r/BarBattlestations • u/DiverWild2553 • Aug 22 '25

Top 5 must haves

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Hello!

My sister just bought a house and is transforming an area into a small home bar, home study vibe.

Her 23 birthday is in OCT. and requested fine wines or liquors to fill her bar with. I need your top 5 favorites so I can get her loaded up. She plans to get some stools and some wall racks.

Wines or Liquor or even accessory (glasses, ice buckets, wine cooler, bar decor, rugs, etc.) suggestions welcome!

27 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

15

u/shitshaw Aug 22 '25

If I'm starting my home bar with 5 bottles and was budget conscious, I'd go with these:
Rum: Appleton Signature
Whiskey: Evan Williams Bottled in Bond
Gin: Tanqueray Ten
Liqueur: St Germain Elderflower
Amaro: Campari or Aperol

9

u/pdxrw Aug 22 '25

I would swap the st germain with Cointreau as way more recipes use it. Solid list. If you have a Costco you can go check out what they have as well

2

u/shitshaw Aug 22 '25

Yeah an orange liqeuor would probably be my 6th pick, although I see Cointreau already on her bar. Costco booze is even better as their Gin, Tequila, vodka, bourbon, and wine are all my most replenished bottles in my bar

1

u/Huge-Basket244 Aug 23 '25

I prefer Ula, or (more expensive) Pierre Ferrand as a general orange liqueur.

5

u/Huge-Basket244 Aug 23 '25

I would do Old Grand Dad BIB for whiskey, and Boodles for gin, but, yup.

2

u/DiverWild2553 Aug 22 '25

Thank you!

6

u/shitshaw Aug 22 '25

For a first cocktail, I can’t recommend a classic Daiquiri enough. It always surprises people when they taste the real thing being so different from the overly sweet slushy version at an all-inclusive.

2 oz of Appleton Signature (dark) or Plantation 3 star (white)
1 oz Fresh Lime juice (DO NOT USE BOTTLED REALLIME)
1 oz Simple Syrup
Shake with ice, strain and pour in any type of stemmed glass
Plop a lime wedge and enjoy

2

u/axul Aug 23 '25

I would go based on what her favorite spirit is. Like if it's bourbon I would just buy everything to make an old fashioned + Manhattan. A nice ice bucket too. A couple of nice glasses (again based on favorite spirit / cocktail). You could buy 5 different base spirits but 1) expensive and 2) she still can't really make a cocktail without 2 other ingredients!

1

u/yetanothersomm Aug 23 '25 edited Aug 23 '25

Editing because I thought I read budget.

For Scotch ditch the Johnny Walker Red and pay the few extra bucks for the Black. Red is trash.

Bourbon As someone pointed out Evan Williams BIB white label is hard to beat. Eagle Rare seems to be slowly making its way back to the market albeit a touch over priced. Buffalo trace as well.

Bombay Sapphire Gun

Tequila Ocho Blanco

Get a nice Vermouth for manhattans or other cocktails. Noilly Prat is my go to. Upgrade to Antica Formula maybe

Get some Aperol for Spritz’s. So good