The Well Stocked Bar

Every since I got my first apartment in college I have been obsessed with having a home bar  set-up. Half of the appeal for me is the cute bar carts that you get to have in the living room. It's all very Mad Men, which I love. 

Even if you don't find yourself entertaining a lot, it's always nice to have a little of everything on hand so that if you have an unexpected guest, you can offer him or her something to drink. My drink of choice has always been either gin and ginger ale or champagne, and I'm not a big fan of much else, but I would hate to have my friends stop by and not have something to offer them. 

A plus to have a home bar set-up: When you get home after a long day at work, everything you need to make yourself a nice drink is ready and waiting. 

Below is a general list of the things you will need to stock your bar.

The Alcohol

Vodka, Grey Goose or Absolut

Gin, Tangueray or Bombay

Bourbon, Basil Hayden or Makers Mark

Rum, Mount Gay or Goslings

Tequila, Patron or Don Julio

Single Malt Scotch, Macallan or Glenlivet

Imported Beer, Heineken or Guinness

Domestic Beer, Harpoon or Sam Adams

 Liqueur, Bailey's Irish Cream and Southern Comfort

Red Wine

White Wine

Champagne or Sparkling Wine

The Mixers

Red Vermouth

White Vermouth

Tonic Water

Soda Water

Bitters

Campari

Coke

Ginger Ale

The Garnishes

Lemons

Limes

Maraschino Cherries

Cocktail Onions

Green Olives

Mint

Cubed Ice

Sugar

Salt

The Tools

Jigger

Muddler

Bar Spoon

Shaker

Strainer
Can Opener
Bottle Opener
Ice Bucket

The Glassware

The Highball

The Old Fashioned

The Wine Glass

The Cocktail Glass

The Champagne Glass

The Beer Glass

The Classic Recipes

Dark & Stormy

1. 2 ounces dark rum
2. 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice (optional)
3. Ice
4. 1 candied ginger slice
5. 3 ounces chilled ginger beer
6. 1 lime wheel
7. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the rum and lime juice and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled collins glass. Stir in the ginger beer. Skewer the ginger slice and lime wheel and garnish the cocktail

The Martini

1. Ice
2. 3 ounces gin
3. 1 ounce dry vermouth
4. 1 lemon twist, for garnish

Fill a pint glass with ice. Add the gin and vermouth and stir well. Strain into a chilled martini glass or coupe and garnish with the lemon twist.

Mojito

1. 8 mint leaves, plus 1 mint sprig for garnish
2. Ice
3. 2 ounces white rum
4. 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
5. 1 ounce Simple Syrup
6. 1/2 ounce chilled club soda
7. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint leaves. Add ice and the rum, lime juice and Simple Syrup and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled tall glass, stir in the club soda and garnish with the mint sprig.

Champagne Cocktail

1. 1 sugar cube
2. Angostura bitters
3. Sparkling wine
4. Lemon twist for garnish
5. Put sugar cube in a Champagne glass. Lightly sprinkle the sugar cube with Angostura bitters and pour in enough sparkling wine to fill the glass. Garnish with a lemon twist before serving.

What are your favorite drink recipes? Are there any other home bar essential that I left off my list?

Thanks to FoodandWine.com for the great recipes. More can be found here.

All featured glasses can be found at Crate and Barrel