Five bottles, two modifiers, and fresh citrus. That is all you need to make fifty cocktails.
The biggest mistake in building a home bar is buying too much too soon. Twenty bottles look impressive on a shelf, but most will gather dust while you reach for the same four every time. The smarter approach is to start small and start well — a core group of spirits and modifiers that unlocks nearly every classic recipe, with nothing wasted and nothing forgotten. Here is exactly what to buy, in order, and why each bottle earns its place.
These five bottles are non-negotiable.
Your list:
Buy 70 cl bottles. You will replace the ones you love and ignore the ones you do not.
Sweet vermouth and dry vermouth are the most useful modifiers in classic bartending. Sweet vermouth goes into Manhattans, Negronis, Boulevardiers, and Old Pal cocktails. Dry vermouth makes Martinis, Gibsons, and countless low-ABV aperitivo drinks. Buy small bottles — vermouth is wine-based and oxidises in weeks, not years. Dolin is reliable for both; Carpano Antica is richer for sweet vermouth if you prefer depth. Store them in the refrigerator once opened, and if they smell like musty cardboard, replace them.
Bottles are only half the bar. You need fresh citrus — lemons and limes at minimum, oranges for twists and juice when the recipe demands. You need simple syrup, which takes sixty seconds to make and keeps for a month in the fridge: equal parts sugar and water, stirred until dissolved. No heat required. You need Angostura bitters, which lasts effectively forever, and optionally orange bitters for Martini variations. Eggs, mint, and sugar cubes are bought as needed, not stored indefinitely.
Do not buy seventeen liqueurs on day one. Triple sec is useful but not urgent — buy it when you want Margaritas regularly, not because you might make one someday. Campari is essential only if you love bitter drinks; otherwise wait. Coffee liqueur, amaretto, and Irish cream are situational. Every additional bottle is a commitment of money and shelf space. Add modifiers only when a specific drink you actually want to make requires them. The discipline of a small bar forces creativity and prevents waste.
If you have nothing today, buy this: London Dry gin, blanco tequila, bourbon, white rum, vodka, sweet vermouth (small bottle), dry vermouth (small bottle), Angostura bitters, fresh lemons, fresh limes, granulated sugar. With these and the tools from the essential tools guide, you can make a Martini, a Manhattan, an Old Fashioned, a Whiskey Sour, a Daiquiri, a Mojito, a Margarita, a Negroni, a Gimlet, a Gin and Tonic, and a dozen more. Start there. Expand deliberately.
Buy the best bottle you can afford within each category, rather than spreading your budget thin across ten mediocre bottles. One great bourbon improves every whiskey drink you make.