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Discover, Sip, Repeat: Your Adventure Begins Here
The home bar, arguably the most exciting place in the house. This is the place where we pull up our bar stool, mix a delicious cocktail and chew the fat over some tasty nibbles.
But what are the essentials when stocking a bar? Well read on, as this week’s blog is here to help you find a range of spirits and liqueurs that will have you developing the best bar in the neighbourhood.
The cornerstone of any bar, so building the correct selection is important. They are the base for the majority of drinks and can help you mix up a great selection of cocktails.
Currently vodka is often overshadowed by the ever growing popularity of gin. But in reality it is too vital to a home bar to be missed out. A good vodka lends itself to many well known drinks and cocktails.
Stocking a good traditional vodka such as RK Vodka lends itself to a variety of cocktails. This high quality spirit has a purity that works well in vodka martinis as well as the intensity of flavours to stand up to a Bloody Mary.
Rum comes in a variety of styles and if you are a fan, furnishing the home bar with at least two is a good idea. We suggest starting with a good white rum such as Dead Man’s Fingers White Rum. From this you can make a selection of easy cocktails like a Cuba Libre, Mojito and the classic Daiquiri.
You could also look at introducing aged, spiced or flavoured rum such as Salford Spiced Rum or the Bush Rum Co. Mango. These styles are great at adding a different dimension to your drinks levelling up your cocktail game.
Gin really doesn't need an introduction; its popularity is constantly on the rise and people love it! It is therefore an essential tipple to have on the home bar. I would recommend that you should always have a good London Dry Gin on offer, Hemming’s Gin would leave you in good stead.
Your guests may often want a fruitier and easy drinking style of gin and you can’t really go wrong with our own gin! Our Luxury Pink Gin is made in collaboration with the team from RK as mentioned earlier. It is full of juniper notes balanced beautifully with rose petals and raspberries. It works well in cocktails and will please many palates.
Yours truly is a big whisky fan and I always like to have a range of different styles, from a heavily peated Islay to easy drinking blended malts. When it comes to cocktails you should really turn towards the vanilla filled flavours of a bourbon.
A bourbon like Knob Creek 9 Year Old is perfect for sipping straight or over ice but is also excellent in cocktails. Think of those classic Old Fashioneds and Manhattans you could be sipping and serving to your guests!
Of all the spirits we sell tequila seems to get a bad rep, people often say that they have had a ‘bad experience’ after drinking it. Don’t think of it as just a ‘shot’, it is a spirit that needs exploring and enjoying.
It also can be used to make one of the best cocktails; yes the Margarita! When made in correlation with Vivir Tequila Blanco you will be getting a queue waiting to try it!
These vital ingredients are often integral to the home bar, but be careful as there is the opportunity to go overboard with the variety you need. I recommend starting out with two different liqueurs; an orange and a coffee liqueur.
An orange liqueur like the one by The Sweet Potato Spirit Co. works perfectly in cocktails like the aforementioned Margarita or classics like the Cosmopolitan. The Sweet Potato Spirit Co. also produces an Espresso Rum Liqueur. This liqueur makes outstanding Espresso Martinis and White Russians.
Of course you will need the other elements such as a cocktail shaker, bar spoons and strainers. But also stock up on lemons and limes and the vital ingredient, ice.
A great way for the experimental amongst you is to subscribe to our Drinks Circle subscription. Each month you will receive a mystery spirit that we have hand-picked, it could be a zesty gin or perhaps a rich and full-bodied Scotch whisky. It is the perfect way to discover new tipples as well as building your home bar.
Need any more advice? Just drop us a message atinfo@splitsdrinks.co.uk or on our social media platforms. We always have samples open in store at The Courtyard too if you want to try before you buy.
