The Fully Stocked Bar
I've had a couple of friends ask me about a fully stocked bar and what that really means. What it basically means is that you have the basic ingredients you need to make all of the basic drinks someone would want. It doesn't include all of the specialty liqueurs. You can claim you are fully stocked without having Godiva or 15 types of Scotch. However if you would have trouble making a Manhattan, a margarita, both a classic and a vodka martini, and have a few drinks for "straight" consumption then you aren't fully stocked.
Note that most people aren't going to expect you to be fully stocked. However, if you want to do that for yourself, here's how you start:
liquors:
vodka
white rum
spiced rum
gin
bourbon (or Tennessee Whiskey)
Scotch whisky (Dewars white or Johnny Walker Black are your defaults here)
Irish whiskey (Jamison) or Canadian whisky (either Club or Crown)
tequila
brandy or cognac
Kahlua
dry vermouth
other alcohol
2 bottles of red wine
2 bottles of white wine
1 6-pack of beer
club soda
tonic water
sweet & sour mix
tomato juice (or bloody mary mix)
orange juice
cranberry juice
pineapple juice
cola
lemon-lime soda
salt
bar sugar
olives
angora bitters
barware:
cork screw
highball glasses
lowball glasses
red wine glasses
white wine glasses
beer mugs
pint glasses
cocktail shaker
Note that there are a lot of things I left off of this list. You could easily add amaretto, frangelico, all types of schnapps and rums and brandies, multiple infused vodkas, etc. I didn't even mention grenadine or Rose's lime for making the virgin drinks or as mixer. But if you're hosting a dinner party and don't have a theme for the evening, and if you have guests who are picky drinkers, then this will more than suffice.
Note that most people aren't going to expect you to be fully stocked. However, if you want to do that for yourself, here's how you start:
liquors:
vodka
white rum
spiced rum
gin
bourbon (or Tennessee Whiskey)
Scotch whisky (Dewars white or Johnny Walker Black are your defaults here)
Irish whiskey (Jamison) or Canadian whisky (either Club or Crown)
tequila
brandy or cognac
Kahlua
dry vermouth
other alcohol
2 bottles of red wine
2 bottles of white wine
1 6-pack of beer
club soda
tonic water
sweet & sour mix
tomato juice (or bloody mary mix)
orange juice
cranberry juice
pineapple juice
cola
lemon-lime soda
salt
bar sugar
olives
angora bitters
barware:
cork screw
highball glasses
lowball glasses
red wine glasses
white wine glasses
beer mugs
pint glasses
cocktail shaker
Note that there are a lot of things I left off of this list. You could easily add amaretto, frangelico, all types of schnapps and rums and brandies, multiple infused vodkas, etc. I didn't even mention grenadine or Rose's lime for making the virgin drinks or as mixer. But if you're hosting a dinner party and don't have a theme for the evening, and if you have guests who are picky drinkers, then this will more than suffice.