The Liquors You Need for Your Home Bar
So you want to build a nice bar for your home. That’s great! Now, we are not talking about a physical structure, but rather, what liquors that structure will house. You like to entertain and you want to be able to offer your guests something and you want to make sure you can appeal to most people. So here’s what you need to know.
The Call Order
- Vodka
- Gin
- Rum
- Scotch
- Canadian Whiskey
- Bourbon
- Tequila
These are the Primary Liquors that make up the basic bar. You want to make sure you have quality brands, but you don’t have to break the bank. So here are my recommendations for your liquors:
Vodka: Tito’s, Kettle One, Smirnoff or Absolut
Gin: Tanqueray, Bombay Regular or Beefeater’s
Rum: Bacardi (Clear)
Scotch: Lagavulen (10YO)
Canadian: Crown Royal
Bourbon: Eagle Rare or Bulleit
Tequila: Espolon (Silver) or Don Julio (Reposado)
Now there are LOTS of opinions, these are just mine, but you will find these all to be in the $24-$45 range. Great Price/Value Liquors.
To complement your lead liquors you will need additional “Support Liquors” such as:
- Triple Sec
- Sweet & Dry Vermouth
- Peach Schnapps
- Sambucca
- Sloe Gin
- Coffee Liqueor
- Irish Cream
- Creme de Menthe
And you will need Juices and Mixers:
OJ, Pineapple, Grapefruit, Cranberry (Get small cans of these to eliminate spoiling/waste), Club Soda, Tonic Water, Bitter Lemon, Ginger Beer, Ginger Ale, Cola, Diet Cola, Lemon-Lime Soda, Cream and Honey.
Also, Garnishes should be fresh and refrigerated until needed:
Olives (Keep the juice!) Pearl Onions, Oranges, Lemons & Limes.
Don’t Forget the Wine!
We hardly have time to discuss particular wines, but I will recommend the varietals you should have to please most folks:
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Grigio
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Cabernet
- Chianti
- Pinot Noir
Read reviews online when you are out shopping for wines. You will be surprised at how high a quality you can get for $9-$13! Look for a rating of 88 or higher.
So now you can enjoy (As will your guests) the perfect bar at home! Add some nice glasses, have ice and water on hand and a few tin mixers and strainers and you are good to go!
– Cheers!