How to Stock Your Home Bar
- Essential Liquors. The foundation for the majority of cocktails, a well-rounded bar should include at least one bottle of each of the six base liquors.
- Vodka Is Essential. ...
- A Versatile Gin or Two. ...
- Tequilas for Margaritas. ...
- Two Rums Are Good. ...
- Choose Your Whiskey. ...
- A Basic Brandy. ...
- Essential Liqueurs. ...
- The Basic Liqueurs. ...
- The Secondary Liqueurs. ...
Full Answer
How to set up and stock a home bar?
Well Stocked: How to Set Up an Amazing Home Bar
- The Ground Rules. Behind any good bar is a good book on how to mix cocktails. ...
- Stocking Up. Now, let’s talk what, exactly, you need.
- Spirits
- Liqueurs
- Mixers. Simple syrup: Make by dissolving equal parts water and sugar over heat—it keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator.
- Tools. ...
- Recipes. ...
- Old Fashioned
- Clover Club
- Magi Sour. ...
How to properly stock a home bar?
- Select varieties that you personally enjoy.
- Keep in mind the tastes of your guests and try to select for them.
- When starting your bar, don't go overboard. Purchase only what you will actually use.
- Start out with ingredients for your favorite cocktails. You can always add more ingredients to your bar later on.
What do you need to stock a home bar?
Some Basic Tips For Stocking Your Home Bar
- Keep It Simple To Start You can’t be prepared to make every drink at your home bar. ...
- Get Stuff You And Your Friends Like So where do you go from there? ...
- Find A Good Cocktail Book (or App)
How to stock a home bar, no matter the budget?
What you need to stock a home bar
- Vodka. I’m a vodka drinker, so this always has a place in my liquor cabinet. ...
- Whiskey. I’m not a whiskey drinker but I use bourbon generously when I bake pecan pies. ...
- Tequila. ...
- Wine ($40) You need at least 1 bottle of red and 1 bottle of white on hand at all times. ...
- Mixed Beers ($20) Sometimes you just want something simple. ...
How do you fully stock a bar?
Your checklist for a fully stocked home bar includes a variety of alcohols, tools, and drinkware, and mastering a few cocktail recipes. 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.
How do you stock a bar cabinet?
Ideally, a home bar will have a good supply of the basics. Start with a whiskey, preferably a bourbon or a rye — then go with vodka or gin, white rum and tequila or mezcal. From there, pick three or four cocktails you know you'll want to drink, and augment your bar with a few special bottles.
What liquors are needed to stock a bar?
Bar Basics: 12 Bottles Any Bar Should HaveGin. Lots of people think they don't like gin. ... Rum (Light) Essential for mojitos and daiquiris, or just mixing with pineapple juice when you're feeling lazy.Rum (Dark) Rich and molasses-y. ... 4 & 5. Tequila (Silver & Gold) ... Bourbon. ... Rye Whiskey. ... 8 & 9. ... Absinthe.More items...•
How much does it cost to fully stock a home bar?
At the low end, it would be about $200 for your entire bar. You can make a good number of drinks with this for any number of people. If you were buying all high-end spirits, you're looking at about $350. But you don't have to buy all the bottles.
How do I organize my home bar?
Saucey15 Tips For Having the Most Perfect Home Bar EVER. ... Start small, start slow. ... Don't spend money on spirits you don't like, at first. ... Invest in basic tools. ... Know what mixers to always keep on hand. ... Basic glassware is everything. ... Don't be afraid to ask friends to contribute.More items...
What are the 6 basic cocktails?
They are the Old Fashioned, Martini, Daiquiri, Sidecar, Whiskey Highball, and Flip. In each drink, every ingredient falls into at least one category. Core is the primary flavor; balance enhances the core with sweetness, acidity, or both; and seasoning adds another dimension and complements or contrasts with the core.
How do I stock a bar for 200 guests?
200 GUESTS:140 bottles of wine.350 bottles of beer.30 bottles of liquor (750 ml)40 bottles of champagne for toast (optional)
What is the 7 spirits of alcohol?
The 7 Types of Distilled SpiritVodka. Distilled primarily from high-starch plants, vodka typically isn't very flavorful. ... Tequila. Made from fermented agave, tequila tastes somewhat sweet, earthy, and piquant, though this varies depending on where the agave was grown. ... Gin. ... Rum. ... Whiskey. ... Mezcal. ... Brandy.
How do I start a personal bar?
2:1528:04How to Start your Home Bar | How to Drink - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipInstead pick one or two cocktails that you like best and just specifically buy the ingredients. YouMoreInstead pick one or two cocktails that you like best and just specifically buy the ingredients. You need to make them. And start your bar.
How can I stock a bar cheaply?
