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"Seldom is there a bad time to offer your guests a drink\u2014especially when it's a terrific drink. A well-stocked bar is essential to being a great host. As an event designer, I've learned that a concise collection of liquors, mixers, garnishes, and tools takes half the headache out of entertaining and allows for parties at the drop of a hat.\n\nPinterestFacebook\n\nThe Basics\n\n Always be prepared to whip up a classic Manhattan, margarita, or martini. These are the staples: learn them, serve them, drink them. And then do it all again.\n\nWhiskey: A Manhattan calls for bourbon or rye whiskey\u2013I prefer classic Maker's Mark bourbon. While small-batch whiskeys are really having a moment, this Kentucky standard fits the bill for me.\n\nTequila: Come cocktail hour, I feel underdressed without a tequila in my hand. Herradura has a nice smoky flavor, and Patron Silver makes the smoothest margarita. For sipping, lay in for a bottle of Clase Azul, which is too good to mix with anything else except perhaps chocolate.\n\nGin: I drink Hendrick's, which looks as good on the bar as it tastes in your martini.\n\nVodka: We all know that Vodka makes us strong and clever. I suggest Belvedere or Ketel One for martinis and Tito's for Bloodies.\n\nVermouth: I recommend Martini &amp;amp; Rossi for martinis and Dolin for Manhattans.\n\nPinterestFacebook\n\nMixers and Garnishes\n\n I like my drinks neat, but some people need a little fizz. Keep ginger ale, tonic, and club soda accessible, and get small, individual-size bottles to ensure effervescence.\n\nComplete your drinks with fresh juices and garnishes that add zing. Keep freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and lemons and limes on hand.\u2028\n\nWhile I like my martinis clean, for some olives are the whole reason to make a martini. Classic Spanish olives are best; be sure to save the brine in case your guest takes them dirty.\n\nThe presence of Luxardo cherries in a cocktail is magical. These dark, syrupy gems take a Manhattan, Tom Collins, or old-fashioned to another level. (They're also divine on vanilla gelato, but that's for another post.)\n\nPinterestFacebook\n\nDecanters, Glassware, Etc.\n\n Adorn your bar with pieces that are functional, elegant\u2014and maybe even a little quirky (crystal decanters, julep cups, custom swizzle sticks, and vintage cocktail glasses). A set of vintage Gucci fox-head stirrup cups howled at me when I discovered them last holiday season while shopping for my pop-up shop. I smile every time I see them.\n\nPinterestFacebook\n\nTools of the Trade\n\n Cocktail hour should be fun, not work. Take the challenge out of mixology with a few vital tools:\n\nCitrus Squeezer: A handheld juicer will change your life and your cocktails.\n\nOpener: A giant ram's horn is my favorite bottle opener for its interesting looks, but for functionality nothing beats the Original Rabbit.\n\nIce: Settle in to entertaining and don't keep going to the freezer for more ice. Load up the ice bucket with oversize cubes\u2014they look better in drinks and melt slowly.\n\nCocktail shaker: My shaker is an artillery shell from WWI. Even if yours doesn't reference the Battle of the Somme, a cocktail shaker can be a conversation piece and the key to a perfectly mixed concoction.\n\nPinterestFacebook\n\nExtra Credit\n\nIf you want to create the ultimate bar, have these ingredients on hand:\n\n St-Germain\n\n Mezcal\n\n Domaine de Canton\n\n Orange bitters"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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