Welcome to the Bar Ninja guide to home bars. Your home bar setup actually says more about your personality than you might realize. When friends visit your house for the first time, do you run to the fridge and offer them a cheap beer or the dregs of the single bottle of vodka you’ve had in the cabinet for 6 years only to forget that you have nothing to mix it with? If you answered yes, this course is for you. Your lack of preparation for these guest marks you as a certain type of “home-tender”. On the contrary, there is another type of person who says, “Hey ladies (or gentlemen), let’s take the party back to my place. I have a fully stocked bar.”

Since you’re here, I assume you aspire to be the later. Bartending is a learned life skill that once mastered you will use often for the rest of your life.   This section of the website is a crash course for home bartenders to get the skills needed to successfully setup a home bar, host a successful event and gain the basic Mixology skills needed for home bartending.

Setting Up the Bar 

The first step in the production of a great home bar is to consider the size and location right that is right for you. Are you going to be entertaining for large groups which require a large space or the construction of an actual custom bar? Or are you limited by space in an apartment or condo, in which case a corner of the kitchen countertop can work. Take a minute to analyze your needs and determine the size and location that works best for your lifestyle.  

*Ninja Tip – Spills are easier to clean up in the kitchen and it puts you closer to the fridge and sink which can make life easier… 

*Ninja Tip - If your bar is not in the kitchen use a bar mat on the ground to catch all the spills if you want your security deposit back. Good luck trying to get Kahula spills out of light colored carpets. Also, you might consider a small fridge/freezer for beer and ice. 

*Ninja Tip - Keep your party flowing like you know what you’re doing. Follow basic catering rules by putting the bar on the opposite side of the room from the food… Just trust us on this one… 

Supplies and Tools 

If you were a chef you would probably show up to work with your personal knives, so as a bartender don’t over look your tools… unless you aspire to be a cut-rate hack. The good news is you don’t have to leave your chair to purchase these. All the following products can be purchased on this site, just visit our store. Try the Ultimate Bartending Kit to get you started. 

If you are a super low budget you can get by with the following: 

• Cocktail Shaker
• Hawthorne Strainer
• Bottle Opener
• Wine Key
• Jigger or measuring glass

• Bar Spoon
• Blender
• Ice Bucket
• Knife and Cutting Board
• Muddler
• Ice Scoop
• Tongs
• Pitcher
• Bar Mat
• Pour Spouts

Now that you have decided where your bar is going and you have the basic tools, it’s on to the good stuff. Stocking the bar with booze and mixers… I hope you have been saving, because this trip to the liquor store is going to cost you. For a basic bar setup grab the following: 

From the Liquor Store 

1 Bottle Vodka

1 Bottle Flavored Vodka

1 Bottle Rum

1 Bottle Gin

1 Bottle Tequila

1 Bottle Triple Sec

1 Bottle of Bourbon/Whiskey

1 Bottle Irish Whiskey

1 Bottle of Irish Cream

1 Bottle of Amaretto

1 Bottle Coffee Liqueur

1 Bottle Single Malt Scotch

1 Bottle Blended Scotch

6 Pack Light Beer

6 Pack of Guinness

Cordials of your choice: i.e. Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Sambuca etc. 

From the Grocery Store 

Ginger ale

Lemon Lime Soda

Cola

Diet Cola

Tonic Water

Soda Water

Tomato Juice

Orange Juice

Pineapple Juice

Cranberry Juice

Grapefruit Juice

Lime Juice

Grenadine Limes

Lemons

Oranges

Angostura Bitters

Worcestershire Sauce

Tabasco Sauce

Sugar

Salt and Pepper  

The approximate cost to set everything up will be $200.00 and $500.00 USD depending how overboard you go.  Depending on how pro you want to go, you might want to consider purchasing the correct glassware for the job. At the minimum you should have: 

Rocks Glasses            5 to 6oz

Tall Glasses                8 to 12oz

Shot Glasses              1 ½ oz.

Wine Glasses              5 to 10oz.

Martini Glasses          5 to 6 oz. 

*Ninja Tip – If you are throwing a party at home you can take the catering route by using only white and red wine glasses for all drinks. (Although you might want to have a couple martini glasses handy) 

*Ninja Tip – You can rent glasses from your local rent-all store if you are throwing a real rager. *Ninja Tip – If you are serving hot drinks, make sure you are using the appropriate glassware or that is has handles. Next Step -> 

Building a Bar 

Building an actual home bar is an intermediate construction project. It will take a full range of tools with various building and finishing materials. If you are not savvy with a circular saw, you may want to hire help or consult a local contractor. There are also sites online like barplan.com that can help in consultation and planning for the construction of your home bar.    

