The Complete Home Bar Checklist

A complete home bar isn't built all at once — it's assembled deliberately over time, starting with the essentials and expanding into specialties. This checklist tells you what to buy, why it matters, and in what order.

Core Spirits (The Backbone)

These seven spirits cover the vast majority of classic cocktail recipes. Buy them in this order as your budget allows.

Tier 1: The Essential Four

• Bourbon — Covers the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Whiskey Sour. Buffalo Trace or Evan Williams.
• White Rum — Covers the Daiquiri, Mojito, Rum Punch. Flor de Caña 4 Year or Plantation 3 Stars.
• London Dry Gin — Covers the Gin Tonic, Martini, Gimlet, Negroni. Beefeater or Tanqueray.
• Blanco Tequila — Covers the Margarita, Paloma, Tequila Sunrise. Espolòn or Olmeca Altos.

Tier 2: The Next Three

• Rye Whiskey — For a more spicy Manhattan and Sazerac. Rittenhouse or Old Overholt.
• Dark Rum — For the Dark and Stormy, Mai Tai, and rum punches. Gosling's Black Seal or Mount Gay.
• Vodka — The neutral all-purpose spirit. Tito's or Ketel One. Buy this last — most cocktails that call for vodka are actually better with a more flavorful spirit.

Tier 3: The Specialists

• Cognac/Brandy — For the Sidecar, French 75, and classics. Hennessy VS or Pierre Ferrand Ambre.
• Aged Rum — For sipping and more complex Tiki cocktails. Appleton Estate 12 or El Dorado 12.
• Mezcal — Smoky tequila alternative. Del Maguey Vida or Banhez.
• Aged/Peated Scotch — For the Penicillin and whisky sours. Monkey Shoulder or The Famous Grouse.

Liqueurs & Modifiers

Liqueurs extend the reach of your base spirits dramatically. Without them, you can't make most classic cocktails.

Essential Liqueurs

• Sweet Vermouth — For Negroni, Manhattan, Americano. Dolin Rouge or Cocchi Storico.
• Dry Vermouth — For the Martini and Dry Martini. Noilly Prat or Dolin Dry. Store in the fridge and use within 2 months.
• Triple Sec / Orange Liqueur — For Margarita, Cosmopolitan, Sidecar. Cointreau is the gold standard; Grand Marnier for a richer option.
• Campari — For Negroni, Americano, Aperol Spritz variants. No substitutes.

Recommended Liqueurs

• Maraschino Liqueur — For the Aviation, Hemingway Special, Clover Club. Luxardo is the only brand worth buying.
• Amaro/Fernet — For digestifs and depth. Averna, Montenegro, or Aperol for lighter styles.
• St. Germain Elderflower — Extraordinary versatility. Works with gin, vodka, rum, and prosecco.
• Chartreuse (green or yellow) — The most complex liqueur on the planet. For the Last Word cocktail and dozens of other classics.
• Crème de Violette — Essential for the Aviation. Rothman & Winter is the standard.

Mixers

Non-Negotiable Mixers

• Fresh lemons and limes — Always. Bottled citrus is never acceptable for sours.
• Simple syrup — Make your own (1:1 sugar:water). Costs pennies.
• Angostura bitters — Goes in everything. Buy three bottles at once.
• Tonic water — Fever-Tree or Q Tonic. The brand matters here.
• Club soda — For highballs and fizzes. Any brand.

Useful Additions

• Peychaud's Bitters — For the Sazerac. Also works with champagne.
• Orange bitters — For martinis and manhattans. Regans' or Angostura Orange.
• Ginger beer — For Moscow Mule and Dark and Stormy. Fever-Tree is again the benchmark.
• Prosecco or Champagne — For French 75, Bellini, Spritz, and Aperol Spritz.

Tools

Absolutely Necessary

• Cocktail Shaker — Cobbler for beginners, Boston set when you're ready.
• Jigger — The 1 oz / 2 oz double jigger. Do not skip this.
• Bar Spoon — For stirred drinks.
• Citrus Juicer — Lever-style for speed.
• Hawthorne Strainer — For straining shaken drinks.
• Fine Mesh Strainer — For Double Straining out ice chips and pulp.

Recommended

• Mixing Glass — For stirred cocktails like the Martini and Manhattan.
• Muddler — For Muddling herbs and fruit.
• Peeler / Channel Knife — Citrus twists and channel-cut spirals.
• Lewis Bag & Mallet — For crushed Crushed Ice.

Glassware

Core Set (6 of each)

• Rocks glass (Old Fashioned) — Spirit-forward cocktails and neat pours.
• Highball glass — Collins drinks, gin & tonics, Moscow Mule sans copper mug.
• Coupe or Nick & Nora — All "up" cocktails (daiquiris, sidecars, martinis).

Nice to Have

• Martini glass — Classic look, but coupes are more stable and practical.
• Copper Mug — For Moscow Mules, though a highball works fine.
• Tiki Mug — If you're building a tiki program.

Garnish Staples

• Citrus fruits — Lemons and limes at minimum; oranges for twists and wheels.
• Luxardo cherries — The only garnish cherry worth using. Maraschino cocktail cherries are a crime.
• Cocktail olives — Green olives with pits or stuffed with blue cheese for dirty martinis.
• Fresh herbs — Mint for juleps and mojitos; rosemary for gin cocktails.
• Aromatic bitters for rinsing — Peychaud's misted over a coupe is magic.

The Build Order Summary

1. Buy the Tier 1 spirits + Angostura bitters + citrus juicer + shaker + jigger
2. Add sweet vermouth + Campari + dry vermouth
3. Add triple sec + Peychaud's bitters + bar spoon + strainers
4. Fill out the glassware collection
5. Add the Tier 2 and Tier 3 spirits as you need them for specific recipes

Following this order means every new purchase immediately expands what you can make.