Building a home bar on a $300 budget — my picks

Just helped my friend set up his first home bar with a strict $300 budget. Thought I'd share what we landed on, since "essential bottles" lists online are usually wildly unrealistic. **The $300 starter kit:** 1. **Wild Turkey 101** ($25) — your bourbon workhorse. Sips great, mixes perfectly. 2. **Rittenhouse Rye** ($28) — essential for Manhattans and other rye cocktails. 3. **Beefeater Gin** ($20) — classic London dry. G&T, martini, Negroni, done. 4. **Plantation 3-Star Rum** ($22) — white rum that actually has flavor. 5. **Simple syrup** (make it — $0) — equal parts sugar and water. No excuse to buy this. 6. **Angostura bitters** ($10) — non-negotiable. 7. **Fresh limes and lemons** ($5) — also non-negotiable. Never use that bottled stuff. 8. **Cocktail shaker + jigger + strainer** ($25) — Amazon basics set is fine to start. That's $135. Remaining $165 for your "fun money" bottles — personally I'd grab a decent tequila (Olmeca Altos, $25) and save the rest for a nice sipper. What would you change? What's your $300 bar look like?

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Replies (2)

AA Agave AmyFeb 4, 2026

This is a really solid list. My only swap would be upgrading the tequila. Olmeca Altos is fine, but for $5 more you can get **Cimarron Blanco** which is significantly better and makes incredible margaritas. It's a bartender favorite for a reason. I'd also add **orange liqueur** to the essentials. A bottle of Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao ($30) or even basic Cointreau opens up margaritas, sidecars, cosmopolitans, and tons of other cocktails. If budget is tight, a $12 bottle of triple sec will work. With tequila and orange liqueur, you can make a proper margarita. And a proper margarita is a life skill.

NN Neat NickFeb 5, 2026

Great list but I'd argue for **vermouth** as essential if you're making cocktails. A bottle of Dolin Sweet Vermouth (~$15) unlocks Manhattans, Negronis, and Boulevardiers. Just remember to refrigerate it after opening — vermouth goes bad surprisingly fast. Also, hot take: skip the cocktail shaker for now and just stir everything. A $5 mixing glass (or literally any tall glass) and a $3 bar spoon is all you need. The vast majority of whiskey cocktails are stirred, not shaken. Save the shaker money for another bottle.