How To Set Up A Bar Cart
I have put together some suggestions for starting at different budgets, but first a few coin saving tips!
-Don't buy any flavored liquors, at least not at beginning! Donut flavored vodka tin be tempting because the labels are adorable, and it sounds so interesting. But you lot'll be seriously limited on what you lot can make with it. Instead, focus on buying base spirits like Whiskey, Vodka, Tequila, Gin and Rum. When you want something flavored you can make your own syrups or infuse your ain liquor. It'south super easy!
– Buy baby bottles. 🙂 When you are trying a new recipe with a agglomeration of new ingredients, buy mini bottles (1.7oz) instead of total size. The liquor store I go to has well-nigh every specialty liquor in cute tiny bottles. After you've tried information technology, you tin can decide if you lot want to invest in a bigger bottle.
– Focus on favorites. If already know you beloved whiskey, spend a trivial more on those bottles and collect your favorites. Spend more on your favorites and be extra thrifty on the rest.
Here's a little guide to starting your bar cart at unlike budgets. I know liquor costs are very different everywhere in the globe, merely here's what you tin can become where we live. $fifteen (or so) bottles are our starting point. It'due south smart to stick with "medium shelf" or higher, so you're sure tin get the base qualities of the liquor. The cheapest stuff can get a little unpredictable. And so, obviously yous tin can upgrade when y'all desire to! Information technology'due south as well of import to note that these guides practise not include mixers similar cranberry juice or club soda or garnishes like mint leaves, lemons and limes. Even still, information technology'due south overnice to have a fully stocked bar and just need a few fresh ingredients for new recipes!
For this budget I recommend investing in three different base spirits (choose your favorites from Whiskey, Vodka, Tequila, Gin and Rum). If you aren't sure what y'all like yet, google some of your favorite cocktails to see what they are made with. I also recommend one bottle of bitters. Start with Angostura or any aromatic cocktail bitters, because you tin can use them in a huge variety of drinks.
Here are a few recipes you tin can brand with my option of base of operations spirits pictured to a higher place (Vodka, Gin & Rum) and common kitchen staples (like juice and club soda!). With Gin, you tin can make a Tom Collins, a Gimlet or a Gin Sour. With Rum, you lot can try a Mojito, a Hurricane and a Painkiller. With Vodka, you tin can make a Encarmine Mary, a Screwdriver or a Salty Dog. See? The possibilities are countless!
For this budget, I recommend purchasing 5-half dozen bottles of base liquor. You can also become two bottles of bitters. Or you tin can swap out one of the bitters for some dry and sweet vermouth (this needs to be refrigerated after opening).
A few recipes y'all can make: (in addition to the recipes above!): With Whiskey, you tin can brand a Whiskey Sour, a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned. With tequila, you lot tin can make Margaritas (in about i meg different flavors), a Tequila Sunrise and a Bloody Maria.
I know information technology'southward unlikely that many of you will want to spend this much on bar cart supplies in one twenty-four hour period, and so merely think of this as planning for the time to come! You can build it up over time. For this budget I recommend ix base liquors (you can branch out/upgrade as shown below), six bitters (I utilise Fee Brothers Celery, Bitterman'south Elemekule and Hellfire bitters most, in addition to the Angosturas) and three-5 Liqueurs and Mixers (I beloved St. Germain, Benedictine and Cointreau).
As well at this phase, it's a great time to branch out and invest in some skillful bar tools and dissimilar types of glassware. Nosotros'll talk more than about that stuff below.
I spent the past yr collecting different bottles and pieces a piffling bit at a fourth dimension. The best function is that at present no matter what recipe I want to try I usually don't need to spend too much money, because I have so many basics. Plus it'southward great for parties! We have a couple friends who geek out for hours mixing dissimilar cocktails.
After y'all've nerveless the nuts, you lot can co-operative out and collect different types of your favorite spirits. Whiskey, Gin, Rum and Tequila are really various and it'due south fun to collect different types from dissimilar regions.
In that location are and then many special bottles that you may want to eventually collect. I dearest this Japanese Whiskey for Hot Toddys. And Absinthe is something I rarely utilize, but information technology'southward fun to have for special recipes. Since liquor lasts forever-ish, it'south ok to buy things you won't apply as oft. Although, every time I buy a special bottle I inevitably start searching for more than means to apply information technology!
These are Then fun! I love trying different liqueurs and mixers! They aren't equally versatile as the base liquor, which is why it'southward of import to collect those get-go, merely they frequently come upwards in cocktail recipes and will add lot of flavor to your drinks!
Above: Citrus Juicer, Fine Mesh Strainer, Julep Strainer, Jigger, Muddler.
Tools are usually cheap and yous'll get a LOT of use out of them. Plus, they are just fun because they'll make your calm-cocktails experience more legit! The tools I employ the nearly are my muddler (for whatsoever drink with muddled fruit or mint leaves) and my fine mesh strainer (great for straining homemade uncomplicated syrups into mason jars). A jigger is nice for measuring, simply yous tin use whatever measuring cup! Having a cocktail shaker is awesome, but yous can use anything that seals (similar a mason jar) if yous don't have one. Yous just need to be creative when you lot're pouring, then the ice stays in the container.
Some classic cocktails are served in special cups. Information technology's fun to collect copper mugs for Moscow Mules and silver cups for Mint Juleps. I collect cocktail shakers at home and I love using them at parties and for special dinners.
There are endless varieties of glassware you can collect. I'one thousand planning to write a whole post nigh just glasses eventually. To get started, the most used spectacles in my collection are a uncomplicated cocktail glass, a rocks glass and a collins glass. So basically, something pretty, something short and something alpine! You tin always branch out from at that place. I love collecting random vintage glassware from flea markets.
Additional Resources: Bar Cart, Lucite Tray.
Let me know if you lot have whatever questions of experiences you'd like to share in the comments!! xo. Elsie
Credits//Author and Photography: Elsie Larson.
Source: https://abeautifulmess.com/how-to-stock-a-bar-cart/
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