How do I stock my bar?
This checklist is a great way to stock a standard bar, but remember, your list should adapt. Add additional items as needed to expand your selection, or remove items that aren’t selling. Identify your opening products, work with your distributors’ sales reps to get your bar stocked properly, and good luck with the grand opening!
What is the best rum for a home bar?
Plantation 3 Stars is the rum of choice for your home bar. What’s in the well? Overwhelmingly, Plantation 3 Stars. Other brands mentioned by more than one bartender included Appleton White, J Wray, Barton’s, and Flor de Cana 4 Year. What do customers request? Bacardi, trailed by El Dorado 12 Year and Plantation 3 Stars.
What is the best tequila to mix with rum?
Head bartender Will Pasternak says he mixes Plantation 3 Star, Cana Brava 3, Rum Barbancourt, and El Dorado 3 Year “to best replicate the Cuban rums of old.” Olmeca Altos Tequila Plata is the tequila of choice for your home bar.
What brands of Rum do bartenders use?
Other brands mentioned by more than one bartender included Appleton White, J Wray, Barton’s, and Flor de Cana 4 Year. What do customers request? Bacardi, trailed by El Dorado 12 Year and Plantation 3 Stars. How does top-shelf rum change the drink price? On average, the “well” Daiquiri cost $12, compared to the $13 “call spirit” Daiquiri.
How do you fully stock a bar?
In general, two bottles are good to start, and you can always add more. Ideally, a bar should have one bottle of each style. For the most versatility and mixability, stock a bourbon and Canadian whisky. The bourbon will give you that robust whiskey flavor, while the Canadian blends tend to be very smooth.
How do you stock a wet bar?
Drinks to Stock in Your Wet Bar You should stock the main components to those drinks in your wet bar. For example, if you like a Bloody Mary, then you should have vodka in your wet bar. If Manhattans are your thing, then you need to stock whiskey.
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...•
What should I stock my bar cart with?
Spirits: Bottles of vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and whiskey. Depending on your taste, the whiskey can be sweet (bourbon), spicy (rye), or astringent (Scotch). Equipment: A two-part Boston shaker, a Hawthorne strainer, a juice press, a bar spoon, and a double-sided jigger (either .
How should a bar be set up?
4:3716:31Become a Bartender - The Bar Set-Up - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAgain different bars have different things on their gun you can see most of sodas are on that. SoMoreAgain different bars have different things on their gun you can see most of sodas are on that. So you can pour sodas. And then mixers Jack and Coke Seagram's. Them sprite.
How do you stock a basic liquor 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 are the first five liquors on a bar?
The industry standard for the order of liquors on the speed rack is: rum, vodka, gin, brandy, whiskey, scotch, bourbon and tequila. However, the order of the bottles will depend on the preferences of the majority of your clientele.
Does alcohol expire?
Unopened liquor has an indefinite shelf life. Opened liquor lasts about a year or two before it goes bad, meaning it starts losing its color and flavor. Don't use a liquor for well drinks if you won't use the whole bottle within two years. It does not generally become toxic, though.
Can rum be made all over the world?
The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Most rums are produced in Caribbean (most famously Jamaica and Cuba) and other parts of the Americas, but also in other sugar-producing regions, such as the Philippines and Taiwan.
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.
It's not how many bottles you have in your home bar, but which ones. The following bottles will give your home bar the greatest reach and the most promising start!
Sam has worked as a sous chef and bar consultant for over 15 years, and as contributor to Simply Recipes since 2020.
How Much Does It Cost to Set Up a Home Bar?
Starting up any home bar, your first real question is how to balance affordability and reasonable quality. Spending somewhere between $200 and $350 could give you a semi-substantial bar, capable of pouring up more decent cocktails than you’d have friends to drink them.
Liquors
Gin: Begin with a classic London Dry like Beefeater or Tanqueray. It’s not only a standard, but a quality workhorse – as comfortable in craft cocktail bars as it is in an affordable home bar.
