One bottle a week is what I said, yet here it is Week #1 and I am already going to break the rules: this week we are buying 7 bottles. However, we will be well under budget because we are buying a six-pack of seltzer water (in glass bottles with screw top caps) and a bottle of cheap red wine. Think of it like ordering takeout on the first night in a new home; there are other things to worry about, plus you’ll need those bottles.
WEEK 1 – SHOPPING LIST
Cheap Red Wine
6-pack of Seltzer Water **10oz glass bottles with screw top caps**
A good bar begins with the right tools and a space to work, so the bar is as much about the kitchen as it is about the liquor. Take some time to clear a shoebox-sized space in your fridge and freezer, and about double that space in your kitchen cabinets. Yep, for the time being this will be your bar; perhaps not as glamorous as you had hoped, but it will get the job done. As the bar grows you will need to find a new home for your bottles, but you will always need space in the kitchen for all that goes on behind the scenes in a great home bar.
Making a drink shouldn't be difficult, so avoid top and bottom shelves if possible. The more difficult it is to access these items, the less likely you are to use them. Also take this time to fill a large resealable bag with ice and refill your ice trays. Even if you have an ice-maker you will want to have extra ice. Get in the habit of keeping a large sealed bag of ice in the freezer. As I mentioned, ice is one of the most important commodities in a home bar and you are going to want to have a lot on hand. OK, I think I have said ice enough times.
TIP: Use a combination of a cabinet organizer and a cookie sheet to store your ice trays in the freezer. This will help prevent spills and keep things organized. Plus you can make sheets of ice in cookie sheet for cracked ice (this will be covered in a later post).
You made the space so now it's time for equipment. You won’t need all of this equipment right away, however if you get all at once you can be sure you have the right tools for the job and move on to the fun stuff. Plus, a pile of shiny new toys makes anyone a little bit giddy. When getting your equipment quality is always the better value. Spend a little more to get the better quality items; it will benefit you in the long-run. Let’s pour a glass of wine and get started…
There are many options for each of the items on this list. I will note my preference for each, however this is your bar so you should get what feels right for you. You may already have a number of these items–if that’s the case, great, you're already saving money! If you’re starting from scratch, this will all cost about $200, which includes the first bottle of liquor we will be buying next week.
I have broken down the equipment into three tiers based on priority, to help guide you if you would like to avoid a large upfront cost and instead acquire your equipment incrementally. Do note, that may end up costing more in the long-run due to shipping fees, so I would suggest saving up and ordering everything together if possible to avoid additional costs.
Crack open that bottle of wine and let's start shopping!
Cocktail Kingdom (www.cocktailkingdom.com) is a one-stop-shop for bar equipment, and I’ve noted below items I suggest purchasing through them. For everything else, you can look to retailers like Amazon, Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond.
EQUIPMENT
Tier 1 Priority Equipment
Jigger (*Cocktail Kingdom)
When it comes to Jiggers there are a ton of options. In my opinion the more measurements included in a single jigger the better. It allows you to be more accurate with less tools. Once again spend the money and get a good product. My preferred jigger is the Leopold Jigger. It offers measurement from .25oz up to 2oz. within one item.
Mesh Strainer (*Cocktail Kingdom)
This will be used for straining pulp from juices, and later in combination with the other strainers mentioned lower on the list to keep ice chips or particles out of your finished cocktail.
Juicer
I prefer a hand-held juicer at home. It’s a little extra work, but helps to save space.
Cutting Board & Knives
Dry Measuring Cups
Ice cube trays
Don't worry about anything fancy right now. The ones you have in your freezer will work just fine as we get started.
Funnel
Bottle brush
Permanent Marker, Pen, Masking Tape
Tier 2 Equipment
Shakers (*Cocktail Kingdom)
There are many types of shakers, but I prefer the Boston Shaker with two metal tins, which is the easiest to open and maintain.
*You’d think a shaker would be first priority. It is important, but I have shaken drinks in just about anything that has a tight fitting lid––a mason jar with a secure lid, or a plastic 1-quart takeout container both work in a pinch. Heck, I use a 1-quart container or a large mason jar all the time when shaking a batch of cocktails in my home bar. The lid can be used as a strainer to keep the ice where it belongs.
Hawthorn Strainer (*Cocktail Kingdom)
Get one with a tightly coiled spring––the tighter the spring, the better it does its job.
Julep Strainer (*Cocktail Kingdom)
A lot of bartenders use this strainer with glass stirring vessels. I use this strainer when straining cocktails that contain herbs, spices etc. It's much easier to clean particles from a Julep strainer than the coils of a Hawthorn strainer.
A Sturdy Notebook
*This will take a beating so it is important for it to be sturdy. You can put your drink recipes in the front and flip the book over to put the syrup recipes in the back. Of course, you can do this digitally or on a spreadsheet if that’s easier (and you are that organized), but I find it helps to have the notebook since a bar––and possible sticky spills––is not always conducive to electronics.
Tier 3 Equipment
Pour Spouts
These are not at all necessary, but they can make things a lot easier-especially when it comes to your syrups, juices, etc. Look for a set that comes with caps for storage and a small brush for cleaning. DO NOT buy pour spouts that measure your pour.
Microplane
Bar Spoon (*Cocktail Kingdom)
You are looking for a molded bar spoon, not one made by bending a flat piece of metal that usually comes with a red tip at the end.
Muddler
Look for a resin muddler, which will not absorb colors or flavors and will last a long time. If you want a wood muddler make sure it is not finished or stained––over time that finish will end up in your drinks, and that is just nasty. Cocktail Kingdom has great options.
Vegetable Peeler
I recommend a “Swiss Peeler,” which is meant for peeling round objects like lemons and oranges.
Electronic Scale
Once you have everything on the list above, you’ll be ready to go. You may notice there are some items that have been left out. Yes, glassware is important, but let’s focus on the dirks first, and worry about displaying them once we have the skills. Similarly, a mixing glass. I personally don't use one in my home bar, but you may want to purchase one once you develop your own philosophy. And of course, there are other items you’ll likely want to pick up along the way as your skill set and understanding grow.
Now, so you don’t feel robbed, here are a few wine-based drinks you can make with whatever’s left of that cheap bottle of red.
Kalimotxo (pronounced cal-ee-MO-cho)
Red Sangria
Wait a second...no recipes?! Still feeling robbed? You are going to run into a lot of drinks that this blog does not cover and you will want to know more about, so find an online resource where you can look up cocktails you like and/or want to try. Here is one that I use: https://imbibemagazine.com/. You might want to look at more than one site, so poke around and find a few you like. You’ll likely see a number of different recipes for any one drink you look up–this is just proving my point that sometimes it's best to understand the basics rather than memorizing a single specific recipe. As I mentioned, the goal is not so much chasing recipes, but rather knowing our palette and having the fundamentals down so you can make drinks out of anything at any time.