My liquor cabinet

Well, it's actually more of a tray. A black lacquered tray on a high trolley, parked permanently within arm's reach of the dinner table and the tea cups. What's on the liquor tray? An array of rarely-used (unfortunately) tipples. Probably not the most conventional selection, but also probably quite tame in comparison to other people's.

• Tanqueray gin


• Bombay Sapphire gin (one needs one's martini, or gin and tonic, to be adequate)


• Cinzano Dry vermouth


• Absente


• Mount Gay rum (used thusly)


• Rose syrup


• Other syrups: peach, chocolate, cranberry, blackcurrant. For making kir royales, chocolate martinis, cocktails.


• Grenadine


• Tempus Two botrytis semillon, for freezing winter nights


• A caramelly tokay, ditto


• Apple schnapps, for flavouring pies and fruit


• Pastis 51 (a remnant of France, again)


• St. Remy brandy, to put in my galette des rois and to help preserve fruit


• Amarena sour cherry syrup (goes down great with icy soda water on a hot day)


• Cointreau (for Nigella's flourless chocolate cake)


• Tawny port (for the Christmas cake)

Gee, that seems like a lot. Oh well. No regrets. There's also a wine cabinet somewhere which is mostly filled with the Italian, Chilean, South African and French imports I like to buy, and the local stunners that we get given as gifts. Quite a selection.

What do you have in your liquor stash?