Stocking Your Home Bar

Welcome back to Foxtail Apothecary. Now that you have the necessary equipment for your home bar it is time to get it stocked up. In this post, I will discuss the primary alcohols, mixers, and garnishes that I believe should be on every bar. I want to preface this post by saying that everyone has different tastes and we do not want to see anything sitting around or going to waste; in that spirit (pun intended) if there is something that I mention that you know you will not use then absolutely omit it. Additionally, if there is something you particularly enjoy or that gets a lot of use when company is over that I do not mention then, by all means, add it in. With all of that said, let’s jump right in.

My selection of higher-end whiskeys and some of my favorite empties with my tasting journal

When it comes to liquor there are literally thousands of options; so how do you know what is right for your home bar? The short answer is experience. Do not worry about always having the perfect bottle, which will frequently be situationally dependent. Instead, prioritize trying new things. Start with established brands at a price that you are comfortable with. Check to see if your favorite store has, or can get, smaller bottles so that you can try it with less of a commitment. Read reviews and be willing to accept recommendations. Going to a bar or a tasting event is also a great (though sometimes costly) way to try new items, also consider giving local distilleries a try. Just be careful not to get too attached to limited-availability items or special edition bottles. With all of this in mind, what should you have at your bar?

My do-it-all shelf, it holds all of my go to options (minus rum) including my current favorite flavored vodka. I keep the items I use more frequently up front, less frequently in the back.

In my opinion, you should have a mid-tier vodka for mixing and shots. Maybe entertain your favorite flavor to keep on hand. Most people have no problem drinking vodka and it will do in a pinch for soda drinks for picky drinkers, or for people who do not want a heavy alcohol taste. My go-to bottles are Luksusowa, Ketel One, and Tito’s. Those three get me by but most vodka aficionados have their own brand preferences. Keep in mind that you cannot always please everyone and if it is really important consider finding a small-format bottle for those occasions where it really matters.

As we move on from vodka, options get a little bit more complex because most other liquors have multiple subtypes. Rum for instance can be light (blanco ro white), dark, spiced, or have an age statement, special finish, or be flavored. For the purposes of a basic home bar, I recommend a light rum and a spiced rum. This will accommodate most cocktails and palates. If necessary an inexpensive dark rum is a good supplement to have on hand as well. Bacardi is a good standard for light rum, though if available I prefer The Real McCoy. Captain Morgan is likewise a strong option for spiced rum but I am a fan of Sailor Jerry. Dark rums do not often have a big selection at most stores, thus, Goslings and Myers dark rums will give you everything that you need in that realm. A quick note about “gold” rum, this is most often achieved with food coloring and rarely offers any flavor advantage. Research any bottle that you are interested in to see if it justifies the increased price. As with vodka do not hesitate to keep your favorite flavor on hand, Malibu coconut rum liqueur comes to mind and my wife and I adore Plantation’s pineapple rum.

Much like rum; tequila comes in numerous styles. You may have blanco (literally white, or silver), reposado (rested), anejo (aged), and while technically a different spirit but made with a similar process, mezcal. I want to point out that the same warning I made about “gold” rum applies to “gold” tequila as well. If you really want to step up from a blanco tequila check to make sure that it is reposado. For home bar use I recommend having at least blanco on hand, ideally blanco and reposado. 1800 is good for both but I will always choose Milagro. A note about mezcal, it is often more expensive and may have limited availability but it has a nice smokey flavor that really sets it apart. Try it when you can and if you like it then invest in a bottle. It is great for a barbecue and is my preference for margaritas. My favorite Mezcal is Espadin by Montelobos.

One of the most complicated liquors to stock is gin. There are various styles but the two most common types are London Dry and “Botanical”. Botanical is not necessarily a style but refers to gin that has a high content of additional herbs and aromatics to alter the flavor. London Dry gin is, as the name implies, dry (meaning lacking in sweetness) and typically has a flavor that is primarily juniper. Botanical gins still have juniper but include other complementary flavors. My preferred London Dry Gins are Bluecoat and Brokers though there are numerous options that are more economical like Beefeater and Seagrams. For botanical gins, like many, I enjoy Hendricks but there are so many great options out there I rarely buy the same bottle twice, one of the few exceptions being Market Alley. Two quick public service announcements about gin. Purchasing gin can get expensive quickly and gin tends to have a higher alcohol content than other liquors so be careful about how much you imbibe and serve to your guests.

The last major category of main liquors I recommend that you keep at your home bar is also the most complicated. Whiskey comes in various styles and many of these styles also contain variants. The most important general categories to know are, in no particular order, Bourbon, Irish, Rye, Scotch, and most recently Japanese. It is not critical for you to keep one of each on your bar but I do recommend keeping a bourbon, a scotch, an Irish, and possibly (if space and budget allow) a rye or blended American whiskey. Those will handle most of your cocktails and straight-drinking palates. Bourbon is generally your sweetest whiskey style as it is made mostly of corn. It is not too hard to find a cost-effective bottle, my go-to options are Four Roses Yellow Label, Elijah Craig Small Batch, and Evan Williams which also makes a number of cost-effective and tasty bottles.

I keep my rums and favorite specialty liqueurs on the same shelf, this includes Licoco from the DR, my preferred orange liqueurs, Cointreau and Gran Gala behind it, as well as my Italian favorites Disaronno and a mid-tier sambuca.

Irish is often considered the opposite end of the spectrum from bourbon. It is typically on the drier, earthier, side. Most people swear by Jameson, which is a fine staple, but I prefer Paddy’s.

