Home Bar Essentials: What Every Home Bar Needs

 

What Every Home Bar Needs: An easy reference checklist for everything that makes a great bar for home entertainment. 

Many of us would like the luxury and convenience of having a bar at home. For the planned or unplanned guest during the holidays, a home bar makes life so much easier. Every other day of the year it makes spontaneous gatherings comfortable and effortless. If you include weekend brunches or evening relaxation you might start to feel like your home is the resort you've been looking for. Whether the economy is open or closed you have all of the freedom in the world in your living room. 

So as to not get overwhelmed Kitchens And Baths By Lynn has broken down the in home bar into (6) categories:

• Workstation: The bar itself.
• Tools: Everything you will need to slice, blend, shake and stir.
• Vessels: The perfect glasses for the perfect drink. 
• Liquor: The foundation of the cocktail.
• Mixers: What gives the drink a personality and a name.
• Garnish: The adornment.

Workstations

There many options with no one right answer when it comes to deciding what modality of bar you want to go with. Carts a great space savers with mobility. They are what could be considered entry level in that there is only so much you can include on them in terms of features. Great for the bedroom. Great for the study. Regardless of whether you are going for a credenza look, armoire or full bar with bar back, everything you want from sinks to ice makers can be built in if you are willing to level up.

If you want to make sure no stone is left unturned meet with your kitchen and bath specialist. Your designer will help you to avoid buyers remorse. There is nothing more disheartening than significantly investing in a home improvement project only to turn around in a few months and wish you had included features, left things out you don't really use, or put storage in places that make more sense for how you actually use the space. With over 37yrs of experience, this is Lynn's "go to" checklist for the bar station:

• 
  Cabinetry
• Cabinet hardware
• Storage solutions
• Backsplash
• Appliances
• Blender
• Compact Ice Maker
• Undercounter beverage fridge: drawer or cabinet
• Wine cooler
• Kegerator
• Microwave
• Coffee Maker
• Dishwasher
• Sink w/ hot & cold water
• Faucet
• Touchless
• Glass Rinser
• Lighting

Tools

The right tools for the job. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to get a job done with makeshift tools or none at all. Start with the basics. If you find that you have a passion for bartending, take it to the next level with more specialized tools. The following checklist will get you off to a good start:

• 
  Bar spoon
• Two-Piece Boston Shaker
• Cocktail Strainer
• Japanese Style Jigger
• 1 x 2oz
• 1/2 x 3/4oz
• Bartending Kit: If you would prefer over collecting individually.
• Mixing Glass
• Ice Mold trays: 
• Small cube
• Single large cube
• Sphere
• Juicer: Manual for citrus
• Strainer: Mesh metal
• Muddler: Do not purchase those with a finish that can come off.

Vessels

For every drink there is an ideal glass. Lynn would tell you this is the fun part, selecting your favorite glasses but, it's all fun. Martha Stewart says you only need 6 or 8 each of the cocktail glasses for day-to-day use. If you are going to entertain, you should have 10 or 12 long stem wine glasses. Regarding wine glasses, their shape should accommodate both red and white or be sure to purchase a set of each shape. There are more nuanced glass shapes for the advanced bar but we are keeping it fairly intermediate. Here is a list of "go to" glasses and the most common drinks they are associated with: 

• Rocks Glass: For a minimalist bar this glass will hold just about
  anything. It's perfect for sipping liquor on ice. Also for muddling. Try to stick with 6-10oz. Anything more is a double and you run the risk of diluting the recipe before the cocktail is consumed. Just enjoy making a second drink fresh.
• Old Fashioned
• Margarita 
• Negroni
• Rusty Nail
• White Russian
• 
  Martini Glass: Whether you have a tall stem, medium or no stem they all have the iconic cone shape. That said, the purpose of the stem is to keep body heat from warming a drink without ice. If you stick with a 6oz you should have a little room to guard against this cocktail's notorious splash. 
• Martini
• Cosmopolitan
• Anything for a rocks glass minus the rocks.
• Collins Glass: Akin to the Highball glass you only need one or the other. Unless you are an aficionado and stock both. For the narrower Collins Glass 10-12oz is perfect as these drinks usually require a lot of ice. 
• Gin & Tonic
• Tom Collins
• Mai Tai
• Highball Glass: A stout and larger version of the Collins glass, it can be used interchangeably. If you need to save space a Collins glass is a better option. The nice thing about a Highball glass is you can use it for everyday drinks like soda, water, juice, ice tea and other non-alcoholic drinks.
• Highball
• Tom Collins
• Bloody Mary
• Coupe Glasses: A great substitute for Martini glasses, these are for drinks that "hold the ice". At 6-8oz the liquid should settle just below the rim.
• Sidecar
• Daiquiri
• Manhattan
• Shot Glass: Short and stout they can take the place of a jigger.
  

