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Stocking a (Student Budget) Bar
Alpine
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'll be drinking age by the end of the first month of school next year, with a new house with me and my roommates. I've made a resolution to myself to not get completely drunk like I did in freshman year, but I'm very keen on keeping a well stocked bar for entertaining personal guests and for having a drink to unwind after a long day.
I want to have the essentials to make a few good drinks, but I don't know where to start. What types do I need to buy? What other mixers? What's the best bartending book I can pick up? Any tools or utensils that are must-haves?
I want to buy good quality stuff, but nothing that will break the bank. I don't plan on finishing any bottles in one night either. Do they generally have to be stored cold? I know that at the liquor store and in the bars, they're just on the shelf, so I assume not?
I want to have the essentials to make a few good drinks, but I don't know where to start. What types do I need to buy? What other mixers? What's the best bartending book I can pick up? Any tools or utensils that are must-haves?
I want to buy good quality stuff, but nothing that will break the bank. I don't plan on finishing any bottles in one night either. Do they generally have to be stored cold? I know that at the liquor store and in the bars, they're just on the shelf, so I assume not?
Alpine on
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Gin, Scotch, Rum, Burbon, Vodka, Tequila -
Those are your fairly basic liquors, most drinks can be made from those.
MIXERS/GARNISHES -
Tonic Water, Dry/Sweet Vermouth, Maraschino Cherries and various Liqueurs, depending on what you intend to mix (edit: also green olives)
Others include things that are usually in your refrigerator; Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Lemons/Limes, Salt, Colas/Sodas/Juices.
Tonic water and vermouth can go a long way, though.
As far as books go, I liked the "Complete Home Bartender's Guide"
HARDWARE-
Any cocktail shaker you feel comfortable with.
A jigger.
At least one shot glass (Some recipes ask for jiggers or shots).
Glasses are really up to you. Really any glass will do for drinks, but a nice set of highballs/wine glasses can really make a drink shine.
A couple tips off the top of my head. If you ever hear someone say "I just can't stand the taste of alcohol" Amaretto Sours, Amaretto/cherry coke or just straight Amaretto will usually shut them up and earn their appreciation. Get a mini-fridge for the bar to keep beer,fruit (like maraschino cherries), and vodka. If you're a skeezy bastard you can always spring for a couple nice bottles of liquor and then refill them with cheap stuff when they run dry.
*Thanks Thanatos!
The bar: are you building an actual bar or just keeping the essentials that go in it? If you're building, a collapsible bar with a key is the way to go. Something small that holds the bottles and hardware and glasses, and has doors that lock.
The equipment: Buy a bartender book just to have in case you need to look up a recipe. A lot of gadget stores sell a little flask PDA looking thing that has all the recipies for like $20, or if you have a PDA you can put them on that, but the book is still cooler in my opinion, because it lets everyone get involved. Get a nice tumbler and strainer, a blender, stirrers, pour spouts that can be capped at the end, some bottle openers, a corkscrew, and the following glasses: wine, champagne, highball, tallboy, pint, and shot. About four of each will do, and Wal-Mart sells them all for a VERY low price.
Booze: First off, don't feel bad getting cheap stuff. Get some 100 pipers scotch, cheap vodka and light and dark rum, jim beam, mixers, sauza tequilla or montezuma, etc. Then get some good mid to high level stuff and keep it in a separate place your friends don't have access to.
Now here's the secret: Put a tip jar or some type of container that matches the bar on the table and either write a "tips" sign on it or a sign that says "all drinks $1" It won't seem like a lot of money, so people will pay it, and you'll make enough off to restock the cheap stuff without going broke. Save the good stuff for close friends.
When you get a little more money invest in a nice decanter and glasses set for scotch or brandy and keep it away from the bar. Save it for cigars with the boys.
Finally, if you throw a party where fifteen or more people might show up, tend your own bar for the night. This way you get to meet everyone there on a personal level, it's a good way to meet girls if you're single, and you can keep an eye on your booze to make sure everyone isn't running of with it and/or your hardware.
Enjoy!
Don't bother with everything else, a dozen people will demolish a staggering amount of spirits.
