Having a home bar is one of those perks of good life that shows your guests that you care about the so called good life and have a taste. You don't need anything fancy, just a few bottles and basics. This article gives advice on how to start a home bar and how to stock it for flexibility without going bankrupt.
For the purposes of this article we shall assume that you don't have money to throw around, that you never had a bar and that you do not have the basic bar hardware. Shop the stores like Dollar Tree, Pier 1, World Market, Walmart, IKEA, Goodwill stores, to get bargain prices. Why pay more than you have to.
BARE BONES HARDWARE
The following is an absolute must have even for bare bones bar:
Wine Bottle Opener - Get the basic wine/beer combination bottle opener, chrome plated, about $6.
Shaker - The "regular" shaker strainer combination with a cap is no good because as you shake the cocktail some will get out as the top has a strainer and cap which dosn't fit tight. Get either two chrome plated shakers (one must be smaller so they fit together at the top) without the top or use just one shaker and a pint beer glass that fits inside the shaker top, about $10.
Strainer - Get the bar strainer with what looks like a spring around its perimeter, about $6.
Jigger - Get jigger/pony combination, chrome of course, about $4.
Plastic Squirt Bottles - These are small 8 or 12 oz. plastic bottles with a single cone squirt nozzle used for ketchup in many old diners. Get 2 or 3 in dollar store for buck each. Use them for simple syrup, lime juice, and whatever other juices you will use.
Plastic straws/stirrers - these are short round or flat plastic stirers also used by coffee shops, dime a dozen.
Cost: about $30
GLASSES
Listed below are 7 basic types of glasses for the bare bones home bar. These come packed in a carton of 4 glasses. First, check with Walmart and World Market. Get two cartons each if you expect to host parties of more than 6 people.
Shot - short stubby glass for shots
Lowball - this is your 'workhorse' also known as "old-fashioned". Usually short but wide, 8 - 10 oz.
Highball - tall and narrower than lowball glass, holds 10 - 12 oz.
Martini - classic conical glass on a stem, sizes vary but holds from 6 - 12 oz. Keep in fridge.
Margarita - wide and short bowl on a stem, holds 8 to 12 oz., giant glass may hold up to 20 oz.
Wine - various stemmed glasses. Although you should have two types of glasses, one for red wine and another larger glass for white wine, you really need only one glass these days. Get tall wine glass which holds 8 to 10 oz.
Beer Glasses or Mugs - 12 oz. glasses or mugs with or without handle. Keep them cool in fridge or freezer during your "event".
Cost of glasses: $35 per set of 7 types of glasses
Total Cost: $70
BARE BONES BAR MIXERS
Coca-Cola
Ginger Ale
Tonic Water
Sprite
Orange Juice
Lime juice
Simple syrup
BARE BONES BAR LIQUOR (around $15 each)
All liquor should be quality liquor but inexpensive. Here are my suggestions:
Vodka - absolute must! Smirnoff Vodka is very popular and is triple distilled meaning it is a good choice. Another bargain vodka is Pinnacle vodka from France.
Gin - absolute must! Gordon London Dry Gin is an institution where you can taste the juniper berries. Another good choice is Seagram Dry Gin.
Light Rum - absolute must! Bacardi is the obvious choice. Alternative choice is Flor de Cana.
Dark Rum - optional. Get Flor de Cana dark rum. Alternative choice is Captain Morgan Spiced Rum.
Whiskey - essential. There is lot of good choice but I like Evan Williams Straight Bourbon whiskey.
As an alternative I suggest Rebel Yell Bourbon.
Tequilla - optional. Forget the real cheap choices such as Montezuma, get a bargain quality tequila. I suggest Sauza Gold or El Jimador Reposado, about $20.
Cost of Liquor: about $100
Total Cost: $170
Cost of Liquor: about $100
Total Cost: $170
MODIFIERS
Dry Vermouth - Martini i Rossi is an obvious choice, about $12. Gallo is the alternative choice, about $8.
Bitters - there are lot of choices but Angostura Bitters are the best, about $6.
Citrus and Fruit - buy lemons, limes, oranges, and other fruits on as needed basis.
Simple syrup - mix together one part water and one part sugar. Boil for few minutes and let cool.
Ice cubes - always have ice on hand. For a party buy a 5 or 10 lb. bag.
Cost of Modifiers: about $25
Total Cost: $195 SAY $200
SIMPLE COCKTAILS YOU CAN MAKE
Old-Fashioned
1 teaspoon sugar
2 dashes bitters
Stir
2 oz. whiskey
Ice
Stir (never shake)
Orange zest (orange peel about 1 1/2 inches long)
Margarita
2 oz. tequila
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz. simple syrup
Shake
Add ice
Serve in glass with salted rim.
Whiskey Sour
2 oz. whiskey
1 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Shake
Add ice and shake again
Strain into lowball glass with 3 ice cubes.
Garnish with slice of lemon and maraschino cherry with stem attached.
Gimlet
2 oz. gin or vodka, your call
3/4 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
Shake with ice
Strain into martini glass
Garnish with slice of lemon
Martini
3 oz. gin
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
Stir (never shake) with ice in mixing glass
Strain into martini glass
Squeeze the oil out of lemon peel
Garnish with green olive
Daiquiri
2 oz. light rum
1 oz. simple syrup
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
Shake with ice and strain into martini glass.
Garnish with slice of lime.
Highball
Fill highball glass with ice, add
2 oz. whiskey
6 oz. ginger ale
Stir
Gin and Tonic
Fill lowball glass with ice
Squeeze juice out of wedge slice of lime
Throw the lime wedge in and add
2 oz. gin
3 oz. tonic water
Stir
Rum and Coke
Fill highball glass with ice, add
2 oz. light rum
4 oz. coke
Stir
Garnish with lime slice
If using dark rum use 6 oz. coke
Cuba Libre
Squeeze juice of half a lime into lowball glass
Add 3 - 4 ice cubes
2 oz. light rum
4 oz. coke
Stir
Garnish with slice of lime
Screwdriver
Fill highball glass with ice, add
1 1/2 oz. vodka
6 oz. pulp free orange juice
Stir
Garnish with orange zest or slice
Mojito
Muddle 4 lime wedges and 1 teaspoon of simple syrup or brown sugar in highball glass, add
2 oz. light rum
6 mint leaves
Stir
Fill glass to 3/4 with crushed ice
Top off with 2 oz.club soda
And there you have it!
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