Please note that some of this site’s links are affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Gin&Gemini.co.uk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Home or garden bars are a hot trend right now, with more and more people seeking to enhance their home with luxuries usually only found elsewhere. Having a home bar to entertain guests or simply relax after a hard day’s work is one of the most popular and easy home enhancements you can make.
If you’re thinking about starting a home bar but aren’t sure where to start, this post has got you covered for the essentials you’ll need, from home bar equipment and drinks to home bar accessories.
Don’t have room in your home for a full-blown home bar? No worries! This article will give you some great ideas on how to make your kitchen or living room into an entertaining space with all the essentials of a home bar.
The Home Bar Essentials Upgrades You Need to Make
Learn about the home bar essentials and related goods you’ll need to get your home bar up and running, such as alcohol, mixers, non-drink items, and more. If you’re interested in learning how to mix cocktails at home, the basic home bar setup will allow you to create your favorite drinks.
After that, you may personalize it to your liking and purpose. If you enjoy a lot of vodka-based cocktails, build your bar selections in that direction. Make sure you have enough of the glasses, mugs, and tumblers required for entertaining guests (of course) or unwinding after a long day at work.
Essential Home Bar Tools
Whether it’s a built-in bar or a mobile bar cart, you’ll need the following mixological tools:
Shakers
Shakers are available in a variety of forms and sizes, but they all have one thing in common: making fantastic cocktails. Larger shakers enable you to make a larger quantity for pouring out numerous drink servings that taste identical.
For example, you may not want to make the same drink three times if your goal is for people to taste a particular flavor profile. This also assures that they’re identical, which is crucial if you’re hosting a tasting or want feedback from friends. For when you begin developing your own recipes or improving classics.
Our Choice for a Cocktail Accessory Gift Set
This 12 piece cobbler cocktail shaker set with wooden stand would make an ideal gift and comes with everything you need for cocktails at home.
Muddlers
A cocktail muddler is simply a pestle, with tiny teeth or texture on the bottom to help grind garnishes like mint to release more flavour (essential oils) into your mojito.
Bar spoons
The long handles of bar spoons are both entertaining and useful. These spoons allow you to check that the cocktail is well-mixed, especially if you don’t want to use a shaker, since they reach all the way down to the bottom of highball glasses. It’s also useful for scooping out garnish from the bottom of the glass.
Jiggers
These measuring cups ensure that the taste and strength of your beverages are constant. Jiggers like this usually come in a stainless steel finish, setting them apart from shot glasses, which many people use to informally measure out spirits and liquors at home.
Cocktail Strainer
You’ll need an easy technique to strain the herbs and citrus garnishes into the glasses without losing half your drink once you’ve muddled them in there.
A good strainer set like this swiftly separates the solids from the liquids, bringing a bartender touch to your cocktail that screams “upscale lounge.”
Drinkware
Cocktail glasses, like the drinks they contain, are available in a wide array of shapes and sizes. The following are some of the most popular types:
Cocktail Glass
There are several different types of cocktail glasses, and different shaped glasses suit different types of drink.
Martini Glasses like this have a wider mouth to allow the drinker to detect the aromas of the cocktail, and its triangle form makes it simple to add garnishes.
Tall bowl cocktail glasses like this are another popular choice. The shape is a little more forgiving to spills than a triangular shaped martini glass, and it can be used in place of cocktail glasses for the majority of beverages. It may also be used to serve frozen cocktails and champagne cocktails.
Highball Glass
A highball glass is a tall, straight glass that’s ideal for spirit and mixer mixes. This type of glass come in many different styles, and you probably have highball glasses in your cupboards already for everyday use.
You may decide to get a fancier set just for your home bar. We like this ridged set of highball glasses, but there are a myriad of variations to choose from, and you can pick up highball glasses practically anywhere.
The Collins glass is the same height as a highball glass, but it’s narrower. You don’t need both highball glasses and Collins glasses at a home bar, so choose one or the other.
Rocks Glass
A double rocks glass, sometimes known as a rock glass or lowball glass, is meant to be used straight from the bottle, or “on the rocks.”
Not only bourbons and whiskies, but margaritas and Manhattans may be enjoyed in these unique glasses.
