| You did it! You finally built your home bar. But now | | | | • Cranberry |
| comes the time to decide what to keep on hand so | | | | • Grapefruit |
| that you will be known as the perfect amateur | | | | • Lemon |
| bartender. If money is no object, simply go the nearest | | | | • Lime |
| liquor store and buy one of everything. This option is | | | | • Orange |
| not only expensive, but you would probably end up | | | | • Pineapple |
| with more bottles than space to store them. A more | | | | • Tomato |
| sensible solution would be to pick and choose a | | | | Garnishes/Other |
| selection of liquors, non-alcoholic beverages, tools and | | | | • Cinnamon |
| equipments and little extras to really impress your | | | | • Ice |
| guests. | | | | • Maraschino Cherries |
| Liquors | | | | • Nutmeg |
| • Gin | | | | • Olives (black/green) |
| • Vodka | | | | • Salt/pepper/sugar |
| • Rum (light and dark) | | | | • Sugar Syrup |
| • Whiskey | | | | • Tabasco Sauce |
| • Bourbon | | | | • Worcestershire Sauce |
| • Rye | | | | A few handy tools are necessary even for the new |
| • Scotch | | | | bartender. A well-stocked bar is more than just the |
| • Irish Cream | | | | bottles you have on hand. The right tools, displayed |
| • Tequila | | | | on your countertop will go a long way in impressing |
| • Brandy/Cognac | | | | your guests and will also help making drinks that look |
| • Wine | | | | like they were made by at professional bartender. |
| • White | | | | • Shakers |
| • Red | | | | One of the first bar tools that you will need is a decent |
| • Champagne or sparkling wine | | | | shaker. They are useful for building drinks, mixing them |
| • Vermouth | | | | properly and transferring them into glasses not to |
| • Beer | | | | mention they make a good show for your guests. |
| Liqueurs | | | | Shakers come in two types: 1) Conventional ones with |
| • Amaretto (almond) | | | | a cap and a built-in strainer and; 2) Boston shaker |
| • Blue Curacao (orange) | | | | which is a large mixing glass with a scale in centiliters |
| • Chambord (raspberry) | | | | and ounces. You will need a strainer to go with the |
| • Cointreau / Grand Marnier / Triple Sec | | | | Boston shaker. |
| (orange) | | | | • Electric Blender |
| • Crème de banane | | | | Anyone who likes margaritas, daiquiris and pina |
| • Crème de cacao | | | | coladas needs an electric blender. Aim for a smaller |
| • Crème de menthe | | | | model that will take as much space on your bar. |
| • Frangelico (hazelnut) | | | | • Measuring devices |
| • Galliano (herbs) | | | | Jiggers and measuring spoons will help you make |
| • Kalua (coffee) | | | | consistent drinks every time. It also prevents you from |
| • Sambuca (anise) | | | | being to heavy handed on the booze. Remember |
| • Schnapps (various flavors) | | | | that goal is to create a great tasting drink and not to |
| • Southen Comfort (peach) | | | | get everyone drunk. |
| • Tia Maria (coffee) | | | | • Muddler |
| Mixers | | | | A muddler is a thick stick made out of wood or |
| • Angosturas Bitters | | | | stainless steel that is used to mash ingredients such as |
| • Lemonade | | | | fruits, sugar or mint into a glass when you just want to |
| • Cola | | | | infuse the flavors into the drink without blending it to a |
| • Cream | | | | pulp.. |
| • Eggs | | | | • Corkscrew and bottle opener |
| • Ginger Ale | | | | • Cutting board |
| • Grenadine | | | | • Citrus juicer |
| • Milk | | | | • Ice bucket and ice tongs |
| • Orange Bitters | | | | Now that you know what to keep in your bar, all you |
| • Sour Mix | | | | need to learn is how to make great drinks your friends |
| • Sprite/7-Up | | | | will love. There are numerous books available on the |
| • Soda water and tonic water | | | | market from beginner bar setups all the way to |
| Fruit Juices | | | | experts and drink you never knew existed.. Buy one or |
| • Apple | | | | two and have fun experimenting. Cheers! |