SETTING UP YOUR BAR CART (D E S I G N L O V E F E S T)

i have a bar cart that i love but it’s never very well stocked. enough tequila for one margarita, half a bottle of vodka and a few bitters that i don’t know what to do with. going out for cocktails is fun but it adds up and sometimes you want to have a few friends over and be able to mix up something simple that tastes good.

i asked my good friend talmadge from pharmacie to show us the ropes on stocking a home bar cart. he’s broken down the set-up and let us know what you’ll need if you want a fully stocked cart. it looks like a lot but he’s a professional, so just use it as a place to start and trim it down from there to what you know you’ll use or fill in the missing spaces on your current bar.

take it away, talmadge…

Bar Cart Tools:

• Cocktail shaker
• Stirring spoon
• Strainers
• Wine opener
• Cocktail picks
• Muddler
• Cutting board & knife
• Peeler
• Stirring carafe
• Pourers
• Jiggers
• Ice tongs or scoop
• Ice Bucket
• Square Ice Molds
• Decanters

p.s. if you’re looking for pretty bar supplies we picked up many of the gold pieces at cocktail kingdom!

Glassware:
• Single and Double Old Fashion glasses
• Hi Ball glasses
• Coupe / Up glasses
• Wine glasses, Red and White
• Beer glasses (we used a pilsner)
• Champagne glasses

For stocking a bar, there are a lot of good options that don’t break the bank and I encourage you to look for them. As you can see, I stock mine with a more small batch/artisanal feel. But if you just have to have Hendrick’s or Bacardi or Absolut…well, it’s your bar!

Home Bar Stocking Necessities:

• Vodka – Fugu
• Gin – City of London
• Tequila – Gran Centenario Reposado
• Rum – Botran Rum
• Bourbon – Solera Bourbon Whiskey
• Scotch – Isle of Skye

Liqueurs and Aperitifs:

• The vermouths (Noilly Prat shown) and sweet vermouth, in the center, are a necessity, but the brands are up to you – I just happen to love these.
• Pimm’s isn’t a “standard”, but once you start drinking Pimm’s Cups, it’s hard to stop.
• Chartreuse and Aperol – again, I just love what they offer. The Aperol is bitter/sweet/light orange and the Chartreuse is aromatic/herbal/sweet florals.

Garnishes and Bitters:

• Lemon, limes, oranges – from juicing to garnishing, you need them for just about everything.
• Bitters – Angostura Aromatic Bitters (yellow top) is the grandaddy and the essential. Can almost be added to anything. Almost.
• Angostura Orange Bitters - bright orange blossom and candy on the nose helps to tame the boozier drinks like Martinis and Manhattans.
• Luxardo Gourmet Maraschino Cherries - Non-negotiable.

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The Negroni Recipe

• 1.5 oz City of London Gin
• 1.5 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
• 1.5 oz Aperol

I happen to like this exact combination of spirits for my Negronis, but it’s a very flexible cocktail and I’d encourage you to try many different gins, sweet vermouths and bitter orange liqueurs.

• Combine all ingredients in a cocktail pitcher over ice and stir for 30 seconds minimum

• Then strain over fresh ice into a double old fashioned glass

• Garnish with an orange peel

a big thank you to talmadge for giving us the inside scoop on all things mixology…cheers!

(photos by brittany wood)