What are your top five brands of alcohol (for mixed drinks or straight)

Skyy Vodka (for mixing or drinking)

Captain Morgan Rum (can’t beat a classic, especially w/ Coke)

Bombay Sapphire Gin (yum, come to me Tom Collins)

Bacardi (can’t beat the standard when you need a white rum for mixing)

Seagrams Gin (when I don’t have the cash for Bombay)

Vodka- Grey Goose or Belvedere
Gin- Tanquerey 10 or Bombay Sapphire
Tequila- Patron
Whisky- Johnnie Walker Blue
Rum- Bacardi 151 (white) Captain (I forget what it’s called but there’s a dark I love) Meyers, or Cruzan.
There’s always something better if you want to spend a lot of money. These are brands that are readily available and reasonably priced.

Plymouth Gin.

Laphroaig cask strength.

I said Johnnie Blue but if you’re going to mix it I would use black instead.

@elijahsuicide if you’re going to mix a whiskey drink any blended whiskey will do… otherwise i’d invest in a nice single malt… The Dalmore and Glenlivet are good affordable choices.
(If you’re into irish whiskey over scotch then you can’t go wrong with Jameson)

Vodka- Stolichnaya
Rum- Meyer’s spiced dark
Tequila- Casa Noble
Whiskey- Crown Royal
Beer- Tsing Tao

My bar staples:
Whiskey: Maker’s Mark bourbon, Rittenhouse rye, Macallan scotch
Gin: Tanqueray
Rum: Cruzan silver, Mount Gay gold, Myers’ dark
Brandy: Germain-Robin
Tequila: Sauza Hornitos
Vodka: not interested

Whiskey- definitely Maker’s Mark
Gin- Beefeater
Vodka- Grey Goose or Belvedere (they’re the same to me Kettle One is also acceptable)
Tequila- Patron
Rum- Captain

Bourbon: Old Fitzgerald for mixing, Maker’s as sippin’ whiskey
Scotch: McCallan, or Dewars white label (really better than you’d think for a blended)
Vodka: Finlandia
Rum: Captain
Gin: Tanqueray
Tequila: don’t drink it

My typical go-tos are: Jameson, Goldschlager, Grey Goose, Jager, Captain, & ‘Shine (when available).

Whiskey: Jameson or Maker’s Mark
Vodka: Stoli, Grey Goose, or Absolut
Tequila: Patron if I can afford it, Jose Cuervo otherwise
Rum: Bacardi
Gin: Tanqueray, or Seagram’s if my budget is limited
Beer: Blue Moon or Fat Tire
Wine and Champagne is a whole different story.
I also have a particular penchant for Peach Schnapps (Hiram usually), flavored Absolut, Bailey’s, DiSarrono, Jaeger, and Mike’s Hard Lemonade (sooooo refreshing!)

I guess my ‘top five’ would be:
Jameson
Baileys (especially mixed with Jameson!)
Tanqueray
Absolut
Jaeger/Mike’s Hard tie

Glenfiddich
Glenmorangie
Glengoyne
Glenrothes
Glentauchers

Several Whiskeys—
Irish—Tullamore Dew
Scotch—Glenlivet 15 yr
Kentucky—Jack Daniels
Tequila—Patron or Sauza; Cuervo Gold is okay. (I’m not sure if tequila is technically considered a whisk(e)y, but who cares?}

If I’m going to mix, a less expensive brand is acceptable, but if I’m going to sip or shoot, I go for the flavor. However, by the 3rd or 4th shooter, it really doesn’t matter…

Jack Daniels is a Tennessee whiskey (sour mash).

Kentucky = bourbon :)

Tequila is probably closer to a brandy than anything is… but it’s certainly its own creature.

Jack Daniels, al-Zahlawi Arak, Campari. All excellent straight up…
For mixing with a twist: try the Campari with grapefruit (instead of orange) juice, with a slice of lemon, with a sprig of mint…
Arak – the middle eastern ouzo (pastis, etc.) is good on ice, with cold water, or with anything you can think of that goes with its anise flavor. It’s clear when straight up – turns milky when water or ice are added. Aids digestion, and is best after a meal or with a light snack, on a hot, hot day…

@zen you like the Glen’s I see