Sure, you can buy a few cases of beer and call it a day, but if you really want to set the stage for a special evening and impress your friends, play bartender and mix guests a real drink. From liquor to jigger, here’s everything you need to set up a full bar at home.
Ideally, stock a bottle of each: cognac, white rum, gin, bourbon, vodka, tequila, and blended Scotch. However, if you don’t have the room or the budget to collect them all, start with your favorites; after all, it’s your bar. Alcoholic mixers to have on hand: triple sec, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Nice to have: a liqueur or two (for example, Irish cream or coffee- or almond-flavored).
Go ahead and pick up your favorite mixer, whether it’s a citrus-flavored soda or margarita mix, but also stock up on the basics: club soda, tonic water, cola, ginger ale, cranberry juice, and orange juice. These can also double as beverages on their own for those who don’t care to imbibe.
Though wine is the most common host(ess) gift (in other words, you don’t need to buy a lot of it), you should have at least a couple of bottles of your favorite red, white and rose on hand when the first guest arrives.
For those who want nothing more than a nice cold one, keep some bottles of light and dark brews in your fridge or an ice chest.
Garnishes add a splash of visual appeal and flavor to a finished cocktail. At a bare minimum, provide lime and lemon wedges, pitted green olives and kosher salt. Extra points for mint leaves and lemon twists.
In order to have a full bar you must also have a full glass set: beer mugs, shot glasses, martini/cocktail, rock glasses (tall/short), and wine glasses. This collection ensures that your guest will be able to enjoy absolutely anything that your bar can offer.
Cocktails don’t just pour out of a bottle and into a glass. Here are the standard bar tools for most mixed drinks:
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Cocktails don’t just pour out of a bottle and into a glass. Here are the standard bar tools for most mixed drinks:
Garnishes add a splash of visual appeal and flavor to a finished cocktail. At a bare minimum, provide lime and lemon wedges, pitted green olives and kosher salt. Extra points for mint leaves and lemon twists.
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Ideally, stock a bottle of each: cognac, white rum, gin, bourbon, vodka, tequila, and blended Scotch. However, if you don’t have the room or the budget to collect them all, start with your favorites; after all, it’s your bar. Alcoholic mixers to have on hand: triple sec, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Nice to have: a liqueur or two (for example, Irish cream or coffee- or almond-flavored).
In order to have a full bar you must also have a full glass set: beer mugs, shot glasses, martini/cocktail, rock glasses (tall/short), and wine glasses. This collection ensures that your guest will be able to enjoy absolutely anything that your bar can offer.
Home bars exist to enjoy and entertain, so stocking yours is much easier than you may think. You don’t need a wall of expensive, well-lit liquor bottles lining the back of your bar. All of those bottles look great in a high-end bar or club but you can have a well-stocked bar without all the flash and bling.
Then, of course, stocking a home bar requires mixers: ginger ale, club soda, tonic water, regular & diet cola, lemon & lime soda. Juices like cranberry & pineapple are best purchased in small cans and lemon & lime juice should be squeezed fresh for each cocktail. When mixing, it’s better to spend money on quality mixers, as they often carry most of the flavor weight of a mixed drink. Remember, when stocking a home bar, a single bottle from each category is a great start. Trust us, your bottle collection will grow in direct proportion to your ability to mix and serve fantastic cocktails.
When stocking a home bar, you don’t need eight kinds of vodka, six types of gin, and a catalog of bourbon or whisky. You simply need the means to offer a well-balanced, delicious cocktail to your guests, preferably one of their choosing.
It’s all about the “families” of cocktails and the technique used to build each that will serve as the basis of home entertaining. The ‘highballs’ family consists of a spirit & a mixer are the most popular kind of poured cocktails. ‘Sours’ consist of a spirit & lemon or lime juice and a sweetener. ‘Juleps’ are spirit, syrup and herbs. Add muddled fruit to your julep and you’ve just made a ‘smash.’
To serve any of these families of cocktails, your home bar should start with a bottle from each of these spirit categories: Vodka, Gin, Rum, Tequila, Whiskey, Bourbon, Scotch, Sweet & Dry Vermouth, Orange Liquor or Triple Sec and a bottle of bitters. Remember, more expensive does not always mean better.
A Well-Stocked Bar for Under $100
FAQ
What is considered a fully stocked bar?
What is considered a well at a bar?
What counts as a full bar?
Should you have a fully stocked bar at home?
There’s no point in having a fully stocked bar at home if you don’t know how to use it. Whether you’re having a party or just a night in, knowing how to make the perfect cocktail is essential. You’d never want to have guests over and just send them behind the bar to make something themselves.
What kind of alcohol do you need for a home bar?
You should have the five common types of alcohol, including tequila, gin, vodka, rum, and whisky, as well as a small selection of beer, wine, and champagne. Make sure you have the proper tools (bottle openers, etc.) and appropriate glasses and drinkware for each type of alcohol you have in your home bar.
What do you need for a home bar?
When stocking a home bar, you don’t need eight kinds of vodka, six types of gin, and a catalog of bourbon or whisky. You simply need the means to offer a well-balanced, delicious cocktail to your guests, preferably one of their choosing.
Why do you need a home bar?
Having a well-stocked home bar gives you a great place to entertain guests and practice your mixology skills. By stocking your bar with a small collection of basic spirits, mixers, glassware, and bar tools, you’ll be able to make almost any standard mixed drink and even invent a few new cocktails of your own.