Many homes have a designated area called a wet bar for storing and serving alcoholic beverages, but few homeowners are trained mixologists or bartenders. To stock a bar properly, it pays to understand the basics of the professional bartending world, from the storage of beers and wines to the barware needed to mix cocktails or blend frozen drinks. Whenever you stock a bar for entertainment purposes, you need to make sure you have everything from glasses to garnishes.
One consideration when you stock a bar is the storage capacity. Liqueurs and spirits usually rest on shelving units along the back wall of the wet bar. Estimate how many bottles you can display safely on existing shelves, or be prepared to add a few more. Specialty items such as Galliano are often sold in very tall bottles, which can be difficult to accommodate in a private bar. When you stock a bar with limited shelf space, display the most popular liqueurs and cocktail ingredients and leave the rest in a cabinet or under the bar itself.
A home wet bar should have some refrigerated storage space for beers and wines. When you stock a bar with beer, try to include an assortment of domestic and imported varieties. Canned domestic beer may be acceptable for very casual events, but bottled beer is usually preferable for more formal events. Most bottled beer should be kept on ice, but several imported varieties are traditionally served at room temperature.
Wines should be kept chilled in designated wine refrigerators whenever possible. When you stock a bar with wine, provide a selection of red and white table wines for dinner service, along with a few bottles of vintage sherries, Pinot Noir, port wines and dessert wines. Be sure to stock a bar with the proper glasses for each variety of wine - red wines are not served in the same style of wineglass as white wines.
When you stock a bar for a formal party, you will need a complete set of bartending tools and barware. These tools can be found in kitchen supply stores and some department stores. Important barware items include a heavy-duty blender for mixed drinks and frozen cocktails, a martini shaker for martinis and cocktails, a stirrer for blending juices and spirits, a shot glass or jigger for measuring alcohol and a bar knife for preparing garnishes.
Other important items you'll need to stock a bar are napkins, straws, swizzle sticks and a bottle opener. Some barware sets contain a holder for garnishes such as lemons, limes, olives, pearl onions and maraschino cherries. When serving margaritas or certain martinis, you may need to coat the rim of the glass with coarse salt or sugar. Professional bartenders use a circular tray filled with salt or sugar to perform this task.
Every wet bar set-up is different, so you may have to decide how to stock your bar to suit your particular needs. At a bare minimum, you should have a supply of domestic and favorite imported beers, red and white table wines, blended whiskey, several white liquors, mixes for frozen drinks and a recipe book for popular cocktails. You can always stock a bar with more exotic ingredients, such as flavored Schnapps and expensive top shelf liqueurs, as the need arises.
