Spirits:
Stocking Your Home Bar.
A Spirit for Every Occasion.
Stocking your home bar with just the right spirits is a blend of art and science.
Start small and go from there.
There’s no need to rush out and buy every spirit on the market. There are a few essential spirits to get you started.
What to Get When You’re Just Starting Out
There are a dizzying number of spirits, liqueurs and bitters on the market today and it’s tempting to keep buying more (I am guilty of this). But when you’re just starting out, it’s better to stick to the basics until you get a good feel for what you like, what your guests like and the kinds of cocktails you serve most frequently.
Here’s a tip: When you’re missing something, make a note of it in your bar journal and then keep track of the items you wished you had and how often each one comes up. That will help when the time comes to adding more spirits to your bar. Another big factor to consider is how much space you have to store bottles.
Recommended Spirits for Starting Your Home Bar
When you’re first stocking up, I recommend the following as a basic minimum. Remember, you don’t need to buy top-shelf bottles, but I would avoid well bottles as well. Stick with the tried and true call bottles until you start to add-on later (of course if your personal preferences are top-shelf by all means do what you need to do!).
One each of a vodka, gin, whiskey (whiskey is a big category so start with your personal preference as to whether it’s rye, bourbon, scotch etc., you may want to get two or three if this is your wheelhouse), brandy (and/or a cognac), a white (clear) rum, tequila, one or two liqueurs of your choice and a vermouth.
Essential Spirits for Your Home Bar
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