Stock the Ultimate Southern Bar

Start with these stellar ingredients that hail from or speak to the South, and along with some basic pantry items (tomato juice, cream, limes, mint, simple syrup, vermouth), you can craft juleps, old-fashioneds, milk punches, Sazeracs, Kentucky mules, Bloody Marys, and dozens of other drinks in a snap.

From far left:

Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Tonic Syrup

Stir this quinine concentrate into club soda and you’ll have a layered tonic ready for gin, ice, and a porch.

Copper & Kings American Brandy

Brandy from Louisville? Well, yes. Copper & Kings, founded in 2014 in bourbon country, turns out a robust grape brandy that shines in milk punch.

Topo Chico

For long drinks, club soda is key. Aficionados love the dense, tiny, Champagne-like bubbles of Topo Chico’s carbonated mineral water.

Richland Rum Virgin Coastal Georgia Rum

Bottled at 86 proof, this full-bodied and flavorful unaged rum injects a stiff spine into daiquiris and mojitos.

Angel’s Envy Triple Oak Bourbon

A luminous blend of whiskeys aged in oak barrels from Kentucky, Hungary, and France, this sip can be enjoyed neat yet is sturdy enough for a julep.

Wonderbird Spirits Dry Gin

This Mississippi distillery brought the methods of sake-making to its Delta rice–based gin, coaxing out flavors you won’t find elsewhere.

Peychaud’s Bitters

A proper Sazerac calls for Peychaud’s, which hits a brighter, fruitier note than Angostura.

Blenheim No. 5 Ginger Ale

Ginger ale is a jack-of-all-trades, and this one performs with authority. Combine it with vodka, whiskey, or rum and citrus juice for a Buck, a highball that’s good year-round.

Ceebo Classic

The selection of nonalcoholic suds that actually taste like beer has spiked, and Charleston’s Ceebo brews great ones.

And also:

Still Austin Cask Strength Rye

A rye with a firm handshake works best in cocktails like the old-fashioned, and Still Austin has a stouter grip than most.

J.T. Meleck Distillers Louisiana Rice Vodka

Made from rice grown on a Louisiana family farm, J.T. Meleck’s vodka is anything but characterless.

Herbsaint

Sazeracs require a rinse of this anise-flavored liqueur, but a few dashes along with Angostura also bring tiki cocktails to life.

Angostura Bitters

Created in 1824, these classic bitters are still critical in a Manhattan or an old-fashioned.

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