Setting Up a Home Bar

Setting up a home bar requires an initial investment in the proper home bar supplies. This includes home bar tools, home bar glasses, home bar liquor, home bar wine and the proper drink mix guide. Once you're set up, you will reap the rewards for years to come.

Set Apart a Space
If you're lucky enough to have a space set apart for your barware, invest in a glass rack, shelves for your liquor, a small refrigerator and cabinets for your barware tools. If you're working with a classic kitchen, set aside a cabinet for your tools, a cabinet for your liquor and garnishes and clear out part of a shelf in your refrigerator for bar items.

Invest in the Proper Tools
You'll want to invest in a good blender with multiple speeds, a cocktail shaker, a jigger for measuring and a corkscrew.

Buy the Proper Serving Utensils
In addition to tools, you'll want attractive stemware and bar glasses to accommodate various kinds of drinks. You will need to invest in a set of each of the following types of barware glasses: champagne flutes, martini glasses, margarita glasses, collins (or highball) glasses, beer mugs, double old fashioned glasses (which are wide and short) and wine glasses. Make sure to buy both red and white wine glasses. Red wine glasses are larger and shaped more like a bowl, while white wine glasses are smaller and narrower.

Stock Your Liquor Cabinet with the Essential Spirits
The following spirits comprise the basics for most popular cocktails: vodka, rum, tequila, Cointreau, gin and vermouth. You will also want to stock your wine rack with a few good bottles of red and white wines and a few bottles of champagne. When buying spirits to start your home bar, you'll want to buy in the mid-price range. Hold off on top shelf liquor until you're sure you like the spirit enough to invest in the pricier stuff. Avoid anything priced low. Low quality liquor will ruin an otherwise good drink.

Collect a Few Good Mixes
Unless you plan on making all your cocktails from scratch, you'll want to keep a few bottles of mixes in your cabinet. Invest in a bottle of each of the following mixes: bloody mary mix, strawberry daiquiri mix and margarita mix. You'll also want to keep a bottle of sweet and sour mix, grenadine and Rose's lime juice on hand.

Don't Forget the Garnishes
A good home bar will be stocked with a jar of olives, cans of tomato and pineapple juice, toothpicks, drink stir sticks, a jar of maraschino cherries and coarse salt and sugar for coating the rims of glasses. Before having guests over, you'll want to pick up fresh limes, lemons, oranges, pineapples or peaches to use as garnishes.

Don't Forget the Recipes
Last but not least, purchase a good basic cocktail recipe book.