Home Bar Set-Up

Now that drinking at home is not only a lot of fun, but the socially responsible thing to do, it’s probably time to make sure your home bar is up to scratch! The most important thing to remember is that it is YOUR home bar- there is no point filling it with things you don’t like just because they’re ‘cool’. This is just a guideline to help you build on according to your own tastes. 

Spirits:

I’m not a purist when it comes to spirits, if you want to use your fancy single malt in a cocktail then absolutely do it, but you also definitely don’t have to break the bank to stock your home bar. Here is my pick for 6 versatile bottles to have in your speedrail.

Vodka

Vodka is a very clean spirit, usually used as a crisp base to carry other flavours. Hand on my heart, I’m more of a gin drinker myself, but vodka and gin are actually quite interchangeable in bright, citrusy drinks. So I would go for a vodka with a good amount of texture- something like Belvedere, which is made from rye so has a nice spice, will stand up just as well in most recipes which call for gin and so opens up a plethora of other options for you- if you need any ideas take a look at my 5 Great Gin Cocktails video. Locally, I love Archie Rose vodka which has a lovely creaminess and a mint and apple after taste which make it awesome substituted in an Eastside!

Gin

Gin is a tricky one for a list like this, as there is such a wide range of styles available now. My go-to, because it works well in both boozy stirred down drinks and bright, citrusy ones is Plymouth. It is very similar to a classic London Dry style, so that juniper and citrus are the main notes (rather than all the wild and wonderful botanicals you can find in ‘new wave’ gins which are awesome but don’t always suit every drink) so it doesn’t jar in anything, but it is a little less dry, and the juniper is a little softer, making it more easy going. In Australia, I like to reach for Never Never for classic cocktails as it has the beautiful juniper back bone you’re looking for.

Tequila

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- good tequila costs money. If it’s not something you’re able to invest in then that’s totally fine, but in that case probably just leave it out. Margaritas are amazing but not worth the headache of using low quality tequila (and Mexican agave growers will thank you too)! You definitely want to look at something that’s 100% agave, and blanco tequilas are generally the most easily used in cocktails as they are clean and fresh. I find it hard to go past Arette for the price point, it is complex enough to sip by itself but brings lovely fruity and herbaceous notes to mixed drinks as well. Regular viewers will know that Calle 23 is another favourite of mine.

Rum

Again, rum covers such a spectrum of styles that it can be hard to narrow down! If you can only have one rum, something like Diplomatico Mantuano is great- it is a blend of column (lighter) and pot distilled (heavier) spirits which means it is flavourful enough to stand up in tiki drinks like a Mai Tai or Pina Colada, but not so heavy it will completely overpower something fresher like a Mojito or Daiquiri. That said, if rum is your thing then it’s probably worth dropping one of the other spirits and getting yourself at least one light and one dark rum for versatility- I love Plantation 3 Star for a really robust and tasty white rum, and Pusser’s aged rum for a whack of funk and smoke.

American Whiskey

Now, this could be controversial, but my suggestion would be to go for a rye over a bourbon, because it is such a different flavour profile to the blended Scotch I’m about to suggest… Most American whiskey cocktails are looking for a big punch of flavour, so Knob Creek is perfect as it has a higher alcohol content to carry through the spice, but not a massively high rye content so still very smooth. Otherwise, the Gospel Rye is a banging Melbourne local which I generally turn to at home- usually in a Manhattan!

Scotch & other whiskies

Blended Scotches are generally the way to go for cocktails as they are much easier on the pocket and more easily mixed than single malts, which always want to be the star if the show! Dewars 12yo is sweet and sherried, so works really well for that smooth and rich flavour you’re looking for in most Scotch whisky cocktails (and can plug the gap for bourbon in a pinch!). Starward Two Fold is also a great go-to for any Australians wanting to support local, and it is actually available in some places in the States now too! It is a lighter and brighter style which goes really well in a Whisky Sour.

