A stocked home bar is convenient, creative, and comfortable to entertain guests or to enjoy alone. By customizing your bar, you can have your favorite beverages at home. Look for key ingredients that you are able to easily get from a liquor store. Here are a few tips for stocking your home bar:
Stock up on Spirits
When stocking your home bar, begin with spirits to lay the foundation for many cocktails. Select multi-purpose options such as vodka, gin, rum, and tequila, which have distinct tastes with different drink styles; whiskey enthusiasts can also choose bourbon and rye to widen their mixing options. Add an orange liqueur when balancing citrus-dominant cocktails, like margaritas and sidecars. Sweet vermouth in a bottle can be used with whiskey in Manhattans or Negronis, and a simple gin can be turned into a classic Martini by the addition of a splash of dry vermouth. Bitters add complexity to a cocktail, such as an Old Fashioned or a Champagne cocktail. These base bottles enable you to mix drinks on a casual evening or a special occasion. Pay attention to choices that blend well with different recipes.
Use Various Mixers
A good home bar should have non-alcoholic mixers to complement the cocktails and mocktails; offer different options, including tonic water, club soda, ginger beer, and cola, for making highballs and spritzers. Juices from fruits like oranges or pineapples can add natural sweetness to your drinks. Have lemons and limes on hand to juice and garnish something like a mojito or a margarita. Tropical cocktails can be enhanced with orange wheels or grapefruit slices to add color and a fresh scent.
Mocktails and layered drinks are sometimes sweetened and colored with ginger syrup, honey syrup, or grenadine. To add spice and warmth, cinnamon sticks or fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme can be used. Seasonal additions also include apple cider or coconut water, ideal for warming up to the weather or adding a festive touch to menus. Ice-cold mixers enable rapid refreshing preparations in case of an unexpected guest. By having these ingredients available, your bar can serve a variety of tastes and dietary restrictions.
Build Your Collection
Building a home bar sometimes takes time, since you may carefully choose drinks that align with your tastes; start by selecting a couple of favorite cocktails and purchasing the necessary ingredients from a liquor store. As you discover additional recipes or entertain friends with different preferences, you can purchase more spirits and ingredients. Keep track of which ingredients are being emptied the quickest so that you know what to buy next, such as additional rum or tonic water. As your collection expands, experiment with seasonal variations such as spiced rum during winter or citrus-flavored gin in spring. You can watch for new and trendy drinks or ingredients to help diversify your bar. When experimenting, use small bottles or samples instead of making full-sized additions. Learn about cocktails by watching online videos or attending tastings, and then decide what upgrades to select.
Keep Garnishes on Hand
Garnishes are used to enhance the appearance of the cocktail and to provide aromatic complexity to a drink. Traditional garnishes can be lemon twists, lime wedges, orange slices, and maraschino cherries; these help add color to the drink. Mojitos or herb-infused drinks are lightened and freshened with herbs such as mint or basil. Savory drinks like martinis or Bloody Marys go well with cocktail onions, pickled vegetables, or olives. Stock simple syrup in squeeze bottles for easy sweetening, or experiment with honey and agave syrups for variety.
Flavored bitters may add complexity to simple drinks without needing additional ingredients or preparation. Dehydrated citrus wheels sometimes last longer and continue to provide aesthetic value when used to garnish drinks. Even the most ordinary highball can be transformed into a memorable drink with a variety of garnishes on the station.
Contact a Liquor Store
Having a varied and fully stocked home bar helps you be prepared to mix many different drinks. A well-organized bar can ease the strain of entertaining and give your style of hosting a touch of professionalism. Using practical storage and an efficient layout enables you to avoid clutter and display your collection with purpose. Start filling your home bar now by contacting a liquor store.
