Having a night out and grabbing a drink with friends is a ton of fun, but can also be very expensive.
A single cocktail can cost upwards of $15.00, and before you even end up buying a drink, you may have to pay a cover charge just to get into a bar or a club. And let’s not even get started on the cost of taking a taxi or an Uber to get you safely to your destination and back home.
If you’re on a budget, it’s possible that going out for drinks every weekend just isn’t a reality. Just because you can’t go out every weekend doesn’t mean you can’t bring the fun to your own home.
All you need to do is stock your own bar, and you can bring the fun to you.
Think about it…
When you stock your bar with handles of your own alcohol, you can mix drinks at a fraction of the cost of what you’d pay for them at a bar or restaurant. Not to mention, if you or your guests do a little too much drinking, your home is a safe place for people to sleep off a night of fun.
It’s pure genius.
We know a thing or two about mixing up a delicious cocktail, so we thought we’d give you a few tips on how to stock the perfect bar at home. Here’s what we recommend…
Barware Basics
Before you start mixing up your favorite drinks at home, it’s important to make sure you have the right bar tools.
Anyone can mix a perfect drink as long as you follow the right recipe and measure the ingredients correctly. To make sure you mix up your recipe accurately, we suggest that you invest in an inexpensive bar tool called a jigger.
A jigger is an hourglass-shaped measuring device used by bartenders to ensure that they pour accurate amounts of alcohol into every drink. Standard jiggers contain two different measuring amounts. One end measures 1.5 ounces while the other end typically measures what’s called a pony shot at 1 ounce.
Speaking of high-quality, yet affordable small bar tools, you might as well pick up a lime squeezer or mixing spoon to complete your copper bar tool collection.
Before you start mixing your drinks, you’re going to want to ensure your ingredients are ice-cold. Sure, you could store your mixers and liquor in a fridge, but bottles and cans take up a lot of room.
A better idea is to have an ice bucket to chill your ingredients in before guests arrive.
Our copper ice bucket is not only a gorgeous statement piece, it’s also designed to keep drinks ice-cold. In fact, it’s scientifically proven that copper metal has the ability to lower the temperature of liquids and make them far colder than any other vessel could.
We won’t go too far into the science right now, but if you’re interested in learning more, we encourage you to check out this post on copper science.
Last but not least, you and your guests need to have something to consume your cocktails in.
For the ultimate drinking experience, we advise that you ditch the plastic cups or glasses and stock your bar with a mug that’s designed to not only keep your beverages cold, but also to bolden and enhance the flavors of your drink--a Moscow Copper mug.
No other drinking vessel on the planet can compare to drinking from a copper mug.
That’s because no other metal or element has the same chemical composition as copper, which reacts with both acids and bases in your beverage ingredients to bring to life the flavors and aromas of your cocktail.
Essential Liquors
Before you invite your friends over for a night of drinking, you’re going to have to do some shopping to ensure you have essential liquors on hand.
We know it can be a little overwhelming walking into a liquor store with so many options to choose from. So, to lend you a hand, we’re going to let you in on a little secret!
The secret: There are 5 types of liquor that are must-haves for any home bar. Those liquors are gin, vodka, whiskey, tequila, and rum.
Pick up a handle of each of the liquors above, and you’ll be able to mix just about any cocktail your guest desires--that is if you have the right mixers on hand as well.
Mixers
As we just mentioned above, having mixers on hand is an important part of being able to mix up your guests’ favorite cocktails.
Here’s a list of what we recommend having on hand…
- Cola (Most often people use Coke or Sprite.)
- Ginger Beer
- Tonic Water
- Club Soda
- Juice (The type you pick is up to you and your preferences, but we love orange and cranberry juice.)
- Tomato Juice
- Margarita Mix
While these mixers tend to be staples for most home bars, there’s no end to the options you can stock your bar with. Pick the mixers that pair with what you and your guests like to drink.
Tip: Always be sure to check your recipes for additional ingredients that may be necessary. While mixers can often do most of the heavy lifting, drinks like the famous Moscow Mule require additional ingredients, like lime juice.
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
As a general rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to keep some non-alcoholic beverages in stock at your home bar for the friends who can’t or don’t like to drink.
Having a few cans of soda, juice, or the ingredients to make a delicious Shirley Temple on hand will ensure that your guests who aren’t partaking in the drinking festivities will feel included as you all hang out around your bar.
Water bottles are also good to have on hand to keep your guests hydrated. A few sips of water in between cocktails is a great way to also help avoid hangovers!
