by Catherine Pawelek

Created on: June 13, 2009

For your basic bar give yourself a $150 budget (not including any fancy gadgets) & you should be all set. See the Mid Liquors (better than low end, but won't cost a king's ransom). Want to impress then 3 bills will really do it (see the Higher end liquors). There are rums, gins, vodkas for $6-$600,everybody's tastes & preferences are different (thank goodness), this is just a drop in the bucket of liquid libations.

Depending on whether you are a Neat freak (straight up no embellishments) or love to mix & mix will depend largely on whether you are going to go with lesser expensive liquors or not. My husband & I have owned restaurants & Martini bars for over 19 years , and let's be honest once you throw lime juice, triple sec, OJ, cranberry etc. into the shaker, you don't want to pair it with Belvedere or Ultimat. Although we feature over 30 Vodkas, 20 Gins, Rums and hundreds of other liquors in our restaurants, it is only to please our broad customer's tastes & to backup our list of 252 martinis. The home bartender doesn't need to go that crazy. All bottles are 750ml.

Mid Range

Vodka: Absolut $19-$22 -straight up or as a foil for a Cosmo, Dirty, Appletini

Gin: Gordons $15-19- Makes a great gin & tonic or Vesper (be Bond albeit for a moment) or Tanqueray $18-$23

Rum: Bacardi Superior $16-$19- perfect base for Cuba Libre or Pina Colada

Scotch: Cutty Sark $19-$23- basic flavor, aromas of celery, vanilla

Evan Williams $12-$14 or Jack Daniels $17-$19

Tequila: Sauza Gold $18-$21- the Margarita fix

Higher Range

Vodka: Belvedere $32-$38 or Ultimat $39-$42- Straight up, nicely chilled, nothing else.

Gin: Bombay Sapphire $25-$28- or Hendricks $36-$38 Shake it up , plunge in a garlic stuffed olive & call it the "Oscar Baby"

Cruzan Rum Estate Single Barrel $26-29- please don't mix. A couple of ice cubes & sip. Try Pyrat Rum Plantes XO Reserve $35-38- "now y're talking, me matey", in a snifter, savour.

Scotch: Dewars 12 yr Spec. reserve $31-$34

Bourbon: Knob Creek $29-$32, Bakers $39-$42 or Makers Mark $32-$36

Tequila: Patron Silver $49-$53 -that's what I am talking about. Add Citronge, serve over ice, do a Mexican Hat Dance for joy.

Add what no decent bartender would be caught without:

Triple sec $3-$8, Blue Curacao $6-$12, Rose's lime juice $5-$7, grenadine $4-$6, Queen olives $3, maraschino cherries $3, Juices (OJ, Cranberry, Pineapple) $10, a lemon, lime, orange

Want to add a couple of favorites Generic or Name Brands:

Coffee Liqueur $10/Kahlua $21, Anisette $12/Sambuca $28, Irish Cream $12/Baileys $25, Melon liqueur $11/Midori $19, Amaretto $9/Amaretto di Saronna $21, Raspberry $11/Chambord $28

Have some friends with fancy schmansy taste, add a single malt to the cabinet

Mid Single Malt: Balvenie 12 yr old $40-$42 (sherry flavored, fruit, honey, vanilla)

Higher End Maccallan 15 yr old Fine Oak $68-$72 (rose, cinnamon, orange, chocolate)

I could go on into eternity especially when it comes to aged Rums, my weakness. Sipping a Coyopa, Saint James or Myers Legend (all about $50) is like drinking a fine cognac, even better, transporting you to the islands, carefree.

Want one of our 252 recipes for Martinis, just let me know. How about the Dreamsicle, Euphoria, Key Lime Pie, Da Ginger, 007, Peaches and Cream, Aphrodisiac, Cha-Cha-Cha, the Psycho or Blue Lagoon.

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