Dry January Is (Finally) Over. Here’s What to Restock the Bar With

A 9-year age statement on a $30 or so bottle of 100 proof bourbon that’s available every state. On stats alone, Knob Creek’s Small Batch Bourbon is the paragon of value bourbon. Thankfully, it’s absolutely delicious, too. Drink it neat, on the rocks or mixed. 

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof doesn’t try to be one of the cool bourbons, it just is. It’s released a few times a year, it’s among the best regularly released bourbons in the world and it is — in most cases — available for around $65. A single sniff of a glass of this stuff and you’ll understand. 

The best cheap bourbon doesn’t taste cheap at all. Made at the legendary Heaven Hill Distillery, Evan Williams Black Label is one of the most popular whiskeys in the world for good reason.

Lagavulin’s 16-year-old scotch is an absolute crowd pleaser. It’s peaty, smoky and savory, like every good Islay scotch should be. Not an Islay fan? This juice might actually win you over.

This multi-award-winning spirit is the ultimate giftable scotch — for yourself or for others. While Highland Park makes a number of expressions, it’s this bottle that should be your go-to.

At $52, this is far from a cheap bottle of scotch, but what you get out of the juice makes the price an excellent value. It’s aged in bourbon casks, which gives the whisky a slight sweetness for those who prefer bourbon to scotch.

One of the few rye whiskies to hold an age statement, Russell’s Reserve’s 6-year greatly benefits from some aging. It has a good bite to it, and you won’t mind sipping it or mixing with it.

WhistlePig’s 10-year-old rye whiskey is made with a 100-percent rye mashbill. It’s warm and spicy, with a hint of butterscotch sweetness. It’s initially aged in Canada before being finished in Vermont — a point of contention for some rye drinkers.

An easy bottle of rye to transition to from bourbon, this rye whiskey is just a tad spicier than its sweeter counterpart. It’s super cheap, which somehow makes the juice inside taste even better.

You can find Espolòn Blanco almost anywhere, and unlike some cheap tequila, its ubiquity and moderately low price don’t mean it’s bad. In reality, its Blanco is one of the smoothest tequilas you can drink, and it’s made clean and pure unlike the cheaper stuff.

For a tequila unlike those you used to take shots of in college, grab Siete Leguas Blanco. It’s made like mezcal, so it packs a boatload of flavors you may not typically associate with tequila. It’s a bit pricey, so we wouldn’t recommend it as a mixing spirit.

You’ll rarely find a reposado this cheap. It’s spicy, floral and vegetal, with a decent finish. A good amount of aging in American White Oak barrels gives it a nice vanilla and oak taste for those who want something other than whiskey for once.

Reyka’s vodka is sourced from Iceland, and its proximity to volcanoes produces an exceptionally clean and smooth spirit that puts that stuff you drank in college to shame. Lava rocks ensure the vodka is purified and the glacial spring water produces a drink that’s bright, citrus-like and somewhat vegetal.

For those who can’t imagine drinking vodka for fun, Polugar is the ultimate sipping drink. This Poland-made spirit is made of rye, so if you like rye whiskey, you’re sure to be a fan of this spicy-sweet drink.

This is, shockingly, a very good vodka for a very low price. The 100-percent rye spirit costs less than $20 for a liter bottle, and compared to comparable vodkas in that price range, Wodka is far superior. It’s spicy, a little sweet and a whole lot of flavor.

The Botanist is everything a gin should be — juniper-forward, but not overpowered by it — and it clocks in at a reasonable price point for the quality. Sip it neat or mix it in your favorite gin-based cocktail, because no matter what you do with it, this is a damn good gin. 

When you’re tired of scotch, reach for a bottle of Monkey 47. The gin completely flips the saying that less is more. Because with 47 botanicals, there’s always a different flavor to discern in this highly sippable gin.

Don’t let the low price fool you. Gordon’s London Dry Gin is the perfect bottle for your cocktail needs. If you’re lucky, you might find it for just $10, but you’ll rarely find something this good and versatile for this cheap.

This five-year-old rum is aged in both bourbon barrels and French oak, both of which give the spirit a deep vanilla flavor, accented by toasted coconut and citrus peel. It’s not as cheap as the stuff you drank in college, but that’s kind of the whole point.

Bourbon has its Pappy, and rum has its Foursquare. Much like its whiskey counterpart, Foursquare is the end all be all of its category. A pot and column still blend are aged separately in ex-bourbon barrels for 12 years before they’re blended in the bottle. Unlike Pappy, Foursquare doesn’t cost a month (or more) of rent.

Light in age and easy on your wallet, Cruzan makes a rum that’ll satisfy your rum craving. It’s aged in oak for up to four years, then lightly filtered, which removes its woody color but retains its mild vanilla flavor.