Home Bar Essentials: How to Stock a Home Bar

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🍾 liquor & other alcohol

• vodka – The best part about vodka is you can find a good quality vodka at around $20 – $30. You might even have a local distiller near you! Popular vodka drinks include vodka tonics, spiked lemonades, and a varity of martinis and gimlets. Check out this post for an in depth look at vodka, including all the different varieties there are!
• gin – Gin can be a polarizing spirit, so unless you know you love it, I recommend choosing a milder style of gin for your home bar over a super juniper forward bottle. Gin is used in a variety of fizzes, martinis, rickys and gimlets. Read this post for more information all about gin!
• rum – Rum is one of the most accessible alcohols, because it’s not super regulated unlike the other varieties of liquor. Unless you’re just not a fan of rum, I recommend buying a couple bottles, including light rum, or silver rum, and a decent aged rum. Skip the spiced rum unless you plan on making lots of tropical cocktails that will use it, or unless you prefer a more robust classic rum cocktail like dark and stormys and rum and cokes. This post walks you through all the different types of rum available!
• tequila – If you’re not a big tequila drinker, you can skip this spirit completely. However!!! I am a firm believer that cheap mixto style tequilas have given the industry a bad rap. Check out this post to learn all about the different varieties of tequila, and why I think you should give this spirit another shot (pun intended). I do recommend grabbing a nice bottle of silver tequila for cocktails like palomas and classic margaritas though, because it’s easy to make seasonal variations on those drinks. If you like tequila, you will also want to choose a nice reposado tequila, or aged añejo tequila.
• whiskey – The world of whiskey has a huge variety of liquors, including American whiskey, Canadian whiskey, bourbon, scotch, Irish whisky, and Japanese whiskey. In general, it’s a good move to have a bottle of bourbon and Canadian whiskey, which tend to mix easily into cocktails. If you know you like whiskey and prefer classic cocktails like old fashioneds, then there is a WIDE world of whiskey to explore!
• brandy – unless you’re sipping on brandy in snifters while puffing cigars, you might be tempted to skip this spirit. I prefer to use it more as a liqueur in cocktails like sangria, mulled wine, and sidecars. If you are just starting out, I would say brandy is a liquor you can save for later, though.
• liqueurs & cordials – There are a few liqueurs I recommend keeping on hand, including triple sec or orange liqueur, coffee liqueur, and if you like martinis, vermouth. Next-step liqueurs include Irish cream, creme de cacao, and berry flavored liqueurs like creme de meur or chambord. Prefer tropical tastes? You’ll want to grab a bottle of falernum, ginger liqueur, and curacao— dry or blue! I also love making homemade liqueurs, especially if you are just getting started with cocktail making at home. It’s a fun way to explore flavors without spending a ton of money.
• beer, cider, & wine – If you like any of these alcohols, you’ll want to keep at least a 6 pack on hand, and a few bottles of wine. In general, if you entertain a lot, it’s worth it to find a few bottles you like of both red and white wine, plus champagne and prosecco for cocktails like limoncello spritzes!

🧊 ice, syrups, mixers, & more

When it comes to cocktail mixing at home, quality matters! A lot of times, people will tell you it’s okay to skip fresh juices and use store-bought. Whenever possible, I recommend using fresh ingredients, and don’t be afraid to make your own mixers, too! You can freeze a lot of these ingredients, meaning it’s easy to prep ahead of time and keep on hand for when guests pop in!

• ice – If you’ve been around here a while, you know we take ice very seriously! That’s because it’s truly an ingredient in your drinks, if not one of the MOST important ingredients in your drinks. Nearly every cocktail you make will involve ice, so choose the best ice you can for the best flavor! If you’re making your own ice at home, make sure to use filtered water so the flavor profile is a pure as possible.
• saline solution – just like you salt your food, salt can add complexity to your cocktails too. Read up on how saline solution works in your drinks here. Then, mix up a batch to keep on your bar cart! The best part is that it lasts forever, so one bottle will keep your drinks flavorful for months on end.
• simple syrups – sweetness is an essential flavor component with cocktails. Simple syrup is an essential ingredient in so many cocktails, and it’s easy to infuse your own syrups for an extra layer of flavor. Infused simple syrups are quick and easy to make, and they help infuse so much flavor!
• bitters – bitters, like saline solution, is another great “secret ingredient” for adding depth, intrigue, and flavor to your cocktails. You can go classic, like with Angostura bitters, which work in a wide variety of cocktails.
• fruit juice – the most important fruit juices to keep on hand are lemon, lime, orange, and maaaaybe pineapple, if you like tropical cocktails. Grapefruit is also nice to have, but I always recommend buying the fruit fresh when you need it so it has the best flavor. If you want to be prepared, you can freeze the juice when fruit is on sale or in season. That way, you have it on hand. I love doing this with seasonal varieties of fruit like blood orange juice or passion fruit juice!
• other mixers – ingredients like sour mix are easy to make at home out of fresh juice, and oh so worth the time it takes compared to store-bought mixes! Don’t buy a bottle of sour mix just to sit around. Instead, wait until you have a recipe that uses it as an ingredient.
• soda – stock your fridge with plain soda water, ginger ale, and classic cola to start. If you know you like tonic water or plan on making drinks like vodka tonics or gin and tonics, it’s worth it to keep tonic water on hand, too.

