For cocktail aficionados, making mixed drinks at home can be anexpensive endeavor.
Can You Survive 10 Days of Budgeting?
If you better wrangle your budget, it may be time to consider a savings challenge.
How Much Does It Cost to Stock a Home Bar?
The cost of building a well-stocked home bar varies widely depending on what you already have on hand.
How does that compare to the average cocktail budget in most cities?
This cost rises dramatically during the holidays and for younger people who raise a glass more often than others.
Spirits ranging in the $20 to $35 range are great for home cocktails.
There are two basic approaches to stocking a home bar on a budget.
There are a few different ways you might go about stocking a home bar, Clark advises.
The easiest and most cost-effective way is to stock your home bar with what you enjoy imbibing.
If youre stocking (or restocking) a home bar for a party…
Grab a selection of liquors that cover the bases for a handful of classic cocktails.
These are the home bar tools professional bartenders recommend to mix up cocktails at home.
This shaker is tried and true, and there is a reason why all working bartenders use them.
Hawthorne strainers have tight coils that make the work of filtering easier.
If your shaker already has one built-in, you could skip the Hawthorne strainer.
However, its an excellent long-term investment for your home bar or bar cart.
There is a reason why cocktail recipes have exact measurements, he explains.
If you cant locate a jigger and are desperate, a tablespoon is a half-ounce.
The small pour on a jigger is one ounce, while the tall pour is usually a two-ounce measurement.
The long-handled spoons in bar sets are very handy for mixing and muddling ingredients.
We get it.Everythingis more expensive than it used to be, but your paycheck hasnt kept up.
When money is tight,these resourceswill help nearly everyone.
How much should you spend per bottle for these base spirits?
Thats a modest budget of around $30 to $50 per bottle.
Step 3: Mix in the Essentials
Sipping tequila straight isnt for everyone.
Most bars infuse simple syrup with herbs and other flavors for fun variations on popular cocktails.
Bitters are another must-have that might cost a little upfront but should last a long, long time.
House suggests having the three main bitter varieties on hand: Peychauds, Angostura and orange bitters.
Fortunately, most of what youll float in your drinks is edible, cheap and readily available.
Cinnamon sticks and nutmeg are also popular garnishes for seasonal cocktails.
Remember to keep some salt and sugar on hand for rimming glasses.
House advises branching out into a few basic liqueurs or aperitifs when youre ready.
When stocking a home bar, House advises finding a balance between saving and splurging by purchasing two bottles.
For me, I usually stock two of every core spirit.
When entertaining and making cocktails for your guests, use your call bottles.
If you like your guest, let them sip from your top-shelf stash.
The next time company calls, dont fall back on that reliable bottle of red wine.
You brew coffee at home, you dont walk into Target and you refuse to order avocado toast.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
