One of the best things about having your own place ishosting parties.
Parties can be stressful too, of course.
Its easy to worry that people wont like the food, or that theconversation will flag.
Its always within the bartenders reach so they can quickly assemble a short list of common cocktails.
Because these drinks are pretty basic and use lower-cost alcohol as ingredients, well drinks are the cheaper options.
And theres nothing wrong with that!
Whats in a well
Start with the foundation of all cocktails, theliquor itself.
Youll need five bottles to start: whiskey, rum, gin, vodka, and tequila.
If you cant do that, go with the most well-known brands.
Everythings going to be mixed anyway, so you dont necessarily need the most delicate flavor profiles.
Mass-market quality will do just fine.
Mixers:To make a well bar successful, the key is flexibility, and that means mixers.
You need just a few basics:
Juices.Cranberry juice and orange juice (forScrewdrivers) are fundamental.
Throw in some grapefruit juice and you’re free to makeGreyhoundsfor a little extra sophistication.
Ginger ale mixes well with a lot of things and offers a nice variation.
Club soda and tonic water,for scotch and soda, vodka sodas, and gin or vodka tonics.
Vermouth.For aclassic Martini, youll need dry vermouth.
you could cheat a little and have some milk on hand for a White Russian, too.
Orange liqueur(aka Triple Sec or Curacao) for making a simpleMargarita.
A slight cheat, as youll also need some lime juice, but still pretty basic and crowd-pleasing.
Add in some cocktail onions and Maraschino cherries for a bit more variety.
Armed with these basics, it’s possible for you to whip up a long list of two-ingredient cocktails.
