I know women in their early twenties who like scotch.
And if they don't know or like it yet, as Doc said, the fact that the OP is asking the question, it shows that he and (presumably) his wife are interested to learn.
Building a well stocked bar
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I know women in their early twenties who like scotch.
And if they don't know or like it yet, as Doc said, the fact that the OP is asking the question, it shows that he and (presumably) his wife are interested to learn.
Had you handed my wife a glass of scotch when she was 21, you would've made a friend for life. Of course, that also would be true had you handed her a Screwdriver or Margarita, but that's neither here nor there.
Frankly, I'm not so sure you're giving twenty-somethings their due respect. A great deal of this cocktail revival and renaissance (i.e., a move away from fruit-laden sugarbombs) has been driven by folks who are in their twenties (or were when it all got underway), and many more are jumping into it with both feet.
Granted, there still are many, many folks going for Sex on the Beach, Lemon Drops, and other stuff that makes my teeth hurt just to think about, but I see that going all the way through to some of us old children of the '70s.
I think we are reading OP's post differently. I read it to mean that he and his wife had little to no experience with adult beverages, and were looking to explore a new world. I think he was asking for basic young-adult information; you all think he was asking what YOU like.
I may be wrong, you all may be right. OP has plenty of options to choose from in this thread and elsewhere. But I strongly suspect OP's friends and wife will be far more impressed with a killer margarita than they would with a bottle of single malt. But hey, experimentation is what makes it fun.
I may be wrong, you all may be right. OP has plenty of options to choose from in this thread and elsewhere. But I strongly suspect OP's friends and wife will be far more impressed with a killer margarita than they would with a bottle of single malt. But hey, experimentation is what makes it fun.
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I was looking for both general info and what you gentlemen like.
I'm more intrigued by what you guys drink (the scotch, whiskey cocktails, etc)
On the other hand the Mrs. Likes the sweet stuff. Shes most definitely not a whiskey fan lol.
So a lot of times I drink what she drinks to simplify the evening. But I'm about sick and tired of margaritas lol.
So I was curious what handful of spirits would serve as the basis of several drinks so that we can branch out a little
Apparently we are married to the same woman.
You may want to try an 'Old Fashioned'. It's a whiskey based cocktail that is a little on the sweet side. I like Scotch or Bourbon on the rocks usually, but the cocktails I drink depend on the weather. When its hot I'll drink either a gin & tonic or a Mojito. Cold weather, an Old Fashioned.
If you are going to be making cocktails mainly, use a good base but don't waste money on top-shelf spirits.
She must have a very fast car, which means we did even better than we thought. [emoji41]
First you should define who the stocked bar is for. Is it to please you and your wife or your friends? Find out what everyone likes and go from there. For starters, I would keep a decent rum in stock (I like Mt Gay or Appleton), a decent tequila for margaritas (anything with 100% agave), a decent bourbon and scotch (Makers and Glenlivet 12) and a decent Vodka (no idea, I don't drink the stuff, though I can tolerate my bottle of Grey Goose). Always keep a good quality sweet n sour mix on hand as well, it's easy to make with just water, sugar, lemon and lime. We always have a good Amaretto too, as my wife really likes Amaretto Sours. That list will get you started.
+1 on this! Like anything who are you intending to please? if it just you and your wife...then buy for yourself. If you are trying to experiment with drinks...then go to a GOOD bar and start experimenting away. If you like something make a note and ask the bartender (if he or she is not too busy) how they made it...make sure you tip appropriately. Then start adding those ingredients to the bar. If it is for other when they come over then I suggest starting out with stuff you need for those drinks, but don't break the bank. For those type drinks I prefer to buy at the lower end of a mid-range spirit.
My wife and I are rebuilding our home bar at the moment. She out-classes me socially so we often have friends over to our house that are used to something a little bit better. So here is my approach...
I have (or will have very shortly) the floowing:
Large Bottle of Vodka from Costco (it's not bad stuff especially for mixing)
Large Bottle of Rum from Costco (see above)
A bottle of mid-range Gin like Tanqueray No. Ten
A bottle of mid-range Bourbon (Bulleit, Eagle Rare, Elijah Craig, Buffalo Trace...there are many you can go with here...even cheaper bourbons are really good like Maker's mark)
An okay Scotch ( I don't know a ton about Scotch but I try to have something decent anyway because a lot of people drink it...but you can break the bank with this. I will usually have a Glenlivet 12 or something similar as most scotch drinkers will drink Glenlivet)
A solid Rye Whiskey (I tend to buy Sazerac because it readily available here and is inexpensive)
All the fixins that you need to make some mix drinks...bitters, tonic, orange juice, soda...etc.
These last three are important...always have on hand a good beer that everyone will drink. Unless all of your friends are into craft beers...don't get that rare bottle of Cantillion, barley wine, or a double IPA. Most won't like it. I do, however, suggest a good pilsner, lager, or wheat beer. Even if your guest doesn't know what it is...they most likely will drink it.
