Stocking the Home Bar

[Honey Bee]

(I hope I looked well enough this time so this thread wasn't already answered!!)

I have just purchased a small 'dry sink' with a cabinet underneath that will work perfect for the cottages' bar.
After standing in front of the shelves of liquor at the stores and tallying up the $$, I left..well...a bit overwhelmed and unsure of what would be the best 'basics' to have stocked in my new little bar...thoughts, anyone?

 

[Geesie]

The essentials I always have stocked:
- 1.75 mixing bourbon (Jim Beam)
- 1.75 mixing vodka (usually Stolichnaya)
- 1.75 mixing gin (usually Seagrams, Bombay or Beefeater if on sale)
- Fifth rum
- Sweet vermouth
- Dry vermouth
- At least one "sipping" liquor (small batch bourbon, single malt scotch, VSOP brandy)

 

[dhermann1]

I think Geesie is on the right track. My Bourbon of preferance right now is Knob Creek. But Bourbon is my "signature cocktail".
You might want to add a blended scotch, depending on your tastes. I recently acquired a taste for Teachers. Cheap but good. The other thing I'd suggest is brandy or cognac. Great for after a good meal, sipped from a snifter. Oh, and some Angostura Bitters.
Oh, Geesie mentioned brandy. So, you could also try cognac.
Oh! Try Amoretto. If you've ever seen that great movie "My Dinner With Andre", you'll have the urge for an amoretto.

 

[James71]

If I had to put down just the "needs" in my studio:-

Makers mark bourbon or better. ( I like gentlemen Jack)
Noilly Pratt
Bombay Saphire Gin
A good brown tequila
A good vodka
A smooth golden Sherry
A nicely aged vintage port.
Various and Sundry Wines, both red and white.
A good scotch that you dont need to hide in coke to drink. Any of the good ones will do. Dimple is nice.
A half decent brandy
Creme do cacao
Midori

Various and sundry mixers.
Good cigars


I believe some people have beer in the house, but I tend to only buy that when one of my beer swilling degenerate friends is coming over.

 

[Wally_Hood]

A good blog/podcast is the Behind the Bar show, with Mr. Martini. Follow the link and scroll down to episodes ten and eleven, where setting up a home bar is discussed.

http://behindthebarshow.blogspot.com

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Start out by getting this book:
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: From the Alamagoozlum to the Zombie 100 Rediscovered Recipes and the Stories Behind Them

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/15..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1BXMR9F3PWQN1YAWWM59

Pick a few recipes, and snag the ingredients. (Some may have to be picked up online)

 

[rumblefish]

The essentials I always have stocked:
- 1.75 mixing bourbon (Jim Beam)
- 1.75 mixing vodka (usually Stolichnaya)
- 1.75 mixing gin (usually Seagrams, Bombay or Beefeater if on sale)
- Fifth rum
- Sweet vermouth
- Dry vermouth
- At least one "sipping" liquor (small batch bourbon, single malt scotch, VSOP brandy)

^Sounds right.

Keep seltzer, tonic, cola, grenadine, tomato juice, orange juice, and lemons & limes around (and as Mr. Hermann said- Angostura bitters) and you'll have lots of options.

 

[Mav]

The essentials I always have stocked:
- 1.75 mixing bourbon (Jim Beam)
- 1.75 mixing vodka (usually Stolichnaya)
- 1.75 mixing gin (usually Seagrams, Bombay or Beefeater if on sale)
- Fifth rum
- Sweet vermouth
- Dry vermouth
- At least one "sipping" liquor (small batch bourbon, single malt scotch, VSOP brandy)

Add a decent blended scotch* (many will claim that this is an oxymoron, but there are some) and it sounds about right, along with the aforementioned mixers.

*If a guest in your house insists on a single- malt, throw them out.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Cocktail Bitters, the finishing touch to a well crafted drink:

Peychaud's Bitters: http://www.buffalotrace.com/giftshop/detail.asp?MasterID=100086

Angostura Bitters: http://www.angosturabitters.com/default2.htm

Regan's Orange Bitters: http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1040025

Fee Brothers Bitters: http://www.feebrothers.com/CategoryList.asp

Bitter Truth Bitters: http://the-bitter-truth.com/

Cocktail Kingdom: http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/catalog/bitters-syrups/bitters

 

[Honey Bee]

Add a decent blended scotch* (many will claim that this is an oxymoron, but there are some) and it sounds about right, along with the aforementioned mixers.

