2. STOCK YOUR BAR

Drink ingredients

We've listed a lot of drinks here, and we're not going to insist that you buy all the ingredients it would take to make all of them. We suggest the following list of ingredients because they occur in many drinks. If you buy all of the items on the list, you will be able to satisfy most of the recipes we provide. Instead of purchasing all of these items, you might want to go straight to the list of drinks, see which ones you'd like to try first, and buy the ingredients those drinks require.

Basic Ingredients:

  • Gin
  • Vodka
  • Tequila (white, dark, or both)
  • Rum (light and dark)
  • Vermouth (extra dry for martinis, sweet or dry for other drinks)
  • Whiskey
  • Scotch
  • Brandy or Cognac
  • Triple Sec
  • Grenadine
  • Angostura Bitters
  • Cream
  • Sugar
  • Lemon Juice
  • Orange Juice
  • Club Soda
  • Lots and lots of ice

Equipment

In a pinch, you could probably make most of these drinks with a glass and a chopstick, but there are a few pieces of equipment which will make your mixing easier and classier. You should obtain the following items:

Basic equipment:

  • Tumblers (short, fat glasses, also known as "rocks" glasses)
  • Tall glasses (tall, thin glasses, also known as "highball" or "collins" glasses)
  • Shot glasses (for measuring and/or serving)
  • Measuring glass
  • Cocktail or Martini glasses
  • Margarita Glasses (optional -- they look like rounded martini glasses)
  • Stirrers (fancy glass wands, long-handled bar spoons, plastic forks, etc.)
  • Corkscrew (none of these drinks include wine, but you really should have one of these)
  • Cocktail Shaker
  • Strainer (it's a round thing with coils all around one side)
  • Blender (only used for a few drinks)
  • Ice bucket and ice tongs