Your 5 Bottle Bar

If you’ve decided it’s time to set up your first home bar you’re probably asking yourself “where do I start”. The choices can be overwhelming but it’s best to follow a few guiding principles in setting up your bar. Buy good quality spirits that are versatile, meaning you could drink them on their own or within a cocktail and that they fit within your budget. So let’s get started.

Whiskey

Realizing your choices in type, style and brand may seem endless stick with a good straight bourbon out of Kentucky, like Buffalo Trace or Four Roses, both smooth and versatile whiskies, and you should be good to go.

Vodka

Next, pick up a bottle of vodka. Since it’s a neutral grain spirit you should look for those that have been carefully filtered such as Tito’s or Absolut. You may also find yourself having to decide which type of vodka to choose – grain or potato. A grain-based vodka such as Grey Goose is typically smoother and less flavorful than potato and best used in cocktails. Conversely, this makes potato vodka a popular choice for drinking neat or over ice. Woody Creek Distillers, Chase English Potato Vodka and Chopin are a few good “sipping” choices.

Tequila

Blanco tequila is our next “must have” home bar bottle. It’s popularity has grown throughout the country and we’re not just talking about shots and shooters. Tequila has found its way into mainstream cocktails and is now one of the fastest growing liquor categories. Similar to other categories of spirits there are several types of tequila to choose from – Blanco, also referred to as silver tequila, is typically bottled right after distillation or aged in steel tanks for up to four weeks; Reposado, which is aged for at least two months and up to a year in barrel and Añejo, which is aged in sealed oak barrels or casks for one to three years. Each style yields its own unique appearance and tasting notes. Tequila Ocho Plata, Herradura Silver and Espolon Blanco are a few good choices to start with.

Gin

Another staple for any home bar is gin. And similar to tequila, gin has become widely popular. Due to its complex flavor profile, which is typically dry, piney, herbal and fresh, its versatility and the sheer variety of brands there’s no shortage of choice. To help you get there start off with a neutral dry gin such as Boodles, Sipsmith London Dry or Tanqueray London Dry.

Rum

While not on everyone’s list rum is a great spirit to have on hand. But which type, aged, silver, gold or spiced? Keeping within our guiding principles opt for a silver, or white, rum to start off with as you’ll find it used in some of the more popular cocktails such as the mojito and daiquiri. A few good white rums to consider are Plantation 3 Stars Silver, Havana Club Anejo Blanco and Bacardi Silver.

Vermouth

You can’t make a classic cocktail without a good dry or sweet vermouth. Dry vermouth is going to be needed for your gin or vodka martinis and the red for your Manhattans and a host of other drinks. A few great brands are Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Dry, Carpano Dry and Cocchi Vermouth di Torino.

The Extras

To round out your home bar think about adding a few extra ingredients such as simple syrup, lime & lemon juice, which can easily be made at home, and bitters such as Angostura and Peychaud. And don’t forget the bubbles. A few cans of club soda and tonic water will make your bar complete.

And there you have it, everything you need to get your home bar up and running. Cheers.