*If a guest in your house insists on a single- malt, throw them out.

You are speaking Greek to me....the only thing I know about Scotch is that my dear Grandpapa only drank 'Crown Velvet'.....help?!

Thank you for the lists! I will just gther a little at a time...nobody mentioned Tequila......luuuuv Tequila......a good silver Tequila

 

[djhatman]

If it will just be for you mainly just get what you like. Very seldom do I have people over to my place so I just stock what I like. If you plan on having people over for drinks on a regular basis then I think all the list were good. Just keep in mind that you will never make every one happy with what you have on hand.

 

[Smithy]

This would be well stocked in my book...

Whisky - a couple of decent blends and a single malt or two
Gin
Rum
Brandy
Vodka
Pimm's
Vermouth - dry
Galliano
Dubonnet Rouge
Calvados
Linie Aquavit
Sherry
Bitters
XO Cognac - either Larsen or Bache Gabrielsen
And a selection of red, white wines and a good bottle of tawny port.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Absinthe, the only ones I'd buy commercially:

https://catskillcellars.com/products/united-states-absinthes/meadow-of-love/

https://catskillcellars.com/products/united-states-absinthes/walton-waters/

https://catskillcellars.com/products/united-states-absinthes/pacifique-absinthe-verte-superieure/

https://catskillcellars.com/products/european-absinthes/la-clandestine/

And a revival of a vintage New Orleans absinthe substitute:

https://catskillcellars.com/products/united-states-absinthes/herbsaint/

 

[Ethan Bentley]

(I hope I looked well enough this time so this thread wasn't already answered!!)

I have just purchased a small 'dry sink' with a cabinet underneath that will work perfect for the cottages' bar.
After standing in front of the shelves of liquor at the stores and tallying up the $$, I left..well...a bit overwhelmed and unsure of what would be the best 'basics' to have stocked in my new little bar...thoughts, anyone?

HoneyBee my question to you would be what do you like to drink:
Do you like whisky (Scothc/Bourbon/Rye), Brandy, Gin, Vodka, Rum?
I think that will give you a starting point, I don't tend to buy anything I don't like (I still have some Campari though).

DO make sure you have a decent supply of ice though.

Sundries such as; grenadine, sugar syrup, angostura bitters etc. are quite a good idea too.

Have you got any bar equipment, shakes, spoons, strainers etc?

 

[Guttersnipe]

Imbibe Magazine, which is an industry periodical, did a an article on stocking home bars about a year ago. The experts' recommendations for a basic home bar are pretty exhaustive (but I added a few I think are essential as well if you're planning on making some popular golden era cocktails)

Bottles:
- Bourbon
- Rye (Pikesville or Old Overholt are the best value for the money)
- Blended scotch (mixing with single malt is a waste)
- Campari
- Cointreau
- Dry vermouth (Dolin is best for the money)
- Gin (avoid Tanqueray, it has a distinctive flavor that doesn't always mix well in recipes)
- Gold rum
- Grand Marnier
- Maraschino liqueur (Luxardo is good)
- Resposado tequila
- Sweet vermouth(Dolin or Carpano Antiqua are best)
- White rum
- Vodka

Mixers:
- Angostura bitters
- Coke (I like the made in Mexico cokes in glass bottles for mixing. It;s still made with cane sugar and well worth a bit more)
- Fresh limes
- Fresh lemons
- Grenadine (avoid Rose's)
- Orange bitters
- Peychaud's bitters
- Assorted fruit juices
- Soda water*
- Simple syrup
- Sugar cubes
- Tonic*

*Unless you're hosting a party (or drink A LOT) get the small glass bottles. They're a little more expensive, but you don't end up with flat mixers.

Garnishes:
- Fresh citrus and other fruits
- Fresh herbs
- Olives
- Maraschino cherries.

With all of the above, you can make literally HUNDREDS of drinks

 

[jamespowers]

Add a decent blended scotch* (many will claim that this is an oxymoron, but there are some) and it sounds about right, along with the aforementioned mixers.

*If a guest in your house insists on a single- malt, throw them out.

