If you're a bartender working in a cocktail bar, you have the luxury of being surrounded by an abundance of beautiful and fancy liquids far beyond the cocktail essentials.
Your home bar, on the contrary, probably is not stocked that well. And I'll tell you something: it doesn't need to be. You don't have to buy thousand different things to serve delicious cocktails.
Yet, having some key cocktail ingredients will make your cocktail-creating life a lot easier. And I will explain what you really should have in your home bar.
Many famous cocktails don't require many different ingredients. And many of them even are pretty standard. - You're not so sure about that? Check this list of the ten most popular cocktails in 2020 according to drinksint.com:
- Old Fashioned
- Negroni
- Daiquiri
- Dry Martini
- Whiskey Sour
- Espresso Martini
- Margarita
- Manhattan
- Mojito
- Aperol Spritz
Each can be made with four ingredients max. So, you don't need a lot of things. You only need a cocktail shaker, mixing glass, jigger, and the right ingredients. Thus, I will show you how to make the most out of your home bar by stocking your bar cart with essential cocktail ingredients.
Jump to Spirits | Liqueur | Vermouth | Bitters | Syrup | Citrus | Other Juices | Ice | Mixers | Garnish
Must-have liquor bottles
To make great drinks in your home bar you need a well-balanced selection of quality base spirits. To cover most of the classics, you only need six different types of liquor:
- Whiskey
- Vodka
- Rum
- Gin
- Tequila
- Brandy
Picking the best bottles isn't easy for beginners. It requires a certain level of experience or research at the beginning of your cocktail-making journey. But we're here to help:
Whiskey
Whiskey is an essential base spirit. It's key to classics like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, and Whiskey Sour. But there's a large variety within that category: Bourbon, Rye whiskey, Scotch, etc., all have a distinct taste.
Also, cocktail recipes sometimes ask for specific types of Whiskey. So which one to choose?
Our Recommendation: Pick one decent bottle of Bourbon and Rye. If you're really into Whiskey, you can add a bottle of Scotch or Irish Whiskey to the list. The latter two are a bonus, though, because you can most Whiskey drinks with Bourbon or Rye.
Buy:
- Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Wild Turkey 101 Rye
Vodka
Vodka is one of the most popular spirits in the US, especially in cocktails. It is colorless and has a relatively neutral taste, making it a perfect fit for many recipes.
It is part of countless favored cocktails recipes like an Espresso Martini, Bloody Mary, Moscow Mule, or Cosmopolitan.
Our Recommendation:Â You can get quality Vodka at a comparably low price. So we recommend going with one of the mid-shelf bottles.
Buy:
- Absolut Vodka or Ketel One Vodka
Rum
Rum is another must in a home bar. I advise getting one white and one aged, dark Rum. Light ones are perfect for Mojito's, and dark ones are the base for all beautiful Tiki cocktails and other sweeter creations.
Besides those, there are many other Rum types like spiced Rum, Cachaça, Rhum, etc. These are great in some cocktails, but it's not what you should stock up on at the beginning. These are for later mixing adventures.
Our Recommendation: Get a Plantation 3 Stars for your white rum. This bottle is one of the best you can get, and it sells for under $20. The dark version should be versatile, so it works in many drinks.
Buy:
- Plantation 3 Stars
- Mount Gay Eclipse
Gin
With so many types of Gin, choosing just one Gin for your home bar is a challenge. I have to say, my shelves at home are packed with Gin of all sorts.
But when you start your home bar, you want to keep things simple, affordable, yet versatile. Hence, I only suggest getting only one for a start.
Our Recommendation: Go with a traditional, quality Dry Gin. One that works great in a classic Gin and Tonic and other top Gin cocktails, too. My recommendation here is Tanqueray, Beefeater, or Sipsmith London Dry.
Buy:
- Sipsmith London Dry Gin
Tequila
Although there are plenty of Tequila types to choose from, you only need one quality Tequila Blanco or Reposado in your home bar, at least for now.
If you're into smoky flavors in spirits, I recommend adding a Mezcal to your selection. If you want to know the difference, here's a comparison of Tequila and Mezcal.
