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ok, i'm normally a beer drinker. but my wife likes mixed drinks, and after an all-inclusive dominican vacation last year, i am a recent convert. so i've been looking at recipes till my eyes are blurry. i;ve got several good ones, but i don't want to go buy just the stuff to make those particular recipes.

so if you were going to stock your bar from scratch, what would you buy? i can't spend hundreds of dollars, but if it's less than $150, i could probably swing that. i mean fruit juices, mixers, liquor everything. we like fruity and sweet drinks the best, sour drinks next (mojito's are my personal favorite).

i guess the liquor type is pretty easy. you basically need l & d rums, tequila, vodka, gin (and i normally keep some bourbon and whiskey around the house).

lemme have it...

Don't forget the other non-booze ingredients. Stuff like Grenadine, Lime juice, triple sec, sour mix, club soda, ginger ale, that sort of thing.

that's gonna be the hard part. i don't wanna buy a bunch of stuff i won't use, but i don't want to be caught without somehting important.

maybe somebody can come up with a list. if not i'll just write a bunch of stuff down. here's what i've got so far...

grapefruit
grape
kool aid
cranberry juice

frozen:
limeade
lemonade
oj

grenadine
triple sec
curacao
sweet sour
lime (we usually keep fresh limes anyway)

anyboyd have anything to add?

Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay Rum

Shmirnoff 100 proof Vodka

Goldshlager

Pineapple Juice

Orange Juice

Cherry Grenadine

No bar would be complete without a bottle of Jager.

check out http://www.webtender.com

its what i use alot and it has a good generic list of stock the bar items to get started on a good general bar.

To save money on the not so important stuff like grenadine and lime juice and triple sec , buy generic brands of those and spend more money on good bourbon and tequila and such.

Rum and Vodka make up most fruity drinks.

Light and Dark Rhums!
Industrial strenght blender.....

Don't forget the non-liquid essentials of a bar - shaker, ice bucket, stirers, umbrellas, coasters, glasses of all sorts, roofies, etc...

Knowledge is power. Use the web or a good bar book to educate yourself before shopping - there's more to know about booze than how it makes you act!

To save money, by far the cheapest source of booze for me is (I hate to advertise for them, but it's a good cause . . . parrotheads & drinking) SAM's CLUB. If you're not a warehouse club member, no problem! At least in Illinois, it's illegal to require a membership to purchase alcohol . . . SAM's must sell to every person of leagal age who walks in, and there is a sign to that effect in the liquor department of SAM's . . . 'course, you are already inside by then, so who's gonna see that????

Recipes matter. Don't fake the measurements like most bartenders - they're in a hurry and don't have to put up with the crappy drinks most of them pour.

Watch out for expensive near-duplications under the bar -

- triple sec : orange flavored, brandy based
- curacao : orange flavored, brandy based
- Cointreau : spicy orange flavored, brandy based
- Grand Marnier : orange flavored, cognac (really good brandy) based

While commonly used for flavorings, these all actually ARE liquors. The fancier the name, the more money . . . but at some point you do get what you pay for. The last two have wonderful, subtle flavors . . . the first two range from orange flavored sugar water with alcohol to well flavored brandy in quality. In the less expensive end, buy Bols over the cheaper DeKyeper and house brand Triple Sec.

If you're about to buy a $30 bottle to make one drink, first take the recipe to a good bar and pay $6.00 to see if you're going to ever make that drink again!

It sounds like you have a good start and there has been some great advice. Im in college and have my own bar in my apartment which is great. Obviously the big 5 are needed (rum, tequila, gin, vodka and whiskey) however you mentioned that you like fruity and tropical drinks and therefore I would invest in some other choices as well. What has been listed is great

OJ
Cranberry Juice
Pineapple
Grenadine
Triple Sec


Some other suggestions:

Blue Curacao...really has a nice flavor and makes some cool looking drinks ( Mr. Boston has a $5 bottle)
Creme de Bananae..excellent for fruity drinks but be careful as it is overwhelming if used too much
Some of the Pucker varieties make good drinks (Watermelon and Grape most notably)
I would also recommed sprite/7up because it can take the edge off of drinks that might be a touch too strong.
Several different types of rum are most important for tropical drinks...the internet has a wealth of knowledge on drink recipes and usinga dark rum in a drink that is supposed to be light rum can make a big difference.
Blender and lots of ice is great, thats what tropical drinks are all about, frozen drinks you can almost throw anything in there and it tastes good, use fresh fruit, bananas are the best but be careful with lemons as the seeds are a problem.

I hope this helps you out and you enjoy your bar as much as I do. Experimenting is the best part!!

I forgot to add that the pre-made mixed drinks are really pretty good. Pina colada being my favorite, just add rum and ice with the mix and put in blender. Its easy and flavorful.

Also, there really is a noteable difference in most drinks when you stir vs. shake, if the drink calls for using a shaker...have at it hoss!!

Rain vodka is great for chicks if they don't like a strong taste of liquor...it's incredibly smooth (the smoothest I've ever had). (also very cheap)

Must have Malibu or Parrot Bay rum in the mix.

Cabo Wabo tequila, blanco preferably. (not cheap and better for shots than mixing)

No bar is complete without a bottle of Makers Mark. No, you better not mix it. But all bars must have a good bourbon