I'm not gonna lime the whole thing, but maybe I should. These are great suggestions.
I kept my own bar, but it was understood in the household that unless I was serving from the bottles, you provided your own booze. That way, my roommates kept what they liked too. If we were doing a party, I definitely shared my wealth, but all other times, it was everyone for themselves (kinda like labeling your own food in the fridge)
I don't believe it - I'm on my THIRD PS3, and my FIRST XBOX360. What the heck?
It's worthwhile, in my opinion, to start out spending a little less money (even though it's not a great deal) for the 375ml bottles, so you can see what you like and don't like. Gin & Tonic are a great classic drink, but if you don't like gin you're not going to like the drink. And, for example, I personally prefer most of my fruity drinks with tequila, so I have no real use for rum. And stuff like bourbon, scotch, whiskey, and so on are things that usually aren't mixed, so if you don't like them you're going to be stuck with a bottle for a long time (since people who DO like them are typically picky, and not about to down a bottle of your stuff at a party).
I personally think it's worthwhile to only buy mid-shelf or better bottles, at least $15-$20 or up, so that you can actually taste what the booze tastes like. There's a world of difference between a $10 bottle of, well, anything really, and a $20 or $25 bottle. Above that and it's diminishing returns, but that first major jump is well worth it, in my experience. Sure, you can get a big plastic jug of tequila, but it'll smell and taste more like rubbing alcohol than something you want to put in your mouth. And a cheap jug of gin WILL smell & taste like pine-sol, whereas Bombay Sapphire smells fresh & aromatic.
Of course, that means its even more important for you to keep it a little under wraps, because random people at a party will tell the difference between the plastic jug of vodka and the Grey Goose (mostly because Grey Goose is a very smooth vodka).
lot of good points there. Definately buy the smaller bottles at first to see what you're going to go through the most of, then go from there.
I still say buying a bunch of cheap stuff for parties is the way to go, and have a small supply of top shelf for a more reserved crowd. There's plenty of time down the road to be the guy who entertains with the fully stocked high end bar. Right now just be the cool guy with the bar.
also, if you're going to build your own bar on the cheap, here's how I did it.
Make a box frame out of 2x4, and cover the front and sides with plywood, then put shelves in it using L brackets. Make sure you use 2x4 so you can support the booze and stuff. On the bar top use plywood and just cover it with a layer of designer linoleum, like what they have in bathrooms or kitchens. cut about a 1.5 by 1.5 foot square into the left or right side of the countertop and put in a plastic sink, then run a tube down to a five or ten gallon bucket on the bottom where no one will see it. This way you can pour drinks down it and just empty the bucket after the party, and no one will be running to the sink and spilling shit everywhere. Get a 30 gallon trashcan to go beside the bar and some heavy duty industrial trashbags, like what bars have, so guests at a party can just toss their drinks there.
Now your outsides will just look like plywood. You can either paint them or stain them, for a more classic look, or you can tack up bamboo for the tiki look and string up some cheap blue or multicolor christmas lights.
the whole project takes about a weekend and costs under $200. A similar setup with Oak will cost about $700, and a store bought model will run between $1200 and $2000
edit: if you go ahead and do a google CAD sketchup for your measurements and take it with you, a place like lowes or home depot will cut the wood for you so all you have to do is nail it together. Make the job that much easier, it's like buying a desk and putting it together.
Given that you have to throw out the filter afterwards, this isn't a good idea. The $3 difference between bad and decent vodka is less costly than a new filter and takes far less time.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Reading Material:
The Joy of Mixology
http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Mixology-Consummate-Guide-Bartenders/dp/0609608843/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b
It's a pretty fun read, you'll learn how to mix a lot of drinks, how to be a bartender (if you have your own bar, you pretty much assume the role, although it's laid back and different than being a bartender for money), and some good history about the drinks.
Drinkology
www.drinkology.com
This is a bare bones site where you can learn to mix pretty much any drink in existence, it has all the classics in a convenient google-esque layout (probably the best recipe site). I would also suggest www.idrink.com, but it seems like that site has gone all clusterfuck and is filled with too many stupid user-submitted drink recipes.
