Introduction: Mixing Drinks and Metaphors

I have been bartending for a long time (like, since the apple martini was a thing!), and I have worked at every type of bar, received various certifications, run bar programs, designed cocktail menus, made my own liqueurs, and the list goes on. Put simply, I pretty much drink for a living and have done so for years. (Of course "taste for a living" might be more appropriate, but that’s not as much fun to say.) I love to tend bar and design cocktails. I’ve had a bar in my home since the day I turned twenty-one. However, making drinks at home is very different from making drinks in a professional setting. I have never made a cocktail while wearing a bathrobe in a professional setting, but you better believe I have done so at home. And if you haven't yet, stick with me, we are going to have a good time.

The home bar serves many purposes because there are so many reasons to make a great drink at home: cookouts, movie nights, TV marathons, birthday parties, romantic dinners, tacos! (that might be reason enough), a rough day, an excellent day...the list goes on. Plus, I think it’s time we officially bring back cocktail hour!

The goal of JR in the HOME BAR is to help develop a great home bar, and more importantly, to help you understand how to use it by teaching you the skills to mix well-balanced drinks and develop your own original cocktails. No more “one-trick pony" bottles purchased just for one specific cocktail recipe. No simply memorizing recipes––although you will learn how to make some memorable cocktails. This is about identifying your palate, being creative, and having fun. I think of it like learning to play guitar: If you learn to play one song (learn one recipe) then you know one song. If you learn to play simple chords (basics of cocktails), you can play 100's of songs and even write your own music (create your own cocktails).

The plan is simple: follow along with the weekly posts, and by the end––at an

average cost of $40 a week––you will have a full bar, glassware, and most importantly the skill set to make amazing drinks out of just about anything.

The $40 a week includes the cost of any equipment you may need to purchase to make these drinks. [*The budget does not include the cost of replacing bottles already purchased.] Because the goal is to get to a functioning and fun bar as quickly as possible, it will be necessary to spend more than $40 up front in order to get the equipment you will need. However, we will compensate for the upfront costs by working on a shoestring budget for the first month or so.

With a $40 weekly limit the bar will grow slowly, but intentionally. There are several benefits to this: You will have the opportunity to develop your technique with regard to actually making drinks (shaking, stirring, measuring, etc.), you will build a library of syrups to use in building cocktails, you will develop your palate, and more. By bringing in just one new bottle a week, you will have the opportunity to get to know what you have purchased and experiment with it––and you’ll likely never again buy a one-trick pony just to make a one-off cocktail. Your ability and your bar will grow together. Also, knowing the fundamentals will allow you to take your show on the road and make drinks at friends’ homes. Once it gets out that you can make a great cocktail, you will be asked to do so quite often–probably in bars that aren’t as accommodating as your home bar is going to be.

We have our budget, and we have our goal. Now I will share some of my philosophy on home bartending:

• Even a home bar needs a well. It is the only way to build an inventory of good mixers and spirits to enjoy. If you use only premium spirits, you will end up spending 2-3 times more than if you have well spirits too.

• Don’t skimp on liqueurs, you will not be happy with the outcome. For example, a good Creme de Cacao tastes like chocolate, a cheap one tastes like a tootsie roll.

• “Workhorse” spirits are the staples in a bar that offer the right balance of quality and price. They allow you to be generous with guests and save the good stuff for sipping.

• The “Go Bar” is based on the concept of the “Go Bag”––you know, the bag that survivalists keep packed and ready so they can hit the road when the shit hits the fan. The “Go Bar” refers to the items you keep on hand so you can make a drink if you are caught off guard by unexpected guests. It may not be perfect, but it will allow you to get the job done on a moment’s notice. It’s good to start building a stock of shelf-stable goods that can be used in a pinch. You will use your Go Bar; let's hope you never have to use a Go Bag.

• Believe it or not, ice is one of the most important commodities in a home bar. Even if you have an ice maker, you will be surprised by how much you go through.

• When developing a new cocktail, start with less of an ingredient and build up. You can always add more, but you can’t take anything out.

• A cocktail will give you an instant payoff whether you follow an existing recipe or create your own. It does not have to be precious, so don’t stress. Your drinks don’t have to be perfect the first time; you will always get another shot.

• When making an original cocktail I aim to bring at least 3 distinct flavors together. The more flavors added, the more difficult it will be to find balance; not enough, and you will have a boring cocktail.

• Lad Singer vs. Harmony: When developing an original cocktail I like to think about the base spirit. Do I want it to be upfront and have all the other ingredients accenting the base spirit like Otis Redding or James Brown, or do I want all the flavors to blend together in harmony like the Beach Boys. This will inform the ratios I use.

• If I’m unsure of how things might work together, I will start by making a small “sip” cocktail using teaspoons rather than a jigger with ounces. This way I can experiment without wasting ingredients. Once I get the ratios right, I will make a full-size cocktail to make sure the recipe works.

• It’s important to know what everything tastes like on it’s own, so taste everything––not just the final cocktails you make, but the spirits, liqueurs, syrups bitters, etc.–– in them. Whenever I buy a new spirit, I always taste it before I use it.

• Tasting is not about good or bad, like or don’t like. Think about tasting like seeing a movie. The aromas are like the preview––they will tell you something about what to expect, but might be misleading. Like a movie, every taste has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The flavors you get when something first hits your tongue, the taste you get after it has covered your pallet, and the flavors you are left with once you have swallowed the item you are tasting. This gives me 4 points of reference when thinking about flavors.

• Knowing the intent of a cocktail will inform the decisions you make creating it. Are you making a summer drink? A drink to highlight something in season? A brunch cocktail? A drink to be served on its own before a meal? One to be served with a meal? And so on.

• When making drinks for others, it’s about their enjoyment, not my ego. I make drinks based on the preferences of the people I am making drinks for.

• Having a home bar allows me to experiment with seasonal items and things I just love when making cocktails. You better believe I have a new rhubarb cocktail every season!

• Developing drinks is different from serving drinks. I can be a little more casual when developing cocktails at home, and will often sip right from my tins. When I am entertaining, I bring finished cocktails to the table and avoid drinking from tins and other more casual things I might do during development.

• Being adept in your home bar will make you a better cook, and vice versa.

• Making drinks is only as serious as you want it to be. It's your home bar and meant to be fun. It can mean anything from being able to develop original cocktails that will rival the best bars in town to whipping up a pitcher of badass margaritas on the fly at a party. If you understand balance, you can do it all.

While there are a number of other points to my home bar philosophy, this program is not about my philosophy, it is about helping you develop your own. So let’s teach a man to plant a fish and let it grow into a mighty oak that will feed a person for a lifetime.