Door Knock Cocktails

Does anyone else remember the TV show Door Knock Dinners, where Gordon Elliott and a chef would show up at some unsuspecting person's home and the chef would make dinner using only ingredients that the homeowner had on hand? I loved that show! It was such an inspiration, not only for taking a second look at your pantry, but for seeing the items you already have in a whole new way. There are many lists available online for suggested pantry ingredients to keep on hand although, sadly, Door Knock Dinners is no more. Gordon Elliott and the chef du jour may not show up at your house ready to whip up a meal, but a well-stocked pantry means that you'll always be prepared to throw dinner together.

However, what about your liquor pantry? Suppose you've invited a few friends for drinks, but one requests a Martini and you have no gin? You don't need dozens of bottles of hooch to offer a wide selection of lovely libations! By keeping these items stocked you'll be prepared to make many of the classics and you can expand your collection as you discover new liquors that strike your fancy!

The Basics

Gin 

A blended whiskey

Brandy

A light or amber rum

A silver or gold tequila

Vodka

Mixers

Fresh limes

Dry vermouth 

A nice orange liqueur

Simple syrup

Club soda

With the above you can make Martinis, Sidecars, Daiquiris, Margaritas and all kinds of sours and highballs! Add wine and you'll have sangrias and spritzers in your arsenal as well, not to mention the many variations on the French 75 if you have champagne! And, the more juices you keep on hand, the more you can play! As you add new liquors and liqueurs to your collection you'll find that your choices grow exponentially! But, with just these items available, you'll have plenty of choices to please just about any visitor to your home and keep yourself in lovely libations for quite a while! Bottoms up!

The world of liquor is your oyster!