Wines
Sweet vermouth: One of the holy cocktail trinity (along with your base spirit and bitters), sweet vermouth is the indispensable bridge between the strength of your spirit and the sharpness of your bitters.
Bitters
Angostura bitters: There is no more commonly called-for component of your craft cocktails than the aromatic bitters of Angostura, perhaps the longest-surviving and most canonical company of its kind.
Keeping Your Home Bar Organized
While you can’t be blamed for stocking your bar (or bar cart) for aesthetic beauty, you might want to avoid haphazard, willy-nilly placement. Begin by placing like spirits next to one another, and when you’re building a cocktail you can easily find your needed ingredients.
Step 1: The Five Bottle Bar
My home bar started modestly. A bottle of bourbon, a bottle of gin, and some bar supplies I received as gifts. Over time, I found new cocktail recipes that required different ingredients and a few bottles quickly became a few dozen. While this is fine for your seasoned home mixologist, it’s a bit overkill for your cocktail newcomer.
Step 2: Mixing it up
Whiskey on the rocks or a vodka soda are okay in a pinch, but some nights you want more. Cocktails require multiple ingredients. Sometimes that’s just citrus juice or sugar, and sometimes it’s a delicious liqueur. A good home bar will always have a few mixers and liqueurs laying around.
Step 3: Tools of the Trade
Now you have all the liquid ingredients you need to start making outstanding cocktails. You just need a few tools to turn these ingredients into picture worthy creations.
Step 5: Making your First Cocktails
Now you have everything you need to make amazing cocktails at home. With a little practice, you can even start hosting fancy cocktail parties with friends. There’s a certain level of pride and sophistication in mixing your own drinks that you don’t get from pouring a bottle of wine or beer.
The Home Bar Rules
Home Bar Rule #1: Pick alcohol you actually enjoy imbibing. When I first started my own home bar, I only picked spirits that I thought would impress guests when I had them over. I ended up spending a fortune for alcohol that I hardly ever used. While you’ll use your home bar for entertaining, don’t forget that a home bar’s main customer is you.
Alcohol
Gin. It’s one of the base spirits for many popular cocktails, so definitely have plenty on hand. Gin comes in four varieties: London Dry, Plymouth, Old Tom, and Genever. I suggest starting off with a London Dry gin. Later on, add a Plymouth gin to the mix. Learn more about this spirit in AoM’s primer on gin.
Mixers
Again, what mixers you decide to stock will depend on the cocktails you want to make. Here are the basics:
Garnishes
Garnishes add a bit of decorative panache to your drink. They also give you something to nibble on as you sip your drink. The type of garnish you add to a drink depends on the drink. Tequila-based cocktails often use citrus garnishes like a lime or lemon. Gin-based tonics use olives and onions. A man should never add garnishes to a Scotch.
Glassware and Other Assorted Accouterments
You’ll need the proper tools for your apothecary of invigorating elixirs. You can get pretty specific with your glassware. There are tumblers made specifically for certain cocktails. If you drink those cocktails frequently, by all means get them. But you can get by just fine without them. Here are the basics:
Home Bar Storage
Some of you might be choking on your cocktail olive at the size of this list. You’re probably thinking, “Sure, Jeff, this sounds all well and good, but where am I supposed to keep this in my tiny house/apartment/condo?”
Basic Liquor Tips
Know when to break out the good liquor – If your boss is coming over, don’t offer him Beringer White Zinfindel or Mad Dog 20/20. Stick to bottles that are made of glass, not plastic. Save the cheap stuff for you and your buddies.
Vodka
Vodka is probably the most-consumed hard liquor in the United States. It seems to mix well with anything. This should be a staple of your bar. When hosting a party, it’s wise to have an extra bottle on hand and it will surely go the fastest.
Tequila
I’ve always been against tequila – can’t stand the stuff. You are in luck though, because one of my friends (owner of this collectible bottle online store) is a tequila connoisseur.
