Which drinks should I stock on my bar?

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Making sure that your bar is stocked with something for everyone can seem daunting when you’re new to running your own bar; so, we’ve put this blog together to make it easier for you and give you a good place to start. Pairing top sellers with some of our own recommendations should help you to construct a crowd pleasing menu…

BEERS | The UK’s Top Sellers

TOP 5	LAGER	CIDER	ALE	ZERO/LOW ALCOHOL
#1	Carling	Strongbow	Doom Bar	Beck’s Blue
#2	Fosters	Strongbow Dark Fruits	Greene King IPA	Heineken 0.0%
#3	Carlsberg	Thatchers Gold	Fuller’s London Pride	San Miguel 0.0%
#4	Peroni	Stowford Press	Greene King Abbot Ale	Erdinger
#5	Coors Light	Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime	Heineken Deuchers IPA	Bavaria 0.0%

SPIRITS | The UK’s Top 10

1. Smirnoff Red | Vodka
2. Gordon’s Pink | Gin
3. Gordon’s | Gin
4. Jägermeister | Herbal Liqueur
5. Captain Morgan’s Spiced | Spiced Rum
6. Jack Daniel’s | Tennessee Whiskey
7. The Famous Grouse | Whiskey
8. Bacardi Carta Blanca | White Rum
9. Courvoisier VS | Brandy
10. Baileys | Irish Cream Liqueur

If you really wanted to limit your spirits for the sake of keeping things minimal or reducing costs, we would recommend going for one vodka, one light rum, one spiced rum, one gin and one whiskey.

WINE | Our Recommendations

Wine preference is very personal to the individual and most wine lovers bring their own to parties. So, we’re going to give you our top recommendations based on grape type…

FOR RED WINE LOVERS…

MALBEC | Finca La Vistosa.

An Argentinian, vibrant, purple-coloured wine, bursting with aromas of black fruits, almonds and a hint of leather. Soft and mellow on the palate, it offers flavours of fresh plum, blackberry and marzipan.

RIOJA | Campo Dorado Rioja Reserva.

A full-bodied and powerfully built red wine given extended ageing in oak barrels to produce mature, blackberry and baking spice flavours across a long, persistent palate typical of great Rioja.

MERLOT | Marcel Hubert Vineyard Collection Merlot.

Wine of France. An incredibly fruity, juicy and easy going Merlot with expressive flavours of plum and blackberry.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018 Réserve des Diacres.

Rich, heady and full of spice, raspberry and redcurrant fruit.

FOR WHITE WINE LOVERS…

PINOT GRIGIO | Cavatina Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie.

Fresh and light with citrus fruits, pears and green apples on the palate.

CHARDONNAY | Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay.

A crisp Chardonnay packed with tropical fruit flavours and subtle hints of vanilla. Medium bodied with good balance and a fresh finish.

SAUVIGNON BLANC | Marcel Hubert Vineyard Collection Sauvignon Blanc.

Crisp, grassy and refreshing with intense floral flavours presenting a fabulous match with food.

CHENIN BLANC – Cape Spring Chenin Blanc.

An aromatic sweet and mellow white wine, with harmonious notes of exotic fruit and white pears.

FOR ROSÈ WINE LOVERS…

PINOT BLUSH | Cavatina Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie Rosé.

Fresh and light with apple and pink grapefruit flavours.

MOSCATO ROSÉ | Barefoot Pink Moscato.

Aromas of Mandarin orange and sweet jasmine twinned with subtle flavours of cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate to give a flavourful experience.

WHITE ZINFANDEL | River Wild Californian White Zinfandel.

Flavours of ripe strawberry and luscious watermelon combine with a delicate sweetness and crisp acidity.

FOR BUBBLE LOVERS…

CHAMPAGNE | Veuve Clicquot Brut.

A fine balance between fruity aromas and more subtle toasty notes. Initial flavours of white fruits and raisins develop into notes of brioche and vanilla with bottle aging.

ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE | Moët & Chandon Impérial Rosé Champagne.

Intense aromas of fresh strawberry, raspberry and redcurrant with floral notes and a light peppery touch.

PROSECCO | Prosecco Vino Spumante.

Delicate white stone fruit and lemon flavours with fine bubbles.

PROSECCO ROSÉ | Vino Spumante Prosecco Rosé.

Refreshing and delicious notes of citrus, rose and strawberry.

ALCOHOL FREE

Just when you think you’ve thought of everything, chilled the bubbles and stocked up those beers, you realise you’ve forgotten the soft drinks! What about the non-drinkers?! You’ll think of the usual favourites like Cola and Lemonade; but, we have some tasty alternative recommendations that we are confident that your guests will all love.

SPARKLING…

Fentiman’s Ginger Beer.
San Pellegrino Limonata.
Fever-Tree Tonic Water. Although these come in a variety of flavours, we recommend the Elderflower and Mediterranean varieties.

STILL…

Cawston Press Apple & Rhubarb Juice.
Tropicana Smooth Orange Juice

For something more impressive for those who are not drinking, check out our Alcohol Free Cocktail Recommendations.