Home bar setup

10 Bottles To Start

The home bar setup. You can make a lot of great cocktails with just a few select bottles. The brands themselves will vary and likely change over time as you explore and discover which you prefer for various drinks. That’s half the fun, right?

The initial bottles are a mix of core spirits, liqueurs, vermouth and bitters. I suggest purchasing regular 750ml bottles to start and then buying the larger 1.75L bottles to replenish the regular bottles you use most regularly.

Home Bar Setup: 10 Bottles

VODKA

GIN

BOURBON/RYE

BRANDY

LIGHT RUM

DARK RUM

TEQUILA

ORANGE LIQUEUR

SWEET VERMOUTH

AROMATIC BITTERS

Juices

Booze gets a lot of the attention when setting up your home bar but what you use for juices in cocktails is critical. I previously lived in parts of the country where fresh citrus was difficult to get and used bottled lemon/lime juice with horrible outcomes. I also used premixed sugary margarita mixes for years until I discovered the huge difference fresh juice makes.

Spend the time and money to commit to quality ingredients with your juices in the bar and your efforts will be rewarded. This is definitely an area to not compromise in. Keep 4-5 lemons and limes on hand and they should last a few weeks and put them in the fridge, if needed.

Syrups

Many recipes will call for syrups to sweeten drinks as well as add another element of flavor, in some cases. The most common syrup you’ll see mentioned is simply: simple syrup. And making it is as simple as the name suggests. Just take equal parts of sugar and water, add them to a saucepan, stir to mix and turn the heat on medium low. Stir occasionally until the mixture is clear, about 10 minutes, and bottle. I like to also add about one Tbsp of vodka to the mix to prevent any mold from forming as I tend to keep mine for a few weeks. I also use about 3/4C each of the water and sugar when i make this.

With simple syrup as the base syrup you’ll want to keep on hand, you can then branch out into other flavors. Ginger syrup is my next most-used syrup, which you’ll see in some of my favorite recipes on this site. The recipe is the same, you just need to add a good-sized nub of grated ginger to the mix and then strain the mixture into a bottle. I’ve also made syrups with lemongrass, black cardamom, and other items.

Shaken or Stirred?

Who doesn’t want to sound smooth like James Bond and order their Martini “shaken, not stirred”? While it sounds good, it’s just generally not how drinks are made. At Alcohobbyist, we’re generally not purists with such things but feel we should lay down the general rules on shaken vs stirred. It’s quite simple. Cocktails that have juice, dairy, or egg whites should generally be shaken as this aerates these cocktails, creating a froth in the drink. Cocktails the only use spirits, like Martinis, a Negroni, Manhattans, etc. should be stirred. Recipes here will advise you accordingly.