The Virtual Bar - Behind the Bar, Bar Stock

Basic Barstock

The following provides a guide to the basic stock of drinks you will need for setting up your home bar and giving a rousing party.

Subjects Covered on this Page:

Scotch - one standard blended Scotch whisky for mixed drinks plus a premium or malt whisky for sipping.

Provided the pocket stretches to it, a good bourbon or rye whiskey, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam etc, is always good to have on hand.

You really need at least two bottles - a white rum for cocktails and a dark rum for long drinks. Buy the best quality your pocket can afford.

Again two bottles are really required for a well-stocked bar. You need a basic three star brandy for cocktails and mixed drinks plus a cognac.

Vodka is seldom drunk neat unless your guests are going to slop into the caviar in which case put a bottle of Stoly in the freezer an hour or two before your guests arrive. (Actually we kept our Stoly permanently in the freezer, because of its high proof it refused to freeze.) So if you are going to just use your vodka as a drink base then one bottle is fine.

A good bottle of Tequila will liven any party. You can make margeuritas by the jugful.

Although we do not offer any Campari cocktail recipes, Campari is a good stand by as it makes a pleasant aperitif when mixed with either soda water or orange juice and is one of those drinks that you can sip for hours without losing your head.

There are many different types of blenders around but the following are among the most important:

You will need a bottle of dry and a bottle of sweet vermouth. Try to obtain a French Dry and an Italian Sweet. Vermouth over ice or served with lemonade is commonly drunk.

Angostura and Orange Bitters should be included as part of the basic good bar stock. However in Asia, Orange Bitters is not always easy to come by.

There are a number of secondary liquors, that can be used as flavourings to cocktails and mixed drinks.Among the more common ones are Cointreau (Triple Sec works just as well as a cocktail flavoring ingredient but is not generally drunk on its own), Grenadine and Creme de Menthe (green and clear varieties are both commonly used depending on the drink being mixed - they are generally not interchangeable).

Advokaat, Cherry Brandy, Creme de Cacao, Drambuie, Galliano, Grand Marnier and Tia Maria. These are just ofr starters. As your bar grows, so will your collection.

Note that the double distilled liquors (liquers) are often drunk as after dinner drinks in liquer glasses as is cognac.

Any bar should include a selection of wines including at least one “red” and one “white” wine. Europeans, Americans and Australians, generally buy their wines based on taste while Asians often buy on price (the more expensive the better). Many inferior European wines have done well in Taiwan simply by jacking the price up. It has also led more than a few to become suspicious of all wines. The trick to being a good host in Asia is to serve a good tasting wine at a reasonable price.

Generally, at a party you need less expensive wines than those you would serve at a dinner party.

If you are new to wines then leave the specialty stores well alone. Unless you know what you are doing they are not for the uninitiated. Wines purchased at major supermarket retail outlets are probably your safest bet. These chains value their reputation and do not sell rubbish.

Wines are actually of two types - table wines and fortified wines. Fortified wines - principally the sherries and the ports are wines whose alcoholic strength has been increased through the addition of a spirit - usually a grape brandy and are drunk much the same as cocktails either before dinner as aperitifs or after dinner as a digestive.

Your wine stock should also include one or more sherries, pale (dry) and sweet for preference. Port is rarely served at parties but a good port is worth including in your bar stock.

Soft drinks and juices are as important to the bar as are the spirits. The non alcoholic selection is often an integral part of the mixed drink or cocktail, especially for the longer drinks. On the other hand, many people, prefer not to take alcohol or will wish to switch to soft drinks during the course of a party, especially if they are driving so a good host will take care of these needs and indeed recommend (or insist if need be) that their guests do not over-imbibe.

Soda Water, Tonic Water and Dry Ginger Ale;
Coca Cola (or Pepsi), Lemonade and Bitter Lemon;
Sparkling Mineral Water (can be added to white wine to make a longer and refreshing drink);
Orange juice, pineapple juice and tomato juice.
Concentrated Lemon and Lime juice.