How to shop for a bar on a BUDGET

[@AndersErickson]

Let me know what bottles would make your list! Always curious what's available in other places 🤔 Go to thld.co/shakerandspoon_anders... and use code ANDERS to get $20 off your first box at Shaker & Spoon!🍸

[@jaydub2971]

Evan Williams White Label Cutty Sark (not as complex as Monkey Shoulder, but cheaper in my area) Sobieski (so my wife can mix her sweet vodka drinks) Dolin Blanc (if I can't get sweet & dry, I'll split the difference) Angostura bitters Campari

[@jaydub2971]

NB: if I knew an affordable demarara rum, I'd happily add a Queen's Park Swizzle to my affordable cocktail list, but I don't especially reach for rums.

[@blackaces26]

I’ve been using Clement Creole Shrubb in place of orange liqueurs in my cocktails and loving it, but I am a rhum geek.

[@gabrielstrong2186]

Does Shaker. And Spoon ship overseas? Specifically to Australia?

[@jimkee7988]

I wish YT was around when I bought booze for my first place. This would have come in handy. Right now my first 3 purchases would be geared toward the drink I make most: The Vesper. Don’t think less of me, I just like big boozy drinks. If I’m going to just have 1 a night, I want it to really be 2 a night in 1 glass. I might choose Cocchi Americano over Lillet though.

[@brookspn]

My strategy wasn't to buy everything at once. Rather, it was "Hey, I wanna make on Old Pal. What do I need for that?" Then a bit later "I've got some Campari now, what else can I make with that?" And so on. Now, a year or so later, I've got loads of bottles. I also think I'm helping keep Campari in business.

[@AndersErickson]

Love it. Probably the most organic way to build it out - learn as you go. Cheers!

[@johnstockton2800]

My strategy exactly! That's also how I ended up with a $80 bottle of Absinthe and then spent days looking for more recipes 😀

[@fugu4163]

That was my strategy too and still are. The problem are those bottles that are just sitting there collecting dust right now. Buying and indian rum was a huge misstake of mine since it is very sweet and tastes like burnt butter.

[@deangrosbard8823]

I wish I had employed that strategy, I just went to Costco and stocked full of stuff I knew the name of and now I have about 10 bottles I almost never touch. Now I do exactly as you said, if there is a cocktail I really liked or want to try I would go get a bottle if I don’t have it

[@anthonyserrano5925]

Not to downplay how much Campari you buy my friend, but holy, as someone who has worked events for them, that company has so much money. Throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars at month long events etc. It's out of this world.

[@hopeyhope2012]

Love the “get what you want to drink” approach. Drinking can be so social and I like to pamper my loved ones, so when I started a home bar, I found myself gravitating to spirits friends/family enjoyed so I could offer them something when they stopped by. Don’t get me wrong, those bottles have been handy but I can say confidently that I’m never without a bottle of tequila now. I’m the only one who drinks it but I love a margarita and I will not deprive myself of what I love. 😅😂

[@muffininthehizzy]

Literally used this verbatim to make a cocktail kit raffle basket. It really went over well. There's a drink for everyone here, it's great 😊

[@jacksteppenwolf6975]

"No judgement, just, maybe eat" may be the funniest sentence I have heards in months

[@kyleknebel6409]

As others have done, I too built my bar organically as a recipe called for it. Thanks for the great recipes, Anders! And an orange/herbal liqueur video would be great!

[@robertgrenader858]

If you've ever worked for a large retailer, shelf space, particularly at eye level and above, is all paid for by the distributors. And the product there is more profitable than the stuff on the lower shelf. Every month, retailers get something that used to be called a Planogram (a Kmart idea) which shows where everything is supposed to be on shelves.

[@AndersErickson]

Brilliant. Cheers, Robert!

[@tomshaw7409]

“Campari offers some bitter notes” you mean it tastes like the essence of pure bitterness for 45 seconds?? Love the content as always Anders, thank you for everything you do!

