I’m sharing some favorite posts from 5:00 Fridays past while my tendinitis heals. For today, I’m sharing what I keep stocked in my bar. The Dirt & Noise bar is going to kick ass in our new house. This is going to be the wet bar just off the screened in porch. The party can’t start soon enough.
I don’t believe in being a lemming to trends. This applies to how I dress, how I cook, and how I mix my drinks. I don’t claim to be a style maven, a chef, or a trained mixologist. I don’t succumb to what’s on the hot list. By the time I find the hot list it’s lukewarm at best. There are plenty of people who can dial you into that scene and make your taste buds sing. But that person ain’t me. I come to you from the comfort of my kitchen. I don’t care that big city bartenders are infusing bourbon with charcuterie or that absinthe is the party fuel of the day. My philosophy is to work with what I have and never make what I won’t drink. In all these years of 5:00 Fridays (3, to be exact), I have never served up a cocktail recipe for something I couldn’t make or wouldn’t drink myself. Authenticity over trendy is my MO every time. I don’t spend oodles of money on rare ingredients, and I don’t feel the need to best my friends. I’m simply a mom who likes to entertain.
Whether a sit down dinner or drinks by the fire outside with friends who pop in, I keep certain things on hand at all times. I don’t care about offering the finest or the coolest or the trendiest on any front; I care about opening my home to friends and ensuring a good and tasty time is had by all.
My goal for 5:00 Fridays has been to mix cocktails with story telling. I hope I’ve inspired you to kick back with a cocktail and enjoy a departure from the standard beer and wine that so often graces our table. I want to convey that it’s easy to entertain without being frazzled. You don’t need fancy equipment, high falutin’ ingredients, or a mixology banner to create a lively, welcoming environment for your friends.
I thought I’d give you a little list of the basics I keep on hand so I’m ready to mix a drink any time, for anyone.
Vodka (Rain Organic)
Vanilla Vodka (Stoli)
Citrus vodka (Ketel One, Absolut)
Gin
Hendrick’s Gin
Tequila (Sauza or Patron)
Rum (light and dark)
Makers Mark
Variety of liqueur (Amaretto, Kahlua, Frangelico)
Prosecco
Triple Sec
Tonic
Club soda
Ginger ale
Ginger beer
Citrus soda (like Sprite or 7Up)
Variety of juice (orange, pineapple, cranberry, mango)
Lemonade/limeade
Olive juice (Durty Gurl)
Green olives
Fresh lemons and limes
Fresh herbs (mint, basil, thyme, rosemary)
Simple syrup
Grenadine
Keep a stocked bar the same way you keep a stocked pantry. I think you can mix up an awful lot of fun without jumping on any bandwagons or stressing about what’s hip. My cooking and my cocktailing philosophies are the same – keep it simple and taste will follow. It’s the company and good old fashioned stories behind the scene that you will cherish. Cheers!
I post about a cocktail once a week and it’s especially important to keep basics on hand and your list is a good one but I’ve been going a step further lately…most of my liqueurs are actually ones I’ve made; I would highly suggest an orange liqueur vs Triple Sec too since it’s really just flavored sugar water. But one of my most fun things to discover recently? Grenadine is basically concentrated pomegranate juice with some sugar and lemon or orange juice added to it. So amazingly good!
Until I read this, I was a “don’t” parent. Thank you so much for posting this; Ignorance is sometimes very dangerous it would seem. Gotta run–time to blowdry the cat.