Stock the bar

Now that you are ready to shake and stir, it's time to stock up the bar with drinks of your choice.

If you are a liquor or cocktail lover, start your collection with the basic drinks and build it up with time. Also, don't forget that fruit juices and sweet liqueurs are common ingredients in many cocktails.

Wine lovers, invest in a wine rack, which can easily hold 9-12 bottles. This will cost Rs 300 upwards.

You can find these in Lifestyle and Westside outlets across the coutry.

Glasses

No bar is complete sans glasses. Start off with a few wine glasses, clay beer mugs, old-fashioned glasses (round tumblers for your coloured liquors) and highball glasses (they are taller in height and can be used for clear drinks like vodka, and cocktails).

To complete your glassware, you can add champagne flutes, martini glasses, brandy glasses and designer cocktail stems to impress your guests.

Most home stores have a wide variety of designs and colours in glasses today.

You can also invest in an overhead stem rack for wine glasses. These are upside down wine racks which can be mounted from the ceiling or walls. That way, your wine glasses can stay intact and look impressive as well.

Cocktail recipes: www.webtender.com

www.tulleeho.com/recipes/default.asp