[@jonathanwilliams1974]

But it's soooooo good.

[@kevinmckevinson8059]

More like licking an orange flavored ashtray … and liking it!

[@Ghorda9]

@@kevinmckevinson8059 chewing on an orange peel would be more accurate

[@JonMoralesLA]

If Campari is too bitter the go to substitute is Aperol. It’s usually sold right next to Campari and I prefer it. But sometimes ya just gotta stick with the Campari.

[@KnowOne111]

@@JonMoralesLA you really can’t replace Campari with Aperol in a cocktail though

[@scottbaron121]

As a professional bartender, I really enjoy your channel and content. Thanks!

[@wafelsen]

The little bottles are great for trying things to decide if you like them. I bought a small bottle of gin, tried it in a few cocktails and decided it isn’t for me. I may someday circle back around and try again, but for now, I am ok with the rest of the cocktail world. On the other hand, I bought a $6 for 1L bottle of orange liqueur and it was awful. Trying a tiny bottle of Cointreau made all the difference and then I knew to spend the money for a decent orange liqueur.

[@inthebag84]

I like the idea of having an orange liqueur video! I always thought you could swap triple secs with curacaos... but maybe you can't? I don't know. I'm excited to find out when you do your video! 🙂

[@miguelc209]

I don't know how many hours of my life I've spent watching cocktail videos, but this was BY FAR the very best video ever. I wish i had seen something like this when i first started. The cocktails laid out followed by ghe recipes all so elegantly laid out. Gaaah damn that was genius. Big props man. Keep it up, because your have a wonderful channel going

[@jedolson6015]

Just made homemade grenadine this past week because of your channel, far and away better… and I had to do it sans rose water. Excited to try a few more cocktails with it on this list.

[@ronniesuburban]

Wow! Just one of your best videos to date. You deftly converted $100 and $200 into a very meaningful and practical bar. And your 10-cocktail flex at the end reminded me of why it was always such a joy to have a session while you were behind the bar. When friends ask me about starting a home bar, I have often referred them to Rogue Cocktails (if they can find a copy). But this video will be another first mention, especially for friends who don't want to get started without committing to an excessive spend. Really nice!

[@AndersErickson]

Thanks, Ronnie! Had a lot of fun coming up with this list. Great call on Rogue Cocktails!

[@trayhinton8321]

Outstanding video! So glad you included 10 drink recipes using the bottles you bought. Super helpful- thank you🙏🏻

[@sethmurray5560]

YES to the orange liqueurs! Would love to hear your takes on Cointreau, O3, Gran Gala, Gran Marnier, Triple Sec, etc.

[@kents.2866]

Yes for Old Overholt.

[@agr263]

the Old Overholt red cap was part of a greater branding "refresh" by Beam-Suntory back in 2020. Attributes of the labeling changed along with the red cap. Early bottlings of Old Overholt in the 19th century were supposed sealed with red. The other big change is that the liquid inside is now 86 proof (rather than 80) and now bears a non-chill filtered statement.

[@ebenezervalvi1009]

I was just about to comment this! It is different than what it used to be. Taste seems off, but the old bottle of old (lol) overholt was quite good, and damn good for the money.

[@1111Sean1111]

Hey Anders, I always loved cocktails and this week I decided to start building my bar, all based on your videos.I am on a very tight budget. Shopping list so far. A cocktail set 14 EUR (shaker, jigger, mixer, filter and tongs). My first bottles, Evan Mills Black Label 16 EUR, Angostura Bitters 15EUR, Espolon Reposado 100 Agave 27 EUR and Cointreau 23EUR. This is for my favourites - Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour and Margaritas. Next on the list is a sweet vermouth for the Manhattans , after that I am going for a London Dry Gin and Campari, for Gin based cocktails like Negroni, tonic, etc.

