BESSER'S BAR CART ESSENTIALS

Hey pals! I’m shaking things up for you ~ pun very much intended ~  and I’m excited to bring you my Besser’s Bar Cart tips.

Many times when I’m cooking, my fiancé who works in the beverage industry, will be mixing up drinks alongside me. We love to perfect a traditional drink but also love to put our own spin on classics. Although we’re entertaining less IRL these days, there's nothing like sitting back and sipping on a delicious drink during those virtual happy hours and birthdays.

As someone who lives in Brooklyn, having space in my home for ANYTHING but essentials is a luxury I do not have. Over the years we’ve learned to maximize our cocktail crafting potential with minimum space for bottles. I want to show you how easy it is to mix up drinks with just a few bar cart staples and pantry essentials on hand.

Below is a list of basic beverage ingredients and tools that I keep on hand. There are so many great items out there that will really enhance the look and usability of your cocktail creations, but these are my favorites to start with. Don’t stress to build up your bar cart all at once, it's about investing in items that feel essential to YOU. So read on, you’re on your way to becoming a cocktail queen! 

AMAROS (i.e Bitters)

Amaro, which translates to ‘bitter’ in Italian, encompasses a range of spirits. From bitter Campari to the sweeter Aperol, they vary in intensity and flavor. They’re the flavor makers in some of your favorite classic drinks like a Negroni, so I suggest keeping both on hand for various drink creations.

• APEROL

  • Traditional Aperol

  • Contratto

  • Non-Alcoholic Aperol Replacement

• CAMPARI

  • Traditional Campari

  • St. Agrestis Inferno Bitter

• AMARO AVERNA

• AMARO DELL’ETNA

• AMARO MONTENEGRO

LIQUEURS 

When creating cocktails it's all about building the depth of flavor. A liqueur (not to be confused with liquor) is a distilled spirit usually infused with herbs or fruit, and one of those important components in cocktails. There are countless liqueurs and infusions that exist, some are meant for direct consumption, and others, like triple sec and vermouth, are most commonly mixed into beverages.

• ORANGE LIQUEUR

  • Triple Sec

  • Cointreau

  • Grand Marnier

• VERMOUTH

  • Sweet Vermouth

  • Dry vermouth
    

BUBBLES

• CHAMPAGNE

• PROSECCO

• CAVA

BASE SPIRITS

Keeping a few varieties of base spirits on hand will allow you to get inspired for new beverages. If you don't have room for many different bottles, I suggest keeping 2 light spirits and 2 dark spirits on hand. Additionally, I like to keep 1 or 2 nicer bottles for a special occasion or I’m enjoying a drink at home with my fiancé.

• Gin

• Rum

• Tequila

• Mezcal

• Vodka

• Whiskey

TOOLS

There are a ton of different bar tools that you can purchase to make fantastic cocktails in the comfort of your own home. I personally own this set, that contains everything you could possibly need to start mixing up cocktails right away. But, if you don’t want to get everything, here are a few individual items I recommend.

• Cocktail Shaker

• Bar spoon 

• Strainer

• Jigger

• Bottle opener

GLASSWARE

You gotta have a few snazzy glasses to take your drinks to the next level. Here are a few of my favorites.

• Sumac Sour Cocktail Glass

• Martini Coup