I need a list for a fully stocked bar (Tiki and the Usual)

I am in the planning stages of my own home bar. I would like to know what my fellow TC
ers think any self-respecting homebartender should keeped stocked?

There would be an emphasis on Tiki style drinks of course, but would need to be accomadating to those with the less-finer tastes.

So, what do you think?

[ Edited by: chase_317 on 2004-04-09 23:13 ]

Fresh limes, Rock Candy Syrup, and as many types of Rum as you can find.

Bharbancourt, Demarara, Demarara 151, Puerto Rican, Jamaican, Barbados, Dark...

My personal suggestion would be plenty o' Myers, Appelton estate, some Orange Curacao, Orgeat, Rock Candy Syrup, Passion Fruit Syrup, and a few fresh limes, lemons, and oranges.

It's a pretty good start to just buy everything you see in the Grog Log and Intoxica. And then more rum.

Buying a good bartending guide is the best place to start. Most of the newer guides will have a list of basic starters and a list to flush out your collection.

One of my favorites is The Bartender's Guide by Peter Bohrmann because it gives good background info on many different types of liquor such as how they are made as well as what the flavor is like.

I also love guides that are fun to read and have great illustrations. I'd recommend Trader Vic's Bartenders Guide from 1947 and the newer Grog Log and Intoxica by Beachbum Berry.

Here's a list of basics:

Bourbon
Brandy
Campari
Cognac
Cointreau
Curacao (blue)
Creme de cacao
Creme de cassis
Creme de menthe
Gin
Rum, light and dark
Scotch
Sherry
Sparkling wine
Tequila
Vermouth (dry and sweet)
Vodka

and mixers:

Cream of coconut
Grenadine
Rose's Lime Juice
Sugar syrup
Fruit juices
Cola
Soda water
Tonic water

and garnishes:

Lemons
Limes
Maraschino cherries
Olives
Onions

You should be flat broke after your done. That's when you really know you have a well stocked bar.

I too will suggest a favorite bar guide...The Pocket Bartender's Guide by Michael Jackson. (Mentally insert you own joke here, but please post it elsewhere. Michael Jackson is the Brittish beer and spirits expert/writer.) According to amazon.com it's out of print, but used copies are out there (Starting at $1.48!). This book has a brief geography of booze, a list and description of barware, a sort of dictionary of spirits (with a red dot by those that should be in a well stocked bar), and a collection of mostly classic cocktails (and he has the green Mai-Tai recipe). Jackson is an informative, funny, and opinionated writer as you cna see in his Scorpion entry:

"One of the new generation of refreshing, long drinks that are perilously alcoholic. They all hint at Californian recklessness, yet several are, despite their youth, already universal 'old' standards. The Scorpion certainly is. Trouble is that they are so potent and fruity that it can be hard to tell them apart after the first one. A bit like Southern Californians, really."

There's a lot more history in this little book than you find in bigger drinks books. It's a great read from cover to cover or just dropping in at random.

I second the list from Tiki-Kate. I recently finished my own home tiki bar. Stocking it is indeed a costly thing. The down side is that tiki drinks by their very nature use a lot of ingredients. My wife and I saved a little money by going to Mexico (we live close enough to drive) and picking up as much cuban & Jamaican rum as we could...oh and some good tequila too. The good news is, the cheapest things like the mixers and syrups are the ones that get used up quicly. We have had 2 tiki parties and are only now on our second Havana Club dark rum bottle. But our Trader Vic's passion fruit syrup & sweet & sour have been replaced twice. Good luck!! I highly recommend the "Chief Lapu Lapu" from the Grog Log...very tastey!!!!!

If you don't want to go flat broke on your first trip to the liquor store, pick out a couple of drinks from the Grog Log that you'd like to make, and go out and buy those ingredients. Then pick another drink, add the ingredients you don't already have, and so on. Eventually, you'll wind up with a pretty well-stocked bar!

