There are several key elements that need to be included for your home bar to be considered a success — you’re going to need more than just a bunch of bottles of booze to have a really fabulous home bar. The tools, mixers, et more are easy to find — you probably have a lot of the stuff lying around in your kitchen or pantry. Since many of us may have limited space and/or limited funds, choosing wisely is important. No matter your budget, the first rule of The Art of Stocking the Baris to buy quality ingredients. From bourbon to bubbly, the wines and spirits you choose to stock will set the tone and style of your bar and the type of cocktails you can concoct. You don’t have to go top shelf, and remember price doesn’t always mean quality. You do want to cover all your beverage bases, however, from low spirits (the novice home bar) to spirits running high (the pro home bar) and those in between. At least one bottle of each of the base liquors will create a well-rounded bar. Here's our list of the seven essential bottles every home bar needs: 

 1.  Whiskey - Be sure to include a good Scotch whisky made from malted barley in Scotland, a bourbon, an essential American whiskey for the Southern gentleman (that's also great for sippin'), and a classic rye from Canada. 
Low Spirits $: The famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky $15, Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon $22, Crown Royale Deluxe Canadian Whisky $23 

Lift Your Spirits $$: Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey $35, Pike Creek Canadian Whisky $35, The Glenlevit 12 Year Scotch $37 (my fave)
Spirits Run High $$$: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon $55, Oban 14 Year Scotch $84, J.P. Wiser's 150th Anniversary Red Letter Blended canadian Whiskey $88 

 2.  Gin - The craft spirits revolution has created a gin renaissance, or ginaissance. A true gin lover, however, appreciates the value of a perfect Gin and Tonic. Always keep a nice dry gin handy — it's the base for many popular mixed drinks. 
Low Spirits $:Beefeater London Dry Gin $17, Perry's Tot Navy Strength Gin $23, Edgerton Original Pink Gin $27, Zuidam Dutch Courage Old Tom Gin $29 ​

Lift Your Spirits $$:Sipsmith London Dry Gin $36, Plymouth English Gin $32, Hendrick's $27, Jensen's Old Tom Gin $35
Spirits Run High $$$:Ransom Old Tom Gin $45, Nolet's Silver Dry Gin $49, Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin $50

 3. Rum - You don't have to be Captain Jack Sparrow to enjoy sipping rum neat. Just remember — white rums are for mixing cocktails and dark rums are for punches. Paper umbrellas work well with both.

Low Spirits $:Myers Original Platinum Rum $12, Malibu Coconut Rum $12, Bacardi Silver Rum $15

Lift Your Spirits $$:Appleton Estate Signature Blend $22, Mount Gay Eclipse $35, Angostura 1919 8 Year $38

Spirits Run High $$$:Parce 12 Year Old Straight Colombian Rum $76, Brugal 1888 Ron Gran Reserva Familiar $76

 4. Vodka - Vodka is the old reliable of many home bars. By definition it's colorless, odorless, and flavorless — meaning you can mix almost anything with it. Be sure to keep at least one good vodka around. And try some cocktails with flavored vodkas.

Low Spirits $: Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka $17 (my fave), Tito's Handmade Vodka $18, Absolut Vanilla Vodka $20, Reyka Vodka $22

Lift Your Spirits $$: Grey Goose Vodka $30 (our fave), Ketel One Vodka $30, Fair Quinoa Vodka $30, Belvedere Vodka $30

Spirits Run High $$$: Chase Original Potato Vodka $40, Crystal Head Vodka $50, Stolichnaya Elit $50

 5. Tequila - The kind of tequila you stock depends on whether you're in the mood for Margaritas or sipping and savoring. No matter what, make sure the tequila you buy is 100% agave. 

Low Spirits $: Sauza Hacienda Reposado Tequila $17, Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila $22

Lift Your Spirits $$: Casa Noble Crystal Tequila $35, Patron Silver $39 (our fave), Avion Silver $40

Spirits Run High $$$: Don Julio Reposado $53, Cazul 100 Reserva Extra Anejo $57, Volcán De Mi Tierra $63

 6. Brandy -  It's what's for après le dîner. Usually sipped neat, cognac and brandy are both suitable for mixed drinks. Cognac, called the liquor of gods, is known as a symbol of French luxury, the best brandy money can buy.

