Building a Home Bar: The Essential Bottle List

Start with ten bottles and you can make most classic cocktails. For spirits you need a good vodka, a London dry gin, a white rum, a silver tequila, a bourbon or rye whiskey, and optionally a blended Scotch. For modifiers, sweet vermouth and dry vermouth are essential for Manhattans and Martinis. Triple sec or Cointreau is needed for Margaritas and many other recipes. Angostura bitters is the single most important modifier, appearing in dozens of classics. Add Campari if you love Negronis. For tools, you need a Boston shaker, a Hawthorne strainer, a jigger for measuring, a bar spoon, and a citrus press. Fresh lemons and limes are non-negotiable. Skip the expensive liqueurs until you know which cocktails you actually make regularly.