BAR BASICS
Become a cocktail master with these home bar hacks.
Written by Claire McArthur
Photos by Candice Vivien
For a wedding present more than a year ago, my husband and I were given a gorgeous brass and glass bar cart. I had visions of the old decanters I’d collect to top it and fill with a variety of whiskeys. I imagined the perfect mix of spirits that I’d buy so as to be ready to whip up a Manhattan at a moment’s notice. I’d even get a bottle of amaro (and finally learn what it actually is because apparently that’s the hip thing to drink right now).
But, alas, my beloved bar cart sits in the corner of our dining room with all the fancy new glasses we also acquired for our wedding, gathering dust alongside a few bottles of wine and a half-drunk bottle of Jack Daniels. It’s a sad scene.
Why, you ask? Because I didn’t know where to start. Luckily for me, in stepped an opportunity to get the lowdown on everything to know to have a versatile, well-stocked home bar. With the help of seasoned experts across Reno-Tahoe, you, too, can step up your bar game, whether you’re starting with a blank slate or adding to a growing collection.
Essential elements
The heart of any home bar is a solid selection of liquors — namely vodka, gin, tequila, rum, whiskey, brandy, bourbon, and scotch. With this arsenal of booze, you are well on your way to having the core ingredients for a variety of cocktails.
But that doesn’t mean you need to blow the bank on one big purchase.
“Instead of going out and buying all of this stuff at once, which would be a big expense, throw a bunch of parties and add items to your liquor cabinet over time as you’re making two or three different drink recipes for your guests at each gathering,” advises Brian Nelson, co-owner of The Pioneer Cocktail Club in Tahoe City.
Though Costco is a great option for stocking up when you need to buy in bulk for a large party, Nelson recommends checking out liquor stores whose employees are well-versed in the beverage industry.
“If you’re on the fence about what spirits you should have or what to try, go to a boutique liquor store, such as Zander’s Spirits Etc. in Truckee,” Nelson says. “It has a great selection and knowledgeable staff.”
Craft Wine and Beer in Reno, Incline Spirits & Cigars in Incline Village, Aloha Liquor in Carson City, and Battle Born Wine in Gardnerville also are great options.
Every home bar should have some key tools, including, from left, a shaker, jigger, mixing glass and long-handled bar spoon, strainer, and juicer
Liqueurs and more
It’s easy to go down a rabbit hole with liqueurs and other modifiers, but remember, you don’t need lingonberry or prickly pear liqueur on hand to be able to whip up delicious cocktails at home.
For Craig Kavales, food-and-beverage manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe and organizer of the hotel’s Art of Mixology class, there are a few staples that he can’t mix drinks without: sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, St-Germaine (elderflower liqueur), and Cointreau (orange-flavored triple sec liqueur).
While sweet vermouth is a staple in a Manhattan, and a classic gin martini calls for a slug of dry vermouth, Kavales favors St-Germaine and Cointreau for their versatility and ability to “add flavor and complexity without adding too much liquor, and fruit flavors without all of the sweetness.”
Shake up a sidecar with Cointreau, Cognac, and a squeeze of lemon, or add a splash of St-Germaine to your favorite dry Champagne or sparkling wine.
Bitters, syrups, and mixers
When it comes to bitters, Nelson recommends purchasing the “big three.”
“You’ve got to have Angostura, the most popular; an aromatic bitter, such as orange bitters — Regan’s is a good brand for this — and Peychaud’s,” Nelson says. “From there you can branch out, but those are the three that any stocked bar must have.”
Angostura has a spicy flavor with hints of clove and cinnamon, while Peychaud’s is slightly sweeter with fruity notes. Bitters will add complexity to your cocktails and are essential for classics such as the old fashioned.
To add sweetness to your cocktails, Nelson also suggests having gomme (or gum) syrup on hand. Unlike simple syrup (sugar dissolved in water over heat), gomme syrup contains an emulsifier known as gum arabic, which adds a silky texture to cocktails such as the whiskey sour.