[@bluesoulsearcher5424]

Love this! Hope it’s going well

[@tylernormand7561]

Dude - you have completely changed my life. I didn't use to be a liquor guy unless it was rum and soda (classy right?). Otherwise I was a beer and spiked seltzer guy. Then I stumbled upon your channel and became intrigued but felt intimidated at the prospect of buying bottles of stuff - both because of price and not knowing what I will like. But your videos, especially this one, helped me so much. I bought nearly the entire $100 level pack last weekend and have a little bar set up in my house and have now made 5 different cocktails throughout the week and found new ones I absolutely love (French 75, Brandy Fix, and Between the Sheets - I love lemon stuff apparently). I've seen other guys I like talk about this stuff, but your content has been the most approachable and understandable (you're also not super pretentious about your knowledge and resources). You do what you love, make what you enjoy, and it rubs off on us viewers. Good stuff brother! Thank you and keep up the great content!

[@Hot_N_Spicy]

Do you use a specific champagne dor the french75 or just plane secco?

[@pralifo]

Costco is another great option to shop at if you have access!!!

[@jacksongilder]

I've been building my bar over time. When I restore the basics I'll splurge on one or two specialty ingredients. Yesterday it was Galliano. Everytime I get home from the shop my range of cocktail possibilities expands.

[@9RealmsShisha]

Anders thanking Anders for taking the sponsor! Love it! These moments make your content very enjoyable

[@agecali7893]

Anders is the best. I'm subbed to quite a few of these kind of channels but this man is the most helpful and also the most entertaining. Thanks for the great content brudda

[@chandaharkins4418]

This is so helpful!! I know you laughed about keeping vermouth in the fridge, but i'd really like to know those types of things. Thanks again!

[@richmosley2519]

I really like the way you presented this one (as usual). I built out my bar based on a) what I already had and b) the cocktails that appealed to me. I've learned so much in the last couple years, and especially from your content. One huge, huge, huge thing is that many folks will ask for premier spirits in cocktails, which can be valid or completely unnecessary depending on the drink. Great cocktails can be made from cheap(er) ingredients, as you constantly demonstrate. Thanks! I can't count the number of 12 Mile Limits I have made, but I will tell you there are speed pourers on a few bottles... My go-to bourbon is 4 Roses @ $25 for a 750mL.

[@The_Jedi_Teacher]

Your comments about rum ring so true. I actually work as a liquor consultant at Binny's and I have been turning a lot of my whiskey guys (and gals) into rumheads. A lot of them have been huge fans of various finished ryes and bourbons that can run well close and over $100 a bottle, so I have actually been turning them onto some of the high quality aged rums we have. Obviously not the budget option of Don Q, but the value you can get from a really good, aged sipping rum is (in many instances) about half the price of an equivalent bottle of American whiskey, and in my opinion, sometimes a much more flavorful spirit. Cheers, love the channel.

[@JonMoralesLA]

Well you’ve peaked my interest as mainly a bourbon fan. What are a few bottles of Rum I should try?

[@rafaelchavarria9647]

amazing video, very informative and just what some of us needed...cheers from Costa Rica!

[@macheteimprovvisa]

Your’re absolutely right on the Cinzano pronunciation. Chapeaux

[@zalvey7546]

This is probably one of the best and most helpful bar videos I have watched! Epic job!

[@dimitarapostolov9788]

Did...did you just lowkey made your first Martini on the channel? Wow, that was totally unexpected! Would have to try that recipe, I always wanted to know how you make the Martini! Content-wise, this video was superb! Cheers, Anders and Az! Have a good weekend!

[@AndersErickson]

I did. Maybe that's just a teaser though 😂 Cheers, Dimitar!

[@KarenSchuessler]

Ditto about the Martini! I noticed that right away. Have wondered how you make it many times. Happy to say that the recipe given is exactly how I make it! Also noticed a Daquiri in the list, which I can never get close to. Will definitely try these proportions. Thank you, Anders and Az! I love your channel!

[@karlstriepe8050]

Good recommendations! It's certainly possible to put together a good bar without breaking the bank. For the rum, I'm fine with Bacardi if I'm looking to send as little as possible. You can get a bottle for as little as 8 dollars!

