How to Stock a Bar
How to Stock a Bar
Bar Contents and Techniques
The Basic Bar: Supplies and Methods
There are a few practical rules to follow for stocking your bar as well as mixing drinks. You'll want to be able to satisfy the tastes of your guests swiftly, so that you can enjoy the warmth of good spirits as well. Here you'll find the materials you'll need to keep on hand to take care of everyone's request. And with the mastery of a small number of straightforward techniques carefully explained here, you'll find it easy to quickly concoct any drink calling for mixing, mashing, muddling, or simple stirring.
Equipment
The proper tools make every job easier. For a home or professional bar you'll want to have the following handy:
- Can and bottle openers
- Easy-to-use corkscrew
- Waiter's corkscrew
- Glass stirring rod or long spoon
- Coil rimmed bar strainer
- A jigger measure with 1/2 and 1/4 graduations
- Small, sharp stainless-steel paring knife
- A tall, heavy-duty mixing glass or shaker
- Fruit juice extractor
- Set of measuring spoons
- Large pitcher
- Wooden muddler or the back of a large wooden spoon
- Ice bucket and tongs
An electronic blender is essential for mixing frozen drinks. Since grinding ice is a heavy duty job, most manufacturers recommend using crushed or cracked ice rather than cubes in your blender. Your bar should also have an assortment of straws, cocktail napkins, coasters, and, swizzle sticks
Glassware
The finest glasses should be thin-lipped, transparent, and sound off in high registers when "pinged". Clean, sparkling glasses will show off the good drinks that are to be consumed. A proper glass always enhances a drink. Here are illustrations showing an all-inclusive selection. In practice, however, only a few basic types are required. For example glasses 1, 3, 7, 10, 14, and 16 will answer practically all of your needs. Each drink recipe you'll come across usually includes the proper glass type as well. You may also need a coffee cup, coffee mug, or punch cup for some of the recipes.
- Collins Glasses
- Highball Glasses
- Rocks Glasses
- Shot Glasses
- Beer Mugs
- Beer Pilsner Glasses
- Irish Coffee Mugs
- Hurricane Glasses
- Red Wine Glasses
- White Wine Glasses
- Champagne Flutes
- Pousse Cafe Glass
- Sherry Glass
- Brandy Snifter
- Martini Glasses
- Whiskey Sour Glass
- Cordial Glass
Stocking a Bar
Liquors
If you keep a 750 milliliter bottle of each of the liquors below you'll be able to create just about any combination of drinks.
Liquors, Wines, and Beer
- Bourbon
- Brandy and Cognac
- Gin
- Rum (light and dark)
- Scotch
- Tequila (white and gold)
- Vodka
- Whiskey (blended and Irish)
- Liquers
- Vermouth (sweet and dry)
- Red and White wines (both dry)
- Fruit-flavored Brandies
- Beer (lager, ale, and stout)
- Champagne
Mixers
Mixers are non-alcoholic ingredients such as sodas and juices.
- Mineral Water
- Cola
- Club Soda
- Ginger Ale
- Lemon-Lime Soda
- Tonic Water
- Water
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Fresh Orange Juice
- Grapefruit Juice
- Cranberry Juice
- Pineapple Juice
- Tomato Juice
- Coconut Cream
Condiments
Condiments are ingredients used in small quantities to add flavor or appearance.
- Bitters
- Grenadine
- Powdered Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Coarse Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Tabasco Sauce
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Orgeat Syrup (almond-flavored syrup)
- Horseradish
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Ground Nutmeg
- Light Cream
- Whipping Cream
- Passion Fruit Syrup
- Simple Syrup (see below)
- Milk
Garnishes
Garnishes are ingredients used in small quantities to add appearance.
- Stuffed Olives
- Cocktail Onions
- Lemons
- Limes
- Oranges
- Maraschino
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Celery
- Pineapple
- Bananas
- Cucumber
- Fresh Mint
To Make Simple Syrup or Sugar Syrup
In a saucepan steadily stir in 1 lb. granulated sugar into 13 oz. hot water to make 16 oz. simple syrup. Many different drinks call for sweetening to offset the tartness of some juices used in their recipes. Granulated sugar will not dissolve easily in cold drinks, but this simple syrup is the perfect solution.
