Home Bartending Essentials by Jason Wilkey - HTML preview

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Stocking a Home Bar

 

 

When stocking your home bar, you need to keep in mind how much entertaining you do and what types of drinks your friends and family like. Sure, it might be nice to be able to produce the ingredients for a Flaming Dr. Pepper, but if you only have one crazy friend who might ask you for that, the cost of the ingredients might just outweigh the need to have them on hand.

 

 

What should the typical home bar have on hand? Well, besides a healthy supply of beer and wine, here’s a nice list to start with. (A fifth of each)

 

Gin

Vodka

 

Rum

Whiskey

 

Tequila

 

Brandy/Cognac

 

 

Fruits are important as garnishes, having plenty of the right fruits on hand can also be important.

 

Cherries

 

Lemons

Limes

 

 

 

 

 

Fruit juices are used as mixers with the liquor to make various drinks. Plus, having them on hand for non-drinker can be just as important!

 

Apple

 

Cranberry

Orange

 

Pineapple

 

Tomato

 

 

Making some of the more “exotic” drinks requires the mixing of liqueurs along with typical liquors and other additives to achieve the desired taste. Liqueurs can also be drunk on their own as shots or an after dinner nip.

 

 

 

 Amaretto (almond)

 Creme de Menthe (mint)

 

 Jagermeister (herb)

 Kahlua (coffee)

 Schnapps (various flavors)

 

 Triple Sec (orange)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are other mixers you must have on hand besides fruit juices. Many drinks utilize popular soft drinks and other non-conventional ingredients for the drinks.

 

Cola

 Ginger Ale

 

Grenadine

 

 Sour Mix

 

 Sprite/7-Up

 

Water

 

Tonic

 

Lemon and/or Lime Juice

 

 

 

Finally, you’ll want to have plenty of garnishes around to make your drinks look appealing and taste yummy.

 

 

 

Ice

 Maraschino Cherries

 Olives (black/green)

 

Salt/Pepper  Sugar

 Tabasco Sauce

 

 Worcestershire Sauce

 

 

 

 

Of course, now that you have the ingredients, you’ll need the appropriate tools to do the job. The various tools include glassware, so let’s see what you’ll need for a home bar. The last thing you want to have happen is to have someone want a bottle of beer and be lacking a bottle opener. There are certain tools of the trade that are needed in all circumstances.

 

 

BARTENDING TOOLS

 

 

Stocking tools for a home bar will require a few staples you will definitely want to have.

 

Can Opener

 

Useful for opening cans of fruit juices

 

Corkscrew

 

For opening wine and champagne bottles

 

Cloths

 

For wiping surfaces and equipment. These should be damp and not wet.

 

Cutting Board

 

A heavy, laminated cutting board is best for slicing fruit and other garnishes

 

Bottle Opener

 

For opening screw top bottles

 

Cocktail Shaker

 

This is used for blending ingredients in cocktails and mixed drinks.

 

Electric Blender

 

 

Many cocktails require a blender to blend the ingredients smoothly together. This is useful for drinks with fruit pieces or ice cream etc.

 

 

Ice Bucket

 

A metal or insulated ice bucket keeps your ice cold and clean.

 

 

Ice Tongs and Scoops

 

Tongs are used to add ice to drinks.

 

Jigger/Shot Glass

 

This is used as a measurement tool.

 

Sharp Knife

 

For cutting fruit and garnishes

 

Glass and Containers:

 

Beer Mug

 

16 ounces – traditional beer container

 

Champagne Flute

 

 

6 ounces – tulip shaped glass designed to show off the bubbles from the champagne

 

Cocktail glass

 

 

This glass has a triangle-bowl design with a long stem, and is used for a wide range of straight-up (without ice) cocktails, including martinis, manhattans, metropolitans, and gimlets - also known as a martini glass.

 

Typical Size: 4-12 oz.

 

 

Collins glass

 

 

Shaped similarly to a highball glass, only taller, the Collins glass was originally used for the line of Collins gin drinks, and is now also commonly used for soft drinks, alcoholic juice, and tropical/exotic juices such as Mai Tai's.

Typical Size: 14 oz.

 

 

Highball glass

 

A straight-sided glass, often an elegant way to serve many types of mixed drinks, like those served on the rocks, shots, and mixer combined liquor drinks (i.e. gin and tonic).

 

Typical Size: 8-12 oz.

 

Hurricane Glass

 

 

This is a tall glass with a hurricane lamp shape used for exotic or tropical drinks

 

Margarita/Coupette glass

 

 

This slightly larger and rounded approach to a cocktail glass has a broad-rim for holding salt, ideal for margarita's. It is also used in daiquiris and other fruit drinks.

 

Typical Size: 12 oz.

 

Old-fashioned glass

 

 

A short, round so called "rocks" glass, suitable for cocktails or liquor served on the rocks, or "with a splash".

 

Typical Size: 8-10 oz.

 

Red wine glass

 

 

A clear, thin, stemmed glass with a round bowl tapering inward at the rim.

 

Typical Size: 8 oz.

 

 

Shot glass

 

This is a small glass suitable for vodka, whiskey and other liquors. Many "shot" mixed drinks also call for shot glasses.

 

Typical Size: 1.5 oz.