culinary resolutions

From margaritas to body shots, tequila has played an unforgettable role in America's drinking history. But let's face it: how much do you really know about this spirit? I'll be the first one to admit: I knew nada.

Thankfully, Ryan Fitzgerald, tequila expert and bar manager at Beretta, led me through a crash course on tequila, complete with flight tastings and all. Two hours later, I felt equipped with all the knowledge I needed to dive right into tequila appreciation. The basics of tequila — where it comes from, the way it's made, and how to taste it — when you read more.

Recently, I met with bartender and English Gins brand ambassador Erick Castro. Over a couple of gin drinks, Castro and I talked about making cocktails at home. I asked him what's the best way for a cocktail enthusiast to stock their home bar. He not only shared the spirits he recommends, but he also provided some helpful tips. If you're into making and enjoying libations, from classic cocktails to tiki drinks to modern mixology, read on for his suggestions.

Bourbon is experiencing a resurgence as of late. The American-made whiskey isn't just for cowboys or businessmen anymore. If you're curious as to what makes bourbon bourbon, here's the 411 for your 101:

• During the late 18th century, European settlers in America started making whiskey using corn as the main grain (since it was so readily available). These early producers aged the corn whiskey in oak barrels, keeping in line with traditional whiskey making. Because corn is a sweet grain, bourbon tends to be a sweet whiskey with oak, toast, vanilla, and toffee flavors.
• The American-made corn whiskey became known as "bourbon," because it was first made in the original Bourbon County of Virginia (present-day Kentucky). Even though bourbon technically can be made anywhere in the US, the Kentucky area is hailed for its incredibly pure, limestone-filtered water, which naturally removes any metals and minerals that could affect the way the bourbon tastes. About 97 percent of bourbons are made near Bardstown, KY.
• To this day, the US government regulates that bourbon must be made in America from at least 51 percent corn. The rest is malted barley and a flavoring grain — either wheat or rye. It has to be distilled at no higher than 160 proof and must be aged in new, charred-oak barrels for at least two years (to be considered "straight" bourbon). No additives are allowed (not even to change the color), except for pure water to bring down the proof; the bourbon has to be bottled at least 80 proof.
• Lately, bourbon makers are offering small batch or single barrel bourbons for a heftier sum. Small batch bourbons (a term coined by Jim Beam in the '80s) are made by mixing bourbon from several different barrels (though from the same batch) before bottling. For larger distilleries, this could equate to hundreds of barrels. Single barrel bourbon is made from bottling one single cask (aka barrel) of bourbon. The bottle of the bourbon will have the barrel number on the label to distinguish it.

Keep reading for the different varieties.

Vodka-based cocktails may have dominated the '90s and early '00s, but nowadays it seems that gin is the spirit of the moment, and we couldn't be happier. Essentially a category of infused spirits, with juniper being the most common additive, gin got its start as a medicinal beverage in 16th-century Holland, when juniper was added to a malt-based spirit for its diuretic qualities and to mask the inferior flavor of early unrefined spirits. Nowadays, it's instead enjoyed for a nuanced flavor that can range from smooth and slightly sweet to dry and floral, and really almost anywhere in between (you can even make a custom blend of your own at home).

Most varieties of gin fall into four general categories:

• London dry gin is what most think of when gin comes to mind. Dry and heavy on the juniper and other botanicals (common additives include citrus peel and coriander, though the options include a host of barks, roots, leaves, flowers, seeds, and berries), it's in many ways similar to an infused vodka. London gins need not be produced in London — most are not — but are instead a style of gin defined by a lack of sugar and juniper-forward flavor. Some sip it on the rocks, but it's most commonly appreciated in cocktails like the martini, negroni, gin and tonic, southside, and a vast variety of others.
• Genever or Dutch gin may be less commonplace than its London dry counterpart, but it actually preceded the spirit and has experienced a revival as of late, with Bols Genever being the most widely available. Smoother and darker in flavor than other varieties, with less of an emphasis on the botanical notes, genever is distilled from either corn, rye, or barley malt, making for a spirit more similar to a light-bodied, botanical-infused whiskey. Try it sipped straight on the rocks, up, or as a substitute for whiskey or moonshine in cocktails — it's particularly great in an old-fashioned.

Keep reading for a breakdown of two more common styles of gin.