Here are some must-follow tips to set up your personal bar and enjoy your favourite cocktails at home. By Asmani Subramanian

A well-set bar is one thing every grown-up home should have. It is not just about honing skills to hosting some family and friends over for drinks, but also about taking some time out for yourself and enjoying a drink at home. Well, this applies the most to the times we are living in now. By setting up a bar at home, you wouldn’t be missing your favourite cocktail at your most-visited outlet. The bar can also add an unexpected element of design to your home. But it will definitely be a space that will inspire you to try new things and upgrade your mixology skills.

Where to begin from

Creating a home bar isn’t as intimidating as it may seem. An important step is deciding what you want to stock your bar with. However, there are a few more things to consider before making the jump from a few bottles of spirits and a chilled beer in your refrigerator, to several variety of liquor, mixers and tools on display in your home bar.

If space is a constraint to create a full built-in wet bar, you could always have a portable bar designed that will help you to move the essentials to the area of your gathering. A well-made cocktail trolley is the best fix. Be it a make-shift bar or a cocktail trolley, both are readily available in leading e-commerce portals to add to your cart. If nothing else, transform your already available wooden console table into a bar top table by just adding a simple yet aesthetic serving tray.

Once you have narrowed down on some space for your bar, the next step is to set a budget aside to arrange for all the must-haves including your choice of spirits, bar tools, bitters, glassware, mixers and garnishes — that is where the visual appeal kicks in!

Which spirits to go for

The budget that you decide on will help you set a base for the spirits that will bring your home bar to life. I suggest adding different types of spirits to enjoy on various occasions and settings. It’ll also help you master your skills at cocktail making as you will have a multitude of liquor categories to experiment with. Expert tip: Stock up on distinct flavours that will meet the wider spectrum of your audience.

The absolute must-haves

Scotch Whisky — A variety of some blended scotches, which have a distinct maturation element to them such as the Black Dog Triple Gold Reserve, a classic single malt such as the Singleton of Glendullan and a limited-edition collectable collection such as the Johnnie Walker Black Label Origin Series, are the liquids that add an extraordinary essence to the bar.

Trust me, there is no single way to enjoy whisky. It can be consumed in the manner you want and recent trends suggest that scotch cocktails are a great way for the new generation to venture into knowing whisky. Try to explore whisky cocktails and experiment with flavour notes available. If it’s a social occasion like a brunch with a close group of friends or even a cozy movie night indoors, a Highball will accompany the mood perfectly. Expert tip: One such highball is also Johnnie Ginger — Simple, understated and easy to create at home.

Take a tall glass (highball) and fill it with ice. Add 45 ml of Johnnie Walker Red Label, top with ginger ale and drop in a slice of fresh ginger, orange or cherry to garnish.

Vodka — Another spirit perfect for cocktails. I would recommend having your choice of vodkas in your freezer. Frozen Smirnoff is great to try with any mixer but if you are looking for more complex flavours and wish to try your hand at a Bloody Mary cocktail, Ketel One Vodka will make it a well-rounded drink.

Gin — It is a great accompaniment when it comes to brunching. No one can go wrong with a classic gin cocktail. Tanqueray London Dry Gin will be a best choice to fix up a refreshing gin and tonic.  Take 30 ml Tanqueray, 60 ml tonic, lots of ice in a wine glass with your choice of citrus fruit sliced up to garnish.

Other additional spirits which you can stock up your bar with are Rum and Tequila to serve at your indoor gatherings.

Vermouth — An element added to your bar for you to make a great martini with your choice of vodka.

Bitters — For enjoying your very own Negroni.

Important tip: Once you have set up your home bar, do try your hand at experimenting with mixology but remember to drink responsibly.

Essential bar tools

Few things that you would need to enhance your mixology skills and serve some great cocktails for your friends and family are essential bar tools, glassware, shrubs and syrups.

