How to Set Up and Stock a Home Bar

A home bar doesn't have to be a headache: Invest in basic equipment, stock up on essential liquors, and you can have a spread that will impress amateurs -- and even make professionals nod in quiet approval.

Liquor will keep for a long time, particularly in a cool place away from direct sunlight. The lower the liquid level, though, the more quickly you should consume the liquor, as the air in the bottle will leach out the flavors. Vermouth, however, is a wine, and should be refrigerated and drunk fairly quickly.

The equipment needed to mix a cocktail is simple to master, and you don't need a lot of it.

• Ice bag
• Bar spoon
• Muddler
• Jigger
• Cocktail shaker
• Strainer
• Ice cube trays

For more tips on tools and tumblers, see our Barware and Glassware Guide.

For everyday use in your home bar, you only need six or eight of each of these three basic types: a short glass, a tall glass, and a stem.

If you plan to serve wine at your parties, invest in eight to 12 basic stemmed wineglasses, either a single shape that is appropriate for both red and white or separate sets of glasses for each.

To make fantastic, creative cocktails, there's no need to stock your bar with 12 brands of expensive vodka and a rainbow's worth of brightly colored liqueurs. A half-dozen base spirits and a few mixers will not only allow you to turn out a surprising number of cocktail classics but also give you enough to tinker with to come up with some cool drinks of your own. 

Cognac
For sidecars, brandy milk punches, crustas, daisies, and smashes.

White Rum
For daiquiris and mojitos.

Gin
For martinis, gin and tonics, Tom Collinses, etc.

Bourbon
For Manhattans, old fashioneds, and whiskey sours.

Vodka
Vodka is the workhorse of the liquor cabinet, used in basic drinks such as vodka tonics, screwdrivers, and the vodka martini.

Tequila
For margaritas, sunrises, and palomas. The best tequilas are made from 100 percent agave; check the label.

Cointreau
A bar essential -- clean, full of natural orange flavor, and not too sweet. 

Red Vermouth
For Manhattans.

White Vermouth
Essential for truly sublime martinis.

Bitters
Bitters are used not to make the drink taste bitter but to help other flavors blend.

No one should be punished for passing up a cocktail, but if plain soda and canned juice are the only alternatives, an abstainer is likely to wind up pouting in the corner. Fortunately, there are enough flavorful nonalcoholic beverages to fill an entire bar and bring cheer to the soberest of souls. Mix fresh-squeezed orange or grapefruit juice with a splash of seltzer to make a light cocktail. Also try sweetened, diluted lime and lemon juice served over crushed ice, or whip fresh or frozen berries in a blender with ice and a dash of lime.