Top 10 Booze Brands From Luxco, St. Louis-Based Maker of Everclear

2. Arrow Peppermint Schnapps

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Arrow offers a full line of bargain-basement liqueurs, but as Gut Check's dear departed Uncle Pete was heard to say, "If it ain't peppermint, it ain't schnapps." Uncle Pete's motto, "Go Big or Go Home," fits Arrow's 100-proof Super Peppermint Schnapps (there's also a 70-proof version) to a tee -- just like the tube socks old Pete used to favor, the ones with blue and green stripes he pulled right up to his kneecaps. Skoal, Uncle P, wherever you are!

1. Everclear

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Old, reliable Everclear. Available in 151- and 190-proof strengths. Luxco also makes a substance called Everclear Lightnin, which, while crystal clear in hue, is far less potent than the iconic punchbowl spiker. (As is the case with genuine moonshine.) Per Luxco: "Unaged and handcrafted using select grains, yeast, and pure Kentucky water, it's stilled in small batches to a full 90 proof. It is currently available in 750mL bottle in select markets." Believe it or not, Luxco also makes a substance called Golden Grain Alcohol, which as far as Gut Check can figure is Everclear, only cheaper (or, as Luxco puts it, "A high-quality grain alcohol, Golden Grain provides a great value. 100% neutral spirits distilled from grain."

Honorably Discharged: Admiral Nelson's Premium Spiced Rum

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We had the Admiral at No. 2 on our list until a fellow fan informed us that Luxco, which invented the brand, sold it about eighteen months ago. (The website the company built for the line of rums still hasn't been updated to reflect the new ownership, Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.) See Saint Brendan's above, and multiply by a factor of ten. Admiral Nelson outranks Captain Morgan! When the topic turns to spiced rum, this is how you get the party started!