It’s the perfect way to entertain really, allowing you and your guests to discover new things in the comfort of your living room, and at half the price.

The most important part about mixing drinks at home is of course having your own drinks cabinet. But where do you start with a drinks cabinet?

The first thing is to go with what you like and not what you think will impress others. Stocking your favourites will make sure you actually use your drinks cabinet rather than having it filled with bottles you’ll never use yourself.

There’s no point in having a drinks cabinet that you can’t use yourself and filling it with drinks you enjoy means you will be more interested in exploring those drinks and how they can be used in cocktails and mixers.

Before you make any final decisions about brands you should also know exactly what you want to include. There are lots of different spirits that go in a drinks cabinet and remember that the aim of a drinks cabinet is to mix drinks and experiment with mixology, as well as enjoying things neat should you want to.

This means you should aim to buy mid-range spirits that won’t break the bank but are a good quality to drink neat as well as adding some complexity and interest to a cocktail.

Also do your research into what mixologists and bartenders prefer for mixing drinks as it never hurts to have another opinion before you go shopping as, of course, the experts will know best.

Once you know what spirits to get you should start looking towards what else you want to include. This is an essential part of any drinks cabinet that you plan on using for mixology.

Typical mixers include things likes coke, tonic water, club soda, bitters and simple syrup. These are all optional depending on what exactly you want to make and for most of them can be bought pretty close to when you want to throw a party, meaning they don’t need to be a permanent part of your cabinet.

It is also a nice touch to have some specific glasses to keep in your cabinet. This can include tumbler for drinks like whiskey sours, tall glasses for highballs and cocktail glasses for daquairis.

This isn’t a completely necessary tough but it does add something extra and a little bit fun to the whole experience.

Finally, find somewhere to house your drinks. Of course this exactly what the name drinks cabinet implies, but having somewhere dedicated to holding your drinks will make it feel more official.

Of course these steps are not concrete and can be played with but it helps to have a bit of structure when considering these things, so you don’t run the risk of overspending of getting board quickly.

The most important part of starting a drinks cabinet however? Having fun and experimenting with all your old favourites!