Own a
bachelor pad and love entertaining? You sure need a home bar, stocked properly.
There is also a need of a drink, well-mixed which helps schmooze the romance
when your girl is around, to impress drinking buddies or maybe to floor the
boss and his wife, when they come calling. And moreover, the difference of
having a drink with friends at a bar around town and mixing one at home is
chalk and cheese.
Get all
swanky like it was in the 1960s, before the advent of mixologists and when real
gentlemen poured drinks in their mid-century Baskervilles. To start a bar can
be a daunting task, says who? Home bars are fun to DIY and from scratch that
too- believe us when we say it is fun, easy and wouldn’t pinch your pocket too
hard!
Rules for the home bar
Before we
tell you how to go about stocking the home bar, the rules first!
1.
Pick alcohol that you personally
enjoy imbibing and serving. Spirits that impress you would sure be hits when
you lovingly curate them and make a sparkly drink in those glasses. Pick what
only you like, because in most cases the home bar’s main client would be you.
This allows you to share your personal tastes with all around, and enjoying a
conversation over the same too. Talks can happen over what you stock and why
you stock- reason enough to pick what you like.
2.
Spend less and start small. Instead
of hoarding the bar with plenty of bottles, most of which you wouldn’t like or
drink- remember, your money is your money and you need to spend it wise.
Dropping a boatload at the local liquor store would make the shopkeeper happy,
but not you. People would expect you to make more drinks, some of which you
haven’t and this would be a mess. So start small and grow as you move along.
3.
Practice to get comfy with your
mixes and drinks, and slowly expand the menu to accompany each drink too. It
would be best to notify your buddies of what you have, and to learn of their
favorites too.
What alcohol to keep
The
sanctorum at home (the home bar) should be stocked well, so let’s begin with
alcohol choices.
For the base spirits while mixing cocktails
1.
Gins
rule- Start off with London Dry gin, add Plymouth to it or
Old Tom.
2.
Vodka
for shots- Who doesn’t love shots, babushkas especially, and
the good old Bloody Marys or the sizzling Cosmopolitans.?Perfect for mixing
since the odor isn’t too strong. Try Absolut or Stolichnaya, and if you want
it nicer- Grey Goose for sure.
3.
Bourbon
whiskey anyone? Gentlemen and their whiskey shots, they love the sips
and the Old Fashioned classic tastes. Wild Turkey and the quaint Jim Beam for
mixologists are the best, especially if you are a novice at mixing.
4.
Jack
Donaghy Scotch whisky for the home bar is a must. Soul
soothing and a reason why the deepest of man thoughts happen while sipping this
bad boy from your glass. Stock on a bottle of Rob Roy for the classic touch,
and blend it with single malt for finesse.
5.
Tequila-
Ahaa! Must-have and perfect for margaritas too. For mixes, try the Gold
Tequila, and for the straight up shots- the silver tequila does justice. But do
stock the bar with Patron, go ahead and try it!
6.
Rum-
Caribbean or Cuban, you just cannot say NO to it. Darker the
better in this case and perfect for mixing too, you should start with light
rums and add darker ones later as the party or the gathering progresses.
What about the mixers?
It all
depends on the concoction and magical Bacchus mix that you would like to
present the attendees with, so here’s a list of what the home bar should have.
1.
A bottle of club soda
2.
A bottle of tonic water
3.
A couple of aerated drinks
4.
A couple of fruit juice bottles
(tomato included)
5.
Angostura bitters
Presentation matters
Garnishing
a drink makes it full of fun while serving the glass happens, and you do not
need to be a pro at that. Use your imagination and creativity, and go right
ahead. From lemon slices to fruits, olives to onions for cocktails, horseradish
to spices (Tabasco sauce, pepper, salt et al) and yes, ice and sugar too.
Cutlery and glassware
And how are
you going to serve what you just concocted? You need the right glassware and
the cutlery for serving smart, isn’t it? Go ahead and get spoiled for choices at
Target.com. Also, you can use Target
coupon deals and get hold of a myriad range of
swanky and uber-cool kitchen-aid products, by which you can wow your guests
with your mixology skills.
A
well-stocked home bar should have the following-
1.
A couple of martini glasses
2.
A set of rock glasses
3.
Wine glasses (separate for red and
white wines)
4.
Tall stemmed glasses
5.
Highball glasses
6.
Pint glasses
7.
Beer mugs
8.
A strainer and a shaker for
martinis
9.
Toothpicks to support the
garnishing and embellishments
10.
A box of napkins
11.
A recipe book to assist you in
mixing
12.
Music CDs to soothe the soul while
you and your buddies sip
Storage and stocking
Finally, you would have to invest in a small wine cooler, a
wine rack, serving carts, pub sets, four bar stools and one bar table, bar
cabinets to store the bottles and cutlery well-defined. While the bar stool
seat should be at nine to twelve inches for comfort, just below the bar
counter top, think of cushions for the cozy feel and extra comfort too.
Well each man to his own (home bar), but
as a gentleman with taste so pure and dapper, imagine how proud you’d feel
flaunting your home bar by using the tips in this guide. The best way to tell
the boss “See this bar right here sir, I built it from scratch”- a priceless
achievement and to that we say. Cheers!
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