Stocking the Bar (also some advice on what to buy when specifically throwing a party)
While some people think more types are required, the basic bare bones bar setup only needs "the big 3", rum, vodka, and tequila. You can make a ton of drinks out of these, and I would say that these are the only three things you should buy when throwing a party, but more on that later. You can get Mai-Tai's, Rum and Coke, Screwdrivers, Tequila Sunrises, and a couple other things. Honestly, when it comes to throwing a basic college party, that's all you need to keep the party going, and those are what 90% of the people are going to want aside from beer.
This is important: For your own personal use and for small groups of friends, NEVER buy anything in a plastic bottle. It all tastes like shit and is under $15 a handle. General rule here is that if it's less than $15 a handle, it's going to be awful and not worth ingesting... unless you're throwing a big party and mixing with sodas and fruit juice, then buy lots of the cheap shit because no one will care at a big party.
Quick Tip(s):
-Basically, anything that is about 20-25 for a 750 will be the high end of a student budget, and you can get a lot of good things in that range. Handles of decent stuff will run about 30. If you look in those price ranges, you will generally find something that isn't too expensive, and is on the high end of decent. (This tip can basically let you skip the rest of this section.)
-Also, when you're stocking your bar initially, stay away from flavored alcohol. You can always test that out later, but don't waste money on something you may not like initially.
-Alcohol chilling isn't required, but it does two things: it saves time (that way you don't have to chill it by mixing it on ice every time you want a drink or shot) and it makes it go down smoother. It isn't necessary, but keep those things in mind.
Rum
Tequila
Vodka
Chicks dig flavored Vodka. Some of the flavors suck, but the universal flavor standard seems to be Green Apple flavor, so if you want to have girls at your bar doing shots, that's always a good thing to keep stocked (and probably chilled too.) There are odd flavors of vodka, like Ketel One and a vodka with a lime hint that escapes me right now. I'm a fan of Ketel One, but it has an odd flavor, so don't start your bar with it.
Scotch
Bourbon
Gin
Whiskey
Wines
Mixers
I mentioned "growing a bar" earlier (in what are now the spoilered sections), you should understand that once you build and start a bar, this is the later stage. Start with the essential big 3, and then branch out from there. Add some flavors or other varieties of the big 3, add an extra line of alcohol like bourbon or gin, etc. Start small, figure out what you like and what you want to try next, and pretty much follow that. Like I said in the spoilers, I would say stay away from wine unless you really want some (just remember my warnings), and hold out on the whiskey. Also, early on you should look at things in terms of: How do I make the most with the limited amount I have. Choose mixers that will make a lot of different drinks.
The best progression for building and growing is probably something like this:
START: Rum, Vodka, Tequila, Mixers
ADD 1: Flavored Vodka (for the ladies)
ADD 2: One of the other types of alcohol (gin, bourbon, etc.) AND any kind of extra mixer type alcohol you need to make drinks.
ADD 3: Another type, or a liquer of some sort (Amaretto, Godiva, etc.)
ADD 4: Wherever you want to go from here.
That will give you a good base, and a slow growth adding depth and variety to your stock.
Equipment
I will say that the only things you really need are: Glassware (for yourself), Solo Cups (for parties), Shot Glasses (glass for yourself, plastic for parties), and something to stir, like a straw. People mentioned all kinds of fancy things, like tumblers and whatnot. Honestly, for the bare minimum startup, the only thing you need to have is a glass and a straw or spoon or other tool to mix the drink with. Pour the alcohol into the glass first, then pour the mixer to distribute it throughout, then stir it up to make sure it's mixed. It's not fancy and you won't win any awards, but tumblers and other things are not essential when starting out. I'd say they're a good first extra buy, but if you never have them, you can still mix drinks... on a college budget, you gotta go functional first, then add the fancy slowly. Plus, using the tumbler to serve a party is just too slow, and people will be more unhappy with the extra time to get a drink than they will be impressed by a shiney tumbler.
Wow, that took a long time. That's basically a mind-dump of my own personal experience and knowledge with having a bar in college. Hopefully you'll find it useful, and always remember Hide the good shit at parties! 8-)
DO NOT FISTPOUND
and should probably not be drinking anything...
