Agreed, the ice and lime will be very refreshing and if you keep the cachaca content down you won't get slammed too quickly in the heat.

Even though a lot of this has gone over my head, this has been an A+ thread. I am an avid beer geek but have very little experience with real cocktails. Although I would never order a Miller Lite or equivalent, if I wanted liquor I would usually go rum+coke or whisky+7. Until recently it never seemed odd to me that I would only drink high quality craft beer but bottom shelf liquor. But then I had a very well made Manhattan in a true cocktail bar and was reminded of this thread.

I'm now looking to stock up my homebar to mix it up with my usual beers. I'm taking Robert Hess' advice and building around a specific cocktail, in this case the manhattan. I bought a bottle of Bulliet based on CQ's recommendation earlier as a best value and because I had it on the rocks a year ago and remembered liking it. Also picked up some Angostura bitters and some Martini&Rossi sweet vermouth. Also have half a bottle of E&J VSOP brandy that someone left here.

So my question is, where do I go from here? I'm not looking to make any huge purchases, just want to add a bottle here and there to slowly expand out. I'd like to add another bourbon so I can compare and contrast but not sure which one to buy. Cointreau? Cognac? Help me figure out a plan.

How about a nice bottle of gin and some dry vermouth, start making martinis and gin and tonics and then expand from there to other gin cocktails? In terms of gin, everybody likes Hendrick's, tried something called London No. 1 the other day which was good as well. Plymouth is pretty nice. I avoid Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray, but that's just a personal preference.

What are people's favorite gins by the way?

Hendrick's

Hendrick's is a pretty left-field gin, I would recommend others to start with. Plymouth is a good starter gin for sure. On my phone just now but will type more up when I get home, but there is definitely a route you can plot for developing and expanding a home bar.

My bottom shelf is all small brewery beers too, w00t!

Walrus,

+1 to most of what Ragip said. I would get a bottle of Dolin dry vermouth next--it will last forever and allow you to make good martinis. I would get vodka after that, personal preference, but also a more versatile liquor. You should definitely also get gin, but as a non-gin drinker, I have no palette for it and will leave it to others to recommend favorite gins.

Cointreau would also be a good purchase as it would allow you to make sidecars, as discussed itt ad nauseum, but also good margaritas.

But really, Peter is the man to discuss building a home bar with. Just going to repost this one time in his honor and b/c it's so awesome/insane.

I just have a lot of hooch built up over some time, Clare, everyone's welcome to an opinion. I don't want to give the impression I am an oracle!!

OP, what I think I've gathered over time is to build up slow - you don't want to freak out and think you have to be able to make every cocktail people ask for at once. I think out of the sauceguide on the bottom shelf I can do 2/3 to 3/4 of a page opened randomly, so it's impossible to think you can ever be more than a pretty workable home bar.

You have 2 options, really, and it depends on your personality and houseguests.

If you like your drink, and want to enjoy the stuff yourself, I'd recommend you expand your bar in avenues you appreciate best. So, for me, it was always whisky (Scotch and Bourbon) and gins (Plymouth, Blackwood) that really interested me the most. Then I heard of recipes that had the spirit I like in, and added mixers to help those along (so, e.g. for Bourbon, the "Currier" had lime and Kummel in, so I added Kummel recently. Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs needed bitters, and the latter also needs Absinthe and Cognac, so I built up in those directions too).

That method plays to your strengths - but does restrict your range if you want to have a party.

If you're more of a host (this is definitely me, I almost never touch the bar unless there's a party on, and I spend most of my time each night in the kitchen mixing things for others and just tasting them as I go out of interest) then the best thing to do is hit up key ingredients which allow you to make a vast range of drinks. Again, the sauceguide I have lists a bunch of these, which I think you can actually refine further if you wanted. They list these, and the ones I put in italics I think you can move down the list. the Bolds I'd prioritise:

Spirits:
Vodka (I am not a big vodka drinker so will defer to those who recommend a specific brand, but it's an absolute essential)

Gin (Plymouth is a good starter gin. If you get a taste for it the range of botanicals can really be broad, so move into Hendricks or small still like Sipsmiths, maybe Millers. Most classic cocktails are big on vodka, gin and cognac.)

Rum (white is a pretty good standard, again I will defer to others on brand as I sometimes just buy own brand. I like to buy decent Cachaca, or Sugar Cane Spirit like CSR, rather than spend more on rum).

Bourbon (In my opinion you're wasting time mixing most good single malts, they can be very dominant. Bourbon has a great standalone flavour AND mixes really, really well, short or long, it's the must have whisk(e)y on the bar. Saying that living in Scotland can be risky business!).

Cognac (I'd consider this very important as a lot of classic cocktails rely on cognac. You won't find yourself using it all the time but you can make some real crowdpleasers with cognac. It also mixes well with e.g. bourbon for Sazeracs, which are the a-bombs of the cocktail world - strong and delicious).

