If you already have a well-stocked home bar with all the essential tools and bottles needed to make a wide range of classic cocktails, you might be considering expanding your collection with some new bottles and bitters. This guide could be just what you’re looking for!
Enhancing your home bar setup allows you to explore a broader variety of cocktail recipes. Just as you did when first setting up, consider what new ingredients or tools will open up the most exciting possibilities for your cocktail creations.
Spirits to Elevate Your Home Bar
Once you’ve mastered the basics and are ready to enhance your home bar, think about adding one or more of these options:
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Aged Rums: These bring more complexity than standard white rums and can serve as substitutes for darker spirits or enhance basic rum cocktails. Start with Flor de Cana’s añejo rum, which is both affordable and refined, or invest in Rhum JM’s agricoles for a more premium choice. Cost: $20 – $60
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Amari/Amaro: These bittersweet Italian liqueurs add unique character to drinks and can serve as a vermouth. Montenegro is a great starting point if you’re new to amari. For more adventurous options, try Cynar for its artichoke notes, Fernet with its menthol essence, or Cardamaro with its sherry-like qualities. Cost: $30 – $50
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Bitters Collection: Invest in various bitters such as Peychaud’s, creole bitters, grapefruit, chocolate or mole bitters, and nut bitters, to enhance and diversify flavors. Cost: $10
- Italian Vermouths: Opt for Carpano Antica Formula, Punt e Mes, or Cocchi Vermouth di Torino to experience richer, more complex flavors compared to standard sweet red vermouth. Cost: $20 – $35
Advanced Cocktail Equipment
To further refine your cocktail-making process, consider these tools:
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Garnish Peeler: While a standard vegetable peeler works, specialized garnish peelers make it easier to create fruit twists, ribbons, and coins.
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Cone Strainer: Essential for double straining cocktails mixed with muddled ingredients or to refine ice.
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Citrus Juicers: These streamline the process of juicing fresh limes and lemons.
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Lewis Bags: Use these along with a mallet to produce finely crushed ice.
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Nick & Nora Glasses: Attractive tulip-shaped glasses that can replace coupe glasses.
- Rimming Dish: Great for evenly applying salt or sugar to the rims of glasses, more reliably than using a bowl or flat plate.
Creating Custom Cocktails with the Golden Ratio
As you explore various cocktail recipes, you’ll notice familiar patterns and proportions. A popular method for experimentation is the golden ratio:
- Start with 1 1/2 ounces of a base spirit (e.g., whiskey, rum, gin).
- Add 3/4 to 1 ounce of a vermouth-like ingredient.
- Incorporate 1/4 to 1/2 ounce of a sweet liqueur or amaro.
- Finish with 1 or 2 dashes of bitters.
These easy-to-follow proportions allow you to customize existing recipes with confidence.
This series covers the essentials of setting up and expanding a home bar, guiding you through the exploration of new spirits, tools, and techniques.
