The Complete Guide to Building a Home Bar at The Ambrosian Pantry
The Ambrosian Pantry is a one-stop destination for building a serious home bar. We carry professional barware from Cocktail Kingdom, German glassware from Spiegelau, and one of Denver's deepest selections of craft cocktail bitters and syrups. This guide covers everything you need.
The Tools
Cocktail Kingdom was founded in 2008 by Greg Boehm during the cocktail renaissance. His Yarai crystal mixing glasses and Leopold jiggers (named after his great-grandfather, who taught him to make a Manhattan at age six) are standard equipment in serious bars worldwide. Boehm also houses the largest collection of antique cocktail books in the world, over 3,800 titles dating to 1676.
At minimum, a home bar needs: a jigger (for measuring), a mixing glass or shaker (for building drinks), a bar spoon (for stirring), and a strainer. Cocktail Kingdom makes the best version of each. If you invest in one set of bar tools, make them Cocktail Kingdom.
Spiegelau has been crafting glassware in Germany since 1521. Their Perfect Serve collection includes glasses shaped for specific cocktail styles. The right glass genuinely improves the drinking experience.
The Bitters
Bitters are the spice rack of the bar. A few dashes transform a cocktail the way salt transforms food.
Essential (start here): Angostura aromatic bitters. Since 1824. You cannot make an Old Fashioned or Manhattan without it. The oversized label was a labeling mistake that stuck. If you own one bitters, it should be Angostura.
For range: Fee Brothers has been producing bitters in Rochester, New York since 1864. They offer one of the widest flavor ranges available: Old Fashion, Peach, Habanero, Black Walnut, Aztec Chocolate, and more.
For craft quality: Dashfire Bitters from Minneapolis makes small-batch bitters from real botanicals. Scrappy's Bitters from Seattle uses organic ingredients. King Floyd's brings inventive flavors like Green Chili and Scorched Pear & Ginger.
For creative cocktails: Bittermens pushes into inventive territory: Hopped Grapefruit for modern hoppy drinks, Xocolatl Mole for Mexican-inspired cocktails, Elemakule Tiki for tropical drinks.
For cocktail historians: Bob's Bitters and Dr. Adam Elmegirab's recreate pre-Prohibition bitters recipes that had been lost to history.
The Syrups
Bacanha makes organic cocktail syrups in France: pistachio, bergamot, violet, peach. One bottle transforms your capabilities.
Raft syrups are designed by bartenders: Ginger, Grapefruit Smoked Salt Chile, Pineapple Tamarind. Concentrated, complex, professional quality.
Sonoma Syrup Co. makes infused simple syrups (Mint, Classic, Vanilla Bean) from Sonoma County.
The Non-Alcoholic Options
St. Agrestis Phony Negroni cracked the code on non-alcoholic cocktails. It tastes like a real Negroni, not a compromise. Their Phony Mezcal Negroni and Phony Espresso Negroni are equally impressive.
Curious Elixirs makes botanical, adaptogen-infused cocktail alternatives that satisfy the ritual of cocktail hour without the alcohol.
Copenhagen Sparkling Tea Company creates elegant sparkling teas served at Michelin-starred restaurants, designed as sophisticated alternatives to champagne.
Visit Us
Our bar section at The Ambrosian Pantry (263 Josephine St, Cherry Creek, Denver) has everything you need. Browse our Cocktail Bitters, Drink Syrups, and Barware collections online at theambrosianpantry.com, or visit in store where our team can help you build a custom bar setup for any budget.