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r/weddingplanning•
_cool_beans_

[Help] Any suggestions for hard liquor brands? (vodka, bourbon, tequila)

Hey weddit, I could use your help. My fiance and I aren't big liquor drinkers, and we're working on our bar plan. We are allowed to bring outside alcohol, which is awesome. But we have no idea which labels are reasonably affordable yet not disgusting.

We're doing classic margaritas, Kentucky mules, and will have some vodka on hand with mixers as well. Anyone have any recommendations for a vodka, bourbon, and tequila that are palatable and won't break the bank?

Posted Feb 2, 2017, 3:33 PM UTC

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petixangApril 29, 2017 SoCal Bride - NorCal Wedding•

I've actually heard the Kirkland vodka from Costco is really good. Also Titos. If it's just mixed drinks you can get away with Cuervo for tequila. If people are sipping/shots Cazadores or Patron.

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RescueHasProblems•

I was going to say, I've heard that Kirkland (Costco) hard liquors are actually big brand ones just repackaged (just like how Kirkland Coffee is actually Starbucks). Plus their prices are great.

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calberkeleygirl•

Yea. There's a Kirkland vodka that is actually grey goose, I believe their tequila is 1800. FH and I always get our liquor from there. And sometimes, if we're feeling fancy, refilling nicer brand name bottles with them!

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TourmalineTartMarch 2018 ♥ Austin, TX•

I second this. I went to a tasking 2 weekends ago, and thought at first I could tell the difference between Grey Goose and the Kirkland. I mean I was confident, I knew which one was better, and thought it was the Grey Goose.

Nope! The Kirkland one was great and I preferred it to the actual Grey Goose! They're not allowed to admit their distiller, but rumor has it it may actually be Grey Goose.

And it is so inexpensive !! That's our vodka choice for sure.

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_cool_beans_OP3.18.17 | Philly•

This is amazing to know about Costco brands. Thank you, I never would have thought of them!!

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TourmalineTartMarch 2018 ♥ Austin, TX•

I second this. The Vodka is especially good.

We've got some fancy liquor bottles to use so we don't look like super cheapskates, lol. But that doesn't really matter.

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double_helix8711.04.17 - Indianapolis•

Costco does get major brands to bottle their liquors under a private label, but this doesn't mean you're getting top- or even mid-shelf stuff. I love most Kirkland products, but I'd consider buying the brand name liquor instead.

We bought their tequila and bourbon for a big party one time. The tequila was fine for mixing very sweet drinks (think packaged margarita mix) but it was so strong it wasn't great for much else. My roommate at the time and I are big bourbon drinkers (we lived in Louisville) but neither of us could stomach that. It was so awful that we, as broke grad students, finally just poured it down the drain after it sat around for a year.

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IHateTomatoesGroom - 3.3.18 - Los Angeles•

Maybe just use Kirkland for the Vodka then

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Justcantstandit•

My dad is a big vodka drinker and he stands by Tito's vodka. Hands down his favorite.

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_cool_beans_OP3.18.17 | Philly•

Awesome thanks! I just talked with my dad (he's kindly providing our alcohol) and turns out Tito's is his standard too. We're gonna go with that for vodka.

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527175.27.17 not-chicago, IL•

I was a hardcore Tito's fan, but found that New Amsterdam is pretty great - and cheaper! Perhaps it depends on what you're making with it, but I much prefer NA in moscow mules now. Two cents. :)

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_cool_beans_OP3.18.17 | Philly•

Will add that to the list of possibilities, thanks :)

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lawna_lovegood•

So your standard midlevel liquor selection for most bars is generally Smirnoff, Bacardi, Beefeater, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Sauza, and Seagrams VO.

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umishiJune 23, 2017 | Austin, TX•

My favorite bourbon for mixing is Maker's Mark and for vodka, I go with Deep Eddy. Many people like Bulleit but I don't. The folks at Total Wine can give you great recommendations too!

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_cool_beans_OP3.18.17 | Philly•

Maker's Mark has gotten a few votes, so it looks like a good option. Thanks for the suggestion!

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momolizaMarried! | Austin, TX•

We used Alteño Silver for our margaritas! It's not the best on its own, but was fantastic mixed. It seems to have gone up some in price since our wedding, but is what was recommended to us by our local liquor store. Continued to use the leftovers well after the wedding.