[@aaroncooper4237]

I would absolutely love to see a video on orange liqueurs and all the differences and nuances!! Definitely looking forward to that video!! Also, now I have more cocktails to try out thanks to this video! Love the content as always, keep it up!

[@GrotrianSeiler]

No wonder this channel is so popular. Anders makes such a great video. There are so many snobs in this conversation. More expensive isn’t necessarily always better.

[@bwop3369]

Your first video on building a bar helped me so much as a beginner with next to no knowledge about building my own range at home. Thank you for this follow up it's still just as good.

[@gimmesalt2430]

i dont really comment videos but i just want to say thank you for your content ! Love it ! Wish you the best !

[@MichaelAlthauser]

Really great video! Would you be cool if you did another video on even more cocktails that you can make with the $100 budget as well as the expanded $200 budget.

[@arturthekingg]

I absolutely LOVE this video and the idea behind it. Thank you very much for putting it out - it really is the struggle for us first-time cocktail makers. Personally, as a Brazilian living in France, I went with Cachaça (somewhat equivalent to Rum for cocktail purposes), Calvados (Apple Brandy)/Cognac and Gin as spirits, Cointreau/Marie Brizard and Lillet for modifiers and Ango for bitters, this for my lower-tier budget list. Now I'll definitely try and add some Bénédictine and Rye - so hard to find Rye here though! Thanks for the video, Anders and Az! Have a great weekend y'all, cheers!

[@gungfuriceboy]

You Are The KING of Bartenders! Respect to You Anders!! Always 'Informative'...& Entertaining! Cheers Your Canadian Bartender!

[@gibli1310]

Just bought my first lot of bottles, I'm very new to cocktails, but there's a lot of stuff on this channel that sounds great and you explain how to make them in a very easy to follow way. cheers

[@thenorthroom5614]

I love this video, and would like to point out that the 10 cocktails you made with this batch of bottles are basically the first 10 I learned to make from this very channel, so I basically built my bar organically in this exact order based on those videos. (And I will never let my bar be without the components of a 12 Mile Limit, so cheers for that.. ;)

[@KarenSchuessler]

My bar has grown quite a bit over the last two years of the pandemic. So I wondered what new thing I would learn from this video. And I did! I never thought about the wisdom of buying the smaller bottles of vermouth to maintain freshness. Brilliant! Will do! Thank you!

[@kronyn555]

I have been watching for some time now and I will tell you that I have become the go to guy for the drinks when my friends have weekend meet ups. They really love the Espresso Martini made with Mr Black. I appreciate you putting in your time for the fans

[@klenk1am]

Glad to see Benedictine mentioned! It makes many delicious drinks

[@tombrown1898]

I'm an Evan Williams fan, myself, and also Gordon's Gin. For the money, they cannot be beat. As for the Old Overholt, John F. Kennedy was not much of a drinker, but I've read that if he just wanted a belt, he preferred Old Overholt. So did the infamous Dulles brothers. You have excellent selections!

[@marycertain1938]

The Queen Elizabeth cocktail is possible with this selection (dry vermouth, lime, benedictine) and SO underrated! Also Campari packs enough flavor, just 1/2 oz with citrus soda water, when I'm craving a beverage but unable to have a "real drink" for one reason or other.

[@pascalbegin8783]

OK Wow I thought in the province of Québec with taxes and all the cost would be much higher but I have calculate the 100$ budget bottle and I came with 101.29$ In US dollars. I had to to change a couple of brand but overall it was more or less the same product. Thanks Anders. Canadian Club Rye $26.50 Gin Gordon dry gin $22.05 El Dorado Original Dark Superior Demerara $24.15 Noilly Prat Extra Sec $16.00 Cinzano Rosso $14.25 Angostura bitters 14.36$ Dillon's Orange Bitters $14.95 Total in Canadian dollars : $132.26

[@pontificate2090]

Also Quebec here. The SAQ is a fucking scam unfortunately. Still better than what the rest of the country pays for the same brands

[@michelem9341]

Great idea and educational video. Thank you! Also, very cool to see a pro in action.

