📰The Wolfsden Dispatch- Issue #4

🐺 Welcome back to The Wolfsden Dispatch, where cocktails meet cameras — and where we believe every home bar deserves the same respect as any proper shop.

This week, we’re focusing on the backbone of it all: the bottles behind the bar. These are the 20 spirits we rely on most at The Wolfsden — the ones that handle our classics, inspire new riffs, and keep us ready for any pour or shooter session.

We’ve also included a streamlined 7-Bottle Bar option for those of y’all who are starting “basic on a budget", which is perfectly adequate and still quite a substantial and versatile collection.

🐺 ^{The Wolfsden 20-Bottle Bar:}

1) 🍸 Martini & Rossi Extra Dry Vermouth: Crisp, herbal dry vermouth. Needed for Martinis, Bamboo cocktails, and lighter aperitifs. For larger builds or quick batching, I often reach for a glass measuring cup — you’ll see me using it behind the bar all the time on my YouTube Channel.

2) 🍷 Martini & Rossi Rosso Vermouth: Rich, slightly bitter sweet vermouth. Essential for Manhattans, Negronis, Boulevardiers.

3) 🥃 Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon: Bold, with caramel and oak. Makes an Old Fashioned that’s round and smooth, even at 101 proof. I usually stir mine in a classic weighted mixing glass — The heavier base prevents wobbling, while the thick glass helps maintain a cooler temperature and can be easier to hold and pour from.

4) 🌶 Rittenhouse Rye: Spicy, peppery, lean. Builds an Old Fashioned with more bite — tastes stronger, though proof is about the same. I’ll strain this classic over a 2-inch clear ice cube to keep it cold and slow down dilution. Clear ice is ideal for cocktail and mocktail photos.

5) 🔥 Dewar’s White Label Scotch: Lightly smoky, easy-drinking. Great in Penicillins, Rob Roys, or a simple Scotch & Soda. Now and then, I’ll strain it over a 2.5-inch clear ice sphere — it chills beautifully and just looks so elegant in the glass.

6) 🏝 Bacardi Superior (White Rum): Clean, light-bodied. The base for Daiquiris, Mojitos, Cuba Libres.

7) 🍯 Bacardi Gold (Aged Rum): Hints of oak and vanilla. Ideal for richer Daiquiris, Rum Old Fashioneds, simple highballs. For my shaken drinks, I rely on my weighted cocktail shaker set — balanced tins make a big difference.

8) 🌑 Bacardi Black (Dark Rum): Deep molasses notes. For Dark ‘n Stormys, tiki floats, bold punches.

9) 🍃 Beefeater Gin Classic London Dry: The backbone of Martinis, Negronis, Tom Collins. Known for its bold juniper and citrus flavors. It's produced by steeping nine botanicals, including juniper, coriander, and citrus peels, in a neutral grain spirit for 24 hours before distillation.

10) 🌵 Dulce Vida Blanco Tequila: For Margaritas, Palomas, Ranch Waters. Crisp agave with a peppery edge. When I am working with a large batch of citrus, I rely on this solid countertop citrus press — which extracts every drop of valuable fresh citrus at the Wolfsden.

11) 🪵 Casamigos Reposado Tequila: A premium tequila, aged for seven months in American white oak barrels, resulting in a smooth, caramel-toned spirit with hints of dried fruits and spice.. Great in richer Margaritas, tequila Old Fashioneds, and Palomas.

12) 🧊 Platinum 7X Vodka: Neutral, clean. This is an American-made vodka known for its exceptional smoothness, achieved through seven distillations. Mules, Bloody Marys, Vodka Martinis.

13) 🍊 Cointreau: French orange-flavored triple sec liqueur, known for its balanced, sweet and bitter orange flavor. Margaritas, Sidecars, Cosmos.

14) 💔 Campari: Distinctly bitter, herbal. Campari is an Italian liqueur, an aperitif, known for its distinctive bright red color and bittersweet flavor. It's made by infusing alcohol and water with bitter herbs, aromatic plants, and fruit. Campari's recipe is a closely guarded secret, but it's known to include ingredients like chinotto, cascarilla, orange peel, and rhubarb. Good for Negronis, Americanos, Jungle Birds.

15) 🧡 Aperol: Lighter, orange-rhubarb. The Aperol Spritz cocktail is a refreshing drink that combines Aperol with Prosecco and soda water. Also good for lighter Negronis, easy summer highballs.

16) 🍒 Luxardo Maraschino: Lightly sweet, nutty cherry. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur is a clear, cherry-flavored liqueur produced by Luxardo, an Italian company, using a recipe dating back to 1821. It's made from the distillation of Marasca cherries, including their pits, leaves, and stems, which are fermented and aged in ash wood vats. Used in making Aviations, Last Words, Hemingway Daiquiris.

💚💛Chartreuse: A French liqueur, known for its vibrant color and complex flavor, produced by Carthusian monks using a secret recipe of 130 herbs and plants. It comes in two main varieties: Green and Yellow. Green Chartreuse is known for its high alcohol content (55% ABV) and bold, herbaceous, and slightly peppery taste with notes of mint, pine, and citrus. Yellow Chartreuse is milder and sweeter, with notes of honey, saffron, and anise spice.

