The home bar: twelve bottles that make every classic cocktail
You don't need a wall of bottles. Twelve, chosen well, make a proper Negroni, Martini, Old Fashioned and ten more classics, using the official recipes.
A good home bar is not a wall of bottles. It is a short, well-chosen shelf that lets you make a proper Negroni, Martini or Old Fashioned for a guest without a trip to the shops. Twelve bottles will do it. Choose them well and you can make almost every classic cocktail worth knowing, and make it properly.
Below are the twelve, what each one is for, and thirteen classics they make, using the official recipes of the International Bartenders Association.
The twelve bottles
| Bottle | What it makes | A good place to start |
|---|---|---|
| London dry gin | Martini, Negroni | Beefeater or Tanqueray |
| Vodka | Moscow Mule, Cosmopolitan | Any clean, neutral bottle |
| White rum | Daiquiri, Mojito | A light Cuban-style rum |
| Tequila, 100% agave | Margarita | Any blanco that says “100% agave” on the label |
| Bourbon | Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Boulevardier | Buffalo Trace |
| Rye whiskey | Manhattan | Rittenhouse |
| Cognac | Sidecar | A VSOP from one of the big houses |
| Sweet red vermouth | Negroni, Manhattan, Americano, Boulevardier | Cocchi Vermouth di Torino |
| Dry vermouth | Martini | Dolin Dry or Noilly Prat |
| Campari | Negroni, Americano, Boulevardier | There is only one |
| Triple sec | Margarita, Sidecar, Cosmopolitan | Cointreau |
| Angostura bitters | Manhattan, Old Fashioned | There is only one |
Why these? Gin, whiskey, rum, tequila, cognac and vodka are the six spirits the classics are built on. The two vermouths, Campari and triple sec are the modifiers that turn a spirit into a cocktail. Angostura is the seasoning: a few drops change everything.
Where to spend and where to save
Spend on what you taste most. In a Martini the gin is almost the whole drink, so buy one you enjoy. In an Old Fashioned the bourbon does the talking. Save on what gets mixed hard: vodka in a Moscow Mule or Cosmopolitan disappears behind ginger and cranberry, so a mid-priced bottle is plenty.
Treat vermouth as wine, because it is. Once opened it fades, so keep it in the fridge with the cap on and buy smaller bottles. Stale vermouth is the most common reason a home Manhattan or Martini disappoints.
Thirteen classics you can make
All quantities follow the International Bartenders Association’s official recipes. Stir drinks that are all spirit; shake anything with citrus.
| Cocktail | Recipe | How |
|---|---|---|
| Negroni | 30ml gin, 30ml Campari, 30ml sweet vermouth | Stir over ice in a rocks glass; half an orange slice |
| Dry Martini | 60ml gin, 10ml dry vermouth | Stir, strain into a chilled glass; lemon peel or an olive |
| Manhattan | 50ml rye, 20ml sweet vermouth, 1 dash Angostura | Stir, strain into a chilled glass; a cherry |
| Old Fashioned | 45ml bourbon or rye, 1 sugar cube, a few dashes of Angostura, a few dashes of water | Muddle sugar, bitters and water; add ice and whiskey, stir; orange zest and a cherry |
| Boulevardier | 45ml bourbon or rye, 30ml Campari, 30ml sweet vermouth | Stir, strain into a chilled glass; orange zest |
| Americano | 30ml Campari, 30ml sweet vermouth, a splash of soda | Build over ice in a rocks glass; orange and lemon |
| Daiquiri | 60ml white rum, 20ml fresh lime, 2 bar spoons of superfine sugar | Shake, strain into a chilled glass |
| Margarita | 50ml 100% agave tequila, 20ml triple sec, 15ml fresh lime | Shake, strain into a chilled glass; half a salt rim if you like |
| Sidecar | 50ml cognac, 20ml triple sec, 20ml fresh lemon | Shake, strain into a chilled glass |
| Whiskey Sour | 45ml bourbon, 25ml fresh lemon, 20ml sugar syrup, a few drops of egg white (optional) | Shake, strain over ice; orange and a cherry |
| Cosmopolitan | 40ml citrus vodka, 15ml Cointreau, 15ml fresh lime, 30ml cranberry juice | Shake, strain into a chilled glass; lemon twist |
| Moscow Mule | 45ml vodka, 120ml ginger beer, 10ml fresh lime | Build over ice and stir gently; a slice of lime |
| Mojito | 45ml white rum, 20ml fresh lime, 6 mint sprigs, 2 tsp white cane sugar, soda water | Muddle mint, sugar and lime; add ice, rum and soda, stir lightly |
Notice how much the bottles overlap. Gin, Campari and sweet vermouth make a Negroni; swap the gin for bourbon and it becomes a Boulevardier; drop the spirit and add soda and it is an Americano. That is the logic of a good home bar: a few bottles, many drinks.
Beyond the bottles
The bottles keep; these you buy as you need them, and they matter just as much:
- Fresh citrus. Lemons and limes, squeezed on the day. Bottled juice is the quickest way to ruin a sour.
- Sugar syrup. Equal parts sugar and hot water, stirred until clear and kept in the fridge.
- Mixers: soda water, a good ginger beer, cranberry juice.
- Garnishes: oranges, fresh mint, cocktail cherries, olives.
- Ice, and plenty of it. Large, clear cubes melt more slowly and dilute less. Buy a bag or make it the day before.
The tools
You need fewer than the shops suggest. A jigger for measuring, a shaker, a mixing glass and long bar spoon for stirred drinks, a strainer, and a citrus press. For glasses, three shapes cover everything above: a stemmed coupe or cocktail glass, a heavy rocks glass, and a tall highball.
Use the jigger every time. It is what makes your drinks taste the same as the recipe, and it stops a home pour quietly doubling a bar measure.
Hosting with it
Offer two drinks rather than twelve: one stirred and strong, such as a Negroni, and one long and lighter, such as a Moscow Mule. Have something good without alcohol for anyone who isn’t drinking, and offer it as warmly as anything else. Never press a drink on someone who has said no, and make sure everyone has a safe way home.
A good host keeps an eye on the measures as well as the glasses. The NHS advises that men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week. A well-made cocktail is meant to be savoured, not hurried.
Questions people ask
If I can only buy three bottles, which should they be?
Gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Between them they make a Negroni and an Americano, and a bottle of bourbon added later gives you a Boulevardier and an Old Fashioned.
Does vermouth go off?
It fades once opened, because it is wine. Keep it in the fridge with the cap on and use it within a few weeks; spirits, by contrast, keep for years.
Shaken or stirred?
Stir drinks made only of spirits, such as a Martini, Manhattan or Negroni, so they stay clear and silky. Shake anything with citrus, juice or egg white, which needs the air and dilution.
How we wrote this: recipes follow the International Bartenders Association’s official specifications, checked on 31 October 2026. The bottles named are widely available suggestions, not paid placements. Please drink responsibly.