Base spirits
Vodka
Vodka is an essential ingredient in many mixed drinks and cocktail recipes. It’s a requirement behind the bar because it’s used in so many mixed beverages and cocktails. If you know ahead of time that the guests coming over have a lot of vodka drinkers, be sure to prepare accordingly.
For mixed drinks, get a budget brand and something top shelf (or close to it) for vodka-based cocktails. There are also many flavored vodkas that appeal to certain drinkers.
Gin
A classic London dry gin, such as Beefeater, will come in handy when making Martinis, Gin & Tonics, and other beverages. Consider getting a more botanical gin for sophisticated connoisseurs if you want to serve something a little more unique at your next party.
Whiskey
Some prefer brown liquor neat, while others like it in mixed drinks. That is why you should keep at least two distinct varieties of whiskey on hand.
You’ll need a bottle of scotch whiskey for the cocktail drinkers, and a bottle of Canadian or bourbon whiskey for those that want to sit by the fireplace and drink. (You might also need to purchase a fireplace).
Rum
You’ll need both a dark and a white rum on hand. White rums are fantastic for mixed drinks (Rum & Coca-Cola), mojitos, and daiquiris. A decent dark rum is just what the doctor ordered if you’re going to make any tropical or tiki cocktails.
If your visitors are expecting Margaritas on the drink menu, you’ll want to stock tequila on hand. You should also study up on the growing appeal of Tequila-based cocktails, including the Paloma and Tequila Sunrise, as well as variations on classic drinks utilizing Tequila rather than their original spirit. Grab some limes and salt in case things get out of hand during the party, since your guests may want to do some tequila shots.
Other beverages you may want to keep on hand include red wine and white wine. Stocking a variety pack of craft beers is another excellent choice. If you’re not sure what kinds of craft beer to offer, consider buying a sampler pack like this.
Essential liqueurs
Many of the most famous mixed drinks and cocktails include these liqueurs.
- Amaretto is a light almond-flavored liqueur.
- Kahlua is a coffee liqueur containing rum, sugar and arabica coffee.
- Sweet vermouth and dry vermouth are two types of vermouth. They’re both required for making martinis.
- Baileys is a good example of an Irish cream liqueur. Of course, Baileys is the gold standard.
Nice-to-have liqueurs
- The Benedictine is a liqueur made from herbs and honey, the sweetness of which comes from sugar.
- The correct term for what most people know as Kahlua is Cacao. It’s a wonderful smooth flavor, not overly sweet like many other liqueurs of the same style.
- Crème de Menthe or Peppermint Schnapps.
- Drambuie. A sweet, scotch-based liqueur.
- Frangelico. Hazelnut liqueur in the monk-shaped bottle.
- RumChata . Coconut rum liqueur.
Essential mixers
Mixers are used in a wide range of mixed beverages that would be significantly different without them. Here are the essentials:
Ice
You should be prepared to use ice in almost every drink you prepare. It may seem obvious, but you’ll employ it in nearly every cocktail you create.
Keep your ice accessible in a stylish ice bucket like this.
Fruit Juices
Lemon and lime juice are used in a variety of mixed drinks. If you don’t have access to lemons or limes, consider using lemon juice or lime juice instead.
Orange juice is used in tequila sunrise, screwdriver, fuzzy navel, and other beverages.
Cranberries are used to make the cocktail Cranberry and Vodka, as well as the Cosmopolitan. The rest of these cocktails include cranberry juice.
For just about any tropical drink, pineapple juice is a must.
Cocktail Bitters and Syrups
Simple syrup is a simple combination of equal parts sugar and water. It’s easy to make at home.
A sour mix may be used to flavor tropical drinks as well as prepare yourself.
Grenadine is a cherry-like syrup and is used in a variety of cocktails and mocktails.
Ginger ale is an excellent ingredient in the Moscow Mule Cocktail, which is a delicious and powerful coffee. It’s also used to make a number of fantastic mixed drinks.
Black tea is a popular drink that can be made with many different ingredients, including fruit juice. Tea may also be enjoyed as a hot or cold beverage; however, black teas are the most adaptable.
Tabasco sauce is most frequently used in a Bloody Mary, and Worcestershire sauce adds a savory touch to many mixed drinks.
[…] Essentials for setting up your Home Bar […]