Setting up a home bar can be a fun and rewarding project, especially if you enjoy entertaining guests or exploring mixology. Here are some tips to help you stock your home bar.
Clear Spirits
- Vodka
- Vodka is a spirit made from ethanol (distilled from wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, roots, or barley) and water.
- Gin
- You can think of gin as the original flavored vodka: first, the base material is fermented and distilled to make it completely neutral and flavorless, water is added, and then it’s flavored with juniper berries.
- Tequila
- Tequila is distilled from the blue Agave plant, and by definition, must be made in Mexico.
Brown Spirits
- Whiskey
- Grains (barley, corn, rye, and/or wheat) are brewed to break down the starch into simple sugars, which are then fermented and then the whole batch gets distilled and aged in charred casks.
- Bourbon & Rye
- Bourbon and rye are both blended whiskeys, and it’s important to learn the difference between the two! Bourbon must be American (95 percent of the world’s bourbon is made in Kentucky), and the blend of grains (called the mash bill) must be at least 51 percent corn. Rye has no geographical designation– it can be made anywhere– and must be at least 51 percent rye. Flavor-wise, bourbon is often smoother and more mellow, while rye is spicier.
- Scotch
- Made from 100 percent malted barley, it’s aged for ten years in ex-bourbon casks (bourbon casks can only be used once for bourbon by law, so lots of them go on to a second life in other whiskey categories). The flavor profile is soft, mellow, and creamy.
- Barrel-aged Rum
- Rum is distilled from either sugarcane molasses or fresh sugarcane juice. When the distillate is aged in oak barrels, it becomes rich and luxurious and can be sipped solo as you would a fine cognac!
Accessories
- Vermouth
- Vermouth is a fortified and aromatized wine. Basically: wine spiked with brandy, infused with herbs and spices, and sweetened.
- Bitters
- Bitters are aromatic, alcohol-based infusions of bittering botanicals (gentian root, cinchona bark, and cassia are common) and flavoring agents like fruit peels, spices, dried flowers, and herbs.
Sparkling Wine
- No home bar is complete without sparkling wine. You should ALWAYS have a bottle on hand in case people unexpectedly stop by.
Bill’s Package store carries a wide variety of wines and spirits. For more information about our wines or spirits, ask one of our friendly and knowledgeable staff.At Bill’s Package Store, we offer superior quality, top-shelf brands of your favorite liquors and wine at the lowest prices in Clarksville, TN. Call (931) 647-5566 or visit us at 1651 Fort Campbell Blvd Clarksville, TN.
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