Our Recommendation: Depending on your budget, I recommend an affordable Tequila Blanco or Reposado. If you want one of the best, choose Fortaleza Blanco.
Buy:
- Espolon Blanco (budget option)
- La Gritona (amazing Reposado)
- Fortaleza Blanco (expensive but worth it)
Brandy
Brandy is part of the six base Liquors but is used a lot less in cocktails. If you want to skip one, usually, that would be it.
Nevertheless, you can make good drinks with a Brandy base, and if it fits your budget, get one to make your base liquor selection complete.
Our Recommendation: Look for a VS or VSOP Cognac to get a decent-quality bottle.
Buy:
- Camus Elegance VSOP or H by Hine
Liqueurs
Liqueurs play a vital role in mixology. You need those sweet and tasty elements to bring flavor to your drinks. However, liqueurs are available in almost every taste imaginable. The main categories are:
Luckily you don't need each and every liqueur there is. In the beginning, I suggest sticking with the most-used options. These so-called essential liqueurs are:
- Orange Liqueur or Triple Sec: that's crucial, not only for making Margaritas. My personal choice is Cointreau.
- Coffee Liqueur - Kahlùa is a splendid coffee Liqueur and has been occupying the number-one spot for ages already. It makes for a delicious Espresso Martini.
- Amaretto - This liqueur is almond flavored and quite common in many cocktails. You can't go wrong with having DiSaronno amaretto in your home bar.
- Maraschino Liqueur - Another classic cocktail ingredient. The traditional Italian cherry liqueur is made of Marasca cherries.
- Amaro liqueur - I recommend getting more than one. Campari (for a Negroni) and Aperol (for an Aperol Spritz) are hard to substitute. If you're new to mixing drinks, I suggest beginning with a more versatile Amaro like Averna, Nonino, or Montenegro.
That's it for a start. Five elemental liqueurs I recommend having in your home bar.
Of course, there are many more, from Elderflower Liqueur to Midori Melon Liqueur, different Crèmes. I could go on forever. If you're interested, check out our Liqueur section.
Dry and Sweet Vermouth
I list Vermouth separately because it is not a liqueur but a fortified wine. Also, Vermouth is an integral part of many recipes. For instance, sweet Vermouth is necessary for a Manhattan or Negroni. Dry Vermouth is crucial in a Martini.
Plenty of other classic cocktail recipes call for one of those two. Sometimes even for both. Therefore, I strongly advise getting one bottle each. You won't regret it.
If you can only buy one, though, go for Sweet Vermouth. You'll be able to make a wider variety of drinks with it.
Buy:
- Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth (Sweet)
- Doilin Dry or Noilly Prat (both dry)
Cocktail bitters
For me, the critical ingredient on this list. Overlooked by many aspiring home bartenders, cocktail bitters are an absolute must. They are part of dozens of classic cocktail recipes, but because you always only need a few drops, people tend to think they are negligible. Oh, how wrong that is!
Cocktail bitters are highly concentrated infusions, and a few drops are enough to alter the taste of your cocktail significantly. They are available in various flavors, but for starting your home bar, I recommend beginning with just one: Angostura bitters - the best-known and most common ones.
Once you want to experiment with how bitters can affect the taste of drinks. Experiment with other classics like Peychaud's bitters or some decent orange bitters before having a look at these articles:
- Excellent bitter for an Old Fashioned
- Best Bitters to make a Gin & Tonic
- Great bitters to accentuate a Martini cocktail
Syrup
Sweet syrups are another essential cocktail ingredient you should have. Many cocktails which don't use other sweet ingredients rely on simple syrup to balance sweet and sour.
Just think of delicious Sour cocktails like the Whiskey Sour, Rum Sour, or Gin Sour. For all of these recipes, you will need syrup to mix them at home.
The best part is: you can make all sorts of syrup at home for very little money. Simple syrup is essential. Everything else is extra. You haven't made syrup before? Here's our simple syrup recipe.
If you want something fancier or richer, consider making your own Gomme or Demerara syrup or a color-changing Butterfly Pea syrup.