Come on over and I'll give you a choice of about 20 different single malts.
The basic bar:
•Bourbon
•Tennessee Whiskey
•Canadian or American Whiskey
•Brandy
•Gin
•Rum
•Scotch, blended and single malt
•Tequila
•Vodka, non-flavored
•Cordials – have four on hand:
◦One orange based, Contreau or Triple Sec
◦One anise based, such as Sambuco, Pernod and yes, absinthe
◦Crème de menthe
◦Another favorite, such as Amaretto di Saronno, Grand Marnier, Kahlua
•Beer
•Red wine
•White wine
•Sherry, Amontillado
•Vermouth, Dry
•Vermouth, Sweet

Mixers:
One (six pack) of each rather than liters, unless noted, as soda loses its fizz once opened:
•Sparkling water, aka Club Soda
•Cola
•Ginger Ale
•Orange Juice (1 quart)
•Tomato Juice (1 quart)
•Cranberry Juice (1 quart)
•Tonic Water

Condiments:

•Lemon Juice
•Lime Juice
•Angostura Bitters
•Pepper
•Salt, coarse
•Sugar, superfine
•Tabasco
•Worcestershire Sauce
•Horseradish

Garnishes:

•Olives, small green stuffed with pimento
•Lemon wedges
•Lime wedges
•Maraschino cherries

I am sure I forgot something but it all depends on how much you want to spend.

 

[jmrtnko]

The best advice I can give is to not stock a new bar with bottles, but stock it with drinks. If you just make a shopping list and buy bottles without having a need for them, you're just wasting large amounts of money you could be spending on better quality liquor, or more of the things you do actually like and use.

Pick your favorite one or two cocktails. Find a few good, reliable recipes for each and buy all the ingredients you need to make them in all their varieties. Try one recipe one night, try another the next, and so on. Soon you will learn to modify them and what makes one recipe work better than others. What you'll also start to learn is your own preferences. You'll probably end up with a recipe entirely your own.

Congratulations. Now, look at your bar and find a new drink you are interested in that uses one or two more ingredients than what you already have. Find recipes, buy the new ingredients and then, perfect that one as well.

If you keep going, you'll eventually end up with a well-stocked bar, but by that time, you will be familiar with, and know how to use, every bottle in it. And, you'll probably be enjoying many more different cocktails and spirits than you'd ever thought you'd be interested in. Enjoy.

 

[jamespowers]

The best advice I can give is to not stock a new bar with bottles, but stock it with drinks. If you just make a shopping list and buy bottles without having a need for them, you're just wasting large amounts of money you could be spending on better quality liquor, or more of the things you do actually like and use.

Pick your favorite one or two cocktails. Find a few good, reliable recipes for each and buy all the ingredients you need to make them in all their varieties. Try one recipe one night, try another the next, and so on. Soon you will learn to modify them and what makes one recipe work better than others. What you'll also start to learn is your own preferences. You'll probably end up with a recipe entirely your own.

Congratulations. Now, look at your bar and find a new drink you are interested in that uses one or two more ingredients than what you already have. Find recipes, buy the new ingredients and then, perfect that one as well.

If you keep going, you'll eventually end up with a well-stocked bar, but by that time, you will be familiar with, and know how to use, every bottle in it. And, you'll probably be enjoying many more different cocktails and spirits than you'd ever thought you'd be interested in. Enjoy.

Good asdvice as well. :cheers1:

 

[katon]

In my experience, a fairly extensive but inexpensive home bar can be made with less than a dozen bottles.

* A bottle of mid-range gin. (I'd suggest Gordon's or Seagram's). Buying this in the larger 1.75L size is usually slightly cheaper, and gin never goes bad.

* A bottle of non-Bacardi Puerto Rican white rum. (I'd suggest Castillo or Don Q). Same 1.75L advice applies.

* A bottle of bourbon for the brown spirits drinkers. Bottled-in-Bond would be the Golden Era choice, but any straight Kentucky bourbon should be OK for mixing purposes.

(If you have a lot of friends who dislike the taste of spirits, maybe consider a bottle of mid-range American vodka like Smirnoff. If not, don't bother. I also wouldn't bother with Scotch, rye, tequila, Irish whiskey, or brandy, unless you know an unusual number of folks who prefer those spirits.)

* A half-bottle (375ml) of good triple sec (Cointreau, most likely). This will probably be one of the more expensive purchases, but it's called for in many drinks, and the cheaper versions just aren't the same. (It also substitutes perfectly well in most drinks calling for curacao.)

