A Guide To: Building a Bar

Little is more chic than having friends over for cocktails. For some, including me, the idea of building a bar a home was somewhat intimidating, being so unsure of where to start. Recently, with the help of the boy and a load of girlfriends who love alcohol from mojitos to martinis, I've grown my collection from a trusty, dusty bottle of vodka on standby for friends popping in, to a small bar.

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The four main spirits to stock: whiskey, gin, tequila, and vodka. They provide the foundation for many drinks, but are also perfect on their own. Vermouth (both sweet and dry) is also used quite often. While I typically prefer rye whiskey, bourbon is also an excellent choice for your entry point into “brown” liquors. As for gin, there are quite a few new options on the market, but it’s hard to go wrong with a classic English dry variety, like Plymouth, although my personal favourite always comes back to Bombay Sapphire (believe me, I've tried alot of gins). For most tequila, I go with a “blanco” version since they aren't aged as long as other tequilas so are more neutral flavoured. My favourite vodka is the world favourite Grey Goose, but as your collection grows, its nice to add some flavoured versions, in my opinion Absolout & Chase do the best.

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Many cocktail recipes have some kind of garnish, so I like to keep a variety of citrus, olives, and cherries on hand. While Luxardo maraschino cherries are an investment, they’re vastly superior to the neon-red version at the local market.

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Soda water, tonic water, and ginger beer/ale are common mixers, whether it’s to add some effervescence or round out the flavor of the drink. Many cocktails also call for a sweetener (i.e. simple syrup, honey, agave, etc.) and while you can easily make your own simple syrup (it’s equal parts sugar/water boiled down), I always have a bottle in the fridge. Bitters are the final key component when stocking your new bar. They come in a wide variety of flavors and provide a wonderful complexity and body to many cocktails, but when starting out, all you need is a bottle of Angostura bitters. They are probably the most famous variety and are an essential ingredient in classic drinks like a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned. Keep your usual beverages; fresh juices, lemonade, coke stocked up as these are probably what you'll rely on most.

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A cocktail shaker, strainer, and bar spoon are three items you need to mix drinks. For measuring, I prefer a clear small measuring cup that offers multiple volumes and conversions (i.e. teaspoons, ounces, etc.), rather than jiggers. As for glasses, my go-to are: cocktail/champagne coupes (if you’re only going to get one type of glass, this is the one to own), a lowball tumbler, and a collins glass. I also make sure to keep straws on hand and cocktail picks for skewering garnishes.

Building a bar doesnt have to happen overnight, take your time and enjoy the process. I love browsing Harvey Nicholls or Selfridges food hall for exciting new drinks to try, and searching for vintage or simply beautiful glassware everywhere from TK Maxx to Harrods. rachel xo