17) 💚 Green Chartreuse: Powerful, herbal, slightly spicy. The star in the Last Word, Bijou.

18) 💛 Yellow Chartreuse: Softer, honeyed, floral. Great in lighter riffs or mellow swaps.

19) ☕ Kahlúa Coffee Liqueur: Kahlúa is a coffee-flavored rum liqueur, originating from Veracruz, Mexico. It's known for its rich, dark color and the deep, roasted flavor of coffee, combined with notes of vanilla and caramel. Martinis, White Russians, boozy desserts.

20) 🍑 E&J Brandy: Soft, fruit-forward. Sidecars, Brandy Old Fashioneds, or after-dinner sipping. A bartender knife set keeps citrus wheels and fancy garnish cuts sharp and photo-ready. As with most products, you can spend a lot more than the ones I am highlighting here. But when you’re building a home bar, all the costs add up quickly. As long as the knives are sharp and can keep an edge, that’s good enough for me.

✨ Essential Bitters:

🟤 Angostura Aromatic — Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, sours, nearly anything. Compared to Peychaud’s, this bitters is more robust and spicy, with flavors of clove, cinnamon, and allspice. I keep Angostura bitters stocked at all times

🔴 Peychaud’s — Needed for Sazeracs and the Vieux Carré. Peychaud's is lighter and sweeter than Angostura, with notes of cherry and anise. I use Peychaud’s bitters when I want a lighter, floral edge that rounds out rye without overwhelming it.

🍊 Regan’s Orange — Modern edge for Martinis, Negronis, citrus builds. Delicate yet complex orange flavor infused with spicy cinnamon and cloves. I keep Regan’s Orange Bitters on hand for when I want brighter citrus notes that lean a bit softer than Angostura.

For all our dehydrated garnishes, which last up to a year, we use a beast of a dehydrator. You can easily get by with a cheaper model, but the dehydrating times are way too long unless you use a powerful model.

🐺 The Wolfsden 7-Bottle Starter Bar:

1) 🌶 Rittenhouse Rye: Spicy, peppery, high-proof. Builds Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, and Sazeracs with serious backbone.

2) 🍃 Beefeater Gin: Martinis (with sweet vermouth for now), Tom Collins, Gimlets. Classic juniper hit.

3) 🏝 Bacardi Superior White Rum: Handles Daiquiris, Mojitos, Cuba Libres — bright, clean tropical builds.

4) 🌵 Dulce Vida Blanco Tequila: For Margaritas, Palomas, Ranch Waters. Crisp agave with a peppery edge.

5) 🍷 Martini & Rossi Rosso Vermouth: Sweet vermouth anchors Manhattans, pairs with gin for richer Martini riffs, or just on ice.

6) 🍊 Cointreau: Bright orange liqueur that opens Margaritas, Sidecars, Cosmos, and other citrus builds.

7) 🧊 Platinum 7X Vodka: Neutral, clean — perfect for Moscow Mules, Bloody Marys, Vodka Martinis, simple highballs.

✨ Plus:

*🟤 Angostura Bitters — absolutely essential for Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, Sours, and adding depth anywhere.

🐺 From the Den

We’ll be exploring these bottles in future episodes — the builds they inspire, the techniques that showcase them, and the best ways to capture them behind the lens. For now, think of this list as your foundation. It’s where cocktails and cameras meet, and it’s your starting point for creating something worth sharing with friends while expanding this community of ours.

If you’re starting your own setup, this bartender kit is a solid way to cover your basics — from shaker to strainer to jigger — all in one tidy kit to go. There are more expensive versions out there, of course. This is the one we use in The Wolfsden.

🐺 What do you want to see next at The Wolfsden?

If there’s a cocktail you want us to build, a technique you’re curious about, or a photography breakdown you’d like to see, just hit reply and let us know. You can also drop a comment on the latest video or even send us a note by mail. It all helps us focus on what matters most to you — and gives us more ideas to pour back into The Wolfsden.

🐺 This Week’s Shoutout: Craig Mowry, of CPG Media Services, Inc.

This week’s shoutout goes to my friend Craig Mowry for throwing his full support behind The Wolfsden, believing in the mission and direction of this enterprise, despite being six degrees removed from the industry.

For your guidance, for trusting the process, and for supporting me for decades — this week’s Wolfsden Shoutout goes out to you! Thank you.

#WolfsdenWeeklyShoutout

📍 Connect with The Wolfsden:

Subscribe to The Wolfsden Home Bar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfsdenHomeBar
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Treewolf Photography: https://treewolfphoto.com 

• 🏕 The Wolfsden Outpost is opening soon — your one-stop spot for gear, merch, and exclusive Pack swag. You will be able to stock up and fly your colors, so keep your eyes on the trail…🏕 The Wolfsden Outpost is opening soon — your one-stop spot for gear, merch, and exclusive Pack swag. You will be able to stock up and fly your colors, so keep your eyes on the trail…/

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Thanks for stepping into the craft. —Treewolf West

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