🍋 garnishes

• salts & sugars – coarse sea salt is a classic choice for rimming glasses, and you can also use it to make customized flavors of salt, like with this homemade lime salt. Sugar is another great ingredient for rimming cocktail glasses, and you can custom-make flavored sugars as well!
• dehydrated fruits – I love making and keeping dehydrated fruits on hand for garnishes. They last for so long and they’re easy to pop in any drink. You can make dehydrated oranges, dehydrated limes, and even more exotic fruits like dried starfruit!
• fresh citrus – keeping fresh citrus on hand is a good idea. It’s best to buy only a couple of days before you plan to make drinks. If you want, you can make some garnishes ahead of time like lemon twists and slices, and pop them in the freezer! This is a clever way to keep the garnishes on hand for when you need them.
• herbs – mint is probably the most classic cocktail garnish, and it’s also one of the easiest herbs to plant and keep alive in a container! Basil is another classic choice, especially for summer drinks like a blackberry basil margarita!
• berries – I love skewering a few berries onto cocktail picks and freezing them. This is great for planning ahead, and it’s also good for presentation. When you take the berries out of the freezer, a nice frosty layer develops on the fruit!

🧰 bar tools & equipment

The world of bar tools is VAST. There are tons of options for mixers, shakers, and various tools. Most of what you’ll need will depend on the kinds of drinks you like to make. So, check the recipes of your favorite drinks to make choices that make sense for you. Here’s an extra-deep-dive on essential tools for your home bar.

• measuring tools – whether you choose to use a jigger or a measuring glass, you will need measuring tools for making drinks. I do not recommend using measuring cups traditionally used in dry-measuring, because they’re hard to pour from. A spout will make your life way easier, trust me. I love measuring beakers from OXO because they have every measurement you’ll need, and you can use them for all of your cooking and drink-making needs.
• cocktail shaker or mixing glass – you will undoubtedly need a vessel for mixing your drinks. But, whether you choose a shaker or mixing glass is up to the kinds of drinks you plan to make. If you’re just starting out, I recommend a nice shaker first (affiliate link). Then, you can add a mixing glass later if you want.
• pairing knife & cutting board – a small sharp knife and a cutting board will be invaluable tools when making drinks, particularly for slicing citrus and making garnishes.
• citrus juicer – start with a small hand press style juicer. If you find that you’re making lots of drinks with citrus, you may want to upgrade to an electric citrus juicer. It took me years to make the upgrade, and when I did, I wondered why I waited so long!
• muddler – resist the urge to use the back of a spoon or spatula and invest in a muddler, especially if you like drinks such as mojitos and brambles (affiliate link). The flat surface of a muddler makes quick work of smashing ingredients and expressing their flavors.
• strainer – a small fine mesh strainer is a great tool for straining out ingredients from your cocktails. This tool is super helpful when you’re making drinks that have bits of fresh ingredients in them, like fruits and herbs you’ll want to be strained out.
• cocktail stirring spoon – this long-handled spoon might seem unnecessary, but the longer handle helps to mix drink ingredients easier, without diluting drinks too much.
• ice molds – one of my favorite ways to customize drinks is with ice! You can find nearly any size and shape of ice mold these days, from small spheres to the Hogwarts Castle!!!

🥃 glassware

Once again, the drinks you like most will dictate which glasses make the most sense to have. You definitely don’t have to be like me and build an insanely large collection of cups. Unless you want to.

• coupe glasses – if you forced me to pick one cocktail glass, I’d choose a coupe. It’s perfect for serving tons of drinks, from champagne to martinis, and it’s got an elegant and timeless style. Smaller sizes coupe glasses are perfect for daiquiris and martinis while larger coupes are perfect for gimlets and champagne. A bonus? You can use coupe classes to serve some of your favorite desserts like puddings, parfaits, and ice cream!
  
• rocks glasses – rocks glasses are another classic that you likely need to have be a part of your bar cabinet! They’re perfect for everything from margaritas to brambles. You can also use them as juice glasses during brunch or for a seasonal iced latte.
  
• highball glasses – these glasses are taller than rocks glasses and range from having a capacity of 12 – 16 ounces. You can also use these glasses for drinking water or soda pop, so they make great everyday glasses. Cocktails served in a highball include mojitos, palomas, and vodka tonics.
  
• wine glasses – if you drink a lot of wine, it’s worth it to invest in some nice glasses. I tend to be a little clumsy, so I prefer stemless glasses. They can also be used for drinks like limoncello spritzes and sangria.
  
• shot glasses – once you’re over 25, you likely aren’t taking shots anymore, so these glasses aren’t totally necessary. If you plan on making drinks that need floaters though, like mai tais, you may want to have a few shot glasses stocked in your bar cart. My favorite hack? Use 2 – 3 ounce glasses that double as espresso glasses!
  
• snifters – these specialty glasses can be fun to have and serve cocktails in! But, they’re usually not necessary unless you plan on sipping on brandy.

💬 Need more help with creating your home bar?

Leave me a comment if you need help with making choices for your home bar collection, I’m here to help you out! 🥂