[@havarddyngeland9343]

It seems like the Anders Erickson cocktail book must be released soon. The recipes looks good. Keep up the good work.

[@katiemaakestad8254]

Thank you for all the helpful tips! They have come in handy with my new found love of making drinks. love your videos.

[@mhudson1738]

What an excellent video! I love how non-snooty you are. Cocktails for all!

[@BierMeister360]

I love how in my local tesco the white rum is on the bottom shelf, and the rest on the shelf above, silver tequila the shelf above, and reposado above that. A small section of vodkas next to that. The whiskeys, brandys and gins take up almosy all of the rest of the shelf space, and the booze shelf is about 15m long, 5 shelves high, top shelf stuff is shit like jagermeister, campari, aperol, ect. And a separate 5m shelf with syrups and other non refrigerated cocktail ingredients

[@KennethJAdams]

The "Thank you, Anders" got a hearty chuckle out of me.

[@vindictivemage]

This is the best video ever made for anyone starting out!!!

[@georgejasper8794]

Great lists - you can make a lot of stuff with that for a starter bar!

[@robertkeeler6211]

Well done Anders! One of your better videos to date. It really doesn't take too much to make great cocktails!

[@AndersErickson]

Cheers, Robert!

[@frankandrew6703]

Great two tiered choices, Anders! Anyone, for under $100 & following your 5 basic cocktails can impress. I used thrift store cocktail books to get started but your suggestions would have saved me considerable time.

[@kennethkawamitsu5048]

Thank you Anders and Az for such amazing quality videos! Made the El Presidente last night and loved it 😍

[@AndersErickson]

Love that drink. Cheers!

[@kennethkawamitsu5048]

@@AndersErickson cheers!

[@mhudson1738]

I had a banner night last weekend and had a bijoux, a vieux carre and a Martinez. That was definitely too many cocktails for me but it was fun.

[@paopaul2455]

I see that many consider Campari “the” bitter but, at least here in Italy, there are many others great bitters available. I wonder if in the US is not the same since bitter in Italy is traditionally the basic for many “aperitivo” drink. I often I make cocktails like Negroni using different vermouth and bitter to get very different results.

[@CC-ey8mj]

This is such an informative video. Thank you so much for making this ❤

[@jonathanwilliams1974]

Your previous "must have bar equipment" lists made up the entirety of my stocking stuffers last Christmas :) Love your channels and my cocktails have improved. Also...budget whisky...Wild Turkey 101 all day long ($22). I have over 50 bottles of whisky and this is my go-to for cocktails. Stands up very well to ice and mixers.

[@notsosecretsnacker5218]

Dude wild Turkey in the UK is considered higher range at around £32-36 (I think $40-45) envious of bourbon selection

[@jonathanwilliams1974]

@@notsosecretsnacker5218 Sorry bro. $40 for 101 isn't great, but certainly worth it. What is the cheaper stuff there?? I'd imagine all bourbon would be pricey since it's imported. Are there UK whiskeys that are similar? I'd imagine Scotch and Irish are cheaper there than here.

[@Crushhymn]

I agree, I like both 101 rye and bourbon which I found in Germany for 22€ and 26€ respectively.

[@frejaohberg7148]

My bar is full of Rum and fruit liquors because im knees-deep in tiki drinks! I think Tiki really goes a long way with a small budget, you can add falernum, amaro and all sorts of liqeurs if you want to go for it but you can also stick to fruit juices and syrups for a tiny pricetag. It is almost always appreciated when you have guests over in the summer!

[@heatherbell5306]

I avoided watching this video when you first put it out there because I didn’t want to confirm what I thought I already knew. So now, on a rainy day in Nova Scotia, I decided… how much could it hurt? As it turns out… A LOT!! The price of liquor (and wine, for that matter) is SO MUCH CHEAPER in the US, it just makes me want to cry. Choking back the tears, I still love my cocktails. Still love your channel!

