Liquor, liqueor and cocktails

Lost Salient wrote: »

You should make a thread for hard liquor. I like hard liquor.

It depends on how extensive you want your collection to be. You can google "wet bar must-have" lists, but they range from barebones to LUDICROUSLY expensive, so. I guess my question is, do you want to start seriously crafting cocktails, or just be able to throw together a martini or a manhattan if someone wants one? If you are only looking to do the latter, here's what I would consider the very basic basics:

Bourbon (or rye, but bourbon is in general more affordable and unless you're getting finicky you can sub them for one another)
Vodka
Gin
Tequila
Vermouth (both sweet and dry, or if you're only going to do one I'd say dry)
Angostura bitters
Tonic water

Now that said here's a slightly expanded list, that lets you do a little more and fancier drinks:

Bourbon
Rye
Tequila
Rum (your choice - I have spiced on hand because I tend to like drinks involving it more, but like, there's zero point for me to own multiple types of rum because I am not allowed to drink it myself, and I just don't use it that much)
Vodka
Gin
Sweet Vermouth
Dry Vermouth
Cognac or brandy or both
An orange liqueur of some kind
An anise liquor (I have Pernod cause I kinda like it)
Campari
Peychaud's
Angostura
Tonic water
Club soda

I don't list scotch on that because unless you are a scotch drinker, it's kind of an expensive thing to buy and keep around. I don't believe anyone will think less of you for not stocking scotch if you don't drink it. Annd... I think that honestly a good rule of thumb to stocking a wet bar for yourself is to buy the true staples in the first list (give or take for personal preferences), and then expand them as you come up with drinks you like and want to try your hand at. Right now I'm looking to buy Benedictine, because I love Vieux Carrés.