If you're just getting started, how should you stock your home bar? Whether it's the accessories and gadgets, spirits, or bitters and grocery items, we have you covered. 

Norris needs some advice setting up his Detroit spot.

It's a big panel at the studio, with Barchaelogist Mickey Lyons, Engineer of Audio and Alcohol Randy Walker, and Norris Howard.

Randy’s Recommendations

Tools

At a minimum, you’ll need these.

• A jigger to measure
• Shaker tins for shaken cocktails (Randy prefers Boston-style: two metal tins that fit together)
• Mixing glass and long bar spoon for stirred cocktails
• Hawthorne strainer

Bottles

Start with just a few bottles and then expand to match your tastes.

Grocery Items

These are must-haves!

• Bitters (Angostura, or your favorite)
• Lemons
• Limes
• Soda water
• Tonic
• Mint (fresh)
• Simple syrup (buy for $4 or make your own: mix equal parts sugar and water, bring to boil to dissolve the sugar, and let cool. Store in the fridge.)

Recipes

With the above bottles and groceries, you can make these twelve recipes.

• Martini
• Gimlet
• Southside
• Gin and Tonic
• Tom Collin’s
• Gin Rickey
• Old Fashioned
• Whiskey Sour
• Manhattan
• Mint Julep
• Daiquiri
• Mojito

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