Modifiers:

Now that you have your speedrail sorted, time to work out what you’re going to mix them with! These secondary ingredients are known as ‘modifiers’ and can be combined with your base spirits in 100s of different ways- the sky is the limit! Again, skew it towards your own palate- if you hate bitter things but love berries then skip the Campari and treat yourself to a good quality crème de mure (blackberry liqueuer) or framboise (raspberry). With these 6 bottles (well, maybe 7…), you should be able to build a well-rounded and sophisticated home cocktail list!

Bitters

Bitters are really the bartender’s secret weapon to elevate drinks to another level. Think of them as salt- without them, drinks can be perfectly fine, but with them they really sing! You can have so much fun with bitters nowadays and since you only use a couple of drops in each drink but they can transform flavours, they’re a really good investment- much cheaper than buying a 100 different spirits! But Angostura is the classic here, and for good reason- it’s unique formula adds amazing depth and complexity, and it goes well in almost anything (Old Fashioned’s, tiki drinks, sours…). It only really falls down in very delicate drinks such as a Martini, as it overpowers them. If you can stretch to another bottle, I would recommend orange bitters for delicate floral notes (and I often combine both Angostura and orange bitters for the best of both worlds!).

Amaro

Amari are a category of bitter herbal aperitifs that you may not realise you need, but you do! They create balance and interest in all sorts of cocktails. I find Amaro Montenegro works well in almost every recipe which calls for an Amaro (for example it can easily be substituted for Amaro Nonino in a Paper Plane, or Amer Picon in a Brooklyn- it obviously won’t taste the exact same, but can achieve the same balance). It’s also a delicious digestif just on the rocks with a wedge of orange, or in a spritz.

Campari/Aperol

Although technically also an amaro, Campari is easily the most famous member of this family and deserves its own place on your bar as it is such a unique flavour. It is irreplaceable in the entire Negroni genre (Boulevardier, Rosita). It can also be used in surprising and fun ways, like in the tiki style Junglebird where it is shaken up with rum, lime and pineapple juice. That said, Campari can be a little love it or hate it as it is quite astringent, whereas Aperol has similar bitter orange flavours while being a little softer and sweeter, so if that sounds more your style then substitute that in. And of course, nothing says summer like a Campari or Aperol spritz in the garden!

Fruit Liqueurs

One of the most commonly used modifiers in classic cocktails is Triple sec or Curacao. They are both orange liqueurs and there is no legal difference between them, it is more of a question of style and history so they can easily be interchanged. Regular viewers will know that I’m a little obsessed with Marionette Curacao made here in Melbourne as it is so zesty and fresh, but Cointreau is an excellent, widely available option. Just pay attention to the sweetness of your chosen liqueur- for instance when using Marionette I often have to use a little more than the classic recipe, or add a little sugar, as it is less sweet. One fun tip, though, is that you can substitute apricot brandy in basically any recipe that calls for Curacao, and voila- an equally delicious, but completely different drink! I love the Toreador, which is a Margarita with the Curacao swapped for apricot brandy. Tequila plays just as well with stone fruit as it does with citrus!

Vermouth

Now, this is where the ‘maybe 7’ bottles come in- honestly, if you want to be able to craft a really wide range of classic cocktails, you need both a sweet and a dry vermouth. They can’t really be substituted for each other. That said, you can take a middle road- something like Lillet Blanc (technically not a vermouth, but in the same wider category of aromatised and fortified wines- have a look at my video all about Vermouth for a deeper dive on the subject) is delicate enough to not overpower white spirits in Martinis, but has enough weight and spice to stand up to dark spirits in Manhattan-esque numbers. It can also be used in shaken drinks like the Corpse Reviver Number 2 or the Scofflaw. And, because it has a higher sugar content and is less delicate than dry vermouth, it lasts longer once opened- I would never do this in the bar obviously, but at home I’ve had the same bottle in the fridge for months on end without it completely falling over. Otherwise, if you’re sticking with sweet and dry and using them in cocktails rather than sipping them on the rocks, the standard big names like Cinzano and Martini serve really well (they are, after all, what most classic cocktails would originally have been made with) and come in half bottles if you’re worried about not getting through them quickly enough. Remember that vermouths are still wine, so need to be kept in the fridge to stop them going all raisin-y!

