Martha_Stewart_Living_November_2016

GRAHAM POLLACK (TOOLS)

HIGH SPIRITS

No need to clutter your cabinet with obscure liquors you’ll use once. Here are our editors’

essential bottles for drinking neat or on the rocks and mixing in cocktails.

1 GIN

You’ll want one with botan-

icals that don’t overwhelm

for martinis and G&Ts. Try Ply-

mouth, which has hints of

citrus, cucumber, and vanilla.

Pottery Barn rounded decanter,

$42.50, potterybarn.com.

2 VODKA

It’s one of the most com-

monly used spirits in cock-

tails. Imperia, a Martha

favorite, is pure and crisp.

Top Shelf pure-lead-crystal

decanter, $60, bedbathand

beyond.com.

3 TEQUILA

Choose the silver variety,

which is light and versatile.

Espolón Tequila Blanco

has a clean flavor with a

touch of spice.

Rogaska Pierpont cut-crystal

short decanter, $209,

restorationhardware.com.

4 RUM

Unless this is your spirit

of choice, you only need

to stock one. Appleton

Estate Reserve Blend, with

hints of caramel and tropi-

cal fruit, is neutral enough

for mixed drinks but has

enough depth to be sipped

on its own.

Stud decanter, $40, cb2.com.

5 ORANGE LIQUEUR

The secret to a delicious

margarita, mimosa, or cos-

mopolitan, it’s also nice in

baked goods or drizzled over

fruit. Our picks are Grand

Marnier and Cointreau.

Estate barware decanter, $50,

williams-sonoma.com.

6 AMARO

This liqueur adds bitterness

and balances out sweet

cocktails. We love Campari

for one simple reason: It

makes a sublime Negroni.

Rogaska Pierpont cut-crystal

tall decanter, $209, restoration

hardware.com.

7 WHISKEY

We prefer rye for its flexibil-

ity (bourbon can be too

sweet in cocktails, Scotch

too assertive). Bulleit is

smooth enough for both

sipping and mixing.

Boulevard cut-crystal round

decanter, $159, restoration

hardware.com.

Building a

“Barmoire”

Start with an unfinished

closet with adjustable

shelves. Then outfit it

with clever details,

including a pull-out

shelf for slicing limes

or serving drinks.

Gothic Cabinet Craft

linen closet with

4 shelves, $909, gothic

cabinetcraft.com.

SMART IDEAS

Upgrade the Knobs

Lido Crystal, in

French Antique, $19 each,

rejuvenation.com.

Insert a Slide-Out Shelf
Under-the-counter
drawer slides, 16", $22 for 2,
mcmaster.com.

1

2

3

4

5 6

7

Add Wineglass Racks

Brass bar-glass hanger

racks, 16", $3.25 each,

webstaurantstore.com.

TOOLS OF

THE TRADE

Jigger

For measuring

booze: 1½

ounces on one

side, ¾ ounce

on the other.

To n g s

For grabbing

ice and gar-

nishes without

using your

fingers.

Strainer

To keep ice and

muddled ingre-

dients in the

shaker and out

of the glass.

Paring Knife

The small size—

and extra-sharp

blade—are

designed for slic-

ing citruses.

Spoon

For mixing

drinks that are

stirred, not

shaken.

Opener

A long handle

provides extra

leverage for

popping off

bottle caps.

Store sweet and dry

vermouths (critical

ingredients in many

cocktails) in the

fridge after opening.

These accessories,

plus a shaker,

complete a well-

outfitted bar.

Martha Stewart Col-

lection 7-piece bar-

tool set (with stand),

$72, macys.com.

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GOOD LIVING

The Well-Kept Home