* A half-bottle (375ml) of good dry vermouth. In practice, this will probably mean one of the two major French brands, Noilly Pratt or Dolin, or one of the American boutique vermouths, like Vya Dry.

* A half-bottle (375ml) of good sweet vermouth. Italian (I hear Cocchi from Torino is pretty good) or U.S. boutique (Vya). Basically, ask yourself if you like the flavor enough to have a glass of it on its own - if the answer is yes, you've found your sweet vermouth.

* Some form of wine preserver (inert gas, vacuum pump, etc.) Once open, vermouth spoils quickly, and spoiled vermouth spoils any cocktail it touches.

* A bottle of Angostura bitters and a bottle of orange bitters (Fee Brothers, Reagan's, or whichever happens to be available)

* sugar (or simple syrup)

* several small cans or bottles of club soda

* some lemons, limes, and oranges. (A bit tricky if you don't have frequent guests, but worth getting if you have a little advance notice. They're a cheap and effective way of greatly expanding the drinks you can make, as well as being great for garnishes.)

* A jar of Maraschino cherries for garnishing (homemade, if you're feeling ambitious).

* Toothpicks

* A freezer full of ice.


You can make a pretty sizable number of classic drinks with just these ingredients, and with the possible exception of the bourbon, and maybe mixing the gin and rum together, basically all of these ingredients play nicely with each other.

Other than the citrus and the opened vermouth, all the ingredients withstand neglect well, and the whole setup is pretty affordable.

 

[katon]

Here are a few popular recipes you can make:

"Dry Martini"
1 oz. gin
1 oz. dry vermouth
(Dash of orange bitters, if preferred)
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with a lemon twist or olive. (If you garnish it with a cocktail onion, it becomes a Gibson.)

You can also make a "sweet" Martini (sometimes called a Gin & It) by using sweet vermouth instead of the dry, or a "perfect" Martini using equal parts of both vermouths.

"Bronx"

2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
1 oz. orange juice

Shake and strain into a large cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist. (This is a bit of a trick; the added orange juice blends with the melted ice water from shaking to make this a milder drink than it looks. The Bronx can be made "sweet" or "dry" by replacing the blend of vermouths with one ounce of one or the other.)

"Orange Blossom"
1 oz. gin
1 oz. orange juice
sugar to taste

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. (A Prohibition favorite, maybe a little spartan today.)

"Gin Fizz"

2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup (or sugar dissolved in 1/2 oz. water)
Soda water

Shake the first three ingredients over ice and strain into a small chimney glass. Top off with soda water, and garnish with a lemon wedge. (You can also make the easy-sipping version of this, the "Tom Collins", by pouring all the ingredients over ice in a larger chimney glass instead of shaking.)

"Gin Rickey"

2 oz. gin
1 oz. lime juice
4 oz. soda water

Pour into a chimney glass over ice. Garnish with a lime wedge. (For folks who like less sweet drinks.)

"Manhattan"

1 oz bourbon (or rye)
1 oz sweet vermouth
(Dash of Angostura bitters, if preferred)
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with a Maraschino cherry.

"Old-Fashioned"

2 oz. bourbon (or rye)
sugar to taste
A few dashes Angostura bitters

Served in an Old-Fashioned glass over ice. Garnish with an orange twist or a Maraschino cherry. (You can also make a "fancy" Old Fashioned, by replacing the sugar with Cointreau.)

"Whiskey Sour"

2 oz. bourbon (or rye)
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup (or sugar dissolved in 1/2 oz. water)

Shake with ice and strain into a Sours glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

"Daiquiri"

2 oz. white rum
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup (or sugar dissolved in 1/2 oz. water)
(Dash of Angostura bitters, if preferred)

Shake with ice and strain into a Sours glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. (You can also make it a "frozen Daiquiri" by putting the ingredients in a blender with around 5 oz. of ice and blending it rather than shaking it.).

"Planter's Punch"

2 oz. rum (Jamaican rum is the usual, but Puerto Rican rum works just fine.)
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. sugar syrup (or sugar dissolved in 1/2 oz. water)
1 oz. water
A few dashes of Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a chimney glass full of ice. Garnish with a lime wedge. (Like a Daiquiri, only milder.)