13 Costco Essentials To Grab For The Ultimate Home Bar

Starting up your own home bar is no easy task as it often requires buying tools, glassware, and, of course, alcohol. Luckily, Costco has you covered with just about everything you need to get a simple yet effective home bar up and running. In fact, Costco is among your best options for building a home bar thanks to its wide variety of unique products (many of which come at a relatively low price) which allow you to upgrade a simple bar cart into a fully operational bar in no time.

Among the most important aspects of setting up a home bar is finding versatile, long-lasting items that can help you build a strong foundation for your setup without spending thousands of dollars all at once. In some instances, these vital items can be found as part of Costco's long-time private label, Kirkland Signature, but other times they come from a third-party brand inside Costco stores or through the store's expansive selection of online-only items. Regardless of how you get your hands on these must-have bar items from Costco, it only takes a handful to start making a real difference.

Before you get your liquor or the tools to make them into cocktails, you must first have something to drink them in. The Libbey Preston Drinkware Set is perfect for those looking for simple, clean-looking cocktail glasses at an affordable price. Each set comes with 16 cups — eight 16-ounce tumblers and eight 13-ounce Double Old Fashioned glasses — and is priced at just $27.99. While you may be interested in finding more eye-catching or decorative glasses down the line, these flared glasses are as versatile as they come and will be pivotal in making your home bar function as you get the ball rolling.

Another set of glasses you'll want to keep at your home bar is the Zwiesel Echo Coupe Cocktail Glasses, which are perfect for Negronis (if you're serving them without ice), daiquiris, and Manhattans, but can be used to improve the presentation of any drink you've concocted. The Zwiesel Echo set includes four glasses and is priced at $35.99. While this is a bit pricey compared to the last glassware set, these glasses will help give your home bar a luxurious vibe.

If you're dying to get your home bar up and running, chances are you want to be able to make slightly more complicated drinks than you can muster at your kitchen counter. To do so, the Rabbit 6-piece Bar Tool Set is a great option. The kit features an 18-ounce shaker that has a built-in strainer, a steel muddler, a stirring spoon, a double-sided jigger, a Hawthorne strainer (which is vital if you want to double-strain your cocktails), and a beautiful stand for it all to reside on. All these incredibly useful gadgets come at a combined price of $69.99 and will pay massive dividends for those looking to take the art of mixology more seriously at home.

Another essential tool for your home bar is somewhere to store the ice. If you're looking for an ice bucket that looks especially high-end, Costco once again has what you need. The Crafthouse Round Ice Bucket is a stainless steel bucket that has a mirrored finish on the outside and a drain grate to separate the solid ice from the melted ice within it. These, alongside the pair of tongs that comes with it, contribute to the product's $86.99 price tag. A high-end ice bucket like this one can also be of great use when you need to put your wine on ice for 30 minutes before serving it, a practice that's beneficial to wines of both high and low quality.

When it comes to buying alcohol for your home bar, most say that six types of liquor are absolutely necessary for building the foundation. Considering whiskey is the most popular liquor in 18 of the 50 states, you'd be best off starting your liquor-buying journey by picking up a tried and true staple like Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey – and why not from your local Costco. Known for its widespread popularity and versatility, Jack Daniel's signature spirit is a great entry point for those looking to become more well-versed in the world of whiskey and is a suitable fit for just about any whiskey cocktail you can think of. Costco sells the iconic liquor for $40.59 through Instacart, meaning you may find it in-store for an even lower price when the time comes.

Ideally you'll want to pick out two rums (one light and one dark), but considering how light rum is  the more versatile version of the two, it should likely come first on your home bar wish list. Let's be honest, the Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum is known for tasting artificial, so stick with a classic like Bacardi Superior Light Rum instead. The reliable light rum goes for $20.19 at Costco and is perfect for someone looking to make sweet drinks like Pina Coladas and Blue Hawaiis. Of course, it's just as fitting in a mojito or daiquiri.

While not every Kirkland Signature liquor is the best option, it's hard to argue against the private label's Five Times Distilled French Vodka being among the top choices. The liquor is best known for being similar to Grey Goose, with some customers even saying the Costco exclusive is better than the high-end vodka brand. What makes this comparison particularly impressive is that a 1.75-liter bottle of the Kirkland Signature vodka is available at the low price of $20.59, nearly half of what a similar-sized bottle of Grey Goose would usually cost. With a smooth, velvety taste that allows it to be used in both simple and complex cocktails, the Kirkland Signature vodka checks all the boxes to be the go-to bottle of vodka to reside on your shelf.

Another instance where Costco's private label selection stands out is its gin. More specifically, Kirkland Signature London Dry Gin is considered a great gin for everyday use and can be a true pillar of your home bar. With a 1.75-liter bottle costing just under $20, the Costco exclusive is in the sweet spot in terms of getting quality gin without breaking the bank. While you can certainly find more nuanced gins if you're willing to spend more money, those looking to enjoy the occasional gin & tonic (a cocktail originally created to fight malaria) or Tom Collins will find that Kirkland Signature's product is more than capable of delivering great results.

Brandy can sometimes be forgotten when stocking a home bar, but having a staple cognac like Hennessy VS at your disposal is key to a well-rounded setup. The bold and fruity cognac works great in mixed drinks or on its own, which does make it more beginner-friendly than older, more complex variations like Hennessy VSOP (which is also available at Costco). Hennessy VS is among the more expensive liquors on this list at $75.19 for a 1.75-liter bottle, but most people will be able to make it last a while.

The sixth (and, in this case, most expensive) liquor to buy for a strong foundation in your home bar is none other than tequila, and there are few better choices at Costco than Patron Silver. A 1.75-liter bottle of Patron Silver costs $80.19, but it's a classic liquor that is sure to get plenty of use in your cocktails. Plus, considering the Patron Silver bottle is among the most iconic designs in the world of alcohol, the mystique it carries makes the tequila even more worthy of being a fixture on your top shelf.

While tumblers, Old Fashioned, and coupe glasses each have their uses for liquor-based cocktails, a bottle of wine demands proper glassware tailor-made for it to be sipped out of. Luckily, the Red and White Wine Glasses made by Zwiesel Sensa have you covered. The set of eight comes with four smaller glasses designated for white wine and four larger glasses made for red wine. At $63.99, this set of high-quality glasses is perfect for those interested in simple yet beautiful glassware to begin what could be a great collection of wine glasses.

Let's be upfront — if you're already a major wine aficionado, you're going to want to stock up on way more than just one quality bottle. However, everyone needs to start somewhere. If you're looking for a gateway into great wine, Louis Jadot Pinot Noir from Burgundy, France is an excellent option. The 750 milliliter bottle costs just $19.59 at Costco. If you're not sure, Ina Garten believes Pinot Noir from Burgundy is easy to enjoy for both beginners and experienced wine drinkers alike, so the delicious but affordable wine is well worth considering adding to your new home bar. From there, the wide world of wine opens up for you to enjoy, starting with the Burgundy region if you find yourself enamored by the Pinot Noir's smooth, fruity taste.

If you find yourself loving the Louis Jadot Pinot Noir and decide to add other wines to your collection, you don't need your own cellar to store them effectively. Instead, the Neatfreak 24-bottle Wine Rack can do the job just as well. The racks will store your wine either horizontally or at an angle (both of which help prevent oxidation), and multiples of the $59.99 product can be stacked on top of one another to provide even more room for your wine collection when necessary. If you want your home bar to lean on wine just as much as it does liquor, this shelf is perfect for housing each and every one of the bottles you intend on adding to your collection.