When building a home bar for the entertainment of , having the right bar tools and supplies can transform your bar from good to great. Knowing which tools and drinks to have on hand and use them enables you to mix cocktails that rival those served by professional bars for a fraction of the cost. Keep your bar stocked to guarantee that your friends will return again and again to your home for social gatherings.
Mixing Tools
A drink recipe is hard to mix properly without a jigger, a small cup used to measure alcohol and mixers in small proportions for the perfect drink. Bar spoons are another necessity for stirring drinks, and a muddler is used to crush mint and fruit for specialty cocktails. No bar is complete without a shaker and a Hawthorne strainer, which can be used to quickly mix and chill your drinks. If your bar is not in your kitchen, keep a cutting board, knife, bottle opener and ice bucket nearby.
Glassware
Having the right glass for the right drink makes a big difference when impressing guests. Use martini glasses for serving martinis and cocktails. A rocks glass is used for whiskey, bourbon and other dark liquors, either neat or "on the rocks." For mixed drinks, use a highball glass; the higher volume of the highball glass allows you to add more soda and other mixers to flavor the drink. Keep a small supply of red and white wine glasses, champagne flutes, brandy snifters, margarita glasses, shot glasses and beer pint glasses handy. Most cocktails do not require these glasses, but if you want to serve a glass-specific drink, you will need the proper equipment.
Mixers and Garnishes
Mixers and garnishes add flavor to your drinks; the more you have, the more drinks you can make. Keep a good supply of sodas behind your bar. Tonic water, club soda, cola, ginger ale and cream soda are popular mixers in a variety of drinks. Citrus and tropical juices are commonplace in many fruity drinks, so stock orange, lemon, lime, cranberry, melon and pineapple juices if your guests like fruit-flavored drinks. Keep garnishes such as mint, lemon, lime, cilantro, olives and maraschino cherries on hand.
Alcohol
No bar is complete without a wide selection of alcohol. The wider the range of alcohol in your bar, the wider the variety of drinks you can prepare. Keep a bottle of each kind of basic liquor in your bar, including vodka, rum, whiskey, tequila and gin. Add variety to your selection of liquor by purchasing flavored vodkas and rums, a small range of fruit-flavored bitters and specialty liqueurs such as coffee-based or cream-based drinks for more complex mixes. Stock a small variety of beer and wine for guests who don't drink cocktails, and keep a bottle of champagne handy for special occasions.
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