Low Spirits $: E&J Brandy XO $15, Pedro Domecq Presidente Brandy $19, Macchu Pisco $28

Lift Your Spirits $$: Torres 15 Reserva Privada Brandy $35, Martell VSOP Cognac $36

Spirits Run High $$$: D’Ussé VSOP Cognac $50, (one of Lolo's faves) Remy Martin 1738 Accord Royal Cognac $50, Lemorton Reserve Calvados $54, (and when you REALLY splurge) Rémy Martin Louis XIII Cognac $4500

 7. Champagne or Wine - Taste plenty of red, white, and bubbly and find your faves. A glass of chilled chardonnay or champagne is good any season — so is a glass of cabernet. 

Low Spirits $: Bisol Prosecco Jeio $14, Chateau Joly St. Emilion Bordeaux $20, Domaine St. Veran Val Lamartinien White Burgandy $23, Four Graces Pinot Noir Willmette $25

Lift Your Spirits $$: Veuve Clicquot Brut NV $46 (our fave), Peay La Bruma Syrah $50, Chateau Montelena Chardonnay $50 

Spirits Run High $$$: Laurent Perrier Rose $90, Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon $80 (my fave)

Once you’ve taken stock of what you need to mix up some classic cocktails, like a French 75 or an Old Fashioned, add what you like to the above essentials. Try some flavor infused frills — you can even infuse your booze yourself! Many cocktail recipes call for flavored liquors. If you're a fan of gin, be sure to include a London Dry, Plymouth, and Old Tom. There's just something about men and their gin. From Jay Gatsby to James Bond, many a movie icon picked gin as their poison. And definitely add in some liqueurs like Cointreau, Campari, and Vermouth, a key ingredient in iconic cocktails such as the Martini and the Manhattan. 

Mixers matter. Whether shaken or stirred, with a twist or with a chaser, all cocktails need mixers — and garnishes. Which ones you decide to stock will depend on the drinks you want to make. When displayed in small glass bottles, mixers add a splash of color to your bar and make pouring a breeze. Garnishes, on the other hand, can take a boring French Blonde from oh to oh là là. They also give you something to nibble on while sipping your drink. These are our choices for basic mixers and garnishes:

• Shaker, Mixing Glass, and Strainer 
• Jigger - For all your measuring needs… try a 1 oz and 3/4 oz combo.
• Muddler
• Bar Spoon - For all your stirring, mixing and layering needs.
• Citrus Peeler and Handheld Citrus Press
• Ice Bucket and Tongs

You’ll also want to add your favorite cocktail recipe books, old or new. My favorite is The Coupe by our friend Brian Hart Hoffman. Brian has a fabulous coupe collection and offers tips for collecting coupes and styling a home bar, as well as drink recipes from some of our favorite bars. We also keep monogrammed bar napkins and pretty hand towels readily available for spills and quick clean ups.

Next up… glassware. I love glasses like I do chairs— their different shapes and sizes, curves and angles. How you present your cocktails is almost as important as how you mix them. Having the proper glass for each cocktail isn’t a necessity, but it sure makes pouring and serving more fun. These glasses (and some red Solo cups) will see you through any soiree you might be planning:

Last, but definitely not least, is the style and location of your bar. We all want a home bar that's welcoming and appealing to our guests, but make sure it’s fun and easy for you. Whether you mix Margaritas from a brass bar cart, or transform an antique placard into a barmoire — like we did — you can always personalize and elevate your cocktail hour.

An antique chest or buffet makes an ideal bar. Place crystal glasses and decanters filled with your favorite aged liquors on an antique brass or silver tray to make spirits really shine. Add a lamp, artwork and flowers to bring color and height. You can store napkins, tools, extra glasses, and your favorite recipe books in the drawers or cabinets below. 

Turn a console into a drinks station when space is limited. A pretty tray will keep a cocktail shaker, pitcher, and liquor bottles in one place, leaving plenty of room for setting up glassware. The tray also proves handy in keeping everything looking organized as well as making things easier to move around when needed.

An antique bar cabinet looks just as beautiful open as it does closed, especially when you set the bar high! That’s exactly what we did when we recently removed a built-in desk from our kitchen during a renovation and replaced it with a gorgeous Louis Philippe period placard that we had at our store. Originally a dark cherrywood, Lolo bleached it and added a lime wax before installing it. We turned the center section into a bar to store our collection of antique French ice buckets and antique and vintage glassware, and called on Santa’s elves at Barri Thompson Interiors once again to sip and style the day away just in time for the holidays! It was nothing less than magical, proving once again that mixing in antiques will always #raisethebar! Chin-tchin to that!