Bar Top Setup 

Most bar tops are laid out in a similar fashion. You will want to arrange your bottles in a way that makes sense to you grouping similar items together. You will need an area for your cutting board and knife and for your bar mat and shakers.  Click this video for a quick tutorial on how to arrange your bar.  

*Ninja Tip – Go to your local hardware store and purchase fluorescent under cabinet light sticks and then place them behind your displayed liquor bottles to create a professional look. Building a small shelf to tier two separate levels of bottles can also look very professional in a home setting.   

Keg Systems 

If you want to take it to the next level, you might consider a CO2 powered keg system for your home bar. You can buy kegerators or refrigerator conversion kits from beveragefactory.com. Over the long run this will actually save you money on beer and provide for a professional experience.    Coming soon will be a NinjaCast on how to convert an old refrigerator into a top notch keg system.   

Party Planning 

The party planner is an invaluable resource for your next event. Just enter the number of guests, party theme, occasion and it will formulate a shopping list for the liquor store, grocery store (with quantities) and offer a downloadable PDF menu you can use on your bar to feature exotic creative cocktails to impress all your friends.  *Ninja Tips for Party Planning 

• Keep the bar as far from the food as possible to ensure proper flow at your next event.
• Keep your bar in or near the kitchen to make clean up and re-stocking as easy as possible.
• Use only two or three types of glasses to simplify things. If you are having a large party you might want to rent white and red wine glasses to ensure things go smoothly.
• Do not use shot glasses that hold more than 1 ½ oz. Please… trust us… and the local authorities on this one.
• Use lower proof liquors when possible.
• Have non alcoholic beverages available for designated drivers.
• DO NOT OVERSERVE
• Use clean glassware and fresh ingredients for your cocktails.
• Chill glassware when possible.
• Hire a professional bartender if possible.

• Use the knife of the wine key to cut the foil under the bulge of the rim.
• Remove the foil and line up the screw so the tip is in the 1 o’clock position in the center of the cork.
• Press the screw into the cork and screw in until the last ring is exposed.
• Attach the lever to the rim of the bottle and lift on the handle with a firm grip.
• Wipe the neck of the bottle.
• Present the cork to the host or guest that ordered the bottle.

 *Ninja Tip - You can make your life easier if you purchase a rabbit wine opener. It opens bottles flawlessly in half the time.  

Opening Champagne 

• Put the corkscrew away. It won’t help you here…only hurt you…
• Champagne is under high pressure and taking a friend to the hospital is a buzz kill, so point this thing in a safe direction.
• Remove the foil
• Untwist the metal clasp
• Put a towel over the cork and grasp the cork with a firm grip
• Twist the bottle…not the cork, and loosen it the rest of the way. The towel will catch the cork.

Garnishes 

Garnishing cocktails correctly is essential to the look and taste of the cocktail. This is a part of the presentation that should not be overlooked. This is a quick course in how to cut fruit for your home bar. How to cut limes, oranges and lemons 

Cut off both ends

Cut in half

Slice a slit but do not cut the rind

Slice into wheels  

Finished Product

Mixology for the Home Bar

Home Bar Mixology has three areas, Recipe knowledge, Preparation and Ingredients. Basic recipes should be committed to memory. We have segmented the online drink recipe database into two categories to simplify this for you.  You should keep a recipe book behind the bar for reference for the times when guests order and drink you do not know. Preparation of the drink beings with following the pouring instructions listed in the recipe. This includes the glass type, liquors, mixers and any special instructions. The following is a list of explanations to the instructions included most recipes. 

Blend
Mix with blender using liquids first ice last. Always use a high end commercial blender for a consistent smooth texture.

Build
combine the ingredients directly into the glass with or without ice.

Chilling
Chilling is a procedure, which consists of cooling the glass with ice and water prior to pouring the drink. Carbonated soda speeds up the process due to the sodium content.
Do not throw ice and water back into the ice bin, but rather into the dump sink.

Coating
The coating technique consists of rinsing a glass with a small amount of liquid using a clockwise movement until the glass is coated evenly and thoroughly. The excess liquid is removed by holding the glass upside down until the glass is empty. This is a common practice for drinks such as Pink Gin and Sazerac. In some circumstances, recipes may call for "coated with chocolate syrup" too.

Combine
Pour all ingredients in order directly into glassware. Ice is usually not required.

Dust
Garnishing by sprinkling ground nutmeg, grated cinnamon stick, or chocolate powder on top of a drink. 

Flame
Also know as flambe, this method requires some practice. Avoid flaming a drink and attempt to carry it whilst still lit. Extinguish the flame before the customer drinks the beverage and pay attention to the rim of the glass because the first rule of chemistry is that hot glass looks the same as cold glass.  