Tequila (I would consider this essential as I love margaritas and spins on other classic cocktails with Tequila. Drank some good stuff with Guruman off SSSH. However, if you aren't a Tequila fan, I wouldn't say you need to have a bottle to keep a party going! Also it reduces the number of people who imo waste it on shots).

a blended scotch (J&B or a simlar will do, I'd avoid Bells and Grouse unless you have no choice. Imo bourbon is the clutch one). If you're going down the whisky route it's a matter of time before you get irish, scotch, tennessee and bourbon all on the same bar!


Liqueurs:
Dry Vermouth (later you can get Rosso. Dry first. A gamechanger in the cocktail world and needed for the dry martini and a billion others. Your first liqueur requirement, closely follwed by Cointreau).

Cointreau (absolute essenial. It can double as triple sec and replace Grand Marnier - but isn't the same, GM is brandy based, Cointreau is closer to eau de vie. But in a heads up battle, you NEED Cointreau on your bar. It's a staple liqueur of so many you're mad not to have it.)

Chambord (this is black raspberry liqueur, but will work to replace most cremes you'd need - strawberry, raspberry, if you need a fruit liqueur Chambord will do it.)

Also, very importantly - French Martinis are a blast with the ladies (2s vodka, 1/2s Chambord, 2 1/2 shots pineapple juice, shake with ice, serve 'up' (in a cocktail glass), garnish with 3 raspberries, the ladies will go wild, get wasted and love you forever.) You're welcome.

Grand Marnier (Useful but if you've got Cointreau, wait till later)
Kahlua (or Tia Maria, good for White Russians but really unless you have coffee fiends you can add this anon as well).
Apricot Brandy (opens up other avenues of cocktails but not essential to begin)

Mixers:
Champagne (or Cava, or Prosecco. Yes, I know it's technically wine but you usually add stuff to it, be it peach puree (bellini), a bitters soaked sugar cube (classic champagne cocktail) or something crazy like the B2C2 (Brandy, Benedictine, Cointreau and Champagne, invented in WW2 by US soldiers who found all this stuff as they liberated France, woo!!)).

All essential to boost your bar, listed in order of importance:
Juices: Orange, Cranberry, Pineapple, then Grapefruit and Apple.
Sodas: Soda Water, Cola, Ginger Ale, Ginger Beer, Tonic.
Syrups and Cordials: Lime Cordial, Sugar Syrup, Grenadine
Fruit and Veg: Mint, Lemons, Limes, Fruit (raspberries, strawberries, cherries)
Weird additions: cream, milk, eggs, Vanilla pods, sugar cubes, honey/maple syrup, coffee/tea.

and of course - ICE! Lots of ice.

Remember once you've passed down this route you can add flavoured vodkas, syrups, extra liqueurs and weirder ones, Pisco, amaretto, cherry brandy, Xante (pear liqueur), or other things you like like in my case Calvados. Really, the booze world is your oyster. But start with the essentials and build up. Would welcome a debate on brands!

To add something else interesting to the mix Mrs Harris found this recipe for Lillet Vermouth Buttermilk milkshakes. Interesting! I'm not a vermouth fan but will give it the old College try some time soon and report back!

Lillet Buttermilk Milkshakes (makes 4)

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/3 cup Lillet/other vermouth
1/3 cup buttermilk (or milk if you can't source)
basil flowers/leaves, optional

Let the ice cream ripen. Add it to a bowl or milkshake cup.
Pour the Lillet and buttermilk/milk over ice cream; mix to combine by either maker, shaker or cream by hand.
Serve in topped with a few basil flowers/leaves if handy.

Peter,

Thanks a bunch for the huge writeup, I very much appreciate it. Very informative and gives me a lot to think about. I will be doing most of the drinking myself or with a small group of friends. I'm not really a big party type host so I'm not too worried about covering every kind of drink. I usually have a single beer most evenings and simply want to mix it up now and again and be able to offer my guests a few options.

Based on everything you and others have posted, my next purchase will likely be Cointreau. Sidecars seem to be crazy popular itt so Ill have to give it a go. Which brings me to my first question: brandy vs cognac. My limited knowledge and quick googling tell me that cognac is simply brandy from a specific region. Would I be doing drinks that call for cognac a huge disservice by using the rest of the E&J I have? Worth splurging on a bottle this early in my stocking?

After that I'll probably go with some dry vermouth and either vodka or gin. My only experience with gin has been well+tonic so I'll need to try out a real gin cocktail before I decide.

I'd also be very interested in hearing everyone's opinions on brands. Although I dont mind spending some cash, I'd prefer to get as much value as I can on my first go around before really dropping some money on a single bottle.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

If you're doing it for yourself, focus on the fundamentals you like then. But you will find Cointreau and Vermouth essential additions, for the latter Lillet, Noilly Prat or other suggestions from this thread all good uns.