How to Stock Your Home Bar on the Cheap (Yes, We're Naming Bottles)Vodka: 360 ($12-15) ... Whiskey: Kentucky Tavern Bourbon ($10) ... Brandy: Paul Masson VSOP Grande Amber ($13-15) ... Gin: Beefeater London Dry Gin ($18) ... Rum: Cruzan Aged Rum ($13-14) ... Tequila: Olmeca Altos 100% Agave Blanco ($17-19)More items...•
How do you arrange liquor bottles in your home bar?
0:172:55Home Bar 101: Key Bottles to Stock a Home Bar - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd what they would have in a professional bar here's something that I'd suggest to you to getMoreAnd what they would have in a professional bar here's something that I'd suggest to you to get started you'll want to have a vodka a gin tequila rum bourbon perhaps some rye a scotch cognac or brandy.
What size liquor bottles do bars use?
Your back bar will most likely be designed to hold liter- or quart-size bottles. These sizes are also the easiest for a bartender to handle. However, if you're using an automatic dispensing system, you might want to get 1.75-liter bottles instead to save on cost and restocking frequency.
Never run out of drinks again
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
How Many Drinks Per Guest
In party planning, the general advice is that guests will drink two drinks the first hour, and one drink per hour after that. These drinks can be cocktails, beer, wine, or nonalcoholic beverages, and many guests will opt for a combination throughout the night.
Stocking for a Cocktail Menu
Developing a cocktail menu is one way to cut your costs because you only need the ingredients for the specific drinks you select. It also offers the opportunity to design the menu around the party theme.
Stocking a Full Bar
The full bar option is a little more complicated and costly because you'll need a greater variety of liquor and mixers available. The advantage is that guests can order any drink they want.
Don't Forget the Ice
The other key to any great drink is ice. Plan on one pound of ice per person. This will be enough for mixing drinks and to keep the beer and wine cold.
1. Daiquiri
Daiquiris are among my favorite drinks. They are a group of cocktails that contain rum, citrus juice, and a sweetener. Rum can also be switched out for other alcohols. For example, a daiquiri with gin or vodka is essentially a Gimlet.
2. Old Fashioned
Another favorite of mine is the old fashioned. It’s certainly very versatile. The main cocktail is made of whiskey, bitters, simple syrup, and a citrus twist.
3. Martini
This is probably the cocktail I make the least, but is still a huge favorite. A classic dry martini is gin and vermouth with an olive or a lemon twist.
4. Sour
According to the list I linked above, the sidecar is one of the six classic cocktails. However, the sidecar is actually a kind of sour. The sour family of drinks are made with a base liquor, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener. And, according to these rules, they actually make the Daiquiri part of the Sours.
5. Highball
I’ve always thought a Highball sounded like the fanciest of cocktails, but it’s also the simplest. For all you fans of a rum & coke, a Highball is just a spirit plus a non-alcoholic mixer.
6. Flip
And, last but not least, and the most advanced to make, is the Flip. A Flip is a cocktail that contains a spirit, a sweetener, and a whole egg. Flips can also contain just an egg white, but if we’re being picky about the Classics, I wanted you to know.
How to Stock a Home Bar: Essential Liquors
This lineup is all you need to make the six classic cocktails listed previously. To stock a bar with the basics you’ll need rum, gin, tequila, whiskey, and a dry vermouth. You could technically get away without the tequila, but that would take away the ability to make margaritas, palomas, tequila sunrises, and more.
Home Bar Basics
A home bar doesn't have to be a headache: Invest in basic equipment, stock up on essential liquors, and you can have a spread that will impress amateurs -- and even make professionals nod in quiet approval.
Storing Liquor
Liquor will keep for a long time, particularly in a cool place away from direct sunlight. The lower the liquid level, though, the more quickly you should consume the liquor, as the air in the bottle will leach out the flavors. Vermouth, however, is a wine, and should be refrigerated and drunk fairly quickly.
Barware
The equipment needed to mix a cocktail is simple to master, and you don't need a lot of it.
Glassware
For everyday use in your home bar, you only need six or eight of each of these three basic types: a short glass, a tall glass, and a stem.
Alcohol
To make fantastic, creative cocktails, there's no need to stock your bar with 12 brands of expensive vodka and a rainbow's worth of brightly colored liqueurs.
The Liquors
Cognac For sidecars, brandy milk punches, crustas, daisies, and smashes.
The Mixers
Cointreau A bar essential -- clean, full of natural orange flavor, and not too sweet.
What is bar inventory management?
Before diving into the nitty-gritty of stock counting, let’s establish some common definitions.
Bar Inventory Control Methods: 2 Ways Take Stock of Liquor
Measuring and counting your liquor is a cornerstone practice of bar inventory control. After all, you can’t manage your bar’s stock if you don’t know how much you have.
Bar Stock Control: General Tips and Best Practices
If you made it this far, then you now have a solid understanding of how to count and measure your liquor levels.
