Making certain your bar is properly organized is extremely important. From glassware and mixers to liquor and garnishes, each item plays an important role in preparing the "Perfect Bar."

Building the perfect bar can be simple and stress free if you maintain a well-organized and fully stocked inventory. Starting with glassware - basic is always best. Glasses for red and white wine, beer mugs (or pilsner glasses), shot glasses, brandy snifters, rocks (old-fashioned), champagne flutes, and cocktail glasses (martini) should always be on hand. Pier 1 in Southampton offers an array of glassware for those budget conscious shoppers.

Bar tools are a must and every bar should include a bar spoon, standard shaker, mixing glass, muddler (for those tasty Mojitos), Julep or Hawthorne strainer, and corkscrew. Check out Hildreth's in Southampton or Williams Sonoma in Bridgehampton for bar accessories and tools.

According to "drinkology-The Art And Science Of The Cocktail" by James Waller, the following items are recommended for a basic bar:
 • bourbon
 • French brandy or cognac
 • Canadian blended whiskey
 • 2 bottles of champagne or dry sparkling wine
 • Coffee liquor
 • Cointreau, triple sec or white curacao
 • dry gin
 • Pernod, anisette or other anise-flavored liquor
 • ruby port
 • light rum
 • dark rum
 • blended scotch
 • dry sherry
 • white tequila
 • dry vermouth
 • sweet vermouth
 • 1 bottle of imported vodka
 • dark crème de cacao
 • white crème de cacao
 • white crème de menthe
 • green crème de menthe
 • other favorite liquors or flavored brandies.

Necessary condiments and mixers include: limes, lemons, oranges, olives, Tabasco sauce, grenadine, Rose's lime juice, maraschino cherries, Worcestershire sauce, ginger ale, tonic water, cranberry juice, coke, orange juice, tomato juice, pineapple juice, club soda, and grapefruit juice.

Learning how to select the right wine for your bar can be a difficult task. Long Island is known for their many vineyards and I recommend making a day or weekend of tasting as many as possible. The North and South Forks of Long Island offer a plethora of vineyards that include: Channing Daughters, Wolffer Estate, Duck Walk, Lenz, Martha Clara, Lieb Family, Jamesport, Raphael, Palmer, Castello de Borghese, Bedell Cellars, Comtesse Terese, Paumanok, Peconic Bay, Broadfields, Pellegrini, Pindar, Pugliese, Corey Creek, Galluccio Family, Laurel Lake, Sherwood House, Shinn Estate, Schneider, Ternhaven, Loughlin, Macari, The Old Field, Manor Hill, Waters Crest, and Osprey's Dominion to name a few.

For those who like imported wines as well there are many to choose from. Whether you like French, Italian, Australian, South African, New Zealand or Hungarian (just to name a few popular countries), every liquor store carries a different inventory.

At Wines by Morrell located in East Hampton, one can find wines from Long Island and California as well as many of the previously mentioned countries. In addition, Wines by Morrell offers a wide range of liquor and every mixer needed to fill your "Perfect Bar."
Now that you have all you need for the "Perfect Bar" it's time to plan your next party.

Here are two recipes for a hot summer night:

Mojito – A cool refreshing summer cocktail that is simple to make
club soda
a small bunch of mint leaves
2 ounces light rum
¾ ounces simple syrup
Crushed ice
Crush mint leaves (with a muddle and syrup)
Squeeze lime into glass and stir
Add ice, rum and club soda or seltzer
Garnish with mint sprig

Stoli Blueberi - The newest Stoli flavored vodka
2 ounces Stoli Blueberi
½ ounce Triple Sec
½ ounce lime juice
½ ounce cranberry juice
Splash of sour/margarita mix

Cheers!