Stocking A Home Bar
Your new game room is finally finished. It’s been a year in the making and the pool table was finally delivered yesterday. You’ve got vintage arcade games circling the room including a classic Mrs. Pacman cocktail table unit! You’ve even got a foosball table in the corner. Those things are all nice, but the crown jewel is your shiny new bar.
But there’s only one problem. What exactly do you stock it with? The local sports bar has oodles of different liquors, glasses, shakers, and various doodads like plastic swords and umbrellas. Having just spent an arm and a leg building the bar, you’d rather not completely empty your wallet.
First you’ll need some bar glasses. The minimum would be beer mugs and highball glasses for cocktails. You may also want to add some martini glasses, old fashioned glasses, wine glasses, and of course several shot glasses. A variety of margarita glasses is also nice to have on hand, wallet permitting. You don’t really need to spend an arm and a leg in this area. I’ve seen some very nice glass sets at Target.
You’ll also need a cocktail shaker or two and some stirring spoons. A blender for frozen drinks like margaritas is a must have. Depending upon how fancy you’d like your bar to be, you might also want to invest in espresso maker, cooler for behind the bar, and possibly even a wine rack.
Red plastic swords and umbrellas may not be must have items, but you’ll definitely want a bottle or two of maraschino cherries. You might also consider stocking a few lemons and oranges, including mint leaves for Mojitos. Grenadine, Rose’s Lime juice, and Angostura bitters are always nice to have on hand. Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce are necessary if you plan to serve Bloody Marys. And of course you’ll need sugar as well as coarse salt for your margaritas.
As far as liquor, you’ll definitely want a nice variety. You don’t need to splurge for top shelf liquor but I would stay away from the generic bottles. Staple items that you’ll need are vodka, whiskey, rum, tequila, and possibly gin for those martini drinkers. You’ll also need triple sec for margaritas and vermouth for martinis. Kahlua for Black Russians is a must have for coffee lovers. Other liqueurs like Midori and Amaretto are nice to have but not absolutely required.
Stocking your cooler with a variety of sodas is also a good idea. Include tonic water, club soda, sprite, and cola. You may also want to provide a variety of juices. You’ll need orange juice for tequila sunrises and screwdrivers. Grapefruit and cranberry juice are also nice additions to any home bar.
When stocking your home bar for the first time it’s not necessary to purchase everything at once. You may want to start out small, purchasing only those ingredients and glasses for your favorite drinks initially. You can expand your drink selection at a later time when your wallet is a bit heavier.