Cognac is nice but imo it's no Calvados (apple brandy). I'd use brandy unless you had cash to spare, as you'll get away with it, although it may be a little harsher (I find cognac is smoother than brandy). Won't ruin your experience though.

Gin is a great spirit. Another simple and classic one is the Gimlet, which is simply gin, lime cordial and water (or shaken with wet ice cubes). The botanicals (esp. the lemon/orange peels in gin) work beautifully with the lime and the water really opens up the flavour. It's what the captains on UK ships drank whilst the sailors were having their tot of rum. Another sailor one is the pink gin (just gin and a dash of angostura bitters) but that's for someone with a hard gin loving palate in my opinion!

Best,
Pete

Holy **** this is amazing

My take on the cognac, and this has been mentioned by CQ before, is that it makes a big difference in the quality of the sidecars and other cocktails. I have gone through the progression of $15 brandy to $20 cognac to $40 cognac and there's definitely a huge difference between the first two and the latter. Remy Martin VSOP (~$40) is currently what I use.

Also, if you have Rye whisky and cognac, start making drinks that call for only rye (Manhattans, old fashioneds) using half rye and half cognac. It's a great combination.

Everything Timon said. I got some E+J VSOP brandy for a party to make sidecars recently and honestly they just weren't very good. Huge difference between that and a $40 bottle of Hennessey or Remy

All,

http://handlebarsnyc.blogspot.com/20...o-roberts.html

I've mentioned the Bobby Burns before as a cocktail I love. One of my fave bartenders recently introduced me to the Robert Burns. He does the classic Waldorf recipe except he uses half blended scotch and half Ardbeg to give it a nice smokey character. It's one of my favorite cocktails right now. The Peacock Alley version sounds good too, I'm gonna give that a try soon.

Have to agree.

OP, this is a huge thread and I haven't looked around in it, but what are some of your pet peeves / things that annoy you most while bartending?

UM,

Besides the obvious stuff (bad tippers, drunk people throwing up all over the bathroom or bar) here are a few random ones that spring to mind:

--the person sitting right in front of the drink station who asks questions about every single drink you make.

--people who order complicated-ass drinks when it's Friday night and the bar's three deep. Sure, let me take ten minutes and make you a Pousse-Cafe.

--people who order drinks when it's busy and then turn their backs to the bar and have to be tapped on the shoulder, and then act surprised about needing to hand over some form of payment.

--just generally people who can't handle their alcohol and turn into annoying, screaming mush-mouth wrecks by midnight.

I'll post more if I think of any...

- The one who clicks their fingers at you like you haven't already pegged their position in the queue you're serving?

I saw that happen (I was on the customer side of the bar) and the bartender bypassed them and moved on to me as I was next. They earned their 20%. And the clicker realised their mistake. Really, sheesh.

- The ones who've been standing there 5-10mins on a busy night and don't know their order when you turn to them...

I would agree there's a massive difference between VS, VSOP, XO etc. Check your ageings and makers. VSOP and better cognac is way smoother.

Yes this, Jesus.

That's annoying for the obvious reasons, but also for the fact that every adult >25 should have two or three go-to drinks that they know they like and can order in a pinch without putting much thought into it. It's embarrassing to watch a 40 year-old man hem and haw over what kind of cocktail to order, like the entire concept of alcoholic beverages is brand new and confusing.

I actually did not mind this much when I was in the biz, as long as it wasn't busy. The fact that people would stand there when it WAS busy and try to order drinks when it was obviously the servers' station and not meant to be used by customers was highly tilting, though.

General bar pet peeves:

People who ask the bar back if they can make them a drink or close out their tab. No, the person with both hands buried in soapy water or carrying 18 freshly cleaned pint glasses will not do that. Have you seen them making any other drinks all night? Get in line with everyone else.

People who act surprised over door charges. All our paid events are advertised like 6 places and marked on our sandwich board 3 feet from the door. Please don't act surprised to see someone asking you for money. And yes, you do have to pay like everyone else who came in before you. Oh, your friend is in the band? That is MORE reason to pay not less douchebag.

People who act surprised that they cannot bring outside food and drink. Of course you cannot come in here drinking that Red Bull/soda/water and eating a burrito.

People who go outside to smoke and try to sneak their beer out with them then say: "Oh I didn't know I couldn't do that"

People who get cut off and then say "I'm not drunk!"

People who dump their McDonalds bag, beer cans, ash trays in the parking lot.

People who ask for a top off on their beer after they've drank half of it.

shaft,

"People who ask for a top off on their beer after they've drank half of it."

That happens? Awesome. Where are you located?

people who ask for no ice in their drink expecting it equals more alcohol.

Midwest. I've had it happen a few times from different customers. Hillbilly wanna-be gets a draft beer and cashes out his tab, halfway through his beer the customer will say something like "Hey buddy wanna top this off for me for an extra dollar for your pocket???" No buddy, I do not. Usually when I decline the customer acts like I offended him terribly. Oh well.