Tequila 

Tequila is another wildly popular spirit across the country known for its versatility and guarantee for a good time. Everyone has heard some crazy story that begins with a shot of tequila, but if you’re looking to class up your drinking habits a bit, there are plenty of cocktails that incorporate tequila and are also delicious.

While the margarita is undoubtedly the most famous tequila cocktail, the Paloma, the tequila sunrise, and the tequila sour are all delicious and refreshing tequila-based cocktails.

It's worth taking a few minutes to understand the difference between tequila and mezcal. You may want to have both on hand if you like the smokey flavors in mezcal. Remember, you want to create the perfect home bar to suit your tastes. Make sure the liquors you choose meet your personal standards.

You can order a totally suitable tequila here

Raise the level of your home bar with the tequila found here

Gin

The ultimate home bar most have a good bottle of gin. Gin pairs really well with bright, citrusy flavors and it is perfect for the summer. The addition of gin and a little lime juice to soda water (a gin rickey) is a wonderfully refreshing summer cocktail, but you can also experiment with some really fun flavor combinations with gin.

Negronis are perfect for anyone who enjoys a bitter and herby cocktail, brambles incorporate sweet blackberry and citrusy lemon flavor to create a perfect spring cocktail. For anyone feeling adventurous, the sloe gin fizz incorporates egg white into the cocktail to create a fun frothy head on this classic.

Pick up a nice bottle of gin here

Whiskey

Whiskey has a number of varieties which make this spirit an exciting one to have in your home bar.

Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, Irish whiskey are the most common varieties of whiskey and can be used to make tons of cocktails. If you have a preference for one of these varieties then stock your bar with that variety, but it won’t hurt to have some other varieties in stock for when your friends can safely come over for a drink. To create the perfect home bar, we suggest you have at least one solid bottle of bourbon and one nice bottle of scotch.

Popular whiskey cocktails include the manhattan, the whiskey sour, the old fashioned, and the mint julep.

You can find our favorite mid-range Scotch by clicking here

Want a list of the best bourbons? Click here

It's always a good idea to have a nice bottle of rye. Click here to find a good one.

The Irish make great whisky. If you don't believe me, try some for yourself here.

Rum

Rum is another incredibly versatile spirit that pairs expertly with fruit, ginger, and mint. Whether you prefer light or dark rum- which has a slightly bolder flavor along with its darker hue- rum is a perfect spirit for summer. It can be paired simply with Coke and lime juice for a Cuba Libre or can take a fruity turn in piña coladas, hurricanes, and strawberry daiquiris.

If you’re looking for a fun wintry rum cocktail, try the hot buttered rum which consists of sugar, hot water, rum, a pad of butter, and a light sprinkling of nutmeg on top.

A Step Up

If you want to step your home bar up a notch, you need to expand past your basic liquors. Incorporating other components such as flavored liqueurs and less popular liquors will really round out your bar.

Campari

Next, we move on to some liquors that will separate an ordinary home bar from a perfect home bar. Campari is a red, bittersweet liqueur which can be used in negronis, americanos, and a Campari spritz.

Order yourself a bottle by clicking here

Amaretto

Amaretto is an almond-flavored liqueur that can be added to a variety of cocktails for a sweet, nutty flavor.

Vermouth

Another key mixer is vermouth. You need to think about the most popular cocktails when you are creating the perfect home bar. There are two categories of vermouth:

Sweet(red)

Dry(clear)

Sweet vermouth is used in manhattans, negronis, and the martinez. Dry vermouth is used in martinis as well as variations of other cocktails such as a dry manhattan. These fortified wines add a nice herbaceousness to any cocktail or can be drunk straight.

Triple sec

Another great mixer to have in your arsenal is Triple sec. This is an orange liqueur that can be used in tons of cocktails, ranging from margaritas to sidecars to cosmopolitans.

Kahlua

Kahlua is a coffee liqueur that can be used to make white russians, espresso martinis, or any other coffee-flavored cocktail.

St-Germain

St-Germain is an elderflower liqueur that can bring lovely floral notes to any cocktail. Splash it in a glass of champagne to add a sweet, floral twist to your glass of bubbly.

Brandy

Brandy is a form of distilled wine that is frequently drunk straight as a digestif. Cognac and Armagnac are two of the most popular forms of brandy.

Absinthe

Absinthe is an anise-flavored liquor surrounded by folklore and mystery. This spirit is high in alcohol content and can be enjoyed using an absinthe drip or used as an aromatic in various cocktails.

Tools

It is imperative that you have all of the necessary tools to outfit your home bar. There are tons of bar kits available online that usually contain all of the essentials, but it can be fun to find individual pieces to add to your bar. For example, this shaker glass has cocktail directions on the side for a seamless bar experience.

For a basic bar, it is important to have a shaker, shaker glass, muddler, strainers, shot glass, pour spouts, and a swizzle.

The Cocktail Glasses You Need For A Home Bar

If you want to create the perfect home bar, it is important that you have the right glasses for the drinks that you’re going to be mixing. There are dozens of glasses needed in professional bars, but if you’re not trying to break the bank, there are a handful of glasses that work for many cocktails.

Highball

The highball glass can be used to serve most mixed drinks in a pinch. They are longer than an old fashioned glass but shorter than a Collins glass. 

You can see highball glasses here

Old Fashioned

An old fashioned glass is perfect for serving spirits straight or on the rocks. They are relatively short and have a heavy base which allows for easy muddling.

See some options for old fashioned glasses here

Martini Glasses

Martini glasses have a long stem and wide mouth, allowing the drinker to appreciate the aromas of their drink and also keep their warm hands away from their cocktail.  

Margarita Glasses

Margarita glasses are used almost exclusively for margaritas, making them somewhat impractical to stock your bar with. However, you never know when a day is going to call for some margaritas, and then you will be glad that you have these glasses.

Flute

Flutes are perfect for serving bubbly drinks and are the perfect glasses to break out on special occasions.

Hurricane

Hurricane glasses are known for serving hurricane cocktails, but they can also be used to serve other mixed drinks as well as beer.