Stocking your bar is a matter of taste
Harvard Bartending Course instructor Karl McElligott has taught hundreds of would-be bartenders the art of mixing drinks. At home, McElligott, who until recently was the senior restaurant manager at the Boston Marriott Newton, is more likely to open a bottle of wine than mix a martini. But he does keep a few bottles of liquor on hand, including Grey Goose, Absolut, and Smirnoff vodkas.
Vodka is good for mixing because its flavor and smell do not overpower other ingredients, he says. But the key to stocking a home bar, whether it's a liquor cabinet or a kitchen counter, is determining what you like to drink and how creative you want to get. "The rule is you do what you want, especially at home," says McElligott, who recently began a new job at a Marriott in Arizona.
For starters, McElligott recommends a few basic tools. He suggests having three types of glasses on hand: a lowball or "rocks" glass for drinks with one or two ingredients, a highball glass for drinks with three ingredients, and a cocktail or martini glass for more elaborate drinks. Stores like Crate and Barrel or Bed, Bath and Beyond are good bets for affordable glassware -- Crate and Barrel, for instance, offers some styles for under $1.
A shaker is both useful and "looks cool," McElligott says. Most shakers have built-in strainers, but if you prefer to mix drinks in a glass, buy a separate strainer that fits over the glass. He also recommends a jigger or shot glass to measure alcohol for mixed drinks, largely to be a responsible bartender -- it's wise to monitor how much guests are drinking.
McElligott notes that drinks are "like fashion -- they come and go." These days, mixed drinks with muddled fruit or mint are showing up on more cocktail menus. To make muddled drinks, he recommends a mortar and pestle for crushing ingredients.
More expensive liquors such as Grey Goose vodka and Patron tequila also have surged in popularity, according to the Adams Beverage Group, a Connecticut-based research firm. But familiar products such as Bacardi, Smirnoff, and Jack Daniel's are still among the nation's top sellers.
McElligott also keeps Bacardi rum and tequila at home, but usually doesn't drink them during the colder months. "The drinks tend to get a little heartier in the winter," he says.
The Newton Marriott recently introduced an espresso drink with Drambuie and Kahlua, which makes for a good cold weather drink, and McElligott also recommends keeping something such as Bailey's on hand for the winter.
In his native Ireland, McElligott says, people are likely to go to a pub for a drink. But in the United States, entertainment is often based in the home, whether it's a summer barbecue or a holiday cocktail party, so it's wise to keep a variety of liquors in stock.
