Curating Your First Home Bar? Here Are 3 Whiskies To Start With
Keen on putting together your first home bar? What you will need along with bar tools, accessories, glassware, mixers and garnishes are quality liquors which will give a good head start to your cocktail experiences and tasting events. Whisky is one such spirit which can come in handy when you put together a home bar.
But how to choose from a wide array of whiskies and how to put each one to use can seem a little bit complicated in the beginning. Here’s a basic breakdown of some of the whiskies you can bring together for your first home bar to kick start your mixology endeavours.
How many types of whisky are needed?
When you are just getting started on building your home bar, about three whiskies should suffice at the beginning. Each of these can offer flavour variety, options for sipping and cocktail making and for gifting, should you host guests at home for a cocktail evening or a special occasion.
Think of it like a starter rack, that offers range without overcrowding your shelf.
What are the different kinds of whiskies that can be part of your first home bar?
Some of the whiskies that can be interesting additions to your home bar can be a Scotch whisky, a single malt and a grain whiskey – all of which offer quite a bit of flavour range.
These whiskies can include 750 ml bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky, a single malt such as The Singleton Of Glendullan Single Malt Scotch Whisky and a Signature Premium Grain Whisky.
Which whiskies are suitable simply for tasting on the rocks and which are good gifting options?
Of these three whiskies that would kickstart your first home bar, one which is suitable for tasting on the rocks is a single malt Scotch such as The Singleton Of Glendullan. Served on a bed of ice, this single malt will enable an amateur to better explore the tasting notes of a whisky made using 100% malted barley.
Whiskies like the Signature blend is an interesting option for gifting so it can be bought and stored in the bar cabinet to be brought out for special occasions.
Also Read: Building A Home Bar? Try These 5 Essential Liqueurs
Can I use these whiskies in cocktails too?
Of these whiskies in your collection, one which can be used for preparing different kinds of flip cocktails, highballs, whisky sours and old fashioneds is the blended Scotch whisky. A premium liquor such as the Johnnie Walker Black Label will come in handy while experimenting with different cocktail recipes at your home bar.
What is the budget range for these bottles?
In the Indian territory, most of these whiskies will be available to you in the range of Rs. 3000 to Rs. 8000 depending on local liquor laws.
What tools would you need to taste these whiskies at home?
One of the most essential elements necessary in your first home bar along with these three whiskies is good glassware. Go for Glencairn glasses which will give you a more refined tasting experience and for highball glasses when you are preparing simple whisky cocktails.
Along with that, your mixology kit can contain: a jigger (for measuring whisky), ice cubes (for serving whisky on the rocks), a cocktail shaker (for blending drinks), a bar spoon (for stirring), a mixing glass and strainer (for serving cocktails).
What comes after these three whiskies?
Once you have grown accustomed to the presence of these three whiskies in your home bar, the next step is to slowly identify your preferred tasting notes and build a collection which features this flavour profile.
Go for bourbons and Speyside scotches if you prefer softer flavours or high-rye whiskies if you favour a spicy touch. Islay scotches are suitable choices for those who prefer smoky, peaty flourishes in their whiskies.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
