With COVID-19 numbers ticking back up, maybe you’re erring on the side of caution and staying in most evenings again. But that doesn’t mean you can’t relax and enjoy an expertly crafted cocktail. All you need is a little bit of industry advice.
To help you make some amazing drinks in the comfort of your own home, we spoke to Nick Farrell, spirits director for Neighborhood Restaurant Group (the collective behind local favorites like Evening Star Café and B-Side) on how to create the ultimate home bar for entertaining.
Finding Your Vibe
When designing your home bar, consider what kind of atmosphere you want to project, then start with one fundamental element. Select a statement piece of furniture or a section of a room where you want to create your bar. Whether you opt for a wooden, mid-century piece or something with more of an industrial feel, it will help define the personality of the space.
Once you have the actual bar figured out, the fun part begins—decorating.
There are enough options out there to match even your bar tools to the feel you’re looking for. Wander into any local home store, and you’re bound to find endless options to up your game and create the perfect bar for your tastes. Add a fun little sign or a shaking tin that goes along with your aesthetic.
And don’t forget to choose your ice cube molds carefully! It brings your drinks much closer to bar standard.
“You feel fancier when you drink whiskey on a big ice cube or a Manhattan on a large rock. But beyond aesthetics, the larger the ice cube, the longer it takes to melt,” says Farrell. “And that means the longer your drink is at the right temperature to enjoy it at its best.”
Stocking for Success
Many people tend to go into stocking their home bars without considering how many different things they can make with what they’re purchasing, says Farrell. People are apt to buy several similar bottles of whiskey, or maybe that one bottle of something special, rather than something that can work in a lot of different drinks.
Instead, think carefully about mixers that can take a standard spirit to the next level in a cocktail.
“To me, the most important thing to have for a good home bar is a nice bottle of vermouth,” notes Farrell.
Vermouth is a red or white fortified wine flavored with aromatic herbs and used in a variety of different cocktails. The red is known as sweet vermouth, while the white is called dry vermouth.
“That is the backbone, yet also the least thought-about ingredient for a good Manhattan or martini,” says Farrell. “It’s stellar. It’s why you go to a bar for a drink.”
And be sure to keep it in the refrigerator after opening, advises Farrell. “That’s an important tip to remember for making good, strong drinks at home.”
Impressing Your Guests
If you want to wow your patrons with your good taste, having a fancy bottle of mezcal works incredibly well, says Farrell. While once seen as a lesser offshoot of tequila, little more than a novelty drink, mezcal has caught up to its popular cousin within craft circles as a go-to spirit.
“There’s a lot of variety that you can choose from, and having a bottle of a hard-to-get mezcal can often be very impressive,” Farrell says.
Espadin is the most common, and would be very classic, notes Farrell. But if you want to explore a little further, go for tobala mezcal.
“Tobala takes a very long time to mature. It’s a bit more rare and that will create a different expression,” Farrell says.
One thing is certain–whether you choose to serve your mezcal in a glass to be sipped, or float it in a margarita for a smoky touch, there are a number of ways you can use it to impress your guests.
Nailing the After-Dinner Drink
As summer begins to fade into autumn and the temperature starts to drop, coffee becomes a big hit for when you have company over.
There are a lot of spirits that play well with coffee.
You can’t go wrong with most whiskeys, Farrell notes. And since coffee has a strong flavor to begin with, you don’t need to go crazy with add-ins.
“If you have a shaking tin, one of the best things to do is make whipped cream to make an Irish coffee,” says Farrell.
To make one, you’ll need Irish whiskey, coffee, and then a touch of brown sugar mixed with cream to serve on top.
Looking for something even easier?
Simply pick up a bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream or Kahlua to have on hand when serving coffee for your guests. (Tip: Baileys goes really well in a nice cup of hot chocolate as well.)
Staying in Season
Finally, heading toward the holidays, it may be fun to keep some things on hand to serve for the season.
“There are a number of hot drinks that are wonderful for the holidays,” says Farrell. To start: Pick up some apple brandy.
“There’s some great local brandies that work really well [with] bourbon or a rye in a cocktail to make something interesting,” says Farrell.
Apple brandy can be used in place of bourbon in pretty much any drink to add some nice fall flair to whatever you’re sipping on.
And don’t forget the eggnog when we get close to Winter. That, says Farrell, is always a must-have.
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