One suggestion for starting out is pick some drinks that share a lot of common ingredients. In other words, don't jump right into the drink that contains Creme de Cassis or Pimento Liqueur, or some other thing you will never use again; but something you will use a lot like Jamaican Rum or Orgeat. Be patient and most of all, enjoy yourself!

regarding the rock candy syrup / sugar syrup, you will most likely need to make your own unless you have excellent resources.

click here for the lowdown on the suga down low

a lil vanilla extract makes it yummier. make it one time, and you will be a champ :) j$

I have a lot of stuff here, and I am just looking and thinkng about how much I really use. So, considering I try various Grog Log drinks, I think these are what I have used:

Dark, light and gold rum
Vodka & Gin on occasion
Curacao
Triple Sec
Falernum
bitters
sugar syrup
honey syrup
orgeat
and then juices
I use Nellie's Key Lime juice
OJ
Apricot, Peach, Papaya, Mango nectar
Pineapple juice
Grapefruitjuice
Sweet and Sour
cream

http://www.velvetfalernum.com/ :)

Don't forget your hardware- you're gonna need an accurate measuring glass; I like the ones from the liquor store that are basically a "Pint" glass with incremental ounce markings (AND handy drink recipes) silkscreened on the sides. Of course, a good shaker is a must, as well as the basic glassware (martini glasses, highballs, pilsners, etc.), and all this AND the booze WILL break the bank, and you STILL NEED at least a few examples of classic tiki drinkware, or what's the point? Rome wasn't built in a day my friend.

You could also throw a BYOB party and ask people to all bring an unusual type of liquor, in exchange for all you can eat pupus and great ambience! Then you will get all sorts of odds and ends that you might not otherwise buy, but are fun to have.

Swanky's got a great tiki drink list there. There's a few maybes I'd add to it, but one definite: brandy.

The previous posters have posted plenty, but forgot an important ingrediant, Passion fruit syrup. I like Trader Vic's.

Happy Mixing!

KT

Yes! I can also vouch for Trader Vic's Passion Fruit syrup! I'm already on my second bottle of the stuff!

One handy comment that I think Beachbum Berry made was to go for the cheap little sampler bottles for some of the more esoteric liqueurs, at least initially. Not only do you save some dough since most recipes only call for a tiny bit of the specialty items like Pernod, but also it gives you a chance to see if you actually like that particular liqueur. For example, that's how I learned I don't like Benedictine (tastes like old lady's perfume), so I sure as heck am never gonna buy a full bottle of the stuff. But that's also how I learned that I really like drinks with some Galliano.

-Randy

Buying the "mini's" was a great idea. I just did that last week. However.... I found that I drove to 8 different liquor stores only to find 3 of the more esoteric mini's that I needed (Frangelico, Barenjager, and Pernod). That's a lot of gas wasted, but then again it was also kind of the thrill of the hunt. Now if I can just find some more of the others that I need/want.

-T.J.

It becomes a quest, just like for mugs. While you are out doing your normal stuff, you drop into a liquor store to see what they have. You NEVER know. That's how I discovered a local store has carried St. James Martinique Rum for 8 years running. the only one around. And I found a small bottle of Pernod that was vintage and not a huge expensive one. Add that to you stops along with antique stores and thrift stores. One more thing to collect, but a damned good one!

I found the majority of my glassware at thrift stores, including some nice crystal stuff. Can't miss that tell-tale clear sound. Sure takes the edge off buying it all brand new.

Here's a recipe for Rock Candy Syrup. It will save you a little money.

Sugar Syrup - (also called rock candy syrup or simple syrup):
Heat 3 parts water and 2 part superfine sugar in a saucepan for approximately 5 minutes. Allow to cool before adding to drink

Since its holiday time, its a perfect time to keep an eye out for sales. Pier One is having a 20% sale on all bar glassware. Found some nice ballon style glasses for less than the $2.00 price. A good time to open up that peripheral vision.