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Are you even an adult if you don’t have a home bar? And a well-stocked one at that.

Granted, in this economy, not everyone has the space to install a proper bar, but that doesn’t mean you should cut on cultivating some kind of drinks-at-home situation – even if that means a mini fridge with all the goodies you need to make a boast-worthy cocktail for you and your guests.

Trust me, you’re going to get a sour side-eye if you just buy a bottle of Jack and a six-pack of Coke and call it a bar. So to help all the aspiring home bartenders out there, a slew of professional mixologists from UPROXX are sharing some much-needed advice on what ingredients are worth stocking.

“Chefs know that their food depends on great ingredients, and as a home mixologist, you should too,” says Jim Lunchick, mixologist at Merriman’s Waimea in Waimea, Hawaii.

For now, we’re not talking about the alcohol or the tools you’ll need, but simply the important ingredients you can’t mix without, starting with fresh herbs.

While commonly used in cooking, fresh herbs like mint, basil, rosemary, and thyme can elevate the flavour profile of cocktails in a unique and refreshing way.

“In my opinion, one of the most underrated home bar ingredients is fresh herbs,” said Martin Gutierrez, bar manager at Joia Beach’s Bar in Miami.

Adding a sprig of mint into a mojito or a basil leaf into a gin cocktail can introduce a refreshing and intricate dimension to the beverage. The aromatic attributes of fresh herbs can harmonise with and elevate the other components in a cocktail, crafting a fuller and pleasurable drinking adventure.

Meanwhile, Ray Tremblay, corporate beverage director of COJE Group in Boston reckons vermouth is the most underrated ingredient.

Vermouth is an aromatised fortified wine, flavoured with various botanicals, herbs and spices. It’s a staple of many classic cocktails, so it shouldn’t be collecting dust in your home bar. Investing in quality vermouth and storing it properly in the fridge can result in some great cocktails such as martinis, Manhattans, boulevardiers/negronis, spritzes, and Americanos. That’s a lot of options from one simple ingredient.

Then, Simon Sebbah, beverage director at Grand Tour Hospitality in New York City says you should really stock up on citrus.

“I would say citrus overall (orange, lime, mandarin, grapefruit, etc.) is one of the most underrated home bar ingredients. It is very versatile when it comes to making drinks at home and allows you to have many different choices depending on the mood for you and your guests.”

A simple G&T can be easily elevated with a wedge of lemon, for example, while your mojito will definitely need a handful of crushed lime to make it work.

In fact, fresh fruit is generally a good way to make your home bar deserving of good company.

“Are you using freshly squeezed, high-quality limes? I cringe whenever I see a bottle of premade margarita mix,” says Jim Lunchick, mixologist at Merriman’s Waimea in Waimea, Hawaii.

“The fruit you are selecting for your cocktails should be picked out with as much attention as your choice of spirits. In fact, the seasonality of the fruit should be a factor in deciding what drinks you are going to make at home in the first place. Do the mangoes at the store look and feel amazing? Then your mango colada will be amazing too. Is it fresh blackberry season? Muddle them into your old fashioned and celebrate.”

Here’s some inspiration for a DIY cocktail day:

 

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You absolutely cannot skip out on proper, good-quality mixers, which is where Fitch & Leedes’ superb range of authentic bespoke mixers, made with quadruple filtered water for ultimate purity comes in.

 

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The nice thing about buying smaller cans for individual servings is that you won’t be mixing with flat soda or tonic later on down the line as they store for way longer.

They may also serve as the perfect backups for the teetotaller or sober-curious among your friend group.

 

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Oh, and don’t forget the ice for goodness sake. Lots and lots of ice.

That’s it, your home bar is stocked and nobody can say you don’t know a thing or two.

Cheers to that.

[source:uproxx]