Flamed Zest
This very eye catching garnish consists of igniting the flammable, aromatic oils found in the rind of citrus fruit. Hold the cut zest with the peel facing the surface of the drink. Using the thumb and forefinger gently squeeze the zest to release the oils over a match flame. Stay at least 3-4 inches away from the drink otherwise a smoky film will appear on the glass rim. Discard the burnt peel and replace it with a fresh one avoiding a "burnt rubber" smell.

Float
Floating means layering the final ingredient on top of the drink by slowing pouring it over a (bar) spoon or a cherry. You can also pour the liquor against the rim of the glass to achieve the same effect.

Free Pouring
Pouring without a jigger. Most bartenders develop a “count” to measure for free pours.
 
Frosting
Storing your glassware in the freezer will give you this nice icy coating on your glassware.

Neat
Pour liquor directly from the bottle into the glass without chilling it over ice.

Rimming
Rimming of the glass is obtained by moistening the rim by wiping a wedge of lime around it and holding it upside down. This detains any liquid from entering the glass and spoiling the cocktail. A professional piece of equipment composed of three sections, one with a sponge, is known as a rimmer. It is important to rinse the sponge and allow it to air dry at the end of the shift for health code.

Shake
All juice cocktails should be shaken at least ten times for proper infusion of all ingredients. mixing a drink by shaking it also chills it to proper temperature and dilutes it. Too little ice will melt in the shaker and the result will be an over-diluted cocktail. Always fill your cocktail with two-thirds of ice. Never reuse this ice.

Stirring
Stir ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a bar spoon. This is for cocktails that have fragile ingredients.

Straight up
Strain a pre-chilled beverage over ice into a glass without ice.

When to Shake

Drinks containing fruit juices, sugar, eggs, cream or other ingredients difficult to mix should be shaken briskly. Frothiness is desired of most sour drinks, punch drinks or creamy drinks. Shaking the drink and them pouring it into the drinking glass provides the best presentation.

When to Stir

Drinks containing clear liquors and ingredients require stirring with ice for proper mixing. Stir drinks containing a carbonated mixer (tonic, ginger, soda, etc.) gently in order to preserve the sparkle and effervescence. Too little stirring fails to mix or chill ingredients, too much stirring melts the ice and dilutes the drink.

Pouring

When making the same drink (especially shooters) for several people at the same time, make them all in one batch. Saving time, this also insures that all the srinks are made the same strength and taste. Set up all the glasses in a row, pour, filling each glass halfway. Then go back to the first glass and top them off.

How to Float Cordials

To make cordials float on top of the other in the same glass, as in the B-52, pour each ingredient slowly over a teaspoon held bottom side up over the glass. The rounded surface of the teaspoon will spread each cordial slowly and evenly over the one below.

Ice

Always use plenty of ice. Whether cubed or shaved, all ice should be fresh, crystal clear, and free of any taste. Always put the ice in the mixing glass, shaker, or drinking glass before pouring any ingredients. The liquids are chilled as they are poured over the ice and there is no splashing. More ice means less mixer, therefore, if you pack a glass full of ice, the drink will taste stronger.  

Shaking a Drink 

Any drink that contains a juice or cream (but never soda or carbonated drinks) should be shaken at least ten times to ensure proper mixing for a well balanced cocktail. This will also help to chill the drink as the alcohol passes by the ice in the shaker.  

Making Simple Syrup 

Mix equal parts powdered sugar and very hot water and shake vigorously. Next Step> 

Glassware   

Glassware is part of the presentation of the cocktail. It should be elegant, transparent and sparkling clean. Glassware is an excellent insulator which helps to keep cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot. The glass is one of the most important elements in defining a drinks style. Most recipes make a glassware suggestion in the recipe. When you need to make a decision on the glassware for yourself take into account the capacity of the glass and the total size of the beverage. You want your cocktail to fill the glass without needing to over dilute the beverage with extra mixers.  

Glassware Handling 

Avoid handling any part of the glass that might come in contact with a person’s mouth. Touching the rim or inside of the glass is a health code violation.  Never use the glass to scoop ice directly from the ice bin. If the glass breaks it will be impossible to find pieces of broken glass in the ice. If you do break a glass in or around the ice bin, empty the bin immediately. Inform all other bartenders in the area. Pour buckets of hot water on the ice to accelerate the melting process. If you use this ice you risk serving your guest chards of glass in their cocktail. No matter how far behind this will put you, it is better than the alternative. Inspect the glass before adding ice or ingredients. Always use sparkling clean glassware. Check for chips cleanliness and lipstick or any other contaminant.  A stemmed glass should be used for all cocktails that are served without ice so that the heat of the hand holding the glass does not warm the drink as it is consumed. Serve these drinks using the stem so that they do not warm the cocktail or touch the rim where the guest will be drinking from.  

