Stocking a Home Bar on a Budget

When it comes to spirits smarts, LeNell Smothers is your go-to gal: She's a former liquor store owner and the author of our sister site Slashfood's LeNell It All drinks column. We asked LeNell to share her expert advice for getting the most from your booze-buying buck and stocking your bar lavishly -- even if you're on a shoestring budget. No matter if you've got $500, $200 or only $100 to spend, you can still get a bottle each of vodka, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey and basic liqueurs, and still have change left over for olives.

Vodka

The $100 Bar: OK, folks, it's vodka. Let's not get crazy here. Try cheap & cheerful Burnett's or Stoli -- an all-time reliable pour.
The $200 Bar: Organic, sweet white corn based Rain has no potato in it. Most vodkas are actually made from grain. Or try Vertical. It's made by Chartreuse monks in France. Hey, they ain't got nothing better to do except pray.
The $500 Bar: Made from three types of grain and unfiltered for an extra full mouth feel, Charbay is produced by a small family producer making all copper pot distillation spirits in California. And Tuthilltown Spirits Apple Vodka is made in a "Heart of the Hudson" bottle for a two distillation spirit as well as a triple-distilled "Spirit of the Hudson" bottling. It's crafted by a tiny, artisanal distiller in the Hudson Valley, from apples grown in New York, but it's not flavored with anything.

Gin

The $100 Bar: Go with Burnett's (again -- cheap and cheerful) or Broker's, a spicy, traditional London Dry style.
The $200 Bar: To be called "Plymouth," a gin must come from Plymouth, England, and this is the only gin that must come from a particular origin. There's only one distillery left there. Plymouth is fabulous on its own and amazing in cocktails. Also try Beefeater. This nice London Dry style is a classic gin choice. "London Dry" is a style but doesn't have to come from London.
The $500 Bar: Austrian genius, madman and artisan Hans Reisetbauer distills Blue from a wheat and corn spirit base and over 20 botanicals. Junipero is made by the folks behind San Francisco's Anchor Steam Beer. It's bold and spicy and got a great proof on it at 98.6.

Rum

The $100 Bar: Cocktail cathedrals like New York's Pegu Club use Brugal, an inexpensive, reliable white rum from Dominican Republic, as their well brand, Also worth trying is Barbancourt 3 Star -- a nice mellow dark rum from Haiti.
The $200 Bar: Hearty Gosling's Dark Rum from Bermuda pairs perfectly with ginger beer. Sagatiba Cachaca, made from sugar cane juice in Brazil, is fabulous with anything with lime -- like the most famous Brazilian cocktail, the Caipirinha.
The $500 Bar: Mae de Ouro Cachaca is THE best cachaca on the market. It's aged slightly in used Scotch barrels and very pure (which translates into, "I've never, ever had a hangover from it.") Rhum JM is an aged rum from Martinique, made from sugar cane juice instead of molasses like most rums.

Tequila

The $100 Bar: For an amazing quality to price ratio, try El Jimador, the second label of Herradura. Cazadores is a big seller in Mexico and fairly cheap for a 100 agave tequila.
The $200 Bar: Reposado means "rested" and Herradura Reposado is aged for less than a year in oak barrels to give it a smooth edge. For a clean, crisp tequila made from 100 agave, try Milagro Blanco.
The $500 Bar: Most tequilas are made from agave cooked in clay ovens. Partida Blanco uses stainless steel ovens resulting in a very clean, elegant spirit. Casa Noble Reposado is aged just a hair shy of a year. A few days more aging, and it would be an anejo. The blue ceramic bottle is an elegant addition to your liquor cabinet.

Whiskey

The $100 Bar: You can't go wrong with Rittenhouse Rye or Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon.
The $200 Bar: Twice the age of the well-known white label, Jim Beam Black Label is a great whiskey for sippin' neat or in cocktails. Clontarf Black Label is an Irish whiskey with a nice full flavor, without being smoky.
The $500 Bar: For a bourbon with a lot of rye in the recipe to give it a bold flavor profile, sip Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon. Edradour 10 year Scotch is made at the tiniest distillery in Scotland.

Liqueurs & More

The $100 Bar: Simple 375ml Hiram Walker Triple Sec will do just fine. Noilly Dry Vermouth 375ml and Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth 375ml are bar essentials.
The $200 Bar: Here's where you spring for Cointreau, an Orange liqueur in the triple sec family with a nice orange peel bite. Punt e Mes is a red vermouth with rich, full flavor. Use it in place of your regular sweet vermouth.
The $500 Bar: Cognac based Prunier Orange Liqueur carries an amazing orange peel finish. Vya Dry and Sweet Vermouths are made by Quady winery in California. Regan's Orange Bitters are an aromatic cocktail bitter with nice cardamom spiciness. Fee Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters are old fashioned cocktail bitters, but aged in American whiskey barrels for extra depth.

Alcohol Shopping Lists

THE $100 BAR SHOPPING LIST:

VODKA: Burnett's or Stoli
GIN: Burnett's or Broker's
RUM: Brugal or Barbancourt 3 Star
TEQUILA: El Jimador or Cazadores
WHISKEY: Rittenhouse Rye or Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
LIQUEUR: Hiram Walker Triple Sec 375ml, Noilly Dry Vermouth 375ml, Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth 375ml

THE $200 BAR SHOPPING LIST:

VODKA: Rain or Vertical
GIN: Plymouth or Beefeater
RUM: Gosling's Dark or Barbancourt 3 Star
TEQUILA: Herradura Reposado or Milagro Blanco
WHISKEY: Clontarf Black Label or Jim Beam Black Label
LIQUEUR: Cointreau and Punt e Mes

THE $500 BAR SHOPPING LIST:

VODKA: Charbay or Tuthilltown Spirits Apple Vodka
GIN: Blue or Junipero
RUM: Mae de Ouro or Rhum JM
TEQUILA: Casa Noble Reposado or Partida Blanco
WHISKEY: Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon or Edradour 10 year Scotch
LIQUEUR: Prunier Orange Liqueur, Vya Dry and Sweet Vermouths, Regan's Orange Bitters and Fee Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters

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