Already have a well-stocked home bar with all the essential equipment and bottles to craft a variety of classic cocktails? Looking to expand your collection with some new bottles and bitters? This guide is for you!
Upgrading your home bar will expand the range of drinks you can create and serve. Just like when you first started, consider: what am I interested in exploring next? Which additions could unlock the most new cocktail possibilities?
Spirits That Go Beyond the Basics
With the basics covered, it’s time to elevate your home bar by investing in the following bottles:
- Aged Rums: These, along with styles like Rhum Agricole, add complexity to your bar. Consider starting with Flor de Cana’s anejo rum for affordability, or explore Rhum JM’s agricoles for a premium experience. Approximate cost: $20 – $60
- Amari/Amaro: These bittersweet Italian liqueurs add depth and can replace or complement vermouth. Start with Montenegro, or explore Cynar’s artichoke notes, Fernet’s minty profile, or Cardamaro’s sherry-like lightness. Approximate cost: $30 –$50
- Bitters Collection: Enhance your cocktails with Peychaud’s, grapefruit, chocolate, mole, or nut bitters. These can awaken new flavors and elevate cocktail ingredients. Approximate cost: $10
- Italian Vermouths: Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth, Punt e Mes, and Cocchi Vermouth di Torino offer more robust flavors than typical sweet red vermouth. Approximate cost: $20 –$35
Next Level Cocktail Equipment
- Garnish Peeler: Specialized peelers create elegant fruit twists, ribbons, and coins.
- Cone Strainer: Ideal for double-straining cocktails with muddled ingredients or fine ice.
- Citrus Juicers: Conveniently juice fresh limes and lemons for your drinks.
- Lewis Bags: Use with a mallet to make perfect crushed ice.
- Nick & Nora Glasses: These tulip-shaped glasses are a delightful alternative to coupe glasses.
- Rimming Dish: Use for evenly applying salt or sugar to drink rims, more effective than a flat plate.
Design Your Own Drinks with the Golden Ratio
As you explore countless recipes, you’ll notice recurring structures and proportions. One commonly used formula, ideal for your experimentation, is the golden ratio:
- Begin with 1 1/2 ounces of a base spirit (whiskey, rum, gin, etc.)
- Add 3/4 to 1 ounce of a vermouth-like ingredient
- Include 1/4 to 1/2 ounce of a liqueur, amaro, or other sweet component
- Finish with 1 or 2 dashes of bitters
These proportions simplify customizing cocktail recipes and inspire confidence in creating your own unique drinks.
