The Tools
“Shaker, pour spouts, jigger, muddler. First and foremost, have the tools, that’s what you want to have,” Gonsalves says. “You don’t want to have to go anywhere for anything other than your ice. So when I see a nice bar cart, it’ll have an ice tin with tongs.” Gonsalves recommends checking out the bartender kits from Bare Barrel.
The Spirits
“Your bar cart, for the most part, is going to be for you,” Gonsalves says, but he does recommend having some crowd-pleasers, like vodka, gin, tequila, clear rum, and bourbon, which Gonsalves finds to be more versatile than a Tennessee whiskey. “You want to have all of the basic ingredients; you can really personalize it to what you enjoy.”
The Extras
Unless you’re enjoying one of those spirits neat or straight-up, you’ll want some complementary items. Maraschino cherries (like Luxardo), lime juice, club sodas, simple syrup, dry vermouth and rocks glasses all jump to mind for Gonsalves, who had one more tip. “To have a recipe book on the cart is huge, because nobody really thinks of that.“