[@xavierrivera5513]

I think this is the first time I’ve ever watched a YT video with an ad in it and didn’t skip over the ad. Your amazing and so is your content ‼️🥲

[@ozymandias3456]

I hade a technique where I occasionally just buy another bottle based on what will unlock a decent amount of new cocktails. I then have my two-fold technique where for every bottle I buy, by time I’m half way through I buy something similar but a bit different (for example if I’m halfway through a VSOP cognac I might buy a VS) and when I’m done the bottle I make a decision if I want it as a permanent bottle, if so I’ll buy the exact same bottle and if not I’ll buy something that is essentially the same but different brand to find something I like. This way my bar is always expanding at a steady pace

[@AmBr0313]

I’ve been looking for this !! Always excited to hear your opinion. Thanks for the knowledge 🙏

[@mariannakump8857]

Thank you so much for doing this. I plan on sharing this with a few people who have told me that they don't know where to begin. It also reminded me of some great choices that don't break the bank. Oh and YES! an orange liqueur video would be great. Cheers! 😊

[@pietrogigante5930]

Wonderful video and extremely helpful! Also, I came here after seeing the one about orange liquers, so I didn't wait a minute!! Cheers for all the tips you give us! I'm a beginner bartender and I usually come to your channel to seek useful informations, you're incredibily clear and exhaustive!

[@cavalier40]

New to cocktails (been a beer and cider guy that only drank old fashions when I drank liquor). I tried to follow your list, but called a few audibles. For the rum I got a highly recommended rum called George Ocean Gold Rum. The sweet vermouth is Rivata and they also did not have the Orange Liquor you mentioned so I got another one at roughly the same price point (cant recall off the top of my head). The DOM down here at total wine was a little more expensive, but the bottles all together were right at $202 (They also had green Chartreuse for like $60) I have to say the Vieux Carre is now my favorite cocktail too and I am having fun trying new things. Thanks for your channel. I have 3 favorite bar channels (though you are #1) but I also love Educated Barfly and How to Drink. Thanks for all you do.

[@nathanphicks]

This was awesome! I really, really, really would love to see the orange liqueur comparison sooner rather than later! 😊

[@dimitarapostolov9788]

You are right, here in Europe Gordon's is 37% ABV, and Beefeater is around 1-2 euro more expensive, so Beefeater is a no-brainer - for the price I'd say its one of the best options for a gin mixer!

[@Forests0fFantasy]

I highly recommend George Dickel Whisky for anyone who is a fan of Tennessee Whiskey. Their Blue Label "Barreled in Bond" won Whiskey of the year for Whiskey Advocate, not bad for a $35 bottle. A very big bang for the buck

[@justina8721]

Dunno if US stores do specials every so often, but UK supermarkets pretty much rotate base spirits on promo every so often. Certainly helps with the budget (had a wait a while for Campari to come up)

[@danialmiller6663]

Love that your using a cushy beat. His music is heavily under rated

[@johnmangels2942]

Great practical spirits advice, Anders. For under $200, your choices allow for a wide variety of cocktails. I'm just starting to appreciate and experiment with Tiki cocktails and it would be fun to apply this approach and see how far $100 would take you in that realm. I've noticed the scarcity of chartreuse too -- yellow and green. Is there a bark shortage in France?

[@AndersErickson]

Not sure what's going on there, but love the idea of catering this towards tropical drinks! 🍹

[@LittleLouieLagazza]

Simple supply and demand. Fuel and labor shortages slow shipping and handling...it's a long way from the French Alps to the States. Here in SE Asia, the price was bid up by well-heeled cocktail hipsters years ago, so even now we're priority-awash in Chartreuse. Greetings from Singapore 😊

[@karolsarosiek9467]

This is coz of my evil work. See Ed Hamilton isnt shipping his fine rums to Europe, so I decided to stop shipping chartreuse to the us market and this is just the start. 😉

[@Sonofamensch]

Tiki would have 3-5 bottles of rum in each tier, along with probably buying a couple of premade syrups because orgeat and fassionola and such aren't worth the investment of time to develop a house recipe until you realize whether or not you enjoy them when made well.