Next, have some decent wine. You don't have to break the bank on this one. There are some really good wines out there for $10.00 and under. Make sure you have at least a red and white. But expand when you can to different types of reds and whites. Also a bottle of bubbly is recommended. You don't have to blow the budget with an expensive Champagne. The wife and i really like Cava (think Spanish Champagne) and you can get a great bottle for about $8.00. Proseco is pretty good too.
The last very important rule is...always have a really nice whiskey on hand. Until recently, I always had a bottle of 18 year old Sazerac Rye Whiskey on hand. I currently have a bottle of Readbreast 12 year Irish Whiskey. Most people who drink one particular type of whiskey, will drink another if it is a good bottle. For example, I am not a big scotch guy, but if someone offers me Johnny Walker Blue...I will accept. Always have a reallly nice bottle of whiskey on hand for those special moments or special people you want to share with.
Don't buy this all at once. Go out and buy a little when you can and replace with something new if you didn't like what you bought. I know this was long but I hope it helps.
The answer depends on what you want to accomplish, are you just getting into alcohol and want to figure out what you like (my personal situation), or are you wanting to entertain (family, friends, ect.) and want to be prepared?
The answer to the previous is simply don't buy bottles of something unless you at least know you like the general category it falls into. An example would be don't buy a Laphroaig unless you know you like a smokey peaty scotch or don't buy Monkey 47 unless you know you like gin. Instead try before you buy the bottle. There are several ways to do that such as local tastings, buying a glass at a bar, bumming some off a friend/family member, or the easiest way if they have what you want would be something like drinks by the dram by Master of Malt Buy Whisky Online | Single Malt Whisky & More - Master of Malt which is what I am doing.
The latter is subjective and you could go broke trying to buy every single style or multiple types of every single alcohol made if you wanted to. My recommendation is based off in part my parents liqueur cabinet since I don't entertain some things they had for specific family member or for parties which neither one drank. I will also exclude anything that might be bought for cooking purposes that would not commonly be served at a party like sake.
Vodka
Gin probably a lower end mixing gin for G&T at parties, you could do a little higher end sipping gin if you wanted for family or a semi-formal/formal dinner
Scotch low end probably blended if for parties, you could do single malt if you wanted for family or a semi-formal/formal dinner
Bourbon same as gin or scotch
Red Wine coming from a family of wine drinkers cheap $10 a bottle works fine provided you like the brand but avoid pink wine
White Wine same as red
Champagne or Prosecco same as red
Brandy, Cognac, Grappa, or similar
Rum preferably white, dark, and spiced
Beer I would say probably Budweiser or similar in cans, Sam Adams Boston Lager, and an I.P.A would cover most anything I guess having Guinness couldn't hurt
Liquors
Vermouth
Mixers
Bitters
Tequila
Ect. like garnishes, glasses, shakers, stirrers, measures, and glassware
You don't need everything on this list but I think to is a good bases for a well stock liquor cabinet and should work for pretty much everyone in any situation.
The answer to the previous is simply don't buy bottles of something unless you at least know you like the general category it falls into. An example would be don't buy a Laphroaig unless you know you like a smokey peaty scotch or don't buy Monkey 47 unless you know you like gin. Instead try before you buy the bottle. There are several ways to do that such as local tastings, buying a glass at a bar, bumming some off a friend/family member, or the easiest way if they have what you want would be something like drinks by the dram by Master of Malt Buy Whisky Online | Single Malt Whisky & More - Master of Malt which is what I am doing.
The latter is subjective and you could go broke trying to buy every single style or multiple types of every single alcohol made if you wanted to. My recommendation is based off in part my parents liqueur cabinet since I don't entertain some things they had for specific family member or for parties which neither one drank. I will also exclude anything that might be bought for cooking purposes that would not commonly be served at a party like sake.
Vodka
Gin probably a lower end mixing gin for G&T at parties, you could do a little higher end sipping gin if you wanted for family or a semi-formal/formal dinner
Scotch low end probably blended if for parties, you could do single malt if you wanted for family or a semi-formal/formal dinner
Bourbon same as gin or scotch
Red Wine coming from a family of wine drinkers cheap $10 a bottle works fine provided you like the brand but avoid pink wine
White Wine same as red
Champagne or Prosecco same as red
Brandy, Cognac, Grappa, or similar
Rum preferably white, dark, and spiced
Beer I would say probably Budweiser or similar in cans, Sam Adams Boston Lager, and an I.P.A would cover most anything I guess having Guinness couldn't hurt
Liquors
Vermouth
Mixers
Bitters
Tequila
Ect. like garnishes, glasses, shakers, stirrers, measures, and glassware
You don't need everything on this list but I think to is a good bases for a well stock liquor cabinet and should work for pretty much everyone in any situation.
Some great answers, I have a small liquor shelf which I keep stocked with what I like to drink (Scotch, Japanese Whisky, Bourbon, Gin, and some Rum). If someone comes over and they want something else they can bring it themselves, although I usually grab some beer and cider for the guests as well 
