Ben McFarland tests some of the leading speciality spirit brands on the market and suggests that it might be time to dust off those bottles.Speciality spirits are the most enigmatic members of the drinks world. They may well be an ever-present fixture in pubs and bars, most often wedged on the back-bar between the dusty golf trophy and the jar of pickled onions, but are speciality spirits ever drunk? Living under the shadow of white spirit supremacy ever since their mid-1980s heyday, the sector is under performing and is currently declining five per cent year on year with few brands succeeding in bucking the trend.Consumers seem unsure of how to order them, while those on the other side of the bar are unaware that you don't have to be an award-winning mixologist to make a great tasting and profit-wielding drink.There is an obvious education job that needs to be done with the on-trade and many brands are anxious to shed the "parent's drinks cabinet" image. In an attempt to change perceptions of the category, thePublican.com has asked brand owners to suggest some simple mixer combinations, a few interesting facts to entertain/bore pub-goers with and a few free samples so, in the name of research, we can have a few drinks and er... give a balanced and impartial verdict.The sheer number of speciality spirits is such that an exhaustive catalogue would be unfeasible, so a selection of brands, some familiar and some lesser known, have been chosen.
