I'd add Campari as my next bottle. It's great by itself (soda or tonic, plus lime), goes into a some classics like a Negroni, Americano, Old Pal, Grapefruit/Campari Kir (Campari, Grapefruit, Orange Liqueur, Fizzy wine), Rosita, Jasmine, Boulevardier, Corpse Reviver #3). It's also great drizzled on a little sorbet (maybe lemon or grapefruit). It will also expand your palette and open a new bitter world. You may not like it the first few times you try it, though. If I were to make a bar for my needs, I could live with just: Gin Vermouth Good Scotch Campari Plus for guests: Tequila (or maybe Rum) Cointreau From this, I could make Scotch, Martini, Campari & Soda, and Gin & Tonic, plus a Margarita for guests. I can combine Gin or Tequila with Campari and/or Cointreau and/or acid and/or citrus juices and/or soda for more variations. The next two bottles would be bourbon and sweet vermouth, with would give me another neat option and a Manhattan and a bitter Manhattan (with Campari) and a Negroni and an Old Fashioned. I can make all sorts of girly drinks for guests by mixing with fresh fruit juice (orange, grapefruit, raspberry puree, etc). This would, of course, take all the fun out of enthusiastic drink-making. There is, I think, a critical mass of ingredients where suddenly you can make (or approximate) most of the drinks you read about on forums and in books -- at least most of the ones that would interest you. I don't have Apple Pucker, so no Appletini for me. I'll sleep OK tonight with that loss. But I do have Maraschino.