Stirred Art
App of the Day
from the creators of 
murmur
Layered
How we counted
Every recipe on this site lists its bottles. We added one bottle at a time, each time picking the one that finished the most new recipes, and counted what the shelf could make.
Bourbon and rye count as one bottle. So do triple sec, Cointreau and curaçao, which stand in for each other. Fresh things and mixers are left out of the count: lemons, limes, oranges, sugar, honey, eggs, mint, soda water, tonic and ginger beer. You buy those the week you need them.
The first ten bottles
| Bottle | Drinks it adds | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gin | Gimlet, Tom Collins, Bee's Knees, Southside, Gin Fizz, Gin & Tonic, Earl Grey MarTEAni | 7 |
| 2 | Bourbon or rye | Whiskey Sour, Gold Rush, Mint Julep, Whiskey Smash, Hot Toddy, Whisky Highball | 13 |
| 3 | Dry vermouth | Martini, Gibson, Fifty-Fifty, Dirty Martini | 17 |
| 4 | Vodka | Moscow Mule, Bloody Mary, Screwdriver, Vodka Martini | 21 |
| 5 | Orange liqueur | Cosmopolitan, White Lady, Kamikaze, Lemon Drop, Lemon Drop Martini | 26 |
| 6 | White rum | Daiquiri, Mojito, Cuba Libre | 29 |
| 7 | Campari | Old Pal, Jasmine, Garibaldi | 32 |
| 8 | Sweet vermouth | Negroni, Boulevardier, Americano, Bronx Cocktail | 36 |
| 9 | Aromatic bitters | Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Income Tax Cocktail | 39 |
| 10 | Sparkling wine | French 75, Champagne Cocktail, Mimosa, Negroni Sbagliato | 43 |
A late bottle often finishes drinks that an earlier one started. Sweet vermouth arrives eighth and completes the Negroni, because the gin and the Campari are already on the shelf.
If you only buy three
- Gin, bourbon or rye, dry vermouth: 17 recipes, the widest start.
- Gin, Campari, sweet vermouth: 10 recipes. This is the shelf for people who order Negronis.
- Bourbon or rye, sweet vermouth, aromatic bitters: 8 recipes, with the Manhattan and the Old Fashioned among them.
The next ten
Cognac or brandy, aged rum, coffee liqueur, maraschino liqueur, grenadine, Scotch, absinthe, green Chartreuse, orange bitters and Bénédictine, in that order. Twenty bottles make 68 of the 121 recipes.
Why tequila comes late
Tequila is in 4 of the 121 recipes here. On its own it makes a Paloma, and with an orange liqueur a Margarita. The count follows this site's recipes, which lean towards gin and whiskey classics. If Margaritas are your drink, move tequila to the top.
Two bottles that belong in the fridge
Dry and sweet vermouth are wine, and an open bottle fades. Keep both in the fridge and buy small ones. How long vermouth lasts has the numbers.
Let the app count your shelf
Add your bottles to My Bar in Stirred Art. It shows what you can make tonight, what you're one ingredient short of, and how many new drinks each bottle on the "worth adding" list would add. The count runs on your shelf and the app's whole catalogue, so its order will differ from the table above.
Updated 11 November 2026.
Questions
What should I buy first for a home bar?
Gin, then bourbon or rye, then dry vermouth. With lemons, limes, sugar and soda water, those three bottles make 17 of the 121 recipes on this site, from a Gimlet and a Whiskey Sour to a Martini.
How many bottles do I need to start a home bar?
Five is a good start: gin, bourbon or rye, dry vermouth, vodka and an orange liqueur make 26 of the 121 recipes here. Ten bottles make 43.
Should my first whiskey be bourbon or rye?
Either works in a Whiskey Sour, an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan. The recipes on this site name rye 17 times and bourbon twice, so rye is the closer match here.
What do I need besides bottles?
Lemons, limes, sugar for simple syrup, soda water and plenty of ice. Buy tonic, ginger beer and juice the week you plan to use them.
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