To cover all the common cocktail favorites, you’ll need to create a solid collection of light and dark spirits, such as a blanco and a reposado tequila, vodka, gin, a light and a dark rum, an assortment of whiskeys (think a good Scotch whiskey for sipping, a smooth whiskey for mixing and a bourbon) and dry and sweet – sometimes called red – vermouths. You’ll also want to make sure you’ve got aromatic bitters and agave on hand. 

This assortment of spirits will give your bar the range it needs to effortlessly pull off the perfect margarita, mai tai, martini and more. Aiming to really impress? Invest in some ultra-premium spirits that hold their own enough to be sipped neat — and don’t forget to stock some non-alcoholic spirits, too.  

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when it comes to glassware, but, fear not, a handful of glasses can vehicle a big selection of drinks. Start with beautiful sets of highball/Collins glasses, rocks glasses, coupes and wine glasses. Most mixed drinks will be in highball or rocks glasses, and neat pours are almost always sipped from rocks glasses. Coupes are classy, multi-purpose glassware that can be used for mixed cocktails served straight up, and for martinis and Champagne. Wine glasses, of course, are vessels for wine, but are also used to serve drinks like spritzes. Nice to have (but not necessary) additions to add over time include traditional “V” martini glasses, Champagne flutes and copper mugs.  

If you’re looking for inspiration on how to display your new home bar, check out the beautiful bar books below for styling suggestions and inspiration. And once you’ve stocked up, the only thing left is to decide what cocktail to make first!