Stocking a Home Bar
When stocking your home bar, you need to keep in mind how much entertaining you do and what types of drinks your friends and family like. Sure, it might be nice to be able to produce the ingredients for a Flaming Dr. Pepper, but if you only have one crazy friend who might ask you for that, the cost of the ingredients might just outweigh the need to have them on hand.
What should the typical home bar have on hand? Well, besides a healthy supply of beer and wine, here’s a nice list to start with. (A fifth of each)
Gin
Vodka
Rum
Whiskey
Tequila
Brandy/Cognac
Fruits are important as garnishes, having plenty of the right fruits on hand can also be important.
Cherries
Lemons
Limes
Fruit juices are used as mixers with the liquor to make various drinks. Plus, having them on hand for non-drinker can be just as important!
Apple
Cranberry
Orange
Pineapple
Tomato
Making some of the more “exotic” drinks requires the mixing of liqueurs along with typical liquors and other additives to achieve the desired taste. Liqueurs can also be drunk on their own as shots or an after dinner nip.
Amaretto (almond)
Creme de Menthe (mint)
Jagermeister (herb)
Kahlua (coffee)
Schnapps (various flavors)
Triple Sec (orange)
There are other mixers you must have on hand besides fruit juices. Many drinks utilize popular soft drinks and other non-conventional ingredients for the drinks.
Cola
Ginger Ale
Grenadine
Sour Mix
Sprite/7-Up
Water
Tonic
Lemon and/or Lime Juice
Finally, you’ll want to have plenty of garnishes around to make your drinks look appealing and taste yummy.
Ice
Maraschino Cherries
Olives (black/green)
Salt/Pepper Sugar
Tabasco Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
Of course, now that you have the ingredients, you’ll need the appropriate tools to do the job. The various tools include glassware, so let’s see what you’ll need for a home bar. The last thing you want to have happen is to have someone want a bottle of beer and be lacking a bottle opener. There are certain tools of the trade that are needed in all circumstances.
BARTENDING TOOLS
Stocking tools for a home bar will require a few staples you will definitely want to have.
Can Opener
Useful for opening cans of fruit juices
Corkscrew
For opening wine and champagne bottles
Cloths
For wiping surfaces and equipment. These should be damp and not wet.
Cutting Board
A heavy, laminated cutting board is best for slicing fruit and other garnishes
Bottle Opener
For opening screw top bottles
Cocktail Shaker
This is used for blending ingredients in cocktails and mixed drinks.
Electric Blender
Many cocktails require a blender to blend the ingredients smoothly together. This is useful for drinks with fruit pieces or ice cream etc.
Ice Bucket
A metal or insulated ice bucket keeps your ice cold and clean.
Ice Tongs and Scoops
Tongs are used to add ice to drinks.
Jigger/Shot Glass
This is used as a measurement tool.
Sharp Knife
For cutting fruit and garnishes
Glass and Containers:
Beer Mug
16 ounces – traditional beer container
Champagne Flute
6 ounces – tulip shaped glass designed to show off the bubbles from the champagne
Cocktail glass
This glass has a triangle-bowl design with a long stem, and is used for a wide range of straight-up (without ice) cocktails, including martinis, manhattans, metropolitans, and gimlets - also known as a martini glass.
Typical Size: 4-12 oz.
Collins glass
Shaped similarly to a highball glass, only taller, the Collins glass was originally used for the line of Collins gin drinks, and is now also commonly used for soft drinks, alcoholic juice, and tropical/exotic juices such as Mai Tai's.
Typical Size: 14 oz.
Highball glass
A straight-sided glass, often an elegant way to serve many types of mixed drinks, like those served on the rocks, shots, and mixer combined liquor drinks (i.e. gin and tonic).
Typical Size: 8-12 oz.
Hurricane Glass
This is a tall glass with a hurricane lamp shape used for exotic or tropical drinks
Margarita/Coupette glass
This slightly larger and rounded approach to a cocktail glass has a broad-rim for holding salt, ideal for margarita's. It is also used in daiquiris and other fruit drinks.
Typical Size: 12 oz.
Old-fashioned glass
A short, round so called "rocks" glass, suitable for cocktails or liquor served on the rocks, or "with a splash".
Typical Size: 8-10 oz.
Red wine glass
A clear, thin, stemmed glass with a round bowl tapering inward at the rim.
Typical Size: 8 oz.
Shot glass
This is a small glass suitable for vodka, whiskey and other liquors. Many "shot" mixed drinks also call for shot glasses.
Typical Size: 1.5 oz.