We're not talking about the bar you prepare for your best friend's birthday bash. This is for when a couple of friends might drop-in on you for a few drinks. That means you don't have to have everything, just a few things for those surprise happy hour guests. Of course, not everything listed is strictly for the cabinet - you might have to keep some things in the refrigerator.
The Liquors
- A bottle of a good red wine - for some reason, Merlot is a good basic that seems to work for most people.
- A good white wine - I think the ringer here is Chardonnay, even though personally, I prefer something else.
- I also like to keep a sparkling wine or Champagne, as well as dessert wine
- Vodka - works for almost everyone, so if you have nothing else, at least have vodka (and I keep mine in the freezer). After that, in my personal order, light rum, gin, then clear tequila
- Something in the "brown" family - like Scotch, Bourbon, etc.
Mixers
- Tomato juice - in cans, you can open only the amount you need
- Horseradish - in a jar, keeps in the refrigerator.
- Hot sauce - in the refrigerator. Everyone has hot sauce, right?
- Worcestershire sauce - can you tell we like Bloody Marys?
- Orange juice - in cans
- Cranberry juice - vodka and cranberry works every time
- Other juices, if you have the room, like pineapple, but now we're getting fancy
- Club soda - in small bottles, or you can do tonic, also in small bottles
Garnishes - obviously, things like lemons and limes (and celery for that
Bloody Mary) are not "pantry" so I'm leaving them out. If you're having a party, of course, you would have
them
What Can I Get You Folks? - Eating Out for Thanksgiving
In Defense of Guy Fieri
'Top Chef Vegas' - And Then There Were Five
