THE ULTIMATE GUIDE: How to Shop Produce for Cocktail Ingredients
“What the hell is Pandan and where do I find it?”
As we all know, quality cocktail ingredients can be expensive, and hard to find! After years of trial and error, buying the wrong things, sourcing and hunting for items to fill up our bar pantry, we decided to make a quick reference guide for most of the ingredients needed for a proper bar setup. In this guide, we’ve included links and pictures of different items to make locating things as easy as possible. Let’s get started!
*This list will be updated from time to time, so check back later for new additions!
PRODUCE
CITRUS - Our M.O. is to find a local ethnic grocery store — either an Asian or Latin grocer that will have fresher and more affordable citrus fruits to buy. If you think about the clientele that shops at these stores, they tend to use more citrus in their cuisine than your typical Publix/Kroger shopper, so the citrus is cycled through more quickly and can be bought at a discount because the store orders so much.
HBN Pro Tip:
Look for citrus that is heavy for its size, as this tends to equate to a lot of juice in the fruit. If you’re looking to flame orange peels, look for oranges that are super firm and tight-skinned, with a bumpy (not smooth!) surface. The tight skin of these oranges will give extra leverage when squeezing over open flame and the tiny bumps are packed with oils that will give you a great show over the top of your cocktail!
CUCUMBER - We recommend English, AKA hot-house cucumbers for their beautiful dark green color and tiny edible seeds. These come wrapped in plastic so you don’t have to worry about peeling away the skin because of a waxy coating. Their delicate flavor is a hit in all types of refreshing cocktails. We also love juicing these cucumbers skin-on so we can retain the vibrant green in whatever cocktail the juice is going in. Most grocery stores will have a large selection of different cucumbers, so be on the lookout for the long, thin, plastic-wrapped English cuke.
HBN Pro Tip:
Slice thin wheels of these cukes and skewer three of them in a row, only slightly offset, for an interesting garnish that has visual depth and can be eaten or dropped in the glass.
GINGER ROOT
Asian grocery stores have a robust supply of fresh ginger for a great price. Look for ginger that is piled high in the open air and not sealed in plastic wrap, as this can mean old, damp, smelly ginger. We select large, straight pieces of ginger that make for easy peeling.
HBN Pro Tip:
Scrape your ginger with a tablespoon over the sink or a trashcan for a quick and safe method to remove skin.
HERBS - Mint / Basil / Sage / Dill / Etc. - STOP, we repeat, STOP buying those tiny expensive plastic containers of herbs at the grocery store! $4-$6 for 2 or 3 stems — what an absolute rip off! Obviously, the best way to save on herbs is to plant them in your own garden, but if that’s not an option, your local hispanic grocery store should have a great selection of cilantro, mint (herba buena), basil, etc. If there’s one you can’t find, try your local asian grocery store for a different selection and some more exotic types!
LAVENDER - Lavender needs its own category because we’re using it dried as opposed to a fresh herb like mint or basil. You’ll want to find bright, fragrant dried lavender flowers for use in syrups, infusions, and garnishes. Spices Inc. has a good price on high quality lavender.
HBN Pro Tip:
Be sure to use Culinary Lavender as it is free of excess pesticides and other impurities often present in lavender you may find at a craft store which is used for soap or potpourri, etc.
LEMONGRASS - Bright, citrusy, cooling, with a hint of ginger, lemongrass is simply amazing in summer cocktails. You’ll want to head on down to the local asian grocery store and find the firmest, greenest stalks you can.
HBN Pro Tip:
Bruise the lemongrass up and down the stalk with the back of a large knife to break it up, then peel off the outer layer. The inner, softer layer you’ll want to dice up for use in syrups and infusions.
PANDAN
Pandan is a popular Southeast Asian leaf used to impart vanilla/coconut flavors to food and drink. Its vibrant green color can provide a cool tint to many cocktails and give your syrups an exciting new flavor that is similar but different to and more affordable than vanilla. Look to your local Asian grocery store for fresh pandan leaves that aren’t frozen or brown. Additionally, pandan powder can be found online here.
SPICES
CARDAMOM - Cardamom can add an interesting exotic note to syrups, infusions, and spirits when used in small amounts. It’s a unique flavor that can overtake others so use it sparingly and in its whole pod form. Whole pods can be found at most specialty grocers or at Spices Inc.
CINNAMON - There are two main types of Cinnamon you’ll encounter: Ceylon and Cassia. Ceylon is the one more prized by cooks and gourmands because of its delicate, floral flavor. Cassia has the punchy, big, Red Hot flavor most Americans are familiar with. Depending on what level of cinnamon flavor you want in your cocktail, you may choose to reach for either type. You’ll find Latin grocery stores will stock Ceylon cinnamon as “Canela”. If you’re looking for Cassia, simply roll into your local big box store and grab whatever cinnamon they stock — it’s likely to be the punchy, spicy variety we all grew up with. Here’s some Ceylon online.
HBN Pro Tip:
For infusions, it’s best to use cinnamon sticks, which can be removed easily and sometimes used again. If you’re in a hurry to make some cinnamon syrup for guests arriving that day, powdered cinnamon may be your best bet but amount and flavor may be harder to gauge. Remember: using powder also means fine-straining, so make sure you have coffee filters or a super bag handy!
