Creating Your Home Bar

A guide to essential spirits you should purchase to stock your home bar.

The shelf life of liquors, liqueurs and mixers is a common question. The good news is that bottles in your liquor cabinet will last a long time, but there are somethings you should know before you drink from that old bottle, whether it is has been opened or not.

Cocktail sets can include a range of gadgets and tools, but some are more essential than other. Learn the keys components necessary for all cocktail sets and aspiring mixologists.

These are some of the best cocktail guide books available and are filled with recipes, photographs and tips to guide everyone along the path to the perfect cocktail.

If you have ever shopped around for a blender you know that there are hundreds to choose from and finding the right one can be a difficult task. These tips should help you decipher some of the options and what will work best for your style.

If you were given a choice of twelve bottles to include in your personal bar with no regards for cost or availability, which bottles of alcohol would you choose? It's a challenge to put together a well-rounded bar with a limited selection but here's how I would design a 12 bottle bar and the cocktails possible in it.

Stocking your home bar doesn’t have to be expensive. There are some great whiskies available at very affordable prices and for $100 you can set up a well rounded whiskey selection.

There are things you can do in every aspect of your life to reduce your impact on the environment and the bar is no exception. We all know that we need to recycle our empties, but there is more that can be done behind the bar to make its environmental footprint as minimal as possible.

If you browse the thousands of recipes available you'll see numerous possibilities for garden fresh mixers and garnishes. If you enjoy gardening anyway, there's no reason not to design a portion of your plantings around your drinking preferences.

All bars have a different list of popular drinks and specialties that patrons order on a regular basis. However there are a few drinks that every bartender should know no matter what establishment you tend at.

One of the seminars at the San Antonio Cocktail Conference was an Interactive Cocktail Lab presented by Miami Beach bartender, John Lermayer. Read about the experience, tips for making common drinks, and why I believe more of these should take place.

Buying for the home bartender can be difficult because as you look around their bar you may think they have everything they need. While most bars are already outfitted with all of the essential tools they may need some decor or maybe your mixologist would like to take their bar with them while traveling.

Are you looking for that something special for the whiskey aficionado in your life and don’t know what to get them? Having trouble deciding between their favorite Irish whiskey, bourbon or single malt scotch? Perhaps this year you should consider something different.Here are some great gift ideas for any whiskey lover this holiday season.

These bars are not meant to be permanent fixtures in your home, they are designed to move or hide their contents and be brought out when you're entertaining.

These travel sets are convenient and compact so you can fit everything in one case and make a great gift. Each of these include the most important tools for mixing up your favorite cocktails and have some storage room to carry your favorite spirits with you.

A flask is one of the timeless gifts of all time. Whether it be for a family member, a friend, the wedding party or someone at the office, a flask is a great and useful gift that they will appreciate for years.

Learn How to Make an Iced Vodka Bottle with Chef Roblé.

The Oster Quick Chilling Wine Chiller does just that. This electric wine chiller cools a bottle of wine to the perfect drinking temperature within minutes.

Fever Tree Tonic Water is a premium tonic made with natural ingredients and has a clean, refreshing flavor which is perfect for Gin and Tonics or Vodka Tonics.

Fresh juices make the best cocktails and if you do a lot of juicing or want to juice a variety of fruits and vegetables, an electric juicer is the way to go.

Metrokane's Flip-Top is a two-piece cocktail shaker with a uniquely designed lid that flips open and closed. Its double-wall tin is nicely insulated, making sure cocktails are as cold as can be.

With the TailGator Blender you will never again be wishing you had an outlet nearby so that you can blend up a Margarita or Daiquiri wherever you are. This gas powered blender is perfect for making your favorite frozen cocktail in the parking lot before the big game, at the campsite, on the river or anywhere else you want a refreshing, smooth adult drink.

A sleek brushed-chrome finish, easy 2-speed operation and sturdy base with a powerful motor makes this blender a top choice for equipping a home bar.

The Margaritaville Explorer is a portable margarita maker with an 18 volt, rechargeable battery that claims to make 60 drinks on one charge.