How to Stock your At-Home Bar like a Pro

Hattiesburg, MS

Whether you plan on practicing social distancing for the foreseeable future or you’re prepping for the upcoming holiday season that starts with welcoming trick or treaters and ends when the ball drops on New Years’ Eve, Lincoln Road Package Store wants to share tips on stocking your at-home bar. Follow our advice, and you’ll be set for your adult beverage of choice, all without having to leave the comfort of your own home.

The Main Event

No home bar is complete without the main ingredient – the alcohol. You might have your favorites, but stock a variety of spirits so that you can create intriguing cocktails on a whim. Gin, vodka, rum, tequila, and whiskey are good starts. They can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks, and are used for many different types of famous cocktail recipes.

Don’t Forget the Red, White, and Champagne

Not everyone enjoys cocktails or even spirits, for that matter. Think about your holiday guests or friends that may stop by for a visit. It’s always a great option to have wine and champagne on hand. Vary your selection of wine by having some reds that pair well with dark meat and white that goes with lighter meals like fish. Champagne is, of course, an excellent choice for holiday gatherings.

Simply Sweet

Most cocktails and mixed adult beverages feature a sweetener, be it simple syrup, grenadine, or fruit syrups such as pineapple, peach, apricot, strawberry, or bananas. These items can be kept on hand and have a long shelf life. So, even if you don’t use it up right away, they’ll be good to use for future occasions as well.

Mixers

You’ve got a lot of choices when it comes to mixers. Like syrups, mixers also have a long shelf life. You could stock a few varieties that you would typically use in some of your favorite drinks or stock the most common mixers that include soda water, tonic water, lemonade, cola, and ginger ale. Just remember to refrigerate them the day before you plan on needing it for your cocktails.

Stemware

What good are these ingredients if you have nothing to pour them in? Remember to stock your bar with appropriate glasses and stemware. There are definitely a bunch of different types of glasses, and you may not have enough room or need for most of them.

But, here are some choices you could pick from to add to your collection.

• High-ball glasses
• Martini glasses
• Wine glasses (various sizes and shapes)
• Heavy-based Collins or Rocks glasses
• Champagne flutes
• Shot glasses
• Brandy/Cognac glasses
• Old-fashioned glasses or tumblers
• Margarita glasses

If you’re low on storage space, you may find it helpful to just stick to some wine and champagne glasses, and some heavy-based glasses. Chances are, you probably already have plenty of shot glasses lying around from your college days.

Shakers and Stirrers

Most cocktails mix well when shaken. Be sure you have at least one shaker. While stirrers, toothpicks, bottle pourers, and stoppers, as well as an ice bucket, are nice to have, they aren’t necessary. You probably already have alternatives on hand. So, don’t sweat it if your home bar doesn’t have every item you’d find at a restaurant bar.

A little of this, a little of that

Garnishes are the perfect final touch to almost any cocktail. Olives, chilies, chocolate, and nutmeg typically tend to keep for a long time. Other garnishes like fresh fruit or herbs may need to be picked up the day you plan on using them.

Remember to stop by Lincoln Road Package Store for all of your adult beverage needs. Got a question? Call us at (601) 268-3677 or send an e-mail to jamie@lincolnroadpackagestore.com.

Lincoln Road Package Store is here to serve the adult beverage needs of Hattiesburg, MS.