Building a working home bar is different from collecting alcohol bottles. The aim is to build a versatile lineup of spirits that start with good quality expressions but also showcase versatile drinks and value propositions that you can implement for parties or guests. The following bottles are the collection I would create if I had 24 hours and a couple of grand to put together a portfolio for enjoyable drinking.

I’ve eliminated Scotch from this lineup (it’s a column all its own), while wine and beer can be chosen on the fly. Instead, I’ve focused on the other big time spirits along with some unique options to add mystique and craft better cocktails.

As always, drink responsibly!

American Whiskey

Best Buy

1. Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey

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Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey is a high-quality craft whiskey produced in Tennessee using a combination of corn and rye that is put through the Lincoln County Process of charcoal mellowing before being oak barrel aged.

The nose tempts buttery vanilla and brown sugar mixed with currants. The palate features deft caramel corn whiskey, cereal oats, a touch of wood, and grasses with depth from brown sugar. The finish belies the 100-proof (50% abv) by offering traces of mint leaf and creamy milk chocolate.

While I’m usually a bourbon drinker, if I’m choosing a bottle of American whiskey to be part of my burgeoning collection then I’m choosing Uncle Nearest, and pouring a generous measure into my rocks glass at the first opportunity.

2. Buffalo Trace Bourbon

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Buffalo Trace topped our list of the best whiskies for Old Fashioned cocktails. Personally, I enjoy unlocking the flavor in Buffalo Trace by adding a couple of cubes of ice and sipping.

The tasting notes for Buffalo Trace are described as “a complex aroma of vanilla, mint, and molasses. Pleasantly sweet to the taste with notes of brown sugar and spice that give way to oak, toffee, dark fruit, and anise. This whiskey finishes long and smooth with serious depth.” Yes, please.