My Bar Setup Under $200
If you’ve seen my other blog post on setting up a bar on a budget then you’ll have a great base to begin with. Today, we are adding to that list with an expansion pack. All together you will end up with a really well stocked starter bar for under $200.
BRandy
A lot of the classic cocktail recipes call for a Congac so I decided to add the Maison Rouge V.S. Normally I would go for the V.S.O.P which is also a great value but the for the sake of staying under budget this V.S is another solid option at about $26.
Orange Liqueur
In this category there are triple secs and curaçaos, and I chose curaçao. The bottle I’m going with is the Mathilde Orange XO which is a fantastic value at $16. If you are able to find larger bottles you will typically get an even better price per oz.
Campari
Fun to work with, this classic spirit is essential for many recipes. Though it is one of the more expensive bottles based on volume, spending $22 will enable you to experiment with it’s bitter notes with sweetness upfront.
Bénédictine
This small bottle eats into our budget a bit at $27. I almost went for Chartreuse here but with the shortage it’s almost impossible to find. If you do want to opt for a Chartreuse here are a list of substitutes that I tried out: Chartreuse Alternatives List
More Bitters!
I added Peychaud’s Bitters, because it’s my list and well… I like them. Actually, it’s called for in a lot of New Orleans cocktails so it’s great to have on hand for only $5.
We spent $99.52 on this expansion pack, so we met our goal of not spending $200 in total with both lists. Now it’s your turn to get out there and build your budget bar!
This page contains affiliate links to our spirit retail partner: Curada.com and to Amazon which Bitter Bear Studios LLC earns commission from. These commissions help us continue to produce cocktail-focused content from recipes to guides like this one. Thanks for reading!