About Bitters
A little goes a long way. Made from numerous and intricate combinations of plant products (roots, barks, berries, and herbs) that are each unique in their flavor. They add zest to mixed drinks.
- Angostura Bitters--Made from a Trinidadian secret recipe
- Abbot's Aged Bitters--Made in Baltimore since 1865
- Peychaud's Bitters--From New Orleans
- Orange Bitters--Made from the dried peel of mouth-puckering Seville oranges and sold by several English firms.
Vermouth
Vermouth is a white appetizer wine flavored with as many as 40 different herbs, root, berries, flowers, and seeds. There are nearly as many different vermouth formulas as there are different brand labels. The dry variety (French) is light gold in color and has a delightful nutty flavor. Sweet (Italian) vermouth is red, richer in flavor, and slightly more syrupy. Both are highly perishable and will lose their freshness if left too long in an opened bottle. Refrigerate immediately after opening. Use with care in mixed drinks and be sure to follow the recipe since most people now prefer "drier" cocktails.
Ice
Bar ice must be clean, fresh, and free of any flavor save water. If necessary use bottled spring water. Rule of thumb: For parties you will always need more ice than you have. Always buy or make extra.
Ice always goes in the cocktail glass FIRST. This way the spirits get cooled on the way in without any unnecessary splashing. Ice can be crushed, cracked, shaved, or cubed, depending on what drink you are making.
Highballs, old-fashioneds, and on-the-rocks drinks typically will call for ice cubes. Use cracked or cubed ice for stirring and shaking; crushed or shaved ice for other drinks that will be sipped through a straw such as special tall drinks, frappes.
Both manual and electronic ice crushers are available, you can, however make your own crushed version by putting cubes in a tightly closed plastic bag, wrapping the bag in a towel, and smashing ice with a rolling pin or hammer.
Techniques
How to Chill a Glass
Always chill before you fill. There are three ways to make a cocktail glass cold.
- Put glasses in the refrigerator or freezer a couple hours before use.
- Fill glasses with crushed ice just before use.
- Fill the glasses with cracked ice and stir around before filling.
If refrigerator space is not available for pre-chilling, fill each glass with ice before mixing. When the drink is ready, empty the glass, shake out all the water, then pour in the drink.
How to Frost a Glass
There are two types of "frosted" glass. For "frosted" drinks, glasses should be stored in the refrigerator or buried on shaved ice long enough to give glass a white, frosted, ice-cold look and feel.
For a "sugar-frosted" glass, moisten the rim of a pre-chilled glass with a slice of lemon or lime then dip the rim into powdered sugar.
For Margaritas, rub the rim of the glass with lime, invert glass, and dip in coarse salt.
How to Muddle
Muddling is a simple mashing technique for grinding herbs such as mint smooth in the bottom of a glass. You can purchase a wooden muddler in a bar supply store. It crushes the herbs, much as the back of a spoon might , without scarring your glassware.
To Stir or Not to Stir
Pitchers of cocktails need at least 10 seconds of stirring to mix properly. Carbonated mixers in drinks do much of their own stirring just by naturally bubbling. Two stirs from you will complete the job.
When to Shake
Shake any drink made with juices, sugar, or cream, or use an electric blender. Strain cocktails from shaker or blender to a glass through a coil-rimmed strainer.
Pouring
Pour drinks as soon as you make them or they will wilt. Leftovers should be discarded or they will be too diluted by the time you get around to "seconds". When making a batch of drinks at once, set up the glasses in a row. Pour until each glass is half full, then backtrack until the shaker is empty. That way everyone gets the same amount, thoroughly mixed.
Floating Liqueurs
Creating a rainbow effect in a glass with different colored cordials requires a special pouring technique. Simply pour each liqueur slowly over an inverted teaspoon (round side up) into a glass. Start with the heaviest liqueur first. (Recipes will give proper order) Pour slowly. The round surface of the spoon will spread each liqueur over the one beneath without mixing them. You can accomplish the same trick using a glass rod. Pour slowly down the rod.