CLOVE - Whole dried cloves make for an unbeatable cozy aroma in fall and winter cocktails. Luckily, they’re readily available at most grocery stores but can also be found for a great price on Amazon.
HBN Pro Tip:
Lightly toast your cloves in a dry pan before infusing or steeping to bring out the most flavor.
CORIANDER SEED - Coriander imparts a floral, citrusy note to anything you use it with. We love adding a touch of coriander to orange syrups for a light sweetness that pumps up the refreshment factor in spring and summer cocktails. You can find the small amount of coriander you’ll need in most grocery stores for around six bucks. If not, Amazon has some for a good price.
HBN Pro Tip:
Make sure you’re buying whole coriander seeds and not ground coriander as it can be easy to overestimate and over flavor.
VANILLA BEAN - Vanilla beans can be expensive and hard to locate, so we typically try a specialty grocer like Whole Foods. Online, we love the beans from Vanilla Bean Kings. You can always use a high quality vanilla extract if you’re in a pinch, but you won’t get the robust, round flavor that whole vanilla beans offer. Look for Grade A beans if you can afford them, as they’ll give you the highest quality of that delicious vanilla flavor.
HBN Pro Tip:
When steeping vanilla beans in simple or rich syrup to make vanilla syrup, slice vanilla beans down the center to expose the paste inside, which contains all the goodness.
SALTS
MALDON
We love using this famous finishing salt in our cocktails because of its delicate, savory flavor. We make our Mineral Saline—used for adding drops of salinity to cocktails—solution using Maldon so we make sure it’s always on hand. Pick some up on Amazon or at your local Whole Foods.
FYI - we go through a lot of this stuff, for cooking and cocktails, so we buy the 20oz tub.
HBN Pro Tip:
To whip up a Mineral Saline solution, combine 4 parts still mineral water to 1 part Maldon salt (the easiest way to measure this out is with a digital coffee scale). Heat until dissolved, trying not to bring to a boil, just stir until you don’t see any more crystals. Store in a dropper bottle and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.
SMOKED ALDERWOOD - This is our favorite salt to use for smoky applications. A small pinch goes a long way in a shaken drink, or it can be used to rim a margarita or lime wheel. We typically buy it at The Fresh Market but it can be found on Amazon as well.
COCONUT LIME - Another find from The Fresh Market is the star of the show in our Island Boy cocktail. This salt adds a tropical flair to any drink and just smells like the beach. It’s amazing.
REDMOND REAL SALT - Supposedly the healthiest salt you can buy, Redmond is a super fine grain salt that mimics your classic salt flavor without all the additives like anti-caking agents and dextrose. This stuff should be in every kitchen for cooking anyway, so pick some up!
SPECIALTY ITEMS
BITTERS
ANGOSTURA AROMATIC -
The king of all bitters that every single bar in the world has to have, ‘Ango’ as it’s known colloquially, are the bitters you’ll use in everything from a Manhattan, to an Old Fashioned, to a Trinidad Sour. These bitters are a hangover cure (soda water, Ango, lime squeeze), and a popular cooking item in the Caribbean in soups, cereals and stews.
You’ll know it when you see it — the bottle with the oversized white label and bright yellow top. Angostura is found at nearly every liquor store or grocery store you can think of. The smaller bottles are easier to handle, so go for the 4oz for home use.
HBN Pro Tip:
When using bitters, flip the bottle upside down with force and apply it to your cocktail shaker or mixing glass as you would hot sauce — don’t let it dribble out. A true dash only comes out when the bottle is moved back and forth in a vertical motion.
REGAN’S ORANGE - Orange bitters are found in many classic cocktails and are a staple ingredient to have in most bars. These bitters add a dash (pun intended) of citrusy, floral brightness to any cocktail and can pump up orange flavor notes in margaritas and old fashioneds. Most liquor stores will have a variation of Orange Bitters but Regan’s is our favorite and is available online.
PEYCHAUD’S - For a little complexity, a little herbal, medicinal lift to your cocktail, you’ll want to reach for Peychaud’s Aromatic Bitters. These bitters have been around since the mid 1800s and command a spot in any serious bar. Available online or at most liquor stores.
GUMS / POWDERS
GUM ARABIC - Gum Arabic is used as a thickening agent for cocktail syrups and will also prevent crystallization and lengthen shelf life. We add it in very small amounts to our Rich Demerara Syrup which in turn gives cocktails a thicker, silkier mouthfeel. It’s tricky to locate in person so here’s a link to one we like.
BUTTERFLY PEA FLOWER / BLUE MATCHA -
The magic powder you’ll want if you’re looking to color change your cocktail from pink to blue, or change citrus juices from yellow-green to pink.
We use this powder to pump up the purple notes in our lavender syrup without changing the flavor or using anything artificial. Hard to find in stores, better look online.
FLOWERS
DRIED ROSE BUDS - Floating a few rose buds atop a foamy cocktail is a beautiful look. They can also be sprinkled around a dining arrangement or dessert area for a pop of color. Rose buds also will impart flavor and color if steeped in a syrup or spirit. Here are some food-grade rose buds online. If you want some more color, here’s a spring blend of dried edible flowers you can use in a similar way.
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