[@TxAgEsquire]

Love this idea for a Tiki specific version!

[@nathana3170]

Excellent list! The only thing I don’t keep on hand is Benedictine. I simply cannot convince myself to spend that much on something I won’t use that often. Then when it’s gone I’ll have to buy more.

[@jessenorman1167]

Anders could you make a video that details what is shelf stable and what isn’t? Keep up the great work.

[@Kelekona_808]

Nice list Anders. I spent about $200 buying bottles for Vieux Carré and La Louisiane. Mason Rouge is no where to be found in my area sadly. I had to settle for the higher priced ABK6, but the better-half and I both discovered we love La Louisiane! You haven't steered me wrong, and I'd hazard to guess that this is a solid list of bang for buck bottles.

[@drewo1494]

Great info. I never put too much thought into the modifiers until I started watching your channel. Now I'm making some of the classics.

[@kidyuki1]

Can confirm about the tubs of grenadine! I have a big batch of your recipe sitting in my freezer right now.

[@aswinthiru9942]

As a comparison to other countries, a bottle of Gordon's is around 35 to 40 USD here in Singapore, and that's one of the cheapest you can get. A bottle of Jameson is around 70 USD here.

[@jrmcdowe]

I really enjoyed this video. I'm enjoying retirement and building my first home bar. Excellent tips in this one. Cheers

[@clarencewilliams9432]

You're Awesome. If you can't afford a few lemons... I really like both lists. I'm a Rum Man myself. My main drink is Ron Zacapa. Thanks for all your tips.

[@WhaJMc]

Used to drink Gordons about 20 years ago for Gin and Tonics. Then moved on to Bombay Sapphire. However since I started drinking Martini's and Negroni's, my choice of gins are Plymouth, Tanqueray or Hendricks (or some local boutique Gins). If the is one thing worth spending money on, it's good Gin. As for vermouth, where I live Dolin is about the cheapest and best option for both sweet and dry.

[@mathiasnilsson6818]

Love your videos! Years ago I wanted to get rid of my bottles to make room for whisky and found you and a few other excellent bartenders here on KZbin and started making cocktails. The result was even more bottles being bought and now we make cocktails every weekend! Less space for my whisky’s but me and the wife loves it so it’s a win. Even though I have everything on your list it’s still interesting to see what you buy and the reason behind it. These videos also helps when spreading to word of the cocktail 😄🍸 Keep up the good work, love from Sweden!

[@chgolou]

Awesome!!! Enjoy your well thought out videos.... Learning a lot, being a cigar fan, enjoy the pairings! Thx you my fellow Chicagoen...

[@mark.dijkstra]

What a great video! Great way to start setting up a home bar, was kind of the issue I was running into with all the bottles that I wanted haha. Thank you for the awesome content, as always!

[@DerbyMods]

I found an app that allows me to input what I have in my bar already and give me suggestions based off that. What I've done is find new recipes and continue growing my collection based on what I need. That being said, this video was still extremely useful.

[@Kopa_Malphas]

If you're on an even tighter budget, and use a good amount of orange liqueur, you can also make your own by infusing vodka with orange peel and clove, a small 350 or 750 of inoffensive vodka isn't expensive, and you can tune the liqueur to your taste with added simple syrup. You can easily make a full handle of orange liqueur for less than 15 bucks, it just requires about 10 days infusion time. :)

[@annamay4608]

Great video for beginners specially for speaking roughly about the “categories”, got a new subscriber :)

[@DarthVirtus]

Thank you for the list. Here are a few of my favorite budget bottles I've found so far. Tequila: Arette blanco (competes with $50 bottles. Seriously. Try it blind for yourself) Rum, white: Wray and Nephew Overproof (the best white I've found and is a perfect balance of hogo, sweet, and 'pow') Rum, aged: Plantation oftd (known affectionately by the community as, 'Oh F*** That's Good') Rye: Old Forester Rye (nothing comes close in this price range for me. Big flavor, 100 proof. Excellent!)

