Читать книгу A Compound Life - Gary Sr. McGee - Страница 5

A couple of weeks ago, I was speaking with a friend and he told me that he was considering taking up drinking, and wondered if I could come up with a few suggestions on what he might need to set up his own bar at home, and help get him started in the right direction.

At the time, I was a little preoccupied with the events of the day, but I told him I’d see what I could do. A week or so had passed, and I got a call from him, "Hey, how are you coming on my list?" I said "I was working on it, (but I meant I hadn’t started it yet), I’ll try and get it to you as soon as I can". Wow, I thought to myself, how am I supposed to come up with a list? - Not just any list - A Bartender’s List. A daunting task to be sure, certainly not for the faint hearted - Then it hit me - Duh, why didn’t I think of this sooner? I’ll just go to MY bar and jot down a few of the things that I have on hand. This is what I sent to him:

The following is a list of items that every "Self-Respecting Bar" should have in its arsenal.

Bar Basics should include:

A Cuisinart heavy duty blender/mixer (for mixing & crushing ice)

A jigger measure

A shot glass

A heavy duty shaker

A bar spoon, long spoon and stirring rod for mixing and stirring

A corkscrew and wine bottle opener

A strainer for straining ice, fruit, etc.

A paring knife or two (2)

A Bunch of Really Nice Bar Towels

Basic Barware should include: A set of eight (8) each of the following:

Old-Fashioned or Rock Glasses

Shot Glasses

Cocktail or Up Glasses

Highball Glasses

Sour Glasses

Wine Glasses & Martini Glasses

Champagne Flutes

Pilsners for Beer

Beer Mugs (must be frosted of course)

and A Whole Bunch of Dixie Cups

Basic Mixers & other Good Flavors are also necessary:

Lemon Twists & Cherries

Lemons & Limes (cut into twelfths)

Cocktail onions, & Green olives

1 Bottle of Angostura Bitters

1 Bottle of Margarita Mix

1 Bottle of Grenadine

1 Bottle of Triple Sec

1 Bottle of Coconut Milk

1 Bottle of Sweet Vermouth

1 Bottle of Dry Vermouth

1 Bottle of Lime Juice

1 Quart of Grapefruit Juice

1 Bottle of Sweet & Sour Mix

2 Bottles of Bloody Mary Mix

2 Quarts of Orange Juice (pulp free)

1 Quart of Pineapple Juice

12 Bottles of Tonic Water

12 Bottles of Club Soda

6 Bottles of Ginger Ale

3 Bottles each of Coke, 7-UP

And Don’t Forget the Bar Must-Haves:

2 Bottles of Stolichnaya Vodka

1 Bottles of Absolut Vodka

2 Bottles of Lord Calvert

2 Bottles of Southern Comfort

2 Bottles of Bacardi 151 Rum

2 Bottles of Jose Quervo Tequila

2 Bottles of Canadian Club

1 Bottle of Grand Marnier

1 Bottle of Galliano

1 Bottle of Kahlua

1 Bottle of Amaretto

3 Bottles of White Wine

2 Bottles of Red Wine

2 Bottles of Grey Goose Vodka

3 Bottles of Chivas Regal Scotch Whiskey

2 Bottles of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum

2 Bottles of Bacardi Rum

2 Bottles of Jack Daniels (Black Label)

1 Bottle of Tanqueray Gin

2 Bottles of Maker’s Mark Whiskey

1 Bottle of Crown Royal

1 Bottle of Jim Beam

2 Bottles of Long Island Ice Tea

1 Bottle of Jagermeister

1 Bottle of Brandy

6 Cases of Bud Light Beer

3 Cases of Corona Premium Beer

1 Case of Keystone Light (or equivalent)

And Last But Not Least...... DON’T FORGET THE ICE!

Oh by the way, one last note: With normal use, the liquor and mixers listed here should last 3 - 4 weeks, depending on your level of stress. The bar tools and glassware should last a little longer. And good luck with this drinking thing. I hope it works out for you. Cheers!

And remember, It’s always 5 o'clock somewhere!