I could have, my desert-island spirit, my make or break, it would be tequila. Rich in history, flavour and endless great drinks, good tequila is an essential.

Tequila is made from the agave plant, with the majority of production taking place in Mexico’s Jalisco, around Guadalajara. There are three main types of tequila – blanco, reposado and añejo – which describe how long tequila has spent interacting with oak. Blanco is pure agave – bright, vegetal and peppery – while reposado and añejo spend more time on oak, so they slowly lose these agave qualities.

What's strong without the sweet? We’re talking liqueurs – the wild and wacky category that encompasses everything from Midori to Bailey’s. 

When thinking of the one liqueur to rule them all, keep it simple and classic. Fruit based will generally be more versatile than anything creamy or nutty, and, as a rule, avoid the blues and greens. Orange curacao, elderflower and apricot brandy all work well in this space, but for my money? It has to be limoncello. 

This bright and balanced liqueur originates in Italy and is made by macerating lemon zest in spirit, and then sweetening it with sugar. The lemon oils help soften the candied sweetness, giving a sherbet quality to the liquid, making this a killer ingredient for cocktails. 

To round out our three amigos, we have bitter, or rather, amari. This beautiful category of herbal delights hails from the Italian hills and shores, and they drink as good as they look. 

From iconic Aperol, stylish Campari and fan-favourite Montenegro, there’s something for everyone in the amaro category. Made by infusing secret herbs and spices into a spirit, and sweetening it with a spoonful of sugar, it’s perfectly suited for the dining occasion, and we can thank amaro for many of our favourite cocktails coming out of Italian aperitivo culture.