Finally, make sure to have a stock of tonic water, club soda, and ginger beer on hand so it’s easy to mix up simple drinks such as a vodka soda, Moscow mule, or gin and tonic.
Dress up your drink
The experts agree that a few essential garnishes should be nearby at all times: lemons, limes, cherries (Luxardo Maraschino cherries are worth the sticker shock), and olives. But that doesn’t mean you should limit yourself.
“I love to have cucumbers on hand to muddle and add a refreshing element to a drink, like a cucumber martini,” says Tony Allec, bartender at Westside Pour House in Carson City and instructor for Local Bartending School’s Reno branch. “It’s also fun to have different fruit around, such as oranges, strawberries, and watermelon [when in season]. You could add jalapeños for a spiced margarita or even pickled items, such as green beans to put in a bloody mary.”
According to The Ritz’s Kavales, you can make drinks a little “extra” with the addition of edible flowers such as dried lavender. Having mint available — perhaps growing in a pot near your bar — also is essential for crafting many types of tropical drinks.
And for the truly ambitious, take a tip from Nelson and get creative with a food dehydrator, making aesthetically pleasing dried garnishes out of persimmons and pineapple.
Get the gear
You wouldn’t cut your steak with a butter knife, so don’t mix your cocktails with a makeshift shaker. A quality set of tools not only makes it easier to create your cocktails, but it also can serve as a nice accent to your bar.
A shaker, jigger (measuring tool), strainer, and long stirring spoon are essential, according to Allec.
“For me, the biggest thing is a muddler,” Allec adds. “A lot of people don’t have that, and I love to muddle fruit and mix different cocktails with that.”
A paring knife or peeler from your kitchen can be used to add citrus peels for garnishes.
Starting a collection of cocktail glasses is another way to jazz up your home bar and enhance the presentation of your cocktails. Local home goods stores, including The Freckled Frog in Reno and the Welcome Home Shoppe in South Lake Tahoe, have extraordinary glassware, or head to your favorite antique store to scout out a vintage set.
A wide assortment of liquors, including those made locally, is essential to any home bar
Keep it simple
Stocking a home bar and becoming a cocktail whiz won’t happen overnight. Build your collection of spirits gradually, try new recipes to expand your skill set, and, above all, keep it simple.
“There is no wrong way to make a drink; the drink should reflect your personal taste,” Kavales says. “Learn how to make one drink really well, and then branch out to make it your own by adding a unique, signature twist. Always keep the ingredients for classic cocktails … These are crowd pleasers and allow you to appease the masses while you can experiment with more adventurous additions.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Allec: “Cocktails are simple. Just do less with the right kinds of ingredients.”
Claire McArthur is currently en route to a liquor store to begin the process of transforming her sad bar cart into a proper cocktail station, thanks to the sage advice of her interviewees.
RESOURCES
Aloha Liquor
4555 S. Carson St., Carson City
775-882-5544 • Find Aloha Liquor on Facebook.
Battle Born Wine
1448 Hwy. 395, Gardnerville
775-782-7684 • Battlebornwine.com
Craft Wine and Beer
22 Martin St., Reno
775-622-4333 • Craftreno.net
Incline Spirits & Cigars
120 Country Club Drive, Ste. 25, Incline Village
775-831-9292 • Inclinespirits.com
The Freckled Frog
13925 S. Virginia St., Ste. 204, Reno
775-453-1777 • Thefreckledfrogreno.com
The Pioneer Cocktail Club
521 N. Lake Tahoe Blvd., Tahoe City
530-523-0402 • Pcctahoe.com
The Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe
13031 Ritz Carlton Highlands Court, Truckee
530-562-3000 • Ritzcarlton.com
Welcome Home Shoppe
2277 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe
530-600-3133 • Welcomehomeshoppe.com
Westside Pour House
110 W. Telegraph St., Carson City
775-885-1888 • Find Westside Pour House on Facebook.
Zander’s Spirits Etc.
11008 Donner Pass Road, Truckee
530-582-1760 • 530zanders.wixsite.com/zanders
