As I've mentioned, we love to entertain. A big part of the fun of entertaining for us is going above and beyond what out guests expect. We have so much "stuff" for entertaining, we probably have over a hundred glasses for various wines or cocktails in our small city house. My wife loves to shop for all of the accessories needed for entertaining well (okay, I love to shop too!) and it seems like we're always looking for that perfect accessory for the type of party that we'll be throwing. We can transform our home for a party (or a season) with a few of the right accessories, then match a menu to the decor.
The one place that always needs to be well-stocked is the bar. In my younger days, I would only keep items in my bar that I liked. I've matured and learned that to be a gracious host, I should think of all of my guests. I was once scolded by one of my bosses for not having something in her bar. They had a guest over for a drink and we didn't have what he drank. She said "he was a very wealthy man, we should have everything in our bar that a guest could want." I don't think that wealth has anything to do with it, but I got the point and it has stuck with me.
I am fortunate to have had an expert furniture maker craft a bar for me. It's beautiful, made of walnut and very man-ly. It has a secret door on the side of it that holds my best stuff. It's currently in our living room and I love to look at it. It holds everything that I need to make a few great cocktails and appease most guests with various liquors and mixers. Here's a list of what I think every bar should have:
Whiskey - Your bar should have a bourbon and a rye. I suggest Russell's Reserve Rye, a great all purpose whiskey that is good mixed as well as straight. For bourbon, I'm going to suggest something that some might consider sacrilegious, Hudson Baby Bourbon. It's made in the Hudson Valley in New York, and it is really good. It's a little expensive, but worth it. I would drink it straight.
Vodka - I like Ketel One for an easy to get, good vodka. In the Bay Area we have Hanger One, which is excellent. They make a few flavors (including Buddha's Hand) as well that are very good.
Gin - I like a more citrus-y (as opposed to juniper-y) gin. Locally, we get Bin 209 that is produced in the Napa Valley. It's great in one of our favorite gin drinks.
Rum - I love Zaya Rum. It's dark and delicious. Great in a Dark and Stormy (dark rum and ginger beer garnished with a lime slice).
Tequila - My friend gave me a bottle of Leguas Anejo Tequila a few months ago. It's rich and smoky and will warm you right up. It's 100% agave and 100 times better than Jose Cuervo!
Scotch - I'm not a big scotch drinker, but you should have a bottle in your bar for guests that drink scotch. If you have a good liquor store in your area, ask for a recommendation within your price range.
Accessory Liquors - I like to keep some interesting liquors in the cabinet, both for mixing or drinking on their own. Here are a few of my favorites:
St. Germain - It's an elderflower liqueur that is great in a champagne cocktail or as a secret ingredient in a cocktail. We love it in a drink that has yet to be named, but taste like a pink grapefruit. See recipe below.
Patron Citronage - I always like to have an orange flavored liqueur on hand. They great as an aperitif or used in a margarita. Patron's Citronage is great!
Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur - This is a great cherry flavored liqueur. The story that I heard is that the Luxardo cherry orchard is the only cherry orchard to survive the World War II bombings in Italy. They also produce the only cherries that one should put in their drink, a rich, dark and delicious cherry.
Kubler Absinthe - This is a Swiss absinthe that is one of the best. You can't make the original American
cocktail (Sazerac) without it! It's also fun to pour it over a sugar cube (on a spoon) into a snifter while it's on fire (be careful!).
Frenet-Branca Liqueur - This aromatically bitter liqueur is great as an after dinner drink. San Francisco consumes more Frenet-Branca than anywhere outside of Italy!
Cocktail Accessories
You need a few more items to make your bar truly functional. Here's a good start:
Vermouth - Both dry and red are needed to complete your bar. I like either Noilly Prat or Dolin.
Bitters - You need at least two, Angostura and Peychaud's. There are many more, but with these two, you can make most drinks.
Luxardo Cherries - Not your run-of-the-mill fluorescent pink cherries, these are the real deal. They come from Italy and are the only cherry that are acceptable to adorn and flavor your drink.
Olives - I'm not much of an olive in my drink fan, so choose what you like. I have Pimento Stuffed Olives in my bar, but they've yet to be opened.
Fruit - Keep lemons and limes around your house and you'll always have something to slice and put into a drink!
This is just a basic list. Keep more of what you like in your bar (I currently have 9 different whiskeys in my bar!). Here are a few recipes that will make you a star the next time you have guests over.
Old Cuban
Dash of Angostura bitters
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup (make your own by boiling equal parts sugar and water and cooling to room temp. Can be kept in refrigerator for up to 6 months).
3/4 ounce lime juice (juice of 1/2 a lime)
1 1/2 ounces light rum
8-10 mint leaves
Champagne
In a cocktail shaker with ice, mix all ingredients (minus the champagne) with ice and shake for 20-30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and add 1-2 ounces of champagne to finish. Enjoy!
Rattlesnake
2 ounces rye whiskey
1/2 ounce maple syrup
1/2 ounce lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
1/2 egg white
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and dry shake for 20 seconds. Then add ice and reshake. Strain into a martini glass and enjoy (the drink should be foamy)
The Birthday Suit
1 1/2 ounces Bin 209 Gin
1 1/2 ounces St. Germain Liqueur
3/4 ounce of lime juice (1/2 a lime)
Splash of cranberry juice
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, strain into a martini glass and enjoy. Tastes just like a pink grapefruit!
Drink recipes courtesy Rye on the Road Beverage Catering
www.ryesf.com
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