Start with what you know and love

Photo: Moses Ng/Hong Kong Tatler

Pick spirits that you genuinely enjoy. A true gentleman should know how he likes his drinks, and be able to share his passion and preferences with his guests.

Build your collection by starting with the basics like Bourbon whiskey, Scotch whisky, tequila, and rum. You should also have mixers such as club soda, tonic water, soft drinks and orange juice at the ready. Don’t forget to equip your home bar with a bit of decorative panache, such as cocktail olives, limes, lemons, oranges, and Tabasco sauce.

Have the right glassware

Photo: Moses Ng/Hong Kong Tatler

Once you’ve got your beverage selection sorted, the next task is getting the right tools and glassware. There are tumblers that are made specifically for certain drinks, but If you don’t have a specific type of cocktail in mind, start with basics such as Martini glasses, rocks glasses, red and white wine glasses, highball glasses, pint glasses and of course, a quality shaker and strainer.

The bar cart matters

 Photo: Moses Ng/Hong Kong Tatler

When you have guests over, the home bar will easily and automatically become the space where people gather to socialise. So it's definitely worth making each item at your home bar, especially the bar cart, a conversation starter. After all, a gentleman should always know how to entertain his guests.