KYE R. LEE/DMN

If you've ever offered a guest a gin and tonic only to find the gin bottle is empty and the tonic water has gone flat, then you know how difficult it is to maintain a well-stocked home bar.

But once you get it stocked and have all your basics, it's much easier to keep up, especially as you learn what your friends perfer.

Here are the drinks, mixers and accoutrements you need to entertain like a pro.

Newspaper ads are also a good place to look for bargains, and liquor stores regularly run specials. Many stores offer a case discount if you buy as few as 12 bottles of assorted drinks. And if you're planning a big party or wedding, you can often return any unopened bottles for a refund.

If you're planning a cocktail party, expect guests to drink two drinks the first hour and one drink every hour thereafter.

People tend to drink more at night than if the party is during the day.

A home bar should have locking cabinets if children are in the home or will be visiting.

Offer your guests some appetizers – but nothing too salty – with their cocktails. It will slow down absorption of the alcohol.

Eight basic liquors are the fundamentals of a well-stocked bar. They are:

Vodka, rum, bourbon, gin, tequila, brandy, scotch and Canadian whisky

Hint: Always store liquors with the original cap on, not a pour spout, to minimize evaporation.

Three basic flavors will give you a good base for a variety of cocktails:

Almond, such as Amaretto

Coffee, such as Kahlúa

Orange, such as Cointreau

Vermouth: Both the dry and sweet varieties are essential for many drinks, including the classic martini.

White wine: For a good, basic white, try a California chardonnay.

Red wine: a merlot or pinot noir or maybe a burgundy

Champagne: $20 will buy a decent bottle of champagne. It's also a good mixer for drinks, such as the mimosa.

Beer: An imported dark beer and one of the popular light beers are good to keep on hand.

Hint: Vermouths and wines do not keep as long as liquors, so you might want to choose smaller bottles. Store wine bottles on their sides so the corks don't dry out.

Bailey's Irish Cream, a mixture of Irish whiskey and dairy cream often used in coffee drinks

Grand Marnier, a liqueur made from cognac (a distilled wine named after the Cognac region in France) and orange essence

B & B, a blend of Benedictine (a liqueur flavored with various plants and spices) and brandy (a distilled wine)

Framboise, a raspberry liqueur

Port, a fortified wine, often drunk alone

Melon liqueur, often known by the brand name Midori, which is made from honeydew melon

Schnapps, a distilled beverage that comes in many flavors, from peppermint to peach, and is most often used as a mixer in cocktails

Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces, used for bloody marys

Club soda

Tonic water

Cola

Orange juice

Cranberry juice

Grapefruit juice

Pineapple juice

Bitters (Angostura bitters can be found in the grocery store. Other popular brands include Campari and Peychaud.)

Tomato juice

Sweet & sour mix

Hint: Instead of opening a large bottle, keep small bottles or cans of juices on hand for mixers.

Lemons

Limes

Cherries

Salt

Olives

Hint: Some drink recipes call for simple syrup. It's easy to make; just mix equal parts of sugar and warm water. Cook over low heat until clear, and then boil for 1 minute.

Corkscrew

Bottle opener

Cocktail shaker

Can opener

Jigger

Bar spoon

Measuring cup

Knife

Blender (A must for frozen drinks.)

dallasbartenders.tripod.com: Greg Roberts' Dallas Bartenders site has recipes, bar measurements, drink calculators and party planning tips.

www.centennialwines.com: information on specials and an online party planner

www.sigels.com: locations, specials and staff picks

www.webtender.com : recipes, a bartender's handbook and statistics on most-popular drinks

www.idrink.com: tons of recipes, drink ratings, plus a feature where you can enter all the ingredients you have on hand and generate a list of drinks you can make with those ingredients

www.cocktailtimes.com: more recipes and party ideas, plus some interesting history on drinks and the people behind them, such as Jack Daniel and the Jim Beam family

The Bartender's Black Book by Stephen Kittredge Cunningham (The Bartender's Black Book Co., $12.95) Note: Some of the drink names are decidedly adult.

The Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft by Gary Regan (Clarkson Potter, $30)

This story originally appeared in December 2005.