Cheers!

Pour on the choices when registering for barware

By Wayne Brekke

For pre-wed couples who love to entertain, registering for barware is a way to obtain many home bar necessities.

Though streamlining your barware choices can be difficult, keep the essentials in mind. You need high- quality standard glassware and top-notch bar accessories.

You’ll also need quality liquor. It can be expensive, which makes it a welcome gift. Your basic liquor supply should include vodka, bourbon, whiskey, blended Scotch, brandy, rum, gin and tequila. For mixed drinks, don’t forget sweet and dry vermouth, and flavored mixers and bitters.

Choose a variety of glassware. Many drinks require a specific vessel. Essentials include standard wineglasses, martini/cocktail glasses, highball, old fashioned (or rocks/lowball) glasses and shot glasses.

Nonessential but nice to have glasses include Pilsners, beer mugs, margarita glasses, champagne flutes and brandy snifters.

A good rule of thumb is to register not only for the basics, but for specialty items you would use and enjoy.

Riedel, a high-end glassware maker, was the first to offer specific glasses for specific wines. At $10 to $50 each, this fine stemware presents an excellent gift registry opportunity.

Younkers, Dillard’s and Nebraska Furniture Mart are among popular stores with registries that include barware. But don’t neglect stores such as Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, Bed Bath & Beyond, Pier One, Linens-N-Things, World Market and local specialty shops such as the Afternoon or Gadgeteer.

Bar accessories are not the place to go low-budget. A cocktail shaker in an accessory set is just a few dollars. But a better shaker is worth the extra investment. What’s the difference? You may find out the first time you shake a martini and see it splatter across the floor because the shaker had a cheaply made top.

“A quality shaker shouldn’t leak and it should have a strainer on the top,” said Mary O’Brien of Gadgeteer. “You should be able to do (bartending chores) without spillage or leakage. Plastic can crack, so go with stainless steel.” The specialty store carries a stainless steel WMF shaker for about $30 and some from Alessi, an Italian company, for $50 to $80.

Unique items can add ambiance to your bar. Neon signs, blenders, margarita machines and wine chiller can set your bar apart from the crowd.

One high-end gift idea is the bar itself. Look for portable or outdoor models at department stores and home improvement stores such as Lowe’s, Home Depot and Menard’s.

When it comes to barware and supplies, you never have enough. Glasses break, bottle openers disappear, and someone is bound to drink the last of your good Scotch.