Preview of my book in progress

I'm going to start posting the first few pages of a book I'm working on about how to set up a budget home bar. Any comments would be appreciated:

"Step 1 - Basic Liquors

Liquor. The heart of every bar. The absolute bare bones bar should have at least the following:

- Vodka
- Tequila
- Rum (light)
- Whiskey
- Gin

These are the basics. If you are actually stocking your bar to entertain others, I would definitely include all of the above. If you are stocking your bar primarily for making drinks for yourself, feel free leave any off of the list that you don’t like. You should be able to acquire a bottle of each of the above for under $80 so if you are stocking a $100 bar, your liquor purchases pretty much stop here. If you are stocking a $300 budget bar, there will be more liquor goodness to come.

Let’s take a look at each of these categories separately:

Vodka - In my personal opinion, if you are going to splurge a little for a medium or premium brand of any liquor, vodka should be it. Cheap vodka, while easy on the pocketbook, can alter the taste of a cocktail very noticeably. No other liquor displays quite as much difference in taste between the cheap and the premium as vodka. In its cheapest form, vodka has an overwhelming “rubbing alcohol” taste that can be strong enough to ruin (or at least noticeably downgrade) any cocktail. Luckily, medium to premium vodka can still be pretty affordable and it will definitely be worth it to upgrade.

Tequila –Unlike vodka, cheap tequila is usually just fine. I must admit to being somewhat of a tequila snob but not very many people are so cheap tequila is probably just as good as medium tequila like Cuervo or Sauza. The most common tequila drinks, Margaritas, are so prominently combined with other mixers, that even cheap tequila is typically not that noticeable. You will probably want to go with a typical “anejo” tequila (which is usually the most common cheap tequila) although a mid-grade “blanco” may be a bit smoother going down.

Rum – Light rum typically has very little flavor aside from a slight sweetness, and therefore makes a great base for cocktails. Rum, like Tequila, is usually considered ok to skimp on if money is a factor. For the $100 bar, a bottle of cheap light rum is a must have. For the $300 budget bar, a cheap to medium light rum as well as a spiced rum like Captain Morgan’s should definitely be on your shopping list. If you are a true “rum connoisseur” you may want to consider a dark rum or a premium or super premium “sipping rum” however, they can be quite expensive.

Whiskey – Love it or hate it, whiskey is one of the basic liquors that qualifies as a necessity for the fledgling budget bar. Fortunately, there are many types to choose from, some more palatable to the average Joe than others. One of the smoothest (and consequently my personal favorite) types of whiskey is Irish Whiskey (ie: Jameson, Bushmill’s, Tullamore Dew, and Connemara). Because of its exceptional smoothness, Irish whiskey is often recommended to beginners to “ease” their way into drinking whiskey. It has a mellow yet flavorful character that blends well in any whiskey cocktail. The other option is the American whiskies like Bourbon or Tennessee Whiskey. These can be very flavorful with a noticeable sweetness. However, they will never be defined by the word smooth. They can be very overpowering in cocktails, so make sure you know you like whiskey before you over pour your drinks. For the $100 bar, a decent cheap sour mash whiskey can be all you need to get the ball rolling. For the $300 budget bar, I recommend either a medium to premium whiskey or 2 types like a Bourbon and an Irish.

You’ll notice I did not mention Scotch in my discussion of Whiskey. This was not an omission but rather an opinion that Scotch is so different an animal from other whiskies that it actually deserves its own section. Unless you are a dedicated scotch fanatic, you can take Scotch off of your $100 bar wish list although it certainly does deserve a look when stocking your $300 budget bar.

Gin – Gin is a prime alcohol for many cocktails, specifically Martinis. There are many types of Gin on the market and almost every one of them has its own distinct flavors. Like many of the other alcohols above, cheap Gin is probably just fine. Because of their interchangeability in Martini’s some people are firm believers that Vodka is the perfect substitute for Gin in any cocktail. While I do not agree with that myself, I could see some justification for a budget bar owner to scratch Gin off the list in order to free up some money for a more premium Vodka."


More to come...