BUILDING YOUR HOME BAR

BY DAN STERN

Bartenders definitely tend to have the best home bars! And why shouldn’t we, we have a front row seat to discovering every interesting spirit category and brand, not to mention barware, bitters, and equipment. But for those who aren’t bartenders, or new to the hospitality community, I always tell people that the first step when building your home bar is to start with what you love. Maybe the first bottle you purchase is the spirit that’s in the cocktail at your favorite spot, created by a friend behind the bar.

I also always suggest to new bartenders to buy a few cocktail books or look up your favorite cocktails online. I started with a Dale DeGroff cocktail book that a friend lent me. Dale is like the godfather of modern mixology to me as a fellow New York actor turned bartender. For my home bar, I like to be able to make all my favorite classics like a Vesper Martini, Hemingway

Daiquiri, Vieuix Carre, Paloma, and Caipirinhas. The bottles I have accumulated at my bar reflect those cocktails, so you will rarely find my home without Benedictine, all the Vermouths,

Lillet Blanc, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, Chartreuse, and some Amaro to round things out. Of course, I also have my favorite vodka, gin (Plymouth), differently aged rums, tequilas (Siete Leguas), mezcals (Illegal or Del Maguey), bourbon, rye and Scotch whiskeys. I would suggest having one of each of those spirits to start, to enjoy all types of cocktails at home.

It has taken me years to collect, fueled by curiosity and jobs perks, so take your time and enjoy it.

Cocktails are a great way to branch out to spirits you may think you’d never like. For instance, I have found that many classic gin cocktails not only go great when vodka is substituted (found a lot in the late 1980s-2000s) but also work using mezcal!

I like to say to some of my customers, this is a cocktail that has the “same vibe, different taste.” There is something about the natural botanicals of the gin and the earthy, smokey tones of mezcal that play delightfully using the same ingredients. A great example of this is the Mezcal Negroni, replacing the gin with mezcal to go with the Sweet Vermouth and Campari.

Personally, the most fun aspect of spirits and cocktails is that it is like a bridge between science and art. They say baking is science and cooking is art. Cocktail making, or mixology, is right smack in the middle. Cocktails are like a balance equation of flavor, sweet to sour, savory to tart, alcohol forward to dilution, that’s the science part.

A simpler way to express your personality and style onto your home bar is through your equipment. As all bartenders know, tools are a very important part of making cocktails and there

IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT EVEN FURTHER, MAY I SUGGEST THIS VARIATION: James Banderas

11/4 oz. Mezcal ¾ oz. Reposado Tequila ¾ oz. Montenegro Amaro 1 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters 1 dash Orange Bitters 1 dash Peychaud’s Bitters Stir all ingredients with Ice, pour into a chilled coupe, garnish with a grapefruit twist.

I ALSO LIKE DOING A MEZCAL VARIATION ON AN EASTSIDE (GIN, LIME, CUCUMBER, MINT, SUGAR): Strawberryside

2 oz. mezcal 1 oz. lime juice ¾ oz. agave syrup 1 sprigs of fresh mint 2 strawberries (sliced in half, 1 to muddle, 1 to garnish) Lightly muddle the mint and strawberries, add juice syrup then mezcal, shake vigorously with ice, double strain with a tea strainer over ice. Add soda or sparkling white wine if desired. Garnish with a strawberry or a grapefruit twist and enjoy!

