The key to a truly epic man cave is not in how many large, inflatable foam fingers you can collect but in putting together a well-stocked bar for any social event.
Whether you’ve got a full wet bar (you lucky thing, you) or a simple booze cart, there are a few things that every man needs to get his drink on during poker nights, Sunday football, or more.
Good luck.
Whether you’ve got a full wet bar (you lucky thing, you) or a simple booze cart, there are a few things that every man needs to get his drink on during poker nights, Sunday football, or more.
- Whiskey. Absolutely no man bar is complete without this most manly of liquors. This perfect, brown liquor is an essential at poker nights and bachelor parties. It’s the main component in a good Manhattan cocktail as well. If it was good enough for Frank Sinatra, it’s good enough for you.
- Old-Fashioned Glass. These short, squat glasses are also called “rocks glasses” since they’re typically used for serving cocktails over ice. These are essential glasses to own as they’re versatile and can be used for a variety of cocktails.
- Cocktail Shaker. If you own no other bar tool, make it a shaker. Perfect for chilling, mixing, and pouring. A good shaker is a vital tool to making and chilling a variety of cocktails. Plus, you can pretend to be Tom Cruise also.
- Strainer. While your shaker will almost certainly have a built in strainer, not every cocktail offering requires a shaker. A strainer is a handy tool to keep around
- Lime/Lemon Squeezer. They look like exactly what they are. These hand-held presses make squeezing fresh lime or lemon juice an easy, mess-free task. Perfect for fresh margaritas, mojitos, and other cocktails.
- Muddler. It looks like a mini-bat you might get as a giveaway at a ball game or a miniature police baton. Muddlers are for crushing leaves and fruit to release their flavor. Perfect for everything from mojitos to manhattans.
- Blender. Unless blended drinks truly aren’t your thought (and even if they aren’t), a quality blender makes daiquiris, margaritas, or even smoothies a snap. And for the lazy man, a quick hit in the blender is just as good as a few shakes in the shaker. Also good for making several drinks at once or even pitchers.
- Must have Liquors. Of course no home bar is complete without an array of liquors and mixers. On the liquor side select a decent vodka, gin, and rum to complement your offering. These three liquors (and your whiskey!) will comprise 90% of the cocktails you’ll make. Handy mixers to keep available include orange juice, tonic, and club soda.
- Beer. Any well stock bar includes an array of cold beers. With the popularity of craft and designer beers you have more choices to mix, match, and choose to suit your particular tastes.
Good luck.
