The Foundation of Your Scotch Collection

How to stock a bar in three easy bottles

Too often when stocking a home bar, we start by accumulating different types of alcohol: a bottle of whisky here, a bottle of gin there, some vermouth or an aperitif if we’re feeling fancy. But something’s missing in that approach. In distilling each category down to a single bottle, what is lost is nuance. And drinking — at least gentlemanly drinking — is nothing if not nuanced. There are as many tastes and flavour profiles in Scotch, for example, as there are bogs in Scotland. Instead, each spirit should be represented in multiple forms and variations, as much as possible. Find a taste you like and explore its variations: something lighter, something heavier, something just for yourself or something only for special occasions. The three bottles on the next page are an excellent place to start.