Then there is scotch which is both similar to and vastly different than Irish whiskey. Both are made most frequently from barley, however, the barley used to make scotch is typically smoked over a peat fire which provides more nuance and a smokey flavor. There are five major sub-types of scotch that most connoisseurs recognize; Highland, Lowland, Islay, Speyside, and Campbeltown. Of the five you are most likely to encounter highland and islay. Additionally, there are a number of styles of grain or mash to create the whiskeys. The two most common you will encounter are blended and single malt. Of all of the available options, I keep a decent blended option like Johnny Walker Red Label or Dewar’s White Label and a solid single malt islay like Laphroaig 10 year or Ardbeg 10 year. A well-made blended scotch is art in a glass unoffensive and pleasing to the palate while an islay single malt packs a smokey punch second to none that many have acquired the taste for.

Finally, I suggest keeping a good rye whiskey or blended American option like Seagrams 7. Rye is typically Canadian or American and as its name implies it is made primarily of rye grains. This will be your most balanced mixing option for whiskey cocktails and can still be shot or sipped on the rocks. George Dickel is the rye that I have been keeping on my shelves lately but alternatively Crown Royal is an undeniable staple.

This is my selection of liqueurs and other mixers, I have my vermouth on this shelf with other herbal and amaro options as well as some flavored whiskeys and vodkas.

With the bar stocked up, we can finally move on to mixers. There are a number of staple liqueurs one should have on hand in modest quantities. Vermouth, a type of fortified wine, should be on hand if you or regular guests have a penchant for the classics like martinis or manhattans. There are numerous vermouths out there but you should aim for a red (sweet) and white (dry) vermouth. I prefer The Carpano Antica Formula for my sweet vermouth and Alessio Bianco for my dry vermouth. A note on vermouth; after opening the vermouth, like wine, it will slowly degrade, so if you use it sparingly invest in a smaller bottle to avoid wastage.

In addition to vermouth, it is good to keep a bottle of a popular amaro on hand, especially for classics like the negroni or the recently popular negroni sbagliato. Campari is the standard for many but I like the milder Aperol.

Another must is a good orange liqueur. Triple Sec will get you through in most uses but sometimes you may need something with more depth, for this I prefer Gran Gala though Cointreau is a big name in this market for good reason.

'This is my both my literal bottom shelf and metaphorical “bottom shelf” it’s mostly inexpensive high flavor high sugar liqueurs and other items that either don’t have a home or are unopened and haven’t made their way to the correct shelf, mostly due to space and weight restrictions.

While not critical, a bottle of grenadine can be good to keep on the shelves for Shirley Temples, tequila sunrises, and the like. It can also be used to add sweetness, color, and an extra layer of fruitiness to a cocktail. Any brand will do here, alcoholic or otherwise. A quick note on the flavor of grenadine, it should be pomegranate so pay careful attention to the option you are considering and the ingredients. You could alternatively use Pama liqueur in alcoholic cocktails.

Inevitably you will acquire bitters as you go but you should start with three staples: Angostura which is the standard in the world of bitters, an orange option like Regan’s (of which Angostura also makes a contender), and Peychaud’s which is a must for certain classic cocktails like the Sazerac and as a colorant with its distinctive red.

I have a small collection of mixer’s, not pictured is my aqua fizz and syrups, like I mention throughout the post I have a few staples, my bitters, flavored tonic waters, topo chico, “mexican coke” due to it’s superior flavor, and a big bottle of rose water.

Moving on, let’s talk about non-alcoholic mixers. A good club soda, tonic water, cola, ginger ale, and ginger beer should be at your bar. Alternatively, you can invest in a carbonation machine like a Soda Stream. This is the route that I went and it greatly saved space in my set-up. Now in addition to the syrups for various sodas I only stock bottles of Fever Tree tonic water and ginger beer. I also have a couple of bottles of Topo Chico on hand in case I want to make a ranch water or need a mineral water option for a specific cocktail.

Otherwise, you should have a basic array of juices available, at least orange but ideally cranberry and pineapple as well. In this case, the brand is purely a preference. Keep in mind that most bars use sweetened cranberry juice so if you are purchasing some for your home bar check the ingredients so that you are not surprised by the flavor when you mix up a Cape Cod. If what you purchase is very tart you can always balance it with the next bar staple.

Last but not least, possibly the single most important mixing ingredient to have is a high-quality simple syrup. You can buy this but I highly recommend making your own so you can have total control to adjust the viscosity and level of sweetness, it also affords you the ability to be creative with your syrup.

All that is left to discuss is garnishes. In brief, it is best to have at least one or two lemons and one or two limes in the refrigerator and ideally at least one decent-sized orange. These will mostly be used to create twists or to provide a hit of fresh juice in a pinch. Without a doubt, you should have a jar of your favorite cherries on the bartop. I like to have Luxardo or Bing cherries on hand but recently I have been favoring my mom’s homemade brandied cherries.

If you are a fan of martinis or a number of other drinks for that matter, then you will undoubtedly need to have a jar of olives as well. You can go classic pimento filled to be safe or you can invest in nice stuffed olives, just be sure that whatever they are stuffed with is suitable for the palate of any guests you may have. When the mood strikes, though, there is little that can beat an extra dirty martini with garlic and jalapeno stuffed olives. In a similar vein, a jar of nice pickles, either for the pickle as a garnish or the brine for a cocktail can be handy especially if you are doing bloody marys for brunch.

To conclude the post this is where you are going to spend the majority of your funds related to your home bar. Take your time acquiring bottles and purchase within your means. Good options are available at just about any price point. One piece of advice I have is to avoid plastic containers where possible. They do not sit well and can degrade the flavor of your valuable ingredients. Plastic is fine if you know that it will be used quickly such as at a party or if you are making a large batch of a cocktail. Otherwise, have fun, try new things, and as always; drink responsibly. Thank you for reading, and I will see you in the next post.