Create your perfect summer bar at home with expert advice and clever tricks

Feeling nostalgic for your favorite bar? Or tired of the same old wine and beer routine?

It’s time to elevate your at-home experience – with a bit of spirit, of course.

You might join the trend with an Aperol Spritz, the Italian cocktail that’s making a major comeback.

'We can’t keep Aperol on the shelves – it’s flying off at a crazy pace,' says Liz Nicholson, owner of Frankly, a boutique wine shop in Manhattan’s Tribeca district.

Sales of spirits have been on the rise, with tequila notably seeing a surge in popularity, according to Nicholson.

Nicholson, a big advocate for agave, believes the spike in tequila sales reflects a desire to recreate a spring break that never came. People who missed their tropical escapes are trying to capture that vibe at home, she suggests.

This means it’s time for margaritas, daiquiris, frozen cocktails, and beyond.

No matter your drink of choice, there’s no better moment than now to stock up your home bar. Dinogo Travel has everything you need to prepare for the summer season:

Cheers to highballs for everyone!

'When it comes to highballs, any spirit will do,' says Julia Momose, a Chicago-based industry expert and co-owner of Bar Kumiko, a cocktail spot that pivoted to pickup during the pandemic.

If you're not in Chicago or just want to try making one yourself, Momose recommends the classic highball. It’s a simple drink served over ice, traditionally made with two ingredients in one glass: a spirit and a mixer. Garnishes are optional.

Of course, there are more intricate highball variations depending on your mood, skill level, and available ingredients. But the simplest highballs are nearly as effortless as pouring a glass of wine or cracking open a cold beer – all about personal taste.

Rum and Coke (Momose likes to add a splash of Cynar, an herbal Italian bitter liqueur, for extra depth). Gin and tonic. Gin and sonic – a twist on the classic that combines part tonic water and part soda. Momose says this variation, which originated in Japan, is lighter and softer than the original.

'It’s officially G&T season,' Nicholson affirms, adding that aperitifs are also making a big comeback. Aperol, used in the popular Aperol Spritz (Prosecco, Aperol, and a splash of soda), is just one way to kickstart your appetite at home.

Caperitif, a South African spirit, is perfect served solo, on the rocks, or with a bit of soda. It’s Nicholson’s drink of choice at the moment. 'It’s versatile, you can experiment with it,' she says, embracing the flexibility of the highball.

If you're looking to build a home bar without breaking the bank, the two-ingredient highball proves that simplicity works.

Rum recipe

Got some rum on hand?

'Bartenders are crazy about daiquiris,' says Nick Bennett, beverage director at two Manhattan spots: Porchlight and Cedric’s, both part of Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group.

Bennett acknowledges that daiquiris might have gotten a bad reputation outside the bartending world, but he insists it’s not only a bartender’s go-to but also a simple cocktail to whip up at home.

Here’s his quick and easy version:

Three-quarters of an ounce of simple syrup, 1 ounce of fresh lime juice, 2 ounces of Cuban-style white rum, and a pinch of salt shaken with ice, then strained into a cocktail glass and garnished with a lime wedge.

Don’t have white rum? No problem, says Bennett – you can still make the drink. 'It works well with any kind of rum.'

Bennett is all for creative substitutions when mixing drinks at home.

Out of whiskey for a Manhattan or Old-Fashioned? Use rum. No gin for a Negroni? Tequila or mezcal make great substitutes.

No orange bitters on hand but craving an El Presidente (rum, dry vermouth, grenadine, and orange bitters)? Momose suggests muddling an orange peel as a quick fix.

Trial and error.

'Ice is crucial,' says Momose, who has been teaching cocktail classes online, likely including some lessons on ice. Whether in a highball or a shaker for stirring a Manhattan or martini, the flavor of the ice subtly blends into the drink.

If you have access to a specialty ice maker like Quari in Chicago, Momose highly recommends it.

'Investing in quality ice is totally worth it, especially if you’re sourcing premium spirits and mixers,' Momose adds.

Momose shares some tips for making better ice at home – including a technique called directional freezing – but she ultimately agrees that 'air bubbles aren't the worst thing.'

If you're using standard ice trays, wrapping them in plastic wrap can help prevent the flavors of your freezer from affecting the ice.

However you choose to handle your ice, the key might be less about perfectly clear cubes and more about getting the dilution just right.

For cocktails served up, ice remains a crucial element of the final drink, says Bennett.

Bennett is a true expert when it comes to the balance of liquid volume versus weight, but much of his knowledge may be more than what a home bartender needs when simply trying to make a decent Manhattan or martini.

For cocktail enthusiasts who aren't looking to turn their home bar into a profession, trial and error works just as well as understanding the specific weight and volume of water and how it impacts the finished drink.

Bennett enjoys batch-making cocktails, while Nicholson is a fan of high-quality mixers or even pre-made drinks.

'After a long workday, if you’re ready for a cocktail, all you need to do is crack open a pre-made drink and pour it over ice,' says Nicholson.

Gin, bourbon, rye, rum, agave. Campari, Cynar, Aperol. Angostura or Peychaud’s bitters. Premium mixers or store-bought basics.

Blended cocktails or a glass of scotch served neat.

It’s your bar, your rules.