Citrus juices
Lime juice and lemon juice are indispensable for most cocktails. They balance the sweetness from syrup, liqueurs, or Vermouth. You really need that tangy and sour citrus juice.
I often see people working bottled juice from concentrate for their home bar. But that is a big No-No and has a massive impact on the result - and not in a good way.
When freshly squeezed those lemons and limes, your cocktails taste far better. That is such a simple way to improve the quality of homemade cocktails.
Other fruit juices
When it comes to making drinks at home, fruit juices are essential for adding freshness and vibrant flavors to your cocktails. Besides lime and lemon juice, consider having the following juices in your arsenal:
- Orange juice: Great for a classic Screwdriver or a zesty Tequila Sunrise.
- Grapefruit juice: Perfect for a refreshing Paloma or a tangy Sea Breeze.
- Cranberry juice: Ideal for creating a delightful Cosmopolitan or a sweet-tart Cape Codder.
- Pineapple juice: Adds tropical vibes to a Piña Colada or a refreshing Bahama Mama.
- Tomato juice: Yes, from a botanical view tomatoes are fruits. And tomato juice is an essential ingredient in drinks like the Bloody Mary.
These versatile fruit juices will bring flavor to your homemade cocktails, impressing friends and family alike.
Ice
Ice is vital for your drinks. The quality and form have a huge impact when mixing your cocktails. Ice used in cocktails is also available in different shapes and sizes.
The larger and clearer the ice is, the better its quality because impurities make your ice melt faster. Quality ice will melt slower and, therefore, won't dilute your cocktail as much.
If you pulled it off and made some crystal clear ice cubes, you can consider branding them. An ice stamp embosses a motive or name on an ice cube within seconds. -Which is, naturally, not essential, but still a nice gimmick.
Mixers
Mixers are vital for Highballs, Spritzes, or fizzy cocktails like an Americano or one of the Collins Cocktails. It's always a good idea to have tonic water, soda water, ginger beer, ginger ale, and Coke at home.
For soda, a quality club soda will do, tonic water can be tricky, but as a base, I recommend Fevertree Indian and/or Fevertree Mediterranean tonic water. And for the Coke, I prefer the one with the ice bears.
Garnish
Cocktail garnish is less important than the other items listed, but you should not neglect it. Generally, cocktail garnishes improve the look of a cocktail but don't have a gigantic impact flavor-wise. But there are exceptions, for instance, the salt for the Margarita and the like.
My most used items for cocktail garnish are citrus peels, which you usually will have left from the juices you squeezed out of them.
More creative ideas can be to use flowers as a garnish or try your skills with dusting your cocktail glasses. However, that's the next step on your home bartending journey and not something you have to worry about too much when getting your cocktail essentials.Â
Here's a quick overview of popular cocktail garnishes:
- Maraschino cherries: Classic garnish for cocktails like Old Fashioned and Manhattan.
- Citrus twists: Lemon, lime, or orange twists add aroma and visual appeal to various drinks.
- Olives: Commonly used in martinis and other savory cocktails like the Bloody Mary.
- Mint leaves: Freshens up drinks like Mojitos and Juleps with a burst of aroma.
- Cocktail onions: Often seen in a Gibson or a classic Martini for a touch of sophistication.
- Pineapple wedges or leaves: Frequently used in tropical and tiki-style cocktails.
- Cucumber slices: Adds a refreshing touch to gin-based drinks and cucumber cocktails.
- Celery stalks: Common in a Bloody Mary and other savory cocktails for a unique crunch.
- Cocktail picks: Used to hold multiple garnishes together in elaborate cocktails.
Conclusion
So that's my list of essential ingredients to make cocktails at home. It may look a little extensive at first, but when writing your shopping list, you will realize it's not too much. If you're a fan of frothy tops on cocktails, also put eggs on the list. Egg whites are traditionally used in Gin Fizz, Whiskey Sour, and similar drinks to get those frothy tops. If you're on a vegan diet, you can use aquafaba instead.
When in doubt, skip a bottle and only buy it once a recipe you want to make calls for it.