Thirsty Thursday

Stocking your bar

You cannot make drinks out of the equipment, so you'll probably want to buy a selection of liquors and mixers too. It is impossible to make a list that "fits all" without including every possible liquor in the World, but here are a few guidelines on what to buy. You should always choose your bar stock to suit your guests. Young people often prefer the more exotic drinks, so you will need various fruit juices and flavored liqueurs instead of the darker liquors (like whiskey) older people often prefer. It is likely you will experience requests for drinks you cannot make, but that happen to almost every bar now and then. You can add new liquors to your bar stock later, and should learn how to mix what you have in the meantime. A well-stocked bar should have the following, but you should consider the number and type of guests you expect before buying. Gin (dry) Vodka Rye (or Canadian whiskey) Bourbon Scotch whiskey Rum (light) Vermouth (dry and sweet) Tequila White and red wine (dry) Beer (lager) Cognac (or other brandy) Different liqueurs: Advocaat (somewhat like brandy eggnog) Amaretto (almond) Anisette (anise) Aquavit (caraway) Benedictine (herbs) Chambord (black-raspberry) Chartreuse (herbs) Contreau/Triple sec (oranges) Crème de Cacao (cacao) Crème de Cassis (blackcurrant) Crème de Menthe (mint) Crème de Violette/Crème Yvette (violets) Curaçao (oranges) Galliano (herbs and spices) Godiva (chocolate) Goldwasser (herbs and spices, flecked with gold leaf bits) Grand Marnier (oranges) Irish Cream (whiskey and cream) Kahlúa (coffee) Kümmel (caraway) Mandarine Napoléon (tangerine) Midori (melon) Ouzo (anise) Peter Heering (cherry) Prunelle (plum) Sabra (orange and chocolate) Sambuca (wild elderberries) Sloe Gin (sloe berries) Southern Comfort (peach) Strega (orange and spices) Tia Maria (coffee) In addition to the liquors, you will need different mixers, flavorings and garnishes. Club soda Tonic water Ginger ale 7-Up or Sprite Cola Juices: Tomato juice Orange juice Pineapple juice Cranberry juice Grapefruit juice Bitters Grenadine Maraschino liqueur Worcestershire sauce Tabasco sauce Milk Coffee Heavy cream Cherries (maraschino) Green olives (small) Cocktail onions Lemons, limes and oranges Sugar, salt and pepper.   Hope this helps all those who are thinking about setting up a place to have a few drinks with friends at home!