Storage 

Glassware must be stored properly in order to keep it clean. Glasses should be inverted and stored on shelving that has proper NSF certified netting to raise this rim of the glass to allow for proper airflow circulation. Periodically rotate the glassware to keep it from getting dusting with time. Always use a level clean surface or shelf to store glasses. They should be stored away from areas of smoke with can create a film on the glass. If you are chilling glassware you should use a clean refrigerator. Lingering odors can impact the taste of the drink or wine.  

Types of Glasses

Stein- Heavy mug with handle.

Pint- Heavy straight sided glass used for tap beer, water, cocktails.

Pilsner- Heavy footed glass with tapered sides used to highlight lighter beers.

Stemmed- Looks similar to a wine glass used for sweet light beers like Stella Artois.

Wine/ChampagneFlute- Tall slim champagne glass used to highlight the bubbling action of champagne and sparkling wines.

Port- Short stemmed glass with nice tulip shape

White Wine- Tall, slim, stemmed glass with a narrow opening at top.

Red Wine- Tall, stout, stemmed glass with large bowl at the top with a large round opening to allow the customer to smell all the complexity of a richer wine.

Rocks Glass- Used for drinks over ice, chilled drinks, shots & beer or water backs.

Double Rocks Glass- (aka Tub or Bucket) Used for drinks with a mixer (Jack Daniels & Coke, etc.) or a double over ice.

Collins Glass- Used for any tall drinks, doubles with mixers or Collins drinks.

Martini Glass- Used for shaken or stirred drinks and sometimes shots; primarily Martinis.

Margarita Glass- Used for Margaritas, frozen drinks, and ice cream drinks.

Coffee Drink Glasses- (aka Irish Coffee Glass) Used for any drinks with coffee, as well as hot tea, hot chocolate, etc.

Brandy Snifter- Used for cordials such as Brandy, Cognac, Sambuca, etc. The brandy snifter can also be used for liqueurs and liquor served with or without mixers.

Hurricane Glass- (aka Poco Grande)- Stemmed shaped bowl glass used for tropical drinks like a Hurricane or Pina Colada also a variety of drinks including blended, tropical, water,  juices or Long Island Ice Teas.Coming soon will be a NinjaCast on Glassware       Next Step>   Now you have the essentials to setup your own home bar and host a successful event. You can use our party planner program to build shopping lists based on attendance and theme. It takes the guess work out of figuring what and how much to buy.    

Tips and Tricks

*Ninja Tip - You can make your life easier if you purchase a rabbit wine opener. It opens bottles flawlessly in half the time.  

*Ninja Tip – Spills are easier to clean up in the kitchen and it puts you closer to the fridge and sink which can make life easier… 

*Ninja Tip - If your bar is not in the kitchen use a bar mat on the ground to catch all the spills if you want your security deposit back. Good luck trying to get Kahula out of light colored carpets. Also you might consider a small fridge/freezer for beer and ice. 

*Ninja Tip - Keep your party flowing like you know what your doing. Follow basic catering rules by putting the bar on the opposite side of the room from the food. Just trust us on this one… 

*Ninja Tip – If you are throwing a party at home you can take the catering route by using only white and red wine glasses for all drinks. (Although you might want to have a couple martini glasses handy) 

*Ninja Tip – You can rent glasses from your local rent-all store if you are throwing a rager. 

*Ninja Tip – If you are serving hot drinks, make sure you are using the appropriate glassware or that is has handles. 

*Ninja Tip – Go to your local hardware store and purchase fluorescent under cabinet light sticks and then place them behind your displayed liquor bottles to create a professional look. Building a small shelf to tier two separate levels of bottles can also look very pro in a home setting.  

*Ninja Tips for Party Planning 

• Keep the bar as far from the food as possible to ensure proper flow at your next event.
• Keep your bar in or near the kitchen to make clean up and re-stocking as easy as possible.
• Use only two or three types of glasses to simplify things. If you are having a large party you might want to rent white and red wine glasses to ensure things go smoothly.
• Do not use shot glasses that hold more than 1 ½ oz. Please… trust us… and the local authorities on this one.
• Use lower proof liquors when possible.
• Have non alcoholic beverages available for designated drivers.
• DO NOT OVERSERVE
• Use clean glassware and fresh ingredients for your cocktails.
• Chill glassware when possible.
• Hire a professional bartender if possible