How to Stock a Home Bar

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Whether you are hosting an intimate dinner or a sizable soiree, flaunt your bartending skills with a well-stocked home bar.

Step 1: Select location
Select a spot to set up your bar. Home bar options may include a stand-alone bar complete with sink, wine racks, and glass storage, or simply a designated cabinet or other area in the dining room or basement.

Step 2: Choose alcohol
Make your alcohol selections. A typical bar well includes vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, whiskey, scotch, and bourbon. You will also want sweet and dry vermouths, beer, and wine.

Tip
Remember that selected spirits need not be top shelf. Premium price alone doesn't ensure quality.

Step 3: Add mixers
Select mixers, such as tonic water, club soda, fruit juices, soft drinks, tomato juice, sour mix, lime juice, grenadine, and bitters. And, of course, ice.

Step 4: Select garnishes
Stock garnishes. Common garnishes include olives, maraschino cherries, sugar, and kosher salt. When you're expecting company, add perishables like lemon, lime, and orange slices.

Step 5: Stock equipment
Stock your equipment. Must-haves include a bottle opener, blender, corkscrew, and shaker. Other tools to consider are jiggers, a strainer, a cocktail spoon, a grater, a paring knife, a cutting board, and a muddler.

Step 6: Choose glassware
While your options for glassware are limitless, a well-kept bar should include old-fashioneds, highballs, martini glasses, glasses for wine, champagne, and beer, shot glasses, and cordial glasses.

Step 7: Throw a party
Now that you're stocked, invite your closest, most sophisticated friends over for a cocktail party!

Did You Know?
By one account, a New York bartender invented the Manhattan cocktail in the 1860s at a bar on lower Broadway.