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What's in a well stocked home bar?

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
Looking for suggestions of not only the kinds of liquors, but the brands too... top shelf stuff, not a buch of cheap crap.

My stash has been consumed and I need to replenish it so I am looking to expand my horizons.




Besides... it's FRIDAY!

 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
Strippers? :blah:

Ordinarily I stock what I like to drink, then purchase party liquor as needed. But if you want to cover your bases, I think the basics are gin, vodka, tequila, rum and something from the bourbon/scotch/whiskey family, along with triple sec or cointreau, vermouth, maybe some bitters, a cocktail book, and a bunch of non-alcoholic mixers like tonic water, OJ, cranberry, etc.

As for brands, you can figure out what's good pretty easily. For gin I like the Old Potrero brand made by the anchor brewery here in SF, either that or Bombay Sapphire or Tanquery 10. For tequila you need something that is 100% agave or your tequila aficienados will be justifiably offended. That means no Cuervo gold (sugar piss). Hornitos is the bare minimum but Herradura silver is better and fine for mixing in margs, but if you are sipping or doing shots go for something like El Tesoro, Don Julio, Pueblo Viejo, or (my personal fave right now) Patron.
 

-BB-

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo
Sep 6, 2001
4,254
28
Livin it up in the O.C.
N8 said:
Looking for suggestions of not only the kinds of liquors, but the brands too... top shelf stuff, not a buch of cheap crap.

My stash has been consumed and I need to replenish it so I am looking to expand my horizons.




Besides... it's FRIDAY!


Kettle One or Grey Goose
Glen Morangie (portwood finish)
Bombay Saphire
Jack Daniels
Sauza Silver
Triple Sec
Baileys
Kaluah
Bacardi (silver)
 

pnj

Turbo Monkey till the fat lady sings
Aug 14, 2002
4,696
40
seattle
we have a bar in the basement.

I never buy booze for it though, as I'm a beer drinker. so when we have partys, we let the guests buy booze..:) it all gets drank at the party usually. we can put booze away.... and whatever is left over, gets drank by me at a later date when i'm too lazy to walk to the store.
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
pnj said:
we have a bar in the basement.

I never buy booze for it though, as I'm a beer drinker. so when we have partys, we let the guests buy booze..:) it all gets drank at the party usually. we can put booze away.... and whatever is left over, gets drank by me at a later date when i'm too lazy to walk to the store.

In my opinion, beer isn't even in the same class as good liquor.
 

pnj

Turbo Monkey till the fat lady sings
Aug 14, 2002
4,696
40
seattle
N8 said:
In my opinion, beer isn't even in the same class as good liquor.
what beer vs. what liquor?

i will agree with you somewhat though.

you definitly can't compare budweiser/miller/coors to a ten year old scotch.

however, I like staying out of jail, and beer seems to help w/ that. me and liquor don't mix. er, we mix just fine, it's me/liquor and other people that don't mix.:)
 

pnj

Turbo Monkey till the fat lady sings
Aug 14, 2002
4,696
40
seattle
SkaredShtles said:
Yes you can. All those belong in the toilet. :p

they get there eventually....:D (for the record, i don't drink coors.... :nuts: )
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
Hmm...I'd line it up like this:

Grey Goose
Pampero Aniversario Rum
Glenmorangie (Whatever finish you like)
Evan Williams Single Barrel, the Woodford, or Bookers
Triple Sec
Grand Marnier
Kahlua

For the people who like mixing I'd keep around a bottle of Evan Williams black (better than JD, and cheaper) and a bottle or two of Stoli (Smirnoff if you want to cheap out there, and why not?) and a bottle of Appleton's.

Tequila and gin I can't help you with, but you need those too. Mixers, a bottle of simple syrup and some Ouzo or Zambuca or whatever niche bottle floats your boat. Vermouth as well, but you're the martini kid.

Your beer opinion sucks, but you aren't living in a beer hotbed. Would you say bread sucked because you didn't like eating a loaf of Wonder bread? :D
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
It really depends on whether you’ll be making a large variety of drinks or those that just you enjoy. For parties, you’ll probably want to plan on the variety and maybe even list what you have on hand or are able to make.

I personally drink most of my drinks on the rocks so I don’t have a ton of mixers or garnishes on hand daily…but I get them for parties. I would also suggest having 2-tiers (everyday/mixer and top shelf) of the basic 6 (vodka, gin, scotch, bourbon, rum and tequila) to start and then expand from there. Some suggestions:

Vodka - Grey Goose and for mixing Smirnoff, Stolichnaya, Kettle 1, Absolut or Sky (Absolut Pepper is good for Bloody Marys). Also, Luskowoska (I have no idea how to spell it, but it’s a potato vodka that’s quite tasty on the rocks)
Gin - Bombay Sapphire or Tanquery
Scotch - Johnny Walker, Dewars, Glenlivet or Glenffedich
Bourbon - Jack Daniels, Woodford, Bookers, Bakers, Knob Creek, etc.
Rum - (light and dark) Myers Dark & Bacardi light, Bacardi Limon, Captain Morgan’s and maybe even some Malibu
Tequila – Cuervo, 1800, Monte Alban
Irish Whiskey - Jameson
Blended Whiskeys (primarily for mixing) - Crown Royal, Seagrams 7 or Canadian Club
Kahlua Especial or Starbucks
Bailey’s Irish Crème
Triple Sec
Slow gin
Sambuca
Jägermeister
Perhaps a Sherry and Congac

Cremes and Cordials: crème de Menthe, crème de cacao, blue curacao, peppermint schnapps, peach schnapps, flavored brandy’s, amaretto, Grand Marnier, Drambuie

Beer – a few varieties
Wine – white and red (maybe even a blush and a good bottle of port)

Mixers: OJ, tonic, club soda, coke, ginger ale, 7-up, water, milk, lime juice, lemon juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, bloody mary mix (or tomato juice, Worchester, Tabasco, horseradish and even clamato juice), margarita mix, vermouth (sweet & dry), bitters, sour mix, grenadine. You may also want strawberry daiquiri mix & whipped cream.

Garnishes: lemons, limes, oranges, maraschino cherries, celery, olives, cocktail onions, salt and sugar

Obviously you know what you like to drink and what your guests will like to drink so plan from there.
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
Tonite's liquor store purchases include:

Patron Silver
Godiva Chocolate liquor
Iceburg vodka
Skyy vodka
Kaluha
Frangelico
Old Bushmills Irish Creme
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
N8 said:
Tonite's liquor store purchases include:

Patron Silver
Godiva Chocolate liquor
Iceburg vodka
Skyy vodka
Kaluha
Frangelico
Old Bushmills Irish Creme
Why'd you ask for recommendations and then ignore them all? :D

Skyy? :(