When getting into the entertainment mode, people often fill their kitchen cupboards with crackers and assorted nibbles, but a well-stocked bar is essential to hospitality too.
A recent poll of area retailers showed that a basic bar supply can be assembled for less than $100. ”Have bottles of scotch, bourbon, vodka, gin, rum and tequila on hand, with seltzer and tonic water, bottles of vermouth and at least one other wine, plus beer and soda for the light drinkers,” says Jelal Ince, manager of Bragno`s, 40 E. Walton St. (312-337-5000). ”Extras would include lime juice and premade mixes, such as sweet-and-sour mix or Bloody Mary mix.”
”Be sure to have a good selection of nonalcoholic beverages out of respect for people who don`t drink alcohol,” says Fred Rosen, owner of Sam`s Wine Warehouse, 1000 W. North Ave. (312-664-4394). If you want just a bare-bones bar, consider stocking only two from each category of ”white goods”
(vodka, gin, etc.) and ”brown goods” (scotch, bourbon, Canadian).
Rosen notes that ”people also are drinking wine, champagne and sparkling waters instead of cocktails, so try to keep a bottle each of wine and water chilled in your refrigerator.”
Liqueurs often are served as after-dinner drinks, so if you plan to hold frequent dinner parties, consider adding a few cordials to your shopping list. ”Grand Marnier (an orange-flavored liqueur), Frangelica (nut-flavored) and Kahlua (coffee-flavored) are the top three in my book,” Rosen says.
Ince differs, saying, ”A fine cognac is the most important after-dinner drink, while the flavored liqueurs are really just extras.” Ince recommends a creme de menthe or mint-flavored liqueur as an ingredient for grasshoppers or mint juleps.
George Schaefer, owner of Schaefer`s, 9965 Gross Point Rd., Skokie
(708-673-5711), developed a list of spirits to include in the truly well-stocked bar. If money is no concern, you can invest in an assemblage of alcoholic beverages and bar accessories that will carry you through almost any social occasion.
Schaefer suggests stocking one of each type of whiskey (American, Canadian, Irish and Scotch), a bottle each of imported and domestic gin and vodka, light and dark rum, light and gold tequila, and sweet and dry vermouth wines. Cordials include bitters such as Campari, cassis, Amaretto, Benedictine & Brandy, coffee liqueur, an Irish cream, a nut liqueur, creme de menthe and creme de cacao, triple sec, American and French brandy, armagnac, and a whiskey-based cordial such as Drambuie.
The premium bar should include a good selection of wines: white, red, blush, sparklers and aperitif blends such as Lillet. Stronger, fortified wines-from light pale sherries and cream sherries to madeira and port, may be added as well. No bar would be complete without beer, so Schaefer suggests a combination of American and imported lagers (Budweiser, Baderbrau, Beck`s and Pilsner Urquell), with one or two imported ales.
Alcohol-free beer and wines for teetotalers should include an Ariel chardonnay and Clausthaler.
Soft drinks and mixers for all occasions constitute the next category for the well-stocked bar. Plan to buy an array of beverages: cola, diet cola, a lemon-lime soda, still water, sparkling water, club soda, ginger ale, tonic water, orange juice, plus Bloody Mary mix, margarita mix, daiquiri mix, pina colada concentrate or another tropical concoction such as mai tai.
”If you would rather make your own mixes, you`ll need basic ingredients such as tomato juice, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces for Bloody Marys or cream of coconut and pineapple juices for pina coladas,” Schaefer says.
Grenadine, lime juice, bitters and fresh oranges, lemons and limes for zest are important to the success of most mixed drinks. Olives, pickled onions, maraschino cherries and toothpicks to skewer them are basic garnishes for cocktails.
Proper mixology calls for proper tools. Fred Pomper, owner of Otto Pomper, 109 S. Wabash Ave. (312-372-0881), suggests the basic equipment: a bottle and can opener ($.95 to $5.95), ice bucket ($12 and up) and tongs ($2), an unbreakable jigger measure ($1.29), bar spoons and corkscrew. Expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $20 for a well-made corkscrew.
”A good corkscrew has a turned tip, or bit, that enters the cork to one side, not straight through the center,” Pomper advises. ”A corkscrew that drills straight down into the cork may not provide enough leverage to remove a sticky cork, and instead will pull out, leaving an empty core.” Truly tough corks may require a dual-prong cork remover that works by sliding around the sides of the cork.
A Screw-Pull is great for people who are all thumbs: It guides the corkscrew into the neck of the bottle, and a screw mechanism removes the cork with just a few extra turns of the plastic handle ($16.95).
Useful gadgets include a cork retriever, made of three long metal fingers that reach into a bottle to remove recalcitrant bits of cork. Toppers to reseal bottles range from decorative brass-and-cork combinations ($15) to inexpensive plastic seals ($1.95).
”A standby for anyone who needs a quick bar setup is the Mr. Bartender pourer,” Pomper says. The $14.95 pourer automatically pours the requisite measure of spirits, enabling speedy service for a crowd.
A miniature cutting board for citrus garnishes will cost $15 to $18.95, including a sharp knife. Zesters to make wide ribbons or narrow strands of peel for twists cost about $5.95 each. A muddler is necessary for crushing sugar and spices together for mulled drinks: Expect to pay $5 for a plastic model.
Containers to hold drinks range from cocktail shakers to glass pitchers for water and iced drinks. An electric blender will crush ice and process fruit and spirits into slushy daiquiris and the like.
A well-equipped bar has basic glassware for service. Highballs, all-purpose wine glasses, champagne flutes and cordial and beer glasses are the minimum. There`s no reason to spend $125 per stem for Impitoyable crystal cognac glasses, unless you really want to impress your guests.
