Stocking a commercial bar and stocking a home bar are probably going to
be two entirely different things unless you’re willing to spend thousands of
dollars on your home bar. If you are, by all means, follow our list to the letter!
The liquor store will love you! First, we’ll look at the typical commercial bar stock
list.
Don’t forget the equipment you need to mix your drinks.
Stocking a Commercial Bar
You’ll want to make sure you have all necessary liquors, mixers, and
garnishes to make your customers happy. If someone orders a slippery nipple and
you don’t have any butterscotch schnapps, you probably won’t have a return
customer. Although it surely depends on how badly they want that shot!
When it comes to liquors, here is a list of essentials
Gin
Vodka
Rum (Light and Dark)
Whiskey
Bourbon
Scotch
Rye/Canadian
Irish Cream
Wine
White (Dry)
Red (Dry)
Champagne
Vermouth (Dry/Sweet)
Tequila
Brandy/Cognac
Beer
Fruits are important as garnishes, having plenty of the right fruits on hand
can also be important.
Apples
Bananas
Cherries
Lemons
Limes
Oranges
Pineapples
Strawberries
Fruit juices are used as mixers with the liquor to make various drinks.
Plus, having them on hand for your non-drinking customers can be just as
important!
Apple
Cranberry
Grapefruit
Lemon
Lime
Orange
Pineapple
Tomato
Making some of the more “exotic” drinks requires the mixing of liqueurs
along with typical liquors and other additives to achieve the desired taste.
Liqueurs can also be drunk on their own as shots or an after dinner nip.
Amaretto (almond)
Blue Curacao (orange)
Chambord (raspberry)
Cointreau (orange)
Creme de Banana (banana)
Creme de Cacao (chocolate)
Creme de Menthe (mint)
Frangelico (hazelnut)
Galliano (herb)
Godiva (chocolate)
Goldschlager (cinnamon)
Grand Marnier (orange)
Jagermeister (herb)
Kahlua (coffee)
Midori (melon)
Rumple Minze (peppermint)
Sambuca (anise)
Schnapps (various flavors)
Southern Comfort (peach)
Tia Maria (coffee)
Triple Sec (orange)
There are other mixers you must have on hand besides fruit juices. Many
drinks utilize popular soft drinks and other non-conventional ingredients for the
drinks.
Angostura Bitters
Lemonade
Cola
Cream
Eggs
Ginger Ale
Grenadine
Ice Cream
Milk
Orange Bitters
Sour Mix
Sprite/7-Up
Tea/Coffee
Water
Soda
Tonic
Cinnamon
Ice
Maraschino Cherries
Nutmeg
Olives (Black and Green)
Salt/Pepper Sugar
Sugar Syrup
Tabasco Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
Stocking a Home Bar
When stocking your home bar, you need to keep in mind how much
entertaining you do and what types of drinks your friends and family like. Sure,
it might be nice to be able to produce the ingredients for a Flaming Dr. Pepper,
but if you only have one crazy friend who might ask you for that, the cost of the
ingredients might just outweigh the need to have them on hand.
What should the typical home bar have on hand? Well, besides a healthy
supply of beer and wine, here’s a nice list to start with.
Vodka
Gin
Rum
Tequila
Whiskey
Brandy/Cognac
Fruits are important as garnishes, having plenty of the right fruits on hand
can also be important.
Cherries
Lemons
Limes
Fruit juices are used as mixers with the liquor to make various drinks.
Plus, having them on hand for your non-drinking customers can be just as
important!
Apple
Cranberry
Orange
Pineapple
Tomato
Making some of the more “exotic” drinks requires the mixing of liqueurs
along with typical liquors and other additives to achieve the desired taste.
Liqueurs can also be drunk on their own as shots or an after dinner nip.
Amaretto (almond)
Creme de Menthe (mint)
Jagermeister (herb)
Kahlua (coffee)
Schnapps (various flavors)
Triple Sec (orange)
There are other mixers you must have on hand besides fruit juices. Many
drinks utilize popular soft drinks and other non-conventional ingredients for the
drinks.
Cola
Ginger Ale
Grenadine
Sour Mix
Sprite/7-Up
Water
Tonic
Lemon and/or Lime Juice
Finally, you’ll want to have plenty of garnishes around to make your drinks
look appealing and taste yummy.