How to Stock a Home Bar

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed)
Mar 21st 2010 at 2:01PM

Those who enjoy having friends over and entertaining guests know that having a well stocked home bar is essential. There are no hard and fast rules for what to have in a home bar and most people simply build a collection based on what drinks they and their guests most often enjoy. But if you're starting from scratch and are looking to create a well-rounded bar ready for any occasion here's what you'll need to get started.

Equipment
Bottle opener
Wine Key
Cocktail/Martini Shaker
Ice Bucket
Jigger
Blender
Cutting board
Paring knife
Coasters
Napkins
Drink straws/stirrers
Dishtowels
Toothpicks

Glassware - How many to stock of each depends on usage and personal preference, but the list is generally ordered from most frequently used at the top to least frequently used at the bottom.
Highball glasses
Pint glasses
Rocks glasses
Wine glasses
Martini glasses
Brandy snifters
Shot glasses

Mixers - Most mixers are best stocked in small or single-serve sizes so they stay fresh for long periods and limit waste when you open one for a single drink.
Club soda
Tonic water
Cola
Diet Cola
Lemon/Lime soda
Orange juice
Tomato juice
Cranberry juice
Margarita mix
Bloody Mary mix

Spirits
Beer
Red wine
White wine
Champagne
Vodka
Rum
Gin
Tequila
Scotch
Bourbon
Whisky
Cognac
Brandy
Vermouth (dry and sweet)

Liqueurs - There's a seemingly unlimited variety of flavored liqueurs. These are the most common but stock the ones you will use most.
Orange (Triple Sec, Cointreau, Grand Marnier)
Coffee (Kahlua)
Herbal (Drambuie)
Apple (DeKuyper's Apple Pucker)
Bailey's Irish Cream
Creme de Cacao (white and dark)
Creme de Menthe (white and dark)
Blue curacao

Garnishes/extras
Olives
Cocktail onions
Fresh lemon
Fresh lime
Bitters
Maraschino cherries
Coarse sugar and salt
Lime juice
Simple syrup
Sour mix
Grenadine
Hot sauce
Worscestershire

Feel free to contribute, what basics are missing? Anything you simply can't live without in your home bar?

Tags: alcohol, bar, cocktails, drinks, entertaining, entertainment-pedia, home bar, main-pedia, mixing drinks, stocking a home bar

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

kevin_107_3 Mar 21st 2010 2:09PM

That would be an excellent BAR! I definately would add a Brandy Sniffer in the glasswares...

Tom McM Mar 21st 2010 9:33PM

Great article. I would recommend upgrading your tonics and other mixers to premium mixers likve FeverTree or Q-Tonic. I get mine at Kegworks.com

Barina Craft Mar 22nd 2010 3:12PM

This would be a well stocked home bar the neighbors would covet :) As stated it all depends on what you and your guests enjoy. Mojitos and Daiquiris are very popular so you might want some mint to muddle and fresh strawberries to blend. See http://www.barinacraft.com/stocking-home-bars.html for a checklist detailing bartending stock for mixing drinks voted most popular.

Pat Mar 22nd 2010 10:17PM

Sounds great!! Any chance we could get estimates as to how long each of these would "last"... I'd hate to stock a bar with all those liqueurs that expire in a couple years...

elvedon Mar 23rd 2010 3:00PM

Margarita MIX? Seriously?

Why would anyone take advice on stocking a home bar from someone who makes margaritas from a mix?

slsrye Mar 23rd 2010 8:06PM

it's a thing of beauty when car manufacturers sponsor alcohol related "how-t" articles

Tom Mar 24th 2010 1:33AM

Don't forget ingredents for a pina colada

deep6phil Mar 26th 2010 6:50PM

Don't forget the 40 year old port & 80 year old cognac.

Huh? Mar 27th 2010 11:39AM

This sounds like a list/concern from the 70s.

mmurbarger Mar 27th 2010 12:21PM

That's because all the KID's still drink beer! Got to have the 40 year old Port! Yes, there IS a difference!

KP Mar 27th 2010 12:33PM

I always had this issue on my mind of not knowing what consists of a home bar and what to get for years. I knew it would be expensive, but I enjoyed social drinking over the time I had of living on this planet so it would be worth it instead of taking friends to the local bar or restaurant. I always had a good regard for friends who seemed to have everything available at their homes. This article was long in coming for the uninitiated.