Home-bar buying system
How to choose spirits for cocktails
Start with the drinks you will actually make, then buy the bottle style those recipes need. A useful four-bottle shelf beats ten fashionable bottles with no plan.
This is a researched selection framework, not a blind tasting. We compare label facts, current UK listings and recipe function. Read the full comparison method.
Free printable guide
Make 20 drinks from four core bottles
Download the eight-page Four-Bottle Cocktail Matrix for exact measures, methods, substitutions, a party planner and fixes for drinks that taste too sweet, sharp or strong. No email address is required.
Download the free PDFChoose by drink, not by shelf position
| Drink | Look for | Why it works | Common trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margarita or Paloma | Blanco tequila labelled 100% agave | Unaged agave character stays clear beside lime, orange liqueur and grapefruit. | Buying by gold colour or an undated “under £20” list. |
| Mojito or Daiquiri | Light, dry white rum | A clean style supports lime, mint and sugar without adding heavy oak or spice. | Assuming spiced rum is a like-for-like white-rum substitute. |
| Gin and mixer | Choose the mixer after reading the gin style | Juniper-led, citrus-led and floral gins need different sweetness and bitterness. | Matching every gin with the same strongly flavoured tonic. |
| Espresso Martini | Unflavoured vodka; spend attention on fresh coffee and dilution | Coffee, liqueur strength, syrup and temperature change the drink more than luxury branding. | Adding a fixed syrup measure before checking the coffee liqueur’s sweetness. |
A sensible first four bottles
- London Dry gin for G&Ts, Collinses and Negronis.
- Unflavoured vodka for Mules, Cosmos and Espresso Martinis.
- White rum for Daiquiris, Mojitos and long drinks.
- 100% agave blanco tequila for Margaritas and Palomas.
Add bourbon only if you regularly make Old Fashioneds, Whiskey Sours or Manhattans.
Spend where the drink exposes it
A Martini or Old Fashioned is mostly spirit, so bottle character is obvious. A long mixed drink gives citrus, sugar, coffee or carbonation more influence. Spend on fresh limes, cold soda, good ice and correct measurement before upgrading every bottle.
Compare the final checkout price, not just the shelf ticket: bottle size, delivery and temporary loyalty offers can reverse an apparent bargain.
The five-minute bottle check
- 1Write down the two drinks you intend to make.
- 2Check category, ABV, bottle size and any production statement relevant to that drink.
- 3Convert odd bottle sizes to a 70cl equivalent before comparing price.
- 4Separate normal price from a dated promotion or loyalty price.
- 5Check delivery and regional price differences.
- 6Buy one bottle, make a controlled recipe and record the ratio you preferred.
Reviewed guides
Use the guide for your next drink
Supermarket comparison
Lidl spirits prices and Aldi comparison
Current published gin, vodka and rum prices, honest Lidl stock gaps and a drink-by-drink bottle chooser.
Tequila buying guide
Affordable tequila in the UK
Current bottle specifications, price checks and the trade-offs between three widely available blancos.
Margarita guide
Choosing tequila for a Margarita
What the 100% agave label means, how strength affects a shaken drink and ratios for three Margarita styles.
Rum buying guide
Best white rum for a Mojito
Three producer-documented white-rum routes, a bottle matcher and a repeatable Mojito method without stale price claims.
Gin pairing guide
Gin mixers beyond tonic
A practical pairing matrix based on gin style, sweetness, acidity and carbonation rather than brand hype.
Vodka technique guide
Espresso Martini: vodka, coffee and ratio
A controlled recipe with adjustments for coffee liqueur strength, hot espresso, sweetness and foam.
Baileys mixer guide
What to mix with Baileys besides coffee
Seven measured Baileys serves, plus a clear explanation of why cola and citrus can split an Irish cream liqueur.
Piña Colada buying guide
Cream of coconut for Piña Coladas
Current UK buying options, label differences, a reliable Piña Colada ratio and a substitute using supermarket coconut cream.
Scotch buying guide
Choosing Scotch for an Old Fashioned
Four source-checked Scotch styles, a measured recipe and practical balance adjustments without stale price claims.
Scotch highball guide
Choosing Scotch for whisky and ginger ale
Three blended Scotches and one blended-malt alternative compared with producer-published highball ratios.
Disaronno mixer guide
Disaronno mixers and measured ratios
A sweetness-first mixer table, measured home serves and checked Spritz, Sour, Mule and Godfather recipes.
Champagne buying guide
Choosing Champagne for a French 75
Three producer-documented Champagne styles, the official recipe, a bottle matcher and party quantities without stale price claims.
Cognac buying guide
Choosing Cognac for a Sidecar
Four source-documented Cognac routes, the recognised recipe and a bottle matcher without stale price claims.
Gin buying guide
Choosing gin for a Negroni
Three source-documented gin routes, the official equal-parts recipe and a bottle matcher without stale price claims.