Alpine, lots of good stuff so far.
Do you have a friend in the military? If so, the liquor store on base (usually called the "class six") is probably one of the cheapest places to stock up. They sell bottles as low as possible, and no taxes.
For example:
750 ml Captain Morgan Private Stock:
Twin Liquors price: $23.00
Class Six price: $14.00
And far as vodka goes, I have three words for ya:
Seagrams Extra Smooth
But often they will, and a few light/mid beers is better than, well pretty much anything with spirits in it.
Edit: I believe you would be doing the responsible thing as a host by having the option there. Sure people, especially collage age people, shouldn't be consuming anything before the get behind the wheel, but that isn't always the case. It would be far better that they have a light beer to sip on, rather than whatever cocktail/mixers are going around. Sure they could just mix something weaker, but then the flavor is weakened too, and the sensation of "Hey, I'm enjoying a drink or 2 as well" is lessened.
It's pretty cheap and neat. It says it has 2800+ drinks in it, but that's because it is 90% strange (and sometimes disgusting) shots that most people would never drink. But, you did say you were in college, and that's where most of these interestingly named, but undrinkable shots come from, so they'll probably work well for you
As far as bar stuff goes, I didn't see it mentioned, but buy a cheap bottle of triple sec. That's a very common addition to a lot of drinks.
Everyone else has had a lot of good suggestions for liquor to buy. For mixers, I keep orange juice, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, tonic water, club soda, cola, and sprite on hand. I like to buy the small cans of soda and the individual bottles of everything else. That way, if you're drinking by yourself, you don't end up wasting half a bottle of something because it goes bad before you want another drink that requires it.
Also, don't forget sour mix. I don't buy the pre-made stuff. I just buy a bottle of lemon juice and make some simple syrup which I keep in the fridge. Simple syrup is just equal parts water and sugar. You have to heat it to get the sugar to dissolve. Then just keep that in the fridge in a bottle and mix it half and half syrup and lemon juice to make sour mix.
Besides all that, do get a lock for your liquor, or you'll be surprised at how fast it "evaporates".
You can drink without going over the legal limit.
I know, I've done that...but I figured that if they're a responsible driver, they'll know just how much of whatever they're drinking is okay (given the time they have before they have to drive)...it just seemed to me that having beer specifically for DD's seemed kind of silly. I can understand the reasoning behind it, it's just that as far as I'm concerned, a responsible DD should be able to regulate themselves and drink whatever they want (within reason) as long as they are positive it will (and does) wear off before they have to hit the road. And I'm not so sure that the type of DD's that absolutely have to have a drink are going to be the ones that go straight for the light beer. Just my opinion, though.
Unless you're a really big (read: fat) person, it's not worth the chance. The legal limits are low enough now that for some people anything more than one drink will put them over the limit.
Thats reasonable. Saying, ok this is the DD drink, is kind of retarded.
Unless its that 0.5 beer.
And saying it's not worth the chance is completely up to the person in question. Most people know their limit. Anyways, this isn't really the point of the thread, so I'm not going to get into it furthur.
I'd understand that the filter would be worthless for filtering water, but it wouldn't last for at least a few uses?
I mean, the filters only cost $3-$5 depending on how many you get, so if it's able to last for a few uses, and especially if the closest store is a grocer that can't sell real booze...
Also, here in aust, the rule of thumb for staying under the legal limit (.05), if you are an average male: 2 standard drinks in the first hour, 1 per hour after that.
Light beer doesn't really mean less alcohol. If I'm planning to drive I'll drink beer because a beer lasts longer than a shot, so it's easier to stretch each beer out long enough that I never end up impaired, and still switch to water halfway through the night. I would say more important than the beer being "light" is for the beer to be "good", ergo easier to savor at a slow pace and in small volumes. And good beer is not for getting drunk, because once you start to actually get drunk you won't care if you're drinking good beer anymore so long as it's not O'Douls or some shit. I generally end up not having more than two beers if I'm driving, unless we start stretching into times greater than four hours. Do not drive drunk, ever.