That's two insults now. Jack Daniels DOES NOT MAKE BOURBON! Just a little offense taken from a Kentuckian!
Here is what I have as staples to a home bar:
Vodka (1 liter)--Fris (this is cheaper and much better than Absolut)
Vodka (1 fifth)--Grey Goose or Chopin--this is only used for Martinis
Bourbon (1 liter)--Old Forrester--very good cheap bourbon
Bourbon (1 fifth)--Maker's Mark--for me when I come over
Bourbon (1 fifth)--Booker's--only for special occasions
Gin (1 liter)--Seagram's
Gin (1 fifth)--Bombay Sapphire--only for Martinis
Rum (1 fifth)--Bacardi will suffice--this is not necessary because Rum is not that popular right now. You could actually substitute Captain Morgan's here and probably please more people.
Tequila (1 fifth)--Hornita's is great but not expensive
Scotch (1 fifth)--Glenmorangie
Wine: This is my specialty. You need to have two 750 ml bottles of red and white each. If you want to go cheap, either go with Yellow Tail or Rosemount. Yellow Tail is better but slightly harder to find. Yellow Tail ranges from the $5.50-$8.50 per bottle, and you will not get many complaints. If you want suggestions on higher priced wines, let me know how much you want to spend.
Beer: Keep at least 24 of three different ordinary beers--Bud Lt., Bud, Amstel Lt., Labatt--and maybe have a couple of exotic 6 packs.
Mixers: Only get the six packs of small bottles. The large bottles will usually go bad before you are able to use them unless you entertain often. You must have Tonic Water, Soda Water, a base cola, a base lemon-lime drink, a diet cola, and Orange Juice.
The second tier of mixers: Ginger-Ale (can be substituted by mixing cola and lemon-lime--not quite the same but close), Grapefruit Juice, Cranberry Juice, and Pineapple Juice.
Licquers: If you are entertaining late, some folks may want a coffee drink. You can knock this section out by having Kahlua and Bailey's. This will please 99% of your guests. My personal favorite is Frangelica, though.
Fruit: Must have Lemons and Limes.
Accessories: You CAN NOT make a decent Martini without a shaker. Anything that is not shaken is just stirred vodka. Ice bucket--there is nothing worse than running out of ice at a party. You can fill a nice ice bucket up before guests arrive and it last all night long. Advanced purchase: a small dorm fridge to store your beer, fruit, and juices.
Now, here is how you do this within a budget. Eliminate all of the fifths that I mentioned in your initial buying round. These will be advanced purchases later. Also, just start out with the basics or bourbon, vodka, and gin. Scotch is LOVED by many but LIKED by very few. Saying if you are not a scotch drinker, then you will not like scotch. So scotch, also, can be an add-on later.
Make sure you always have your basics and add a bottle every other week or once a month (according to how well you can stay away from your party stash). I really enjoy entertaining guests, so I try to keep as many people please as possible. My list has been gauged by the types of requests that I have received in the past--also add to it that I managed a bar for two years.
Most important, if you know what your friends (you included) like, then stock the hell out of it. If nobody drinks Gin, then don't buy any.
Have fun!:toast: :drinky:
