How to start you own personal bar ?

A lot of people are writing to me asking : what bottles do i need to build a complete bar ? the answer is simple, it depend on you budget. I will present you a few options you can have depending on the money you want to invest and your personal taste. 

The first option is a 50 $ cocktail bar.

You will need a Boston shaker with a strainer, a bar spoon and some measuring shot glass 1oz and 0.5 oz. it will probably cost around 20 $ You will also need a couples of bottle. I suggest you a bottle of gin 750 ml + a bottle of vermouth around 350 ml. So you will be able to make  Martinis, gimlets, gin and tonics, tom collinses and gin rickeys. But you will also need to buy lime, soda water, tonic water, syrup and fresh fruits. 

The second option is a 100 $ cocktail bar.

In the second one you will have to buy a shaker set, 750 ml. bottle gin, 750 ml. bottle bourbon, 750 ml. bottle white rum, a manual squeeze citrus juicer, 4 oz. bitter bottle, 375 ml. vermouth. With this one you will be able to make a lot of the most popular and known drinks such as Cuba libre, Daiquiris, mojitos, margaritas, gin tonic ect… don’t forget to buy inexpensive things like lemons, limes, mint leaves, soda and tonic water, cola, and sugar. Cherry or green olives are a great idea to add some prestige to your drinks. 

Continually upgrade you bar

So if you’re already having a shaker and a couples of good bottles you can still add some bottles to your bar by buying bottles like citrus liqueur like Grand Marnier or blue curaçao. I will present you the few bottles you can add to you bar if you are already well installed. You will probably want to buy a good bottle of scotch, a bottle of tequila, some bottles of citrus liqueur like Cointreau, triple sec or curaçao. Don’t buy more than 2 citrus liqueurs. I personally suggest you to buy a blue curaçao bottle and a Grand Marnier bottle because they are my personal favorites.

You will also want to buy some applejack like Apfelkorn or something of that kind. It will allow you to make some sour green apple cocktails. In addition to that a good bottle of dark rum or spiced rum is a great idea.

If you don’t want to buy a lot of bottle you can go for the fab four. These are some of the most used bottles in modern cocktails. It include a good citrus liqueur like Cointreau, a bottle of Campari, a bottle of maraschino liqueur and a bottle of herb liqueur like green Chartreuse. 

This is probably all you will need to set up a good cocktail bar. you can shortcut some of the bottles by buying some ready mix cocktails but they never taste as good as real recipes one. dont forget to enjoy drinking responsibly and keep in mind that even if a cocktail is sweet as juice its not and that you sould not over drink alcohol.