We Need To Talk About Your Bar Cart
HOW TO STOCK IT AND WHAT TO MAKE - GIN EDITION
BY: JOSHUA GANDEE
Beverage Director, Watershed Kitchen & Bar
Whether you’ve recently put one together, breathed a second life into a thrifted one, or received one as a gift from someone you once watched a season of Mad Men with; there’s an art to stocking your bar cart (before it becomes a sanctuary on wheels to your house plants). There are many directions you can take with your bar cart. Some use them as showpieces or as fancy shelving, but the right stocking methodology can make all the difference and can set you up to make cocktails simply, any time you feel the need.
For the sake of brevity, in this blog, I’m going to help you stock and prepare your bar cart with everything you need for fantastic gin cocktails. From there, you can start introducing other spirits or fun additions. Let’s dive in.
Four Peel Gin is a citrus-forward, versatile gin that works as well in stirred classics as it does alongside highballs and shaken, refreshing mixes. Bourbon Barrel Four Peel Gin is an aged version of our flagship gin, which enhances flavor characteristics of the time spent in the wood barrels when added to fortified wines, bitters, or other bold modifiers. Guild Gin is a subtly sweet and slightly floral gin that is great with a lift of bubbles, a splash of sweetness, or simply sipped on the rocks.
If you recently watched a documentary about minimalism and you only like one drink, then this task is going to be super easy for you. But for everyone else, here’s what you’ll need:
The Obvious
Watershed Four Peel Gin
Watershed Bourbon Barrel Four Peel Gin
Watershed Guild Gin
Essential Ingredients
Sweet Vermouth
Blanc Vermouth
Dry Vermouth
Dry Curaçao
Simple Syrup (can be purchased or easily made)
2-3 Types of Bitters
Seltzer
Campari
Experience Enhancers
Lemon
Orange
Lime
Olives
Egg
Raspberries
Tools
Cutting Board
Paring Knife
Mixing Glass
Bar Spoon
Mixing Tins
Strainer
Ice Bucket
Tongs
Measuring Device
It may seem an overwhelming amount, but remember that you are starting from scratch. With this list, you’ll be able to make a number of classic gin cocktails and give yourself the opportunity to get creative. As far as the vermouths, simple syrup, fresh fruit, and egg are concerned, those are best left in your fridge until ready to be used. Vermouth is a fortified wine product, and even though it has a longer shelf life than traditional wine, time spent in the fridge will extend its usage period (we’ve been trying to reach you about your wine’s extended warranty).
Simple syrup can be made fresh each time you have a cocktail session, but it can also be easily made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. Fresh citrus can be juiced ahead of time and stored in your fridge for 3-5 days which also makes it easier to measure for cocktails. Egg whites can also be separated from the yolk and stored in a squeeze bottle in the refrigerator, however, unless an egg white cocktail is your only move, cracking an egg is probably worth the effort.
There are many places where you can pick up bar tools, and your ideal selections really come down to aesthetics and functionality. If you have a rose gold bar cart, you can certainly find rose gold tools to adorn the top. If you are willing to work with what you’ve got or are on a budget, there are certainly ways to make great drinks without the exact tools you’ve seen bartenders use behind the stick. You’ll need a mixing glass for stirred beverages, but in lieu of that, a tall pint glass will suffice as long as you have room for liquid, ice, and the rotation of a spoon. Mixing tins or a Boston shaker are great for shaken and refreshing cocktails, but in place of those, a large mason jar with a sealable top can be put to good use. A jigger is a practical measuring tool that can measure from the quarter ounce up to the two-ounce martini pour, but if you haven’t yet found the one you like, the measuring spoons you use for baking can fill that void. Just remember that every ounce is two tablespoons.
In my opinion, the bar spoon and the strainer are two of the most important tools in your arsenal. The bar spoon is not only used to stir your drinks to completion, but it can also be used for highballs as a way of pouring your effervescence down its stem to keep from killing any bubbles, or to grab olives or cherries instead of your fingers. (No judgment though, if you do.) The back of the spoon can be used to break up any cubes that have begun to fuse with one another in an ice bucket, and also be used as a tiny hand to wave to guests entering the room. A strainer is an often overlooked tool for the at-home bartender. One simple technique utilized by bartenders is the strain and the elusive but impressive double strain through a small sieve. Implementing this technique keeps shards of ice from entering your cocktail. Not only are those shards annoying as they bounce against your lips with each sip you take, but their size is actually contributing to further dilution of your cocktail.
As far as display purposes go, the top of your bar cart can serve as an identifier for what is in store for the evening. If you plan on making one or two types of cocktails, make sure those are the only contents on the top of your cart so you can give yourself a usable and organized workstation. Those bottles that are grabbed with infrequency should be stored on the bottom shelf of the bar cart so as to not hinder the maestro of the mix. For example, if I have someone coming over and I want to impress them with a pre-dinner and a post-dinner cocktail, those are the only ingredients I will have on display so they are ready to be mixed when we are.
Upon arrival, a gimlet is a great way to set things off and with only three ingredients it allows you to play host and not bartender for too long. In a matter of minutes, you can have cocktails at the ready, especially if you’ve already made your simple syrup and juiced your limes.
The following cocktails utilize the ingredients featured above for your stocked gin bar cart. Keep in mind that these are classic cocktails and can be built upon with your own preference and technique. As always, if you make any of our recommendations please tag us so that it may hopefully inspire someone’s next drink.
THE GIMLET
2oz Four Peel Gin
.75oz Fresh Lime Juice
.75oz Simple Syrup
Shake all ingredients until well chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a sliced lime wheel and enjoy.
With only three ingredients the gimlet is a great way to get a party started without feeling like you are chained to the drink area. You can swap out the gins to introduce new flavors, or swap the simple syrup with maple or honey to add seasonal flair.
BOURBON BARREL NEGRONI
1.5oz Bourbon Barrel Four Peel Gin
1oz Sweet Vermouth
.5oz Campari
Stir until well chilled and strain over new ice in an old fashioned glass. Using your paring knife, gently cut a slice of orange peel and express the oils over the glass.
A negroni is an excellent middle of the party cocktail as its flavors pair well with most dinner offerings, or simply with items found on a cheeseboard. For a bit of play, utilize your different vermouths in this mix for more dense, or lighter flavors.
WHITE LADY
1.5oz Guild Gin
.5oz Dry Curacao
.5oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.5oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White
Shake all ingredients with ice until well chilled, strain out liquid, remove ice and shake again. The second shake emulsifies the egg whites creating a velvety texture great for sipping. Strain contents into a chilled mixing glass and serve without garnish.
This cocktail allows you to practice your shaking technique and to fall in love with the texture of egg white cocktails if you haven’t already. Subtle additions of bitters can open this cocktail up to new possibilities, as well as playing around with your syrups.
The rest of the bottles on the cart can be used to create wonderful martinis or variants. You can check out our martini blog here for more recipes. Keep an eye on things as they begin to get low, maintain fresh ingredients, and practice your technique -- those are some keys to make best use of a new (or new to you) bar cart. Stocking a couple of cocktail books for inspiration, or checking back in here for our latest recipe blogs will keep you creating with the best.