DARK RUM Dark rum is more varied than light rums and you’ll want to find a good one to stock your bar with. You also can’t go simply from the color of the rum to supply a “dark rum” for cocktails as they range from aged rums to spiced rums to black strap rums. The […]
ORANGE LIQUEUR A lot of drinks call for some form of an orange liqueur and there are a lot of them to choose from, so I kept this core bottle generic for bar setup. The flavors and quality (and price) can vary quite a lot and how much you’ll taste the difference will depend on
SWEET VERMOUTH Vermouth is classified as a fortified, aromatized wine and can be found in sweet and dry varieties. In choosing just one variety for a 10 bottle bar setup, I went with sweet since there are a number of well-known classic cocktails that call for it. The one very notable drink that uses dry
BRANDY Brandy seems like a bit of a throwback to have in your bar. Perhaps this is why it’s a bottle that I’ve opted to keep in a decanter. Brandy is produced by distilling wines or a fermented fruit mash. The standard bottle for your home bar will be the wine variety. Since it’s produced
TEQUILA Few liquors get a reaction quite like Tequila. Many have experienced an evening of too many shots, leaving them to recoil at the mention of having a cocktail with this wonderful agave liquor. They’ll kindly select something else for their libations. I like the challenge to see if I can change their mind! The
BOURBON/RYE Bourbon and rye are distinctly different whiskies but for the sake of simplifying your initial bar setup I’m suggesting one or the other. Purists may disagree but they can work interchangeably in many drinks if you only have one or the other on hand. Bourbon is made from corn and is sweeter and has
GIN and APEROL COCKTAIL I enjoy this Gin and Aperol cocktail as a happy hour aperitif. Just the right amount of sour from the lemon juice combines well with the herbal elements of the gin and Aperol and the sweetness of the orange liqueur takes the edge off just enough. Recipe 2 oz Gin 1/2
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SUFFERING BASTARD The Suffering Bastard is one of my favorite names for a drink, inspired by hungover patrons at a Cairo hotel during World War II. Somehow it doesn’t sound very Tiki but it’s one of the classic Tiki drinks and interesting in that it doesn’t have any rums. Recipe 1 oz Gin 1 oz
MARTINI Many years ago I took a bartending course and one of the drinks that I remember most from that experience is the martini. They taught that what made this cocktail dry was a matter of just a few drops of vermouth. Six drops was semi-dry and three drops was dry. I’ve stuck with that
BLOODY MARY The Bloody Mary. Perhaps the most universally known cocktail? Lots of room for improvisation with this one and I’ve tried a number of things to perfect mine over the years, at least for my tastes. I’ve found the key to be a good tomato juice base as this will change the drink quite
