Home Bar Advice

Hi everyone, just built out a beautiful bar at home and need some advice on stocking it. I have been having lots of fun going to Binny's and buying booze, but now have decided to be less aimless and try and round things out. Your advice is most welcome. here is what I have now

Scotch: Blue Label, Glenlivet 18, Macallan 12 & Kilkerran 12

Bourbon: Jack Daniels, Buffalo Trace, Four Roses Small Batch, Basil Hayden, Bulleit Rye

Tequila: 1942, Clase Azul, Casamigos & Essential 1800

Gin: Bombay Sapphire & Hendricks

Rum: Havana Club, Bacardi Silver, Captain Morgan

Vodka: Titos, Ketel One, Grey Goose, Koval

Various: Baileys, Kahlua, Cointreau, St. Germain, Aperol, Vermouth, Chambord, Grand Marnier

How bout a bottle of mezcal. I'm no expert but Vida always makes me happy

I base my bar around what I like. I make sure I have a few basics/classics of each category for guests, but otherwise I stock it with what my wife and I drink, which is bourbon, scotch, rye, amaro, vermouth, and bitters along with the various classics. It seems to work great for us and we don't waste bar space with four bottles of gin collecting dust! I think particularly focusing on amaro, vermouth, and other widely used liqueurs rounds out a bar nicely since something like Aperol goes with almost anything.

Campari and sweet vermouth would be worth having if you like simple recipes. With gin, the Negroni is such an easy, but satisfying, pre-dinner drink.

Also, after sampling many reposado brands in the last 6-8 months, I recently found Mi Campo. At low $20-range for 750ML, it's an unbelievable value. As good as Casamigos, half the price.

I'm sure you already know, but you'll need all the mixers, bitters, ginger beer etc to complete your set.

But the point of my commenting is local. My bar had been nearly like yours, but when having a party, it felt..... I don't know... stale?

Since half the time I'm also the bartender at parties, and the majority of our extended Filipino family comes from all parts of Chicagoland, I decided to go local.

What that means, to me, is that my vodka is from Black Dog distillery, my rum is from Tailwinds, etc. All of these are available at Binny's.

I am looking to try Koval next and see if it is to my liking.

So your question on how to stock your bar... go and try some of these tasting rooms on the weekends. And as the bartender, I tell a story or two about where the rum, vodka, beer (Werkforce) comes from, and the guests actually like the drink more (or seem to) as you relate a personal connection to it while you are making it.

You have a great selection though, and I'd gladly pull up a chair at your bar anytime.

Cheers!

Edit: Dammit! Thank goodness this site has an edit button

Just after I hit send, literally, it was 2 minutes ago, I got a email that Tailwinds was closing after a 7 years run. We loved this place.

Plainfield has lost a great little shop. This is in a warehouse that has some Plainfield institutions. Tailwinds, Werkforce/Chicago Brew Works, Ten Drops Coffee, and Warehouse 109, which is local unique event space.

We got married 18 months ago at Warehouse 109, had a Tailwinds Rum drink on the menu, and a keg of Werkforce on tap.

Tailwinds, you will be missed