23/10/2024
The Home Bar Backbone
When I first started dabbling in Cocktails, one of the most daunting tasks was taking the step to turn the random selection of liquor bottles I acquired during College and beyond into some semblance of an actual bar.
If youâre starting from ground zero and donât know what youâre doing, the first thing is to make sure you have your bases covered. There are a handful of liquors, mixers and garnishes that make up the foundation of a good home bar. I have my personal preferences, but generally, they are as follows:
Liquors:
Whisky
Gin
Rum (White or Gold)
Vodka
Tequila
Sweet Vermouth
Dry Vermouth
Orange Liqueur
Mixers:
Coke (any cola)
Sprite (any lime soda)
Tonic
Ginger Beer/ale
Garnish/Citrus/Etc
Oranges
Lemons
Limes
Cherries
Green Olives
Simple Syrup
Angostura Bitters
With that stack of ingedients, a broad swath of basic mixed drinks and classic cocktails are at your disposal. With the exception of the Citrus, everything is shelf or fridge stable. (While youâre still dialing in your preferences, buy tiny cans for your mixers - no one likes a month old bottle of tonic).
From there, you can start to branch out and try a broader selection of your favorite liquors or get really into bitter aperitifs or whatever you want to do, but this gives you a solid foundation from which you can make a drink for most folksâ tastes!
Cheers!