The author recommends a few brands for each alcohol category.  The suggestions stay away from some of the more expensive, top-shelf brands and focus instead on less pricey alternatives.  Please note that there are several types of rum you will want to buy if you plan to mix a lot of tiki drinks, but the rest will provide you with a solid foundation to keep a broad range of guests satisfied.

Gin: Beefeater, Hendrick’s, Martin Miller’s, Plymouth

Bourbon: Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare 10 Yr., Evan Williams, Woodford Reserve

Rye: Jim Beam, Old Overholt, Rittenhouse 100

Vodka: Belvedere, Blue Ice, Skyy, Sobieski

White rum: Bacardi, Flor de Caña 4 Yr., Mt. Gay Eclipse

Aged rum: Appleton Estate, Bacardi 8, Flor de Caña 12 Yr.

Reposado tequila: Cazadores, Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Milagro

In addition to the brand recommendations, the article does have a few other interesting tips on how to save some dough while getting your alcohol shopping done right.  A well-stocked tiki bar does not have to cost you a fortune!

Best Buys (Imbibe Magazine)

Combine in a tall (12- to 16-oz) glass:

• 1 ½ oz aged, light-bodied rum (such as Cruzan Single Barrel or Flor de Caña 7-year-old)
• 1 oz Linie Aquavit
• ½ oz Grand Marnier
• ½ oz rich simple syrup (made by stirring 1 cup demerara or other raw sugar and ½ cup water over low heat until sugar has dissolved, letting it cool, and bottling it)
• 1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Fill with shaved ice, stir until the glass frosts, add more ice, garnish with a sprig of mint.

Mix one up and test it out!  If you stumble upon any tweaks that make it even better, please share in the comments!

The Spinnaker Swizzle: An All-New Tiki Drink for Summer (Esquire)

Tiki Evites – the fine folks at Evite now have a few nifty tiki-themed templates to get your guests into the right mindset right from the start.  Evite has become the standard in inviting guests to any type of party and these are a-ok.

Set up a House Drink Menu – some of your guests will know their tiki drinks, some won’t.  Pick out a few of your specialties and scribble them onto a chalkboard.  This will help your guests feel more comfortable as they select a cocktail and will limit your ingredient shopping list a bit.

Proper Tiki Tunes – we’ve provided a few suggestions in the past and probably should do another music list soon.  Spend some time loading up your iPod with a respectable island playlist.  You cannot expect to set up a snazzy tiki bar, mix up a round of stiff rum concoctions, and expect your guests to be content with ZZ Top (on second thought, maybe you can…).

Tropical Coconut Cups – if you don’t have a full set of tiki mugs to share with your guests, these coconut cups will give you some island flair at a reasonable price.  They cost less than $1 each and all cocktails taste sweeter when consumed from a fake coconut mug!

Photo by Jeff Tabaco

As with anything else, staying within a budget requires planning.  The Herald-Mail has a few suggestions on keeping your costs down when stocking your home bar.  The author suggests limiting your spend on mixers and using fresh ingredients to save a few bucks.  Of course, it is important to focus on liquors you really need when stocking your bar.  Pick out a few recipes with some common ingredients before hitting the liquor store.  The last thing you need when walking in is a credit card and great imagination.

One tip referenced in a previous post was to pick up one bottle of liquor with each paycheck.  This will keep some variety in your bar and help prevent you from walking out with $300 in booze.

Any other ideas on how to save money when stocking your home bar?  Sound off in the comments.

My personal favorite from these tips – buying one bottle of booze per paycheck.  That would certainly ease the burden of having to buy eight bottles in a single trip when the bar runs dry.  Offering a laminated menu of house specialties is another brilliant idea.  It can provide your guests with some cool choices while steering them toward the ingredients you keep on hand.  Finally, there are a few good suggestions if you are planning to build your own bar at home.

This article is worth bookmarking if you plan to build a home bar or host a party anytime soon.

On the Rocks – The Bar’s Where You Are (Portland Tribune)

1) Copy this list into your blog, with instructions.
2) Bold all the drinks you’ve imbibed.
3) Cross out any items that you won’t touch
4) Post a comment here and link to your results.

OR

If you don’t have a blog, just count the ones you’ve tried and post the number in the comments section.

List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire

1. Manhattan Cocktail
2. Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee)
3. French / Swiss Absinthe
4. Rootbeer
5. Gin Martini
6. Sauternes
7. Whole Milk
8. Tequila (100% Agave)
9. XO Cognac
10. Espresso
11. Spring Water (directly from the spring)
12. Gin & Tonic
13. Mead
14. Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale
15. Chateau d’Yquem
16. Budwieser
17. Maraschino Liqueur
18. Mojito
19. Orgeat
20. Grand Marnier
21. Mai Tai (original)
22. Ice Wine (Canadian)
23. Red Bull
24. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
25. Bubble Tea
26. Tokaj
27. Chicory
28. Islay Scotch
29. Pusser’s Navy Rum
30. Fernet Branca
31. Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
32. Bourbon
33. Australian Shiraz
34. Buckley’s Cough Syrup
35. Orange Bitters
36. Margarita (classic recipe)
37. Molasses & Milk
38. Chimay Blue
39. Wine of Pines
40. Green Tea
41. Daiginjo Sake
42. Chai Tea
43. Vodka (chilled, straight)
44. Coca-Cola
45. Zombie (Beachcomber recipe)
46. Barley Wine
47. Brewed Choclate (Xocolatl)
48. Pisco Sour
49. Lemonade
50. Speyside Single Malt
51. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
52. Champagne (Vintage)
53. Rosé (French)
54. Bellini
55. Caipirinha
56. White Zinfandel (Blush)
57. Coconut Water
58. Cerveza
59. Cafe au Lait
60. Iced Tea
61. Pedro Ximenez Sherry
62. Vintage Port
63. Hot Chocolate
64. German Riesling
65. Piña Colada
66. El Dorado 15 Year Rum
67. Chartreuse
68. Greek Wine
69. Negroni
70. Jägermeister
71. Chicha
72. Guinness
73. Rhum Agricole
74. Palm Wine
75. Soju
76. Ceylon Tea (High Grown)
77. Belgian Lambic
78. Mongolian Airag
79. Doogh, Lassi or Ayran
80. Sugarcane Juice
81. Ramos Gin Fizz
82. Singapore Sling
83. Mint Julep
84. Old Fashioned
85. Perique
86. Jenever (Holland Gin)
87. Chocolate Milkshake
88. Traditional Italian Barolo
89. Pulque
90. Natural Sparkling Water
91. Cuban Rum
92. Asti Spumante
93. Irish Whiskey
94. Château Margaux
95. Two Buck Chuck
96. Screech
97. Akvavit
98. Rye Whisky
99. German Weissbier
100. Daiquiri (classic)
52 out of 100. Not bad, but I clearly have some wood to chop! There are several on the list that I’m a little surprised I’ve never gotten around to trying, a few more that I think I’ve enjoyed in a blur, and others that I’ve never even heard of.