Stock the bar

Buy bottles
in this order.

We ran every possible path through the quiz — all 9,216 of them — and ranked each bottle by how many cocktails it unlocks. Ten bottles make 32 of our 79 cocktails and cover 51% of every cocktail the quiz can recommend.

Bottles only — we assume your kitchen can produce citrus, sugar, soda, and ice. Each unlock links to the full drink profile.

The foundation

01

London dry gin

Unlocks: Gin & Tonic Gimlet Gin Rickey Tom Collins Bee's Knees Gin Basil Smash Southside Ramos Gin Fizz Gin Fizz

9 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 9% of cocktail quiz outcomes

02

Dark rum

Unlocks: Dark 'n' Stormy Painkiller

11 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 15% of cocktail quiz outcomes

03

Campari

Unlocks: Garibaldi Jungle Bird Campari Soda

14 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 22% of cocktail quiz outcomes

04

Sweet vermouth

Unlocks: Negroni Americano

16 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 27% of cocktail quiz outcomes

05

Prosecco

Unlocks: French 75 Mimosa Bellini Negroni Sbagliato

20 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 33% of cocktail quiz outcomes

The workhorses

06

Bourbon

Unlocks: Whiskey Sour Hot Toddy Gold Rush Boulevardier Mint Julep

25 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 38% of cocktail quiz outcomes

07

Vodka

Unlocks: Moscow Mule Bloody Mary

27 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 42% of cocktail quiz outcomes

08

Aperol

Unlocks: Aperol Spritz

28 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 44% of cocktail quiz outcomes

09

Amaro Nonino

Unlocks: Paper Plane

29 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 48% of cocktail quiz outcomes

10

Blanco tequila

Unlocks: Paloma Tequila Sunrise Ranch Water

32 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 51% of cocktail quiz outcomes

The deep bench

11

Cointreau

Unlocks: Margarita Cosmopolitan White Lady Lemon Drop Spicy Margarita

37 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 53% of cocktail quiz outcomes

12

White rum

Unlocks: Mojito Daiquiri Piña Colada Long Island Iced Tea Hurricane Cuba Libre

43 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 57% of cocktail quiz outcomes

13

Mezcal

Unlocks: Mezcal Margarita

44 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 61% of cocktail quiz outcomes

14

Yellow Chartreuse

Unlocks: Naked and Famous

45 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 65% of cocktail quiz outcomes

15

Coffee liqueur

Unlocks: Espresso Martini White Russian

47 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 67% of cocktail quiz outcomes

16

Licor 43

Unlocks: Carajillo

48 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 69% of cocktail quiz outcomes

The connoisseur shelf

17

Angostura bitters

Unlocks: Old Fashioned

49 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 71% of cocktail quiz outcomes

18

Cognac

Unlocks: Sidecar

50 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 73% of cocktail quiz outcomes

19

Rye whiskey

Unlocks: Manhattan

51 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 74% of cocktail quiz outcomes

20

Dry red wine

Unlocks: New York Sour

52 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 75% of cocktail quiz outcomes

21

Amaretto

Unlocks: Amaretto Sour

53 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 76% of cocktail quiz outcomes

22

Japanese whisky

Unlocks: Japanese Highball

54 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 77% of cocktail quiz outcomes

23

Fernet-Branca

Unlocks: Hanky Panky

55 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 78% of cocktail quiz outcomes

24

Dry vermouth

Unlocks: Dirty Martini Dry Martini Clover Club

58 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 79% of cocktail quiz outcomes

25

Reposado tequila

Unlocks: Rosita

59 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 79% of cocktail quiz outcomes

26

Irish whiskey

Unlocks: Irish Coffee

60 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 80% of cocktail quiz outcomes

27

Crème de cacao

Unlocks: Alexander

61 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 81% of cocktail quiz outcomes

28

Crème de menthe

Unlocks: Grasshopper

62 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 81% of cocktail quiz outcomes

29

Passion fruit liqueur

Unlocks: Pornstar Martini

63 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 82% of cocktail quiz outcomes

30

Cachaça

Unlocks: Caipirinha

64 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 83% of cocktail quiz outcomes

31

Aged rum

Unlocks: Mai Tai

65 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 83% of cocktail quiz outcomes

32

Absinthe

Unlocks: Zombie

66 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 84% of cocktail quiz outcomes

33

Peychaud's bitters

Unlocks: Sazerac

67 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 85% of cocktail quiz outcomes

34

Bénédictine

Unlocks: Vieux Carré

68 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 87% of cocktail quiz outcomes

35

Cherry liqueur

Unlocks: Singapore Sling

69 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 92% of cocktail quiz outcomes

36

Lillet Blanc

Unlocks: Vesper Corpse Reviver No. 2

71 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 93% of cocktail quiz outcomes

37

Pisco

Unlocks: Pisco Sour

72 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 93% of cocktail quiz outcomes

38

Crème de cassis

Unlocks: Kir Royale

73 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 94% of cocktail quiz outcomes

39

Peach schnapps

Unlocks: Sex on the Beach

74 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 94% of cocktail quiz outcomes

40

Crème de mûre

Unlocks: Bramble

75 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 94% of cocktail quiz outcomes

41

Maraschino liqueur

Builds toward the drinks below.

75 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 94% of cocktail quiz outcomes

42

Green Chartreuse

Unlocks: Last Word

76 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 96% of cocktail quiz outcomes

43

Old Tom gin

Unlocks: Martinez

77 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 97% of cocktail quiz outcomes

44

Crème de violette

Unlocks: Aviation

78 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 97% of cocktail quiz outcomes

45

Blended Scotch

Builds toward the drinks below.

78 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 97% of cocktail quiz outcomes

46

Islay Scotch

Unlocks: Penicillin

79 of 79 cocktails ready · covers 100% of cocktail quiz outcomes

Stocked up?

Find out which of your new capabilities is your drink.

Take the quiz

The Pour of the Month

One email a month: the featured pour, a dark horse worth meeting, and one bottle worth buying. No noise, ever.