Home Bar Building
Building Your First Home Bar: $100 Edition
You don't need a fortune to make great cocktails at home. With $100 and the right strategy, you can build a starter bar that produces five genuine classics tonight.
Building a home bar feels overwhelming until you realize one thing: three bottles and five tools are all you need to make cocktails that would cost $15 each at a decent bar. Let's spend $100 wisely.
The $100 Philosophy
Most people overthink their first home bar purchase. They research for weeks, buy twelve things, and end up with a cluttered shelf and no idea what to make. The better approach is to start narrow, master a few drinks, and expand from there.
This guide gives you the shortest path from "I want to make cocktails" to "I just made a Negroni that's better than the bar down the street."
Why $100 Works
At $100, you're buying enough to practice, to make mistakes, to host a small gathering, and to figure out which direction excites you most — whiskey cocktails, citrus-forward drinks, or the spirit-forward classics. Once you know your direction, your next $100 goes much further.
The 3 Essential Spirits
Your starter trio covers the widest possible range of classic cocktails for the least money.
Bottle 1: A Decent Bourbon (~$25–$30)
Buffalo Trace, Evan Williams Black Label, or Old Forester 86 proof are all excellent choices under $30. Bourbon is the backbone of the Old Fashioned, the Whiskey Sour, and the Manhattan. It's the most versatile spirit for a beginner because it's forgiving — a touch sweet, a touch spicy, and endlessly drinkable.
Avoid anything labeled "blended whiskey" or "American whiskey" — these are often harsh and cheap despite the price. Stick to bourbon.
Bottle 2: A Clean White Rum (~$15–$20)
Flor de Caña 4 Year, Plantation 3 Stars, or Bacardi Superior (yes, really) give you everything you need. White rum opens the door to the Daiquiri, the Mojito, and the Rum Punch. It's also the cheapest spirit category where quality-to-price is best.
Bottle 3: A Dry Gin (~$20–$25)
Beefeater, Gordon's, or Tanqueray London Dry. These are the workhorses of professional bars worldwide for a reason — they're clean, classic, and priced for mixing. Gin unlocks the Gin Tonic, the Martini, and the Gimlet.
Total spirits budget: ~$60–$75.
The 5 Must-Have Tools
Buy these five items and you can make nearly every cocktail that exists.
Tool 1: A Cobbler Shaker (~$10–$15)
The Cocktail Shaker with a built-in strainer is the easiest type for beginners. Yes, bartenders prefer the two-piece Boston shaker — but for your first month, the cobbler lets you focus on technique rather than chasing seals. Look for a stainless steel model (OXO and Oggi both work fine).
Tool 2: A Double Jigger (~$8–$12)
The Jigger is the most important tool in your kit. The 1 oz / 2 oz double jigger covers almost every recipe. Don't measure by eye when you're starting out — you'll never understand why a drink works if the proportions are wrong. The Barfly and OXO jiggers are both excellent.
Tool 3: A Citrus Juicer (~$10–$15)
Fresh juice is non-negotiable for daiquiris and sours. Bottled lime juice tastes like regret. The Citrus Juicer — a simple handheld or lever-style squeezer — is the upgrade that immediately makes every sour taste professional. The OXO Good Grips handheld squeezer costs $12 and works for everything.
Tool 4: A Bar Spoon (~$5–$8)
The Bar Spoon is how you stir properly. A long twisted handle lets you spin the spoon between your fingers while it rotates the ice — it looks like magic once you get it. Essential for stirred drinks like the Manhattan and Old Fashioned.
Tool 5: A Vegetable Peeler (~$5)
You already own this, or a basic one costs $5. A Y-peeler cuts perfect citrus twists for garnishes — the fragrant oils in the peel make a huge difference in the aroma and appearance of a cocktail. This is your first garnish tool.
Total tools budget: ~$38–$55.
5 Cocktails You Can Make Right Now
With your three bottles and five tools, you can make all of these tonight.
1. Whiskey Sour (Bourbon + Lemon)
2 oz bourbon, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 3/4 oz simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water). Shake with ice for 12 seconds, strain into a rocks glass over ice. This is the template for an entire family of drinks. Learn this one first.
2. Daiquiri (Rum + Lime)
2 oz white rum, 3/4 oz lime juice, 3/4 oz simple syrup. Shake hard with ice, strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. The Daiquiri is the most honest test of your shaking technique — it has nowhere to hide.
3. Old Fashioned (Bourbon + Sugar)
2 oz bourbon, 1 teaspoon simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube), 2 dashes Angostura bitters. Build in a rocks glass with a large ice cube, stir 30 seconds, garnish with an orange peel. The Old Fashioned is the spirit-forward classic — minimal ingredients, maximum flavor.
4. Gin & Tonic (Gin + Tonic)
2 oz gin, 4 oz tonic water, lime wedge. Build in a tall glass over ice. The Gin Tonic is the simplest drink in this list and the perfect palate cleanser. Quality tonic matters — Fever-Tree or Q Tonic if you can find them.
5. Manhattan (Bourbon + Vermouth)
2 oz bourbon, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 2 dashes Angostura bitters. Stir with ice for 30 seconds, strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. The Manhattan is your first stirred cocktail — it teaches you when a drink is properly diluted and cold.
What Comes Next
Once you've made these five drinks a few times each, you'll have a sense of whether you want to go deeper into whiskey, explore tequila and mezcal, or start building your liqueur collection. That's when spending another $50 becomes obvious and intentional.
The home bar isn't built in a day — it's built one good drink at a time. Start here, and you're already ahead of most people who talk about wanting to make cocktails at home.