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nachtkaese5.20.2017 | New England•

Seconding Maker's Mark as a great all-around bourbon - that's what we're planning on buying. And I'm of the opinion that as long as the vodka you're buying comes in a glass rather than plastic bottle, it'll be just fine. The best thing you can say about decent vodka is that it doesn't taste like anything - as long as you're not slinging handles of Aristocrat (oh, college...), your vodka-tonic drinkers will be happy.

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_cool_beans_OP3.18.17 | Philly•

Oh yeah, I'll avoid our college vodka of choice. We used to grab a good old handle of Vlad's for like $10 (it was SO GROSS). I think it's why I hate vodka to this day.

Maker's Mark sounds like a good fit, thanks!

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nachtkaese5.20.2017 | New England•

ha ha ha yeah me too. We used to throw parties with handles of 'crat and a selection of store-brand fruit sodas from Harris Teeter as mixers...classy!

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double_helix8711.04.17 - Indianapolis•

Buffalo Trace, Old Forester, and Bulleit (in that order) for cheaper bourbons that are great quality. Stay away from Evan Williams and Jim Beam. I saw others are suggesting Maker's, but I personally it's not the best call if you have other options. MM is very overrated and thus overpriced for its taste and quality. For comparably priced bourbons, you cannot go wrong with Woodford. Basil Hayden is another good one around that price.

FWIW, just spent the last 4 years in Louisville developing my bourbon palette-- I mean, in grad school ;-)

Also! There is this tequila called "Correlejo" (I think) that is the best tequila I have ever had. It is so smooth you won't believe that it's actually tequila! It's in a slim, blue bottle and runs about $30. Idk your budget, but it's so worth it if you guys can afford it.

Edit: re-read and saw your doing mules. Go with Old Forester since it'll save you ~$5/btl in PA (yay overpriced state stores!). It may be worth it for you guys to head down to Delaware where there's a Costco that sells liquor AND no liquor tax!

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_cool_beans_OP3.18.17 | Philly•

Oh yeah, I've been price shopping and Delaware would definitely be the best option. Unfortunately we're planning our wedding while living in the Midwest, and my dad lives on Long Island (you don't even want to know the liquor prices there... it's horrifying!). So we're still brainstorming the best way to get the goods.

Thanks for your suggestions! I'll look into these :)

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double_helix8711.04.17 - Indianapolis•

We're the exact opposite: living in eastern PA planning a Midwest wedding. Good luck figuring all those logistics out. Planning out of state is tough!

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merekaattSpring 2018•

Titos for vodka or Enchanted Rock! Both are from Texas! I personally prefer Enchanted Rock and it is slightly cheaper. If you want flavored vodka for a good price, Deep Eddy Ruby Red is great! It mixes well with just about everything, but I like to drink it with water and a lime! A cheap tequila that is good for mixed drinks and goes down smooth for shots is Camarena, it's typically what I go for when I buy tequila. Makers Mark and TX whiskey are great choices as well!

Clearly, I'm from Texas haha but I do bartend so I have a little bit of knowledge other than just what I prefer! Hope it helped a little!

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AustriaOstrichSeptember 2016 | Massachusetts•

Pinnacle vodka is a good, but inexpensive brand. It is rumored to come from the same factory as Grey Goose, which is much more expensive. Tito's Handmade Vodka is also good.

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softestfruitMarried! USA & Philippines•

I think since you're using them as mixers, just get whatever is cheapest. Trader Joe's has good generics of basic liquors.

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aimr0806Married! | 06.25.16•

An alternative to Tito's vodka is Sobieski. Tastes like Tito's, consistently wins awards, and is significantly cheaper than Tito's. Tito's pricing has skyrocketed in the last few years. We used Sobieski for our wedding, and it's our go-to at home now, too.

For bourbon, my husband and best man did a bourbon tasting and just picked one that worked the best with the signature "bourbon" drink, and they went with Evan Williams (it was a mixed drink). If you're doing a mixed drink, hubby recommends getting a few small bottles, doing a blind tasting and picking based off that. If you're anticipating folks to drink neat, then that may change things.

For tequila, we used Camarena. We don't have a ton of tequila drinkers, but it was reasonably priced and highly rated.

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RSuave6.24.17 | Philadelphia•

If you want to go the local route: Philadelphia Distilling, Rowhouse Spirits and Federal Distilling are some good mid shelf options

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