Cocktail shaker: A cocktail shaker is essential to make sure you blend in all the ingredients of your cocktail. I would recommend that you invest in a three-piece shaker, which has an in-built strainer and helps in serving a drink, especially when you’re short of time. If you are just starting out and don’t have one, a 500 ml recycled bottle with a wide mouth works just as well and can result in preparing three serves at a time.

Jigger or peg measure: As a responsible host, it is always wise to measure every drink. This is especially useful in portioning out your cocktail when you are trying out a new recipe.

Pourers: Use a pourer while pouring your drinks into a glass to avoid spillage.

Cocktail strainers: A Hawthorne or Julep Strainer, that is simple in design, is handy to use for stirred cocktails. For those that are shaken, use a fine strainer (tea strainer) to filter the ice that breaks into ice chips while shaking or to separate fresh fruit and herb sediments that may float in your drink.

Muddler: While using local/seasonal fresh fruits and herbs in your drink, use a muddler to bring out the utmost freshness and juice of the ingredients.

Chopping board and knife: A wooden chopping board and sharp knife is useful while slicing fruit. A small knife and peeler helps to peel citrus fruits for garnishing. A Cosmopolitan is never the same without a fresh orange twist.

Bar spoon: A bar spoon is good to stir your martinis or to muddle the sugar cube in an Old Fashioned. Chopsticks also come in handy for stirring.

Mixing glass or pint glass: Who doesn’t love a well-made, stirred, dry martini or a negroni in a fancy mixing glass? A pint glass or a recycled bottle works just as well.

Citrus press / Mexican elbow juicer: For all those who love their sour cocktails, use the right tools while making a sweet lime soda. A measure of gin makes it a Tom Collins or Gin Fizz.

Juice containers or punch bowl: This helps when you are hosting an intimate gathering for friends and family where you can pre-mix the cocktails and store them in the fridge.

Spill mat and kitchen towels: Very useful in keeping the surface clean as bar tops tend to get wet with spilt liquids pretty often. A mat keeps the moisture in check.

Ice cube tray: Ice is the most important element in a cocktail and big ice cubes help the drink stay chilled for a longer duration. Small paper cups or 100 ml steel tumblers make good alternatives. Expert tip: Don’t add your ice until you’re ready to shake or stir, melted ice makes the drink too weak and unenjoyable.

Glassware: The right glassware gives the best first impression of a great drink. Research reveals that beautiful glassware not only enhances the perception but also has a lasting impact. Here are some recommendations.

• A highball glass is great for tall drinks like whisky highballs, mojitos and vodka with OJ.
• For cocktails like Old Fashioned and straight drinks, a rocks or whisky glass is preferable.
• Some wine glasses for red/white wine or a gin and a tonic.
• A martini or a cocktail glass, which brings in the bond moment is a must-have.
• A beer glass serves as an excellent utility glass through the evening.

Mixers: Stock up on mixers that you enjoy to create simple and easy cocktails. This also works well for your guests who may look for something other than an alcoholic drink. Here are some mixers that one must have.

• Aerated drinks like soda water, tonic, ginger ale, lemonade
• Fresh and chilled fruit juices like orange, cranberry, pineapple, tomato
• Sweet and sour mix like margaritas, whiskey sours
• Equal parts of fresh lime or apple cider vinegar and sugar syrup work well too
• Having a selection of honey, preserves, shrubs and flavoured syrups in your pantry brings in complexity to your drink and never fails to wow your guests
• Spices and herbs help you add some the unique flavours to your drink
• Through local seasonal fruits, you can make a whisky sour right at home, throw in a bit of ginger to add plenty of complexity to the drink
• Using citrus fruits for garnishing are brings a sense of freshness to your drink. It’s always great to have a bundle of kafir lime leaves or mint leaves as a brilliant garnish, uplifting the entire cocktail experience.

Essential bitters: What salt does to food, bitters do to your cocktails. Try stocking up on an Angostura bitter in you bar. If you can’t find one, use your favourite spices, steeped tea or spent coffee in vodka gives your drink its own homemade tincture.

Well, one last tip: Drink and enjoy responsibly!

(The writer is the Brand Ambassador, Diageo India.)