Bourbon, Scotch, Whiskey?
I’m not a big drinker of any of the above. I’ve had Knob Creek and Maker’s Mark – those aren’t bad. If forced to choose, I would probably go with Crown Royal. Other than those brands, I don’t have a lot to add. You can help me out with value drinks in these categories by commenting below.
Rounding Out Your Bar
You can’t just get buy with a few liquors and call it a day. Here’s a brief summary of other things that you might consider when you stock your bar.
Vodka
"I would never spend more than $50 on a bottle of vodka," Ehrmann advises. "You can find plenty of top-end, high-quality vodka in that price range." He avoids vodka made with potatoes and opts for a vodka made with rye because it has more character and spice. However, if you prefer a generally creamy mouthful, you might like potato or wheat vodka.
Tequila
If you love tequila drinks—margaritas, Palomas, and diablos—a good silver tequila is a must for your home bar. Ehrmann recommends getting a high-quality one because, "a well-made Blanco tequila is as delicious a sipper as it is in a cocktail." He prefers to use silver tequila for cocktails because it has a pure agave flavor.
Whiskey
Whiskey is a broad category of spirits that includes bourbon, rye, and scotch. Ehrmann suggests getting at least one of each type, including Irish whiskey, to cover all the basic classic drinks. "For each of them, focus on 86 to 100 proof because you want that alcohol content to punch through in a cocktail," he says.
Cognac
Cognac is organized by aging style. There is VS, VSOP, XO, and XXO, a new category that is the oldest and meant to be strictly sipped. "For cocktails, you want a VS or VSOP, and there can be great range in price," Ehrmann says. "VS is going to be cheaper than VSOP. With the VSOP, you're getting more age"—four vs. two years.
Vermouth
Vermouth is an aromatized fortified wine that comes in white and red varieties known more commonly as dry and sweet vermouth. Dry vermouth is used in a martini, while sweet vermouth is used in a Manhattan. Both are common ingredients in many concoctions, but vermouth can also be sipped solo over ice or in a spritzer.
Essential Liqueurs
A high-quality triple sec like Cointreau is a necessary ingredient in margaritas, cosmos, sidecars, and many other drinks. It's a must for every home bar. A triple sec differs from orange liquor (such as Grand Mariner) because the triple sec is made with a neutral spirit rather than an aged spirit like cognac.
Trendy Liqueurs
Once you've stocked the basic building blocks, add liquors that excite you to your collection. Mezcal, a Mexican spirit made from smoked agave, is a potent yet versatile ingredient that can replace tequila in many cocktails. Sherry is another spirit used in mixology but is also worth trying by itself.
Essential Spirits
They are called essential for a reason. Every bar should always have these in stock. While they are good straight up, they are also the base alcohol for 1000s of different mixes.
Glassware and Other Tools
Obviously, you won’t be drinking these straight out of the bottle; you will need a decent set of proper bar glassware. Typically, acquiring the right glasses for each drink will quickly ramp up in cost, after all, you are going to need anywhere between 4 to 8 glasses of each type.
Equipment
Now that you have your liquors and your glasses, you are going to need some essential bar equipment to mix and blend some drinks properly.
In this article
The key to stocking your own standout home bar is focusing on quality basics. To find the best, we surveyed a broad spectrum of bartenders at top cocktail spots, from craft havens to celebrated dive bars, about the well spirits they use for five of the most commonly ordered cocktails.
Tequila, for a Margarita
Olmeca Altos Tequila Plata is the tequila of choice for your home bar.
Whiskey, for an Old-Fashioned
Old Forester Signature 100 Proof is the bourbon of choice for your home bar.
But what about rye?
While most bartenders said they typically reach for bourbon to mix Old Fashioneds, the minority who prefer to use rye whiskey unanimously specified one brand: Rittenhouse Rye ($24 on average).
