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Home bar: 5 must have spirits to stock any home bar

By Cristine Struble

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Few homes can have a home bar with every type of spirit. Still, stocking the home bar with these five spirits is ideal.

Creating a well-stocked holiday home bar can be an overwhelming task. While some people would love to have a wall filled with every liquor and spirit, like a professional bar, the home bar isn’t quite as vast. Still, the home bar should have a diverse choice of liquors and spirits.

To have a well-stocked home, the depth of one type of liquor isn’t the vital; rather the variety of liquor types is. Sure, you might love bourbon, but what if you have a friend who only drinks vodka or tequila. Of course, you can have 20 types of bourbon behind the bar. But, for the well-rounded home bar, make sure that you have a bottle of other types of spirits too.

Home bar essentials, photo by Cristine Struble

A good vodka, tequila or even scotch can make the home bar the quintessential bar that everyone will talk about. These are FoodSided’s suggestions for libations to keep that home bar well stocked for any drop-in guest or impromptu gathering.

Vodka

Vodkas can come from all different regions. From Russia to Iceland, the nuanced differences from each vodka is an acquired taste. While some people enjoy a simple vodka to sip, this spirit is delightful in cocktails. From the old school martini to a more sophisticated, craft cocktail, vodka has great versatility.

A great, wide appealing vodka is American Harvest. The organic vodka is a flavorful vodka that is quite smooth. Whether used with a simple tonic or with a balanced, craft cocktail, American Harvest is a great choice to have in the home bar.

Tequila

Tequila can be a divisive liquor. Some people instantly cringe thinking back to that frightful college night. For the more mature tequila drinker, the Hornitos Black Barrel Tequila is a more complex tequila. This tequila has more whisky-like characteristics with its triple aging. Maybe it is time to rediscover the agave libation.

Home bar essentials, photo by Cristine Struble

Bourbon

Bourbon has become hugely popular. While only a few people can afford the elusive Pappy, many bourbons are quite tasty and available. For a widely appealable bourbon, Maker’s Mark is a perfect choice. The classic, wax dipped red bottle is delightful straight, on the rocks or in a cocktail.

For a more unusual choice, the Trails End Bourbon is a must try. This bourbon has oaky notes. One sip and people will be discussing that depth of flavor.

Scotch

For many people, scotch is either a love it or hate it reaction. The peaty undertones drive this particular style of liquor. Some people think that scotch appreciation comes with age. Also, it could be the type of scotch that causes a visceral reaction.

Still, a good scotch, like Glenfiddich is a must on any home bar. The classic scotch has all the bold flavors that true scotch drinkers love why appealing to that person who’s willing to rediscover the taste of the highlands.

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    • Liqueur

    Sometimes a liqueur can be the perfect end to a meal or evening. It can be hard to limit the home bar to just a single liqueur, but this choice get the job done. A crème liqueur, like Amarula, is a great choice.

    The South African liqueur, Amarula, is made from the amarula fruit. The flavor isn’t overly sweet. It can be enjoyed on the rocks, mixed into a cocktail or even poured over ice cream. Also, a portion of each sale helps to save African elephants (African elephants love amarula fruit).

    Bonus home bar addition: Cognac

    While not technically a liqueur, a good cognac can be a wonderful after dinner drink. A slow sip can be the sophisticated way to end an evening. Camus VSOP cognac is the ultimate sip. Another option is to add the cognac into a cocktail. From a celebratory punch to a dessert cocktail, cognac is another spirit to add to the home bar.

    From bourbon to tequila and everything in between, the perfect home bar is about variety and balance. These two characteristics can help give any of your guests a delicious libation no matter what they like. Cheers!

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