O&G 11 Essential Bottle Bar
Oak & Garden has always been a believer in keeping cocktails simple, fun, and whenever possible, social. This starts with your home bar inventory. It’s easy to be overwhelmed when looking at cocktail recipes, each drink seems to use 2 new bottles.
This will be a living and growing article that collects all of O&G cocktails that can be made with our 11 essential bottles. The goal is to show you how to keep your home bar simple but full of variety.
The Bottles
Rye Whiskey -
Many whiskey lovers stick with Bourbon, it’s the household name everyone knows and loves. But for my dollar, I go with Rye Whiskey. It’s a little more bitter and significantly less sweet. It makes for the best Old Fashioned and Manhattan.
Bourbon Whiskey -
But seriously, Bourbon is an essential for any home bar, especially if you love whiskey. Bourbon and Rye are replaceable in a number of drinks, but there’s a few classics that require the sweet and smooth flavor of Bourbon. Mint Julep immediately comes to mind.
If you are wondering what’s the difference between Rye and Bourbon, Rye must be made with at least 51% rye mash while Bourbon must be made with at least 51% corn mash.
Tequila -
One of the biggest confusions when trying to keep your home bar inventory lean is which tequila do you buy? Blanco, Joven, Reposada, Añejo, or Extra Añejo? I stick with Reposada, it’s minimally aged to add flavor and round off the harsh edges of Blanco tequila. Blanco is also another great option, it’s the unaged variety and is very easily substituted with Reposada.
If you are just starting, I’d stay away from Joven as they are rare and a large range in flavor profile. Añejo and Extra Añejo are also fantastic options, but again, not great options for a lean bar. They are both significantly aged and not easily substituted.
Gin -
Gin has a fantastic flavor profile that works both with a large amount of cocktails and by itself as a sipper. I stick with American Dry Gin, but London Dry shares a lot of similarities and should be interchangeable in most cocktails.
Vodka -
Vodka makes for a great mixer. It’s a blank canvas that turns any fruit or herb into a Sunday Funday. Cheap vodkas have a terrible burn, better vodkas are smooth. Some are sweet, some are dry. For a lean home bar, they are all interchangeable.
White Rum -
White rum is the base of countless fun and delicious spring and summer cocktails. Who doesn’t love a tiki drink?
Dark/Gold Rum -
The main ingredient in one of the best classic cocktails, the Classic Daiquiri. Dark or Gold rum are both aged versions of white rum. They have a deeper and richer flavor and are often used with white rum in many tiki drinks.
Aperol -
The classic Italian bitter apéritif. If you haven’t had the pleasure of an Aperol Spritz on a hot summer day, do yourself a favor and make one before summer is gone!
Campari -
Another classic Italian bitter apéritif. It’s easily substituted with Aperol, I’d even recommend it whenever possible. The reason why both are on this list is because the flavors are actually very different. Campari is much more bitter while Aperol has a subtle bitterness with herbs and citrus notes.
Sweet Rosso Vermouth -
Not to be confused with Dry/White vermouth used in the modern day Martini. Rosso Vermouth is both delicious by itself and as a key ingredient in many of my favorite cocktails. Please don’t go with the cheapest bottle available, a nice mid-range Rosso Vermouth can’t be beat.
Triple Sec / Cointreau -
One of the more well known mixers, triple sec. Every Margarita recipe calls for the most well known variety, Cointreau. I’m also a believer in this particular name brand. Although a little pricier than the competition, the flavor is definitely justified.
Triple Sec is a sweet orange flavored liqueur. The dry and citrus flavors make this liqueur a staple of any home bar as the cocktail combinations are almost endless.