Make Your Own Bar, Stock It Properly & LEARN HOW TO MAKE GREAT COCKTAILS

MAKE IT.

Sure, you could buy a bar cart from Pier 1, but where’s the glory in that? The best bars, even home bars, have a personality, and building your own will hit that mark.

You simply can snag a vintage bar off Craigslist and refinish it. Or repurpose a pallet, potting bench or bookcase. Or go big and build a bar from scratch that spans half your freaking basement.

Whichever level you choose, plan to fail your way to success.

“Failure is the best teacher,” says Barrelworx owner Gene Barnard, who fashions shelf bars and other furniture out of bourbon barrels, and therefore claims to have the best-smelling workshop in North America. “I can’t even tell you how many projects ended up in my fire pit. It’d be me in my garage at 3 a.m., cussing and hollering, until I got it right.”

A Subaru plant worker looking to make an extra $300 a week, Barnard had a little woodworking experience under his belt when he made his first piece, and relied heavily on “Youtube University” for how-to videos.

“It’s not like I knew how to make a cabinet out of a whiskey barrel when I started,” says Barnard, who’s sold more than 5,000 pieces to date.

STOCK IT PROPERLY.

“When I started in this industry as a wine-and-spirits rep in 2002, the only vodka on liquor store shelves was Smirnoff,” says Jeff Pennington, co-founder of Pennington Distillery in Nashville. “The sheer number of brands from then to now has grown exponentially. But it’s best to start with the basics.”

Vodka

“Vodka is your commodity spirit,” says Pennington. “It’s neutral, flavorless and will please the most people.”

It’s also the most consumed spirit in the United States by far—we collectively drink 700 million liter bottles of vodka every year. Pennington recommends one or two high-end martini vodkas, such as Kettle One, plus a crisp, easy-drinking vodka such as his own Pickers vodka that you can mix with soda, tonic or cranberry juice.

Whiskey

“You could stock two whiskeys, or you could stock 200,” says Pennington.

To start, get an “everyday good drinking” bourbon or Tennessee whiskey. For making Manhattans, old-fashioneds and Sazeracs, Pennington prefers rye whiskey because it “gives you more bright spice and dried fruit flavor components.”

Gin

Gin isn’t as popular as it used to be, but it’s good to have a traditional London dry and a craft gin on hand to satisfy your “grandfather or 22-yearold cousin,” says Pennington.

Tequila

“Tequila is on fire,” says Pennington, who suggests one each of the blanco, reposado and anejo styles. “I love Don Julio, but the hot one right now is

Casamigos. Most people are drinking it on the rocks or with soda.”

Everything Else

Get a decent rum (no silly flavorings), some craft beer, a small selection of red and white wines and an after-dinner liqueur for people who don’t love hard liquor, but like a coffee drink or a little something to sip after a meal.

MAKE A GREAT COCKTAIL.

“If you can make an old-fashioned, a margarita and a martini, that’s enough to please the masses,” says Pennington.

If a friend comes out of left field with a mai tai request, it’s perfectly acceptable to search out an instructional video. But the best way to learn is to take yourself out to a nice cocktail bar, order a few staples and ask the bartenders to share their knowledge. Then come home and try it yourself.

And there’s no shame in flashy garnishes: Keep a jar of almond- or blue cheese-stuffed olives in the fridge, along with cocktail mixers you just have to shake and pour.