[@nou6990]

the thing about modifiers is so so true once i went with friends and we stayed at a relatively rural place with a budget also. could not find any modifiers. had to make a pina colada by muddling pineapples ffs

[@gnistens]

For building a homer from scratch, I would start out by purchasing the ingredients for at few of my favorite cocktails and then focusing on quality. Then expanding in to a category of cocktails with carryovers from my existing stock, then new category properly initiated by an event or theme and so on. A home bar don't need to be big, though the 130'ish bottles currently in the cabinet would suggest otherwise.

[@Isaac_L..]

I just turned 21 and am fascinated by mixed drinks so this is very helpful for me. One other thing I've found is that you need about $100 in bar tools and glassware before you even think about buying the booze. I mean, you could just make everything in a low-ball or Collins but to me presentation is about 1/3 of a great drink.

[@bluesoulsearcher5424]

Agreed

[@slickytail]

hard disagree. You can get a cocktail shaker for 15$, and a few pretty glasses for about the same.

[@Isaac_L..]

A shaker is just the start. You need a jigger, a hawthorn strainer, a fine mesh strainer, a juicer, a good way to make ice, a bar spoon, a peeler, a muddler, a mixing glass, etc. For glassware it can vary from costing 50 cents per glass at a thrift store to $20 for a 4 pack on-line (at least for where I live). Thrift stores are really hit or miss in my experience for cocktail glasses. Can you get everything necessary for any one drink for really cheap? Sure. And obviously there's great deals to be had. But if you want a full arsenal of professional grade bartending tools and a nice variety of decent glassware to handle the vast majority of cocktails out there, be prepared to spend a decent bit of cash.

[@lotsofmoxxie7876]

We have a chartreuse shortage here in Michigan as well and the bar I work at is called T Last Word hence our namesake cocktail is The Last Word. Fun times!

[@dark-grey1241]

Excellent presentation, as always team. I have been following (liking and subscribed fo mo sips, tips and recipes) for a while now. This would have to be one of my favourite (we have some spelling anomalies to you here in Australia) videos even though I am not starting a bar from scratch. This would have been a really good video to see earlier, but so were all the others. I particularly remember the White Lady episode, the graphics on proportions and changes made it easy to follow, and it’s a terrific drink. New viewers with little experience would do well to watch your Essentials and From Scratch playlists, I would like to think I would start there but I know I wouldn’t because I would want a drink to enjoy while watching. I’m looking forward to seeing the video on orange liqueurs, don’t leave me hanging for two years, that would be mean. If you’ve already shot it you should release it now, don’t wait for next week. As always, even when I don’t comment, thank-you Anders, and Azusa.

[@lata6778]

For Rum I usually go 151 proof @ around $20 750mL with Sweat tea and splash of some other good things. Angel Kiss or Devil's kick are my cocktails name

[@theb4r138]

Great video. Went to the bar and ordered a Ford. Felt like a little bit of an a-hole cause I live in a small town and they had to look it up but I’m glad I got it. What a great drink.

[@AndersErickson]

Happy you enjoyed it - hopefully the bartenders didn't mind too much. Cheers!

[@JustPlainJef]

Anders and Az, love your videos. Hope to bump into you in Binny's one day, but seeing that I'm not downtown, I doubt it. Also, no Old Fashioned in your cocktail list?!?!? You had everything you needed!!! Have a great year!

[@als.2983]

A rabbi, a priest and a minister walk into a bar and say, tequila please. The bartender looks up and says "Sorry, Anders only had $200 bucks." Please tell me your next bottle would have been blanco tequila. I hate budgets. My happy bar begins with a bottle of tequila.