As any good host and hostess knows, a stocked bar is as important as anything when you’re having guests over. We’ve gone through the essential bar ware to have already. Today, we’re talking about stocking your bar with the right beverages.

First, you’ve got to stock up on the basics.

Fab 5:

Gin

Vodka

Whiskey

Bourbon

Rum

(Sassy 6: add tequila)

Then, add a few of your favorite liqueurs for fancy mix-in’s.

Getting fancy:

Aperol

Creme de Cassis (great splashed into a glass of prosecco)

St. Germain (wonderful splashed in with champagne)

Dry vermouth

Triple sec

Kahlua

Bailey’s/Irish creme liqueur

Dark rum + ginger beer (for Dark and Stormy’s)

Don’t forget your mixers!

Mix it up:

Juices (fresh, if available, or small bottles if you need to save space)

Sodas and ales (ginger ale, cola, seltzer water, tonic water)

Apple cider (for the easiest seasonal beverage: warm apple cider with a shot or two of bourbon, finished with a cinnamon stick)

Ice, ice, and more ice (you can never have enough – trust us)

Finally, you’ll need a few little extra items for garnishing your cocktails.

Garnish:

Fresh mint or rosemary sprigs

Citrus (lemon, lime, orange, and even grapefruit) and citrus rinds (always freshly peeled)

Cherries (see my recent blog post on making bourbon-soaked cherries)

Olives (my favorites are ones you remove the pimento from and stuff with blue cheese – perfect for extra dirty martinis)

Pearl onions (some people like these – we aren’t among them, but they’re good to have on-hand, just in case)

Don’t forget that glasses are not all equal. You wouldn’t serve a rum and cola in a martini glass or serve Pinot Noir in a double old fashioned glass. Make sure you have a healthy supply of glasses for the cocktails you make. My bar essentials post has several of these key items. And a final tip: chill your glasses if possible. It makes a huge difference for some of those colder cocktails.

Salut!

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