Home for the Holidays

There’s never been a better time to up your hospitality and home bar game

- By Jared Paul Stern

“In this new age of virtual experiences and dining at home, when all of us are craving authentic human interaction, hospitality has never been more important.” So says spirits writer and sommelier Adrienne Stillman in her new book Spirited: Cocktails from Around the World, published by Phaidon—and this holiday season we’re taking her words to heart, stocking up our home bar, laying in plenty of firewood, and perfecting our mixology skills. While large gatherings are (for the moment) out in favor of immediate family and intimate friends, there is no constraint against having just as good a time, albeit on a smaller scale, and even better drinks.

And as Stillman notes in her book, “In many ways, it has never been a better time to be a discerning cocktail drinker. Small and craft distilleries have opened up the variety of spirits available, resurrecting products that had disappeared for decades like Old Tom gin, crème de violette, and true dry curaçao, as well as creating new ones. Historic Italian amaro, which once struggled to find an export market, is selling all over the world. And high-quality mixers and syrups have entered what used to be the realm of high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors.”