are a few I would recommend having at The glassware of your home bar can your home bar. Personally, I think the also be influenced by your favorite cockmost important bar tool any bartender tail or however you like your spirit. Be it could have is the Jigger, a measuring tool on the “rocks” in a lowball or rocks glass, that fits between 2 fingers and can mea- with soda in a highball glass, or chilled sure ½, ¾, 1 and 2 oz. pours. I have tried without ice in a martini or coupe. The just about every type and style out there point being that your glassware changes and I particularly like the Wadasuke Nick and Nora Glass the experience and the type of cocktail Stainless Steel Jigger 2 oz./1 oz. It has that you are enjoying at home. Personally, graduated lines to measure less than full I truly love a Nick & Nora style glass, the and is the most durable I have ever worked with. Most cock- elegance, the stem, the frost that can accumulate, it all feels tails won’t call for more than 2 oz. in a single serving. Having just right to me. Not to mention that the reason for a stem on a an accurate measure of your ingredients is essential to making glass is so that your natural body temperature coming off your balanced cocktails and will give you a better sense of how fla- fingers won’t affect how cold the liquid is inside the glass. I vors interact with one another so you can customize the cock- would suggest buying glassware based on your favorite styles tail to how you want it. of cocktails, 4 of each of those and then 2 of each of the other

Next is the shaker/strainer. Maybe you like a 3-piece shaker styles mentioned in case a guest would like a specific cocktail! for your Stanley Tucci inspired shaken Negroni, so you don’t Finally, an often-overlooked aspect of your home bar is ice. need an extra piece to strain into your glass. I personally like a You would think that all ice is the same, but I have learned that 2-piece Boston Shaker along with Hawthorne Strainer and different sized ice can revolutionize your drinking experience, Tea strainer because having both guarantees that you won’t and not just for cocktails, but in all drinks! I suggest indulging have those little shards of ice or anything you muddled end up your home bar with special ice molds. 1” x 1” ice cubes are the in your drink. If you are looking to make a cocktail with citrus, standard at most cocktail bars and if you enjoy your spirit or you will want to shake it so you can have a cold, frothy, refresh- cocktail on the “rocks” I highly recommend getting the larger ing cocktail. A Julip strainer is also a great option for stirred 2” x 2” ice cube molds or even the sphere molds. drinks, and that brings us to our next and final set of tools, the When sipping on a night cap or a neat pour of your favorbar spoon and mixing/pint glass. ite scotch or tequila, a big ice cube (2x2) is great because it

Stirred cocktails are usually alcohol forward and don’t in- won’t melt as quickly as smaller cubes. Same goes for shaking clude any citrus so no need to aerate your cocktail. To get a a cocktail, using a large ice cube over smaller ones as well as smooth dilution rate for your stirred drinks you will need a how many you have in your shaker will affect how frothy your bar spoon and either a pint or mixing glass. The comfort of cocktail will be once poured out. your stirring spoon between your fingers is very important, a Of course, “regular ice” from your freezer will work for sharsmooth stir will develop from comfort. A pint glass is a classic ing drinks and highballs but I would suggest adding a few tool to stir in and fits perfectly with a Julip strainer but there molds to your home bar as well. are so many beautiful Cocktail Mixing Glasses being made I will leave you with one last piece of home bar building adthat you might want to consider splurging on one if you like vice, indulge in your curiosity. Alcohol has been around a lot stirred cocktails. I love using a Weck Jar because you can fit 3 longer than any of us, many trails have been forged on your or 4 cocktails in 1 stir. There are so many great options for each behalf. Along the way have fun, stay hydrated and do what of these tools so happy diving! makes you happy. And of course, as always, make sure to drink

A Juicer is also great to have, or you can get by like me with a responsibly. blender and some cheese cloth to “press” your own juice. This is not only great for cocktails but also fresh juices in the morning. Just make sure you have the containers and refrigerator space for all your juices. Much like in the film Meet the Parents, “if you can make it liquid, you can make a cocktail out of it!” Fresh ingredients are always best, and you can even use what’s left over to minimize waste. So, if I juice some ginger root, I’ll take what is discarded from the juice, spread it on a baking sheet to dry then blend with salt to make a ginger flavored salt rim on my next margarita. Dan Stern has been working in the bar/restaurant industry since 2003 when he started as a barback. Dan has bartended across New York City, at places such as The Wayland, Mister Paradise, and BANDITS in the West Village. You can also find Dan (aka Destiny) on Instagram @aBartenderNamedDestiny.