![\"well](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/well-curated-bar-300x200.jpg\")
<\/div>\nWhat\u2019s much harder, I think, is to put together a menu that artfully mixes high and low. That requires knowledge, confidence, and a no small degree of flair.<\/p>\n
I was reminded of this the other night as I scanned the cocktail list at Osteria Vibrato<\/a>, a fashionable new \u2018old-style\u2019 Italian in London\u2019s<\/a> Soho. There\u2019s huge attention to detail at this restaurant, from the handmade pasta and the tip-top terrazzo flooring by Diespeker & Co to the choice of olive oils. Many of the wines come from co-owner Charlie Mellor\u2019s own cellar, and the art is from trendy Soho gallerist Cedric Bardawil.<\/p>\n The Italianate cocktail list is also particular \u2013\u00a0highlights include secret handshake pours like the hard-to-find Vergano<\/a> vermouth. But mixed in among are household names such as Beefeater<\/a> gin. I can think of plenty of bartenders who\u2019d deem a $27) brand like Beefeater too mainstream to put on their list. But to me, it simply proved that I was in the presence of someone who really knew what they were doing.<\/p>\n Because Beefeater gin is excellent. It makes a smashing G&T. And its crisp, citrus-forward style also works very well in a Martini. The fact it\u2019s not a \u2018luxury\u2019 product just makes me love it more. It\u2019s a classic, a benchmark recipe by which all other London Dry gins are still judged (the other is the drier and spicier Tanqueray).<\/p>\n It got me thinking: which other brands would I have in my sub-\u00a330 (approx. $40) drinks cabinet? (And if I could get those bottles under \u00a325 (approx. $33), even better).<\/p>\n My go-to for Daiquiris and Mojitos (regardless of price) would be Havana Club 3yo<\/a>. Pale gold, with subtle notes of honey, vanilla, and medicinal herbs, it epitomizes the light, dry style that Cuba pioneered over a century ago. And if you spend a night in Havana, you\u2019ll still see it (and its deeper, darker sibling Havana 7yo) everywhere.<\/p>\n For rum drinks that require something weightier, I\u2019d go for Appleton Estate Signature<\/a> which marries sticky ginger cake, stone fruit, and a touch of that tropical funk that Jamaica is famous for. Great in punches, Mai Tais, and slow-stirred Old Fashioned-style cocktails, or simply sipped neat, with ice. \u00a0<\/p>\n Ketel One<\/a> vodka is very decent \u2013\u00a0fresh and polished without being flash. I also like the fact that this Dutch brand is still family-owned.<\/p>\n The most expensive tequilas, in my experience, are often the blandest. If you want to actually taste<\/em> the agave, then the much more affordable Tapatio Blanco<\/a> is a smart buy \u2013\u00a0fresh and slightly peppery with a nice green crunch. Just a shade more expensive is Ocho<\/a>, which is made by the same family (both of these are 50cl, so I\u2019m very slightly here). \u00a0<\/p>\n When it comes to American whiskey, Buffalo Trace Bourbon<\/a> is a great bang for your buck. I know I\u2019ve mentioned it here before but every time I use it \u2013\u00a0which is a lot \u2013\u00a0I\u2019m amazed what great value it is. It makes a cracking Manhattan.<\/p>\n If I was after Scotch whisky, then I\u2019d probably go for a blend (single malts get the airtime, but around 90 percent of all Scotch exports are actually blended whisky). A well-made blend gives pleasure that\u2019s immediate but also has complexity you can unpick. It should be versatile \u2013 good with ice, soda, mixers, in cocktails. But also good sipped neat.<\/p>\n A whisky that ticks all the boxes is Johnnie Walker Black<\/a>. It\u2019s got fruit, spice, caramel, a whiff of smoke and it\u2019s incredibly versatile. I know, you see it everywhere, which takes the shine off it a bit. But if it was an end-of-days type scenario and someone produced a bottle of JW Black I\u2019d be absolutely delighted.<\/p>\n![\"Simpson's](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/05\/simpsons-in-the-strand-bars-2560x1707.jpg\")
![\"fancy](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/05\/bar-high-street-spirits1-2560x1707.jpg\")