All the Essentials You Need for a Well-Stocked Home Bar

The Basics

Before shopping the liquor store for home bar essentials, consider what you like, and skip the cheap stuff, especially if it's the foundation of your cocktail creations. Lynnette Marrero, a mixologist, beverage consultant, and MasterClass teacher, has some winning ideas to get you in gear: "I always recommend having spirits, liqueurs, amaro, vermouths, and cordials that can be used in a variety of cocktails," she says. "A good starting point for your home bar is investing in quality ingredients for a few drinks or drink styles that you want to make." Her favorite? The ingredients to make tasty martinis. To mix this classic or any favorites in your arsenal, you need base spirits, such as vodka, gin, and bourbon.

Marrero recommends stocking your bar with one (750ml) bottle of any of your base spirits. This is equal to 12 drinks based on a two-ounce pour. 

Clear Spirits

Marrero asserts that gin is the only base alcohol you need to make martinis, and it's also necessary for Negronis. "[I suggest] Fords Gin for a very good 'London Dry' style or something classic, like Tanqueray," she says.

Not a big fan of gin? Then she recommends vodka, another home bar essential. If you have both, you can make a vesper, which Marrero calls the "James Bond Martini." 

If space allows, Shannon Mustipher, an author, spirits educator, and cocktail consultant suggests adding mezcal, as well.

Liqueurs

Liqueurs are vital for a home bar, specifically a dry orange liqueur, which is used for countless classic cocktails, such as the margarita.

Marrero says Cointreau is the standard, but an Italian Luxardo Triplum can also be a nice substitute. "If you want to keep other types of liqueur on hand, consider a 375ml bottle of absinthe or an anise-flavored liquor, like Pernod Ricard, to add vegetal flavors," she says.

Vermouth

Vermouth is a red or white fortified wine used in many cocktails as well as sipped as an aperitif.

If the classic martini is your drink of choice, then a dry French style of white vermouth, such as Dolin Dry or Noilly Prat, is a home bar essential. Again, 375 ml bottles should do the trick.

"For Negronis, Manhattans, and other classic cocktails, I suggest having a sweet vermouth (you can choose something robust, like Carpano Antica Formula vermouth, or something less so, like Cinzano)," says Marrero.

Rye and Bourbon

If you enjoy whisky-based drinks, Mustipher suggests having three to four types on hand with different flavor profiles. Consider stocking rye, which has a spicier taste, and bourbon, which is usually sweeter and fuller-bodied. With these spirits, "you can make different whiskey cocktails, such as sours and bucks," she explains.

Light Rum

A bottle of versatile light rum also increases the cocktail-making possibilities, says Mustipher, since it will allow you to make everything from highballs and sours to an old fashioned or a mojito.

Bitters

Bitters are used to balance out the flavors in cocktails, plus they bring out the different flavor profiles, add depth, and boost the character of a mixed drink. "One bottle of bitters will last a while, especially if you get some specialty dasher bottles that help portion them out," Marrero says.

She is a fan of orange, mole, or chocolate bitters, a perfect addition to an old fashioned made with whiskey or a Manhattan. Peychaud, and basic aromatic Angostura bitters, found in many grocery stores or liquor stores, are also handy to have.

Garnishes

Garnishes are the finishing touch for several cocktails, so It's smart to keep a jar of unrefrigerated olives (from specialty brands such as Filthy) along with brandied, maraschino, or Amarena cherries in your cabinet. "If you enjoy spirit-forward drinks, consider adding maraschino cherries (I recommend Luxardo) and keeping oranges to make orange peels for old fashioneds," says Mustipher.

Fresh Fruit and Juices

Citrus fruits, including lemons, limes, and oranges, do double duty as garnishes and drink ingredients. If you want to expand the options, buy high-quality bottled juices in flavors ranging from peach to pomegranate. "Companies like Twisted Alchemy sell cold-pressed juices delivered to your home, or companies like Cheeky sell bottled juice for at-home mixing," Marrero notes.

Simple Syrup

Instead of adding a spoonful of sugar to a drink, use simple syrup, which allows you to adjust the sweetness to taste. It's easy to make your own simple syrup with white or brown sugar. Marrero advises using a one-to-one sugar-to-water ratio, combining hot water and sugar in a sealable container and shaking till dissolved. Mustipher says you can also make a simple syrup with unrefined sweeteners—just dilute two parts honey to agave syrup and add one part water.

Mixers

"It's great to have soda water, tonic, and ginger beer," Mustipher says. These basic mixers have infinite uses, allowing you to make simple highballs, as well as vodka tonics, gin and tonics, and Moscow mules, to name a few tipples.

Tools to Mix and Serve Drinks

Don't overlook the tools required for making and serving delicious drinks. "The absolute minimum set of tools include a set of shaker tins, a strainer, and a bar spoon," says Mustipher. The benefit to having these tools, she adds, is that you can make absolutely any shaken drink you desire.

Another must-have: an implement to measure each ingredient, particularly the alcohol quotient. "Bartenders use a jigger to measure the liquor into our shaker or mixing glass," Marrero explains. A jigger measures in ounces and tablespoons, so it's quite useful, but home mixologists can opt to measure in tablespoons instead.

Other tools of the craft? "Invest in a nice mixing glass to make stirred cocktails," says Mustipher. She also relies on a chef-grade citrus peeler and paring knife to cut garnishes and fruit. If your repertoire includes mojitos, mint juleps, and caipirinha, buy a muddler, too. Finally, Mustipher says it's worthwhile to get a sturdy, handheld juice press. After all, fresh citrus juice adds a brightness that store-bought varieties can't match.