Liquors

Few people deliberately set out to buy all the wines, beers, spirits and liqueurs they'll ever need to stock an encyclopedic home bar. Instead, home bars evolve. Buying quality is always a good idea, but you needn't splurge on everything. By all means, spring for a fine bottle when you want a superlative tasting experience. But when you're mixing punch for a party, a less-expensive bottling will do, since other ingredients mask the liquor's subtleties.

• 

  Wines
  
  Essentials:
  Dry white and red
  Sparkling
  Dry vermouth
  Sweet vermouth
  
  Extras:
  Madeira
  Port
  Sherry
  Wine varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chablis, Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir

• Beers
  
  Essentials:
  Domestic lager
  Smaller selection of locally made microbrews
  
  
  Extras:
  Domestic and/or imported:
  Ales
  Lambics
  Porters
  Stouts
  Wheat beers
• 

  Spirits
  
  Essentials:
  Canadian whiskey
  Bourbon
  Rye
  Gin
  Irish whiskey
  Rum
  Scotch
  Tequila
  Vodka
  
  Extras:
  2 to 3 styles of bitters
  Select and unusual bottlings of:
  Brandy
  Gin
  Mescal
  Rum
  Tequila
  Vodka
  Whiskey

• Liqueurs
  
  Essentials:
  Anisette
  Apricot brandy
  Benedictine
  Crème de cacao (white and dark)
  Crème de cassis
  Crème de menthe
  Irish cream liqueur
  Kahlua
  Maraschino
  Sambuca
  Southern Comfort
  Triple sec
  
  Extras:
  B&B
  Brandy (blackberry, cherry, peach, pear, strawberry)
  Chambord
  Chartreuse
  Cointreau
  Crème de bananes
  Crème de noyaux
  Curaçao (white and blue)
  Drambuie
  Frangelico
  Galliano
  Grand Marnier
  Irish Mist
  Jägermeister
  Midori
  Ouzo
  Schnapps (peach, peppermint)
  Sloe gin
  Tia Maria