• Champagne Glass: There are three basic shapes for the champagne glasses; flute, tulip and saucer. Flutes are designed to keep the bubbles lasting longer. An excellent choice for a single garnish like a lemon twist or berry. Tulips won't hold the bubbles like a flute but they are a good choice when mixing other sparkling drinks with champagne. Saucers (aka coupe) will give your bar a vintage look for your champagne. They also provide enough room for larger garnishes.
• Champagne cocktail
  
• Mimosa
• Ernest Hemingway's Death In The Afternoon
• Grand Royal
• Barbotage
• Bellini
• Beer Glass: Not all beer glasses are created equal. Since we don't do beer cocktails, the variety is listed below: 
• Pint: The workhorse of the bar these tapered glasses can be chilled in the freezer. When not used for beer they can be used for a variety of other drinks. Very flexible. They hold a bottle of beer and foamy head.
• Pilsner: Almost exclusively for lagers this glass is fluted with enough room at the top for the particularly large head they produce.
• Beer Mug: These are the classic "slam it on the bar" glass. They are thick and can be chilled in the freezer. Part of the reason for the the thick glass is to keep the beer chilled longer than even a pint glass. 
• Ale Glass: If the pint is the workhorse then the Ale glass is the show pony. Designed with a bulb shape to trap complex flavors it elegantly shows off color and the consistency of the frothy head. 

Liquor

For your starter or intermediate bar there is no need to run the full spectrum of liquor options. These basics will give you a variety of options that will be sure to keep everyone's spirits up. These are nice mid-level options:

• Bourbon: Wild Turkey 101
• Scotch: Famous Grouse Blended Scotch
• Whiskey: 
• Bushmills Black Bush Irish Whiskey
• Rittenhouse Bonded Rye
• Gin: Plymouth
• Rum: Bacardi 8
• Vodka: Belvedere 
• Tequila: Patron

Mixers

And so...the cocktail. Mixers make the drink unless you just want a high end sipping spirit. Have these on hand and you will be the highlight of the party. Here is the checklist of mixers and their popular associated drinks:

• Tonic Water: The general consensus is that Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water or Q is the best for the bar.
• Gin & Tonic
• Vodka Tonic w/Lime
• Whiskey Tonic
• Virgin Margarita
• Club Soda: Best overall is Fever-Tree again. That said, there are some brands that go better with other spirit bases than others for the connoisseur. In general you aren't going to go wrong with your club soda. 
• Tom Collins
• The Texas Sipper
• Mojito
• Nojito (Mocktail)

• Bitters: Most agreed upon is Angostura aromatic bitters. It's a type of alcohol infused with botanicals ranging from citrus to woody tones. 
• Vodka Pekoe
• Singapore Sling
• Old Fashioned
• Rob Roy
• Southampton (Mocktail)
• Simple Syrup: Overall most get behind BG Reynolds Orgeat or Pure Cane Simple Syrup. Like club soda, some brands go better with specific cocktails. But if you need a "go to" the above two works. Note that syrups can come in a variety of infusions.
• Vodka Collins
• Cucumber Martini
• Classic Gimlet
• Vermouth: By definition it is an aromatically fortified wine infused with botanicals. You can find it dry or sweet. It would be good to have both. For a dry vermouth go with a Dolin Dry Vermouth or Noilly Prat for extra dry. For sweet you won't go wrong Cinzano Rosso.
• Manhattan
• Classic Martini
• Classic Negroni

Garnish

The finishing touch. The ornament on the tree. The broach on the coat. That is the purpose of garnishing your cocktail. A basic list is provided along with a few intermediates.

• 
  Cherries: Maraschino are the most popular. You can buy the same candy red ones that go on top of your ice cream sundae. Another option is Luxardo Gourmet Maraschino Cherries or Traverse City Whiskey Co. Premium Cocktail Cherries for the deep red almost black colored cherries. Perfect for your Old Fashioned.
• Olives: For the savory drink like a Dirty Martini or Gin Martini a
  classy olive is a must. You can go basic with a pimento stuffed olive or get adventurous with Trader Joe's marinated olive. Don't overlook Tassos double stuffed garlic and jalapeno olives to spice things up.
•  Citrus: Lime, Lemon and Oranges all have respective drinks they highlight. There are 3 presentation standards; wedge, wheel, and spiral. Spirals are more common to drinks like an Old Fashioned when a citrus stripper is used to create a long ribbon out of the peel. Below, discover which citrus works best with which drinks:
• Lime: Any time lime juice is an ingredient like a Cosmopolitan. Sweet and sour flavor like a Margarita is a good time to use lime.
• Lemon: Lemon based drinks like a Lemon Drop Martinis. Lemon garnish is also a standard with tea based drinks like a Long Island.
• Orange: Any drink with the name Collins in it is perfect with an orange. Naturally orange based drinks. Spirals are used in coolers and Old Fashioned. Be sure to rub the peel on the rim of the glass to make each sip deliciously aromatic. 

Between this checklist and working with your kitchen and bath specialist you will be able to create the perfect bar for your lifestyle. It doesn't require sprawling amounts of space just the skill to make it blend seamlessly with your home. Start with your wish list. Then make a budget and determine what features and appliances fit within that budget. If you feel overwhelmed or feel like you are compromising too much, make sure to bring your original wish list to your designer. You might be surprised at how someone like Lynn can fit into your budget.