Sherry

Look, it may not be the most conventional home bar essential but hopefully if you’ve made it this far, you’ll have to trust me with this one. I could keep going on naming different liqueurs etc but they all sort of do the same thing. Sherry is not a replacement for anything else on this list- instead, it adds another dimension to flavour combinations we already have. Jazz up a Martini with a sherry rinse, or add a dash in your Manhattan for dryness and complexity. To clarify, I am talking about dry sherry here (not sticky sweet PX). If you tend to drink lighter spirits, I would go for a Fino sherry (gin’s best friend), and if you prefer darker spirits then an Amontillado is great (goes really well with rum and whisky). For use in cocktails, something cheap and cheerful works really well as it won’t get lost- I tend to use Gonzales Byass or Lustau.

Syrups, Juices, etc:

Now I can completely understand you not wanting to spend any more money on your bar, but still wanting to introduce other flavours. Enter syrups and juices! Some can be bought (for a fraction of the price of spirits or liqueurs), and some are really simple to make at home- for these ones I will add the recipes below and on my shiny new website!

Sugar

Sugar syrup is a necessity for a home bar. It’s literally just one part sugar to one part water, and mix it over a low heat until it is combined. It’s fun to play around with different sugars, for instance using cane or demerara sugar which add a deeper flavour when used alongside dark spirits.

Grenadine

This is the most commonly called for syrup in classic cocktail recipes (like one of my favourites, the Scofflaw!). It is a pomegranate syrup, and the juicy fruitiness combined with high acid makes it way easier to balance with almost any spirit than most other syrups. You can buy it (and if you do, please make sure it is a good quality one, for instance Crawley’s, and not a day-glo red cordial!) but it’s also really easy to make. Just add 1 part pomegranate juice to 1 part sugar and simmer for 10-15 minutes until it is a loose syrupy consistency. For added depth of flavour, add some orange blossom water (or orange bitters) and pomegranate molasses, but these are not necessary.

Honey Water

Honey is nature’s own sweetener, so it makes sense that it is delicious as a sugar replacement in cocktails! One of my favourites to make at home is a Bees Knees, which is basically just a gin sour with honey, but feels fancier and you almost always have honey in the cupboard! It can be a little difficult to handle though, so I usually sit my honey in a water bath until it loosens up, then mix 1 part honey with 1 part water. This makes it much easier to pour and control measurements. 

Ginger Syrup

Honey and ginger go hand in hand, and form the basis for (probably) the most famous modern classic, The Penicillin. However, it’s quite fun to have them both separately and then combine them when needed, and that way you can use them independently as well. The easiest way to make ginger syrup is to slice up a root of ginger and simmer it in sugar syrup for about 15 minutes, and leave the ginger in there as it cools. Obviously the more ginger you use and the longer you leave it in, the spicier it gets- I like to leave it in overnight for a real kick! This works really well to liven up tiki rum drinks. You can then just be mixed 1:1 with your honey water for a honey and ginger syrup. Alternatively, if you’re not too bothered about having separate syrups then just simmer the ginger directly in the honey water.

Passionfruit

Passionfruit, similarly to pomegranate, has such great acid that its always a welcome addition to cocktails- my friend who judges lots of cocktail competitions actually said that he doesn’t think it should be allowed any more because it just automatically makes everything delicious! The great thing about it is you don’t have to do anything with it, just stick it straight in the shaker. You can use obviously fresh, but you can also get tinned passionfruit at most supermarkets regardless of the season, and have it in your cupboard for whenever you need a tropical pop in your life- even if it’s just mixed in your G&T!

Pineapple Juice

Rules are made to be broken, and I have to say, an anomaly to the ‘fresh is best’ rule is pineapple juice. I find that most recipes which call for it really need the sweetness from long life pineapple juice. It’s also a natural foaming agent, so something like a French Martini doesn’t get its frothy head from egg white but from shaken pineapple juice. It’s also used in 1000 tiki drinks- much cheaper than a flight to the Caribbean!

Everything you need to take your home bar to the next level- so now you know!