Want to stock up your home bar, but not sure where to start? Hi, it’s your resident home mixologist, here to help! I may not be a professional bartender, but my husband Alex and I have made it our life goal to make all the great cocktails in the world, in the comfort of our own home. With 250 under our belt, we’ve learned a hell of a lot along the way. Here’s what you need to know about becoming a homemade cocktail expert…without breaking the bank.
Build your at-home bar around your favorite drink
We’re here with a unique approach to home cocktails—pretty simple mixology, you could call it. It’s the same as our approach to healthy home cooking. Here’s what we think: don’t go out and buy a bunch of liquor bottles that you might not use. Instead, base it around a single recipe that you love!
I tell people the same thing when it comes to home cooking. Don’t feel like you have to buy every spice at first, or every type of pan or kitchen gadget. Find a recipe that sounds delicious, and start there! Buy the spices and tools you need for that recipe. You can stock your bar in the same way, which is less overwhelming and helps keep the cost down! We’ll show you a few examples here…
The bare essentials: basic bar tools
Before you start loading up on liquor, there are a few tools you’ll need for the job. Here’s what we recommend:
- Cocktail shaker & strainer: A shaker is used for many drinks—shaking the liquor against ice chills it and dilutes it slightly. Here’s our favorite cocktail shaker, which also comes with a strainer and muddler.
- Mixing glass: Other cocktails like a martini or Manhattan are stirred with ice in a mixing glass. Here’s the one we use.
- Citrus juicer: Many cocktails use fresh lemon or lime juice, and a great juicer is key. We like this press citrus juicer because it’s easy to use.
The big 5, plus the supporting cast
When you build an at-home bar, we suggest that you pick your favorite drink, or a favorite, and then build within that theme. More on that below! But to give a little background on the types of liquors you’ll see in cocktail recipes, here’s a quick and dirty overview.
The vast majority of cocktail recipes you’ll see will use one of the most popular five liquors. I call them “The Big Five,” which I’m not sure if I heard from a professional bartender or made up myself! Either way, you’ll see these five in most of the classic cocktails:
- Gin
- Vodka
- Rum: White, dark, or aged/golden
- Tequila: Blanco (unaged) or reposado (aged)
- Whiskey: Bourbon, rye, Scotch, or Irish
There’s also a background cast of supporting characters that make up most cocktails. These are secondary cast members you’ve probably heard of but might not know intimately. Examples:
- Cointreau, Triple sec, or Grand Marnier (orange liqueur)
- Vermouth: Both sweet and dry
- Cognac
- Campari
- Amaretto
- St. Germain
- Mezcal
- Kahlua
- Etc.
We suggest stocking up on these liquors based a specific cocktail or a style of drinks you love (like this classic whiskey sour). Here are some specific examples!
Example 1: Italian-style at-home bar
Do you love a classic Negroni? Build out your bar based on this popular bitter cocktail. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Gin
- Campari
- Vermouth
Once you mix up the classic, drink through all these Campari Cocktails to use up your bottle, which keeps things cost-effective! Add bourbon to your setup for a Boulevardier, and dark rum to make a Jungle Bird.
Example 2: Lime classics at-home bar
Do you love a Moscow mule or a gimlet? There is a whole list of lime cocktails you can make with just a few ingredients:
- Moscow mule: Vodka, ginger beer, lime
- Gimlet: Gin, lime, simple syrup
- Classic Daiquiri: White rum, lime, simple syrup
- Mojito: White rum, lime, simple syrup, mint
- Cuba Libre: Rum, cola, lime
- Moscow mule variations: Mexican Mule (tequila), Dark and Stormy (dark rum), Kentucky Mule (bourbon), Mezcal Mule (mezcal) or Irish Mule (Irish whiskey)
Example 3: Go for gin at-home bar
Gin was very popular during American Prohibition, so it’s spawned some of the greatest cocktails in history. Buy gin, then buy new liquor as you tick down the list of Great Gin Cocktails.
- Gin Fizz: Gin, lemon, simple syrup, soda water, egg white
- Gin and Tonic: Gin and tonic water
- Tom Collins: Gin, lemon, simple syrup, soda water
- French 75: Gin, lemon, champagne (opt for Prosecco for budget!)
- Gin Gimlet: Gin, simple syrup, lime
- Salty Dog: Gin, grapefruit juice, simple syrup
Sonja Overhiser
Sonja is author of award winning food blog A Couple Cooks and the cookbook Pretty Simple Cooking. Together with her husband, Alex, the two are leading voices on plant-based eating, and authors of a recipe series with Washington Post Food called Voraciously: Plant Powered. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Sonja seeks to inspire adventurous eating to make the world a better place one bite at a time.
