WITH the price of a cocktail in most of Manila?s hip bars and hotels running up to four times the cost of lunch, some people are opting to ?fill ?er up? at home instead.

Most would readily agree that having a glass or two while lounging around in the comfort of home does not and will never approximate a night out for drinks. But to save a few bucks, it may not be such an awful alternative altogether.

So, what can one do to ramp up the sex appeal of having drinks at home? What does a home bar need to be considered top shelf? What?s the bare minimum one needs to be the proprietor of a decent home-based watering hole?

From high end to bottom of the barrel, there?s a bar for everyone. Many agree that what matters most in any bar is the alcohol content, not the display cabinets shelving them. If you are like most of us and can?t be bothered to replicate that dream bar in your living room, your best option is the following: make yourself some solid ice cubes, buy yourself real bar glassware and some tools to mix and match your poison of choice, and finally, splurge on your preferred cocktail ingredients with premium alcohol a.k.a. not the cheapest stuff on the market.

Still not sure what you want to drink or how to start? There?s help on the way, thanks to Alex Lichaytoo?s Bacchus wine boutique in Rockwell, Makati.

A good bar, Alex says, begins with good glasses, a sink and a wine chiller. Throw in a screwpull cork screw (easy to use), tongs and stirrers, a decanter and funnel for wines, and you?re good to go.

?Good? glasses that are mandatory for the homebar of a wine enthusiast are the Riedel Cabernet glasses (red), chardonnay glasses (white, which can double as champagne and red wine glasses in a pinch) and high ball and beer glasses.

Specialty items that are not mandatory, but would be nice to have, Alex adds, are lead crystal Riedel glasses (lightweight and very thin), a refrigerator, a candle decanting race (for old wines and sediment) and a tasting table with a white top (so you can see the color of the wine properly).

What alcoholic drinks are key in the home bar?

?A great single malt, cognac, Cabernet or merlot wine, chardonnay/sauvignon whites and champagne,? Alex readily answers.

And what is Manila?s fine set drinking these days, whether in bars to dress up for or from the home bar?

?Argentine Malbec from Catena Zapata, Bordeaux Gran Cru wines and Billecarte Salmon Champagne.?

To get more details, we took a poll of the top favorites of Tipples Manila?s top hosts and hostesses:

?My top three cocktails are: Frozen Mojito (lime juice and rum) and Bloody Mamou (Bloody Mary) and Iced Rose. My bar should have the following: Bartender?s wine bottle opener, blender, fresh citrus, and herbs like lemon and mint.? ? Malou Fores, owner/chef of hot restaurant Mamou and take-away foodie favorite Blue Kitchen

?My bar should have all my glassware, a blender and a shaker. My top three drinks are Kir Royale (Champagne/sparkling wine with Crème de Cassis), Bellini (champagne with fruit ? orange, peach, mango) and a Pineapple Mojito (pineapple juice and rum).? ?
Mandy Santos, stylish mother and popular children?s wear designer

?My top three must-have alcohol for any home bar: Premium vodka, a good red or white wine, a good light beer, in that order. As for my favorite cocktail, that would be a Bloody Mary (vodka, tomato juice drink) or a proper Bull Shot, a Bloody Mary except the tomato juice is substituted by consommé (I prefer Campbell?s soup). This is sometimes served hot in Ski Resorts.? ? Louie Ysmael, disco king turned club/restaurateur

Favorite drinks: 1) A flying dog ? doggie style pale ale that won?t upset anyone because its not your plain old pilsner nor is it too extreme, but still complex. 2) A signeur d? aguilhe Bordeaux ? a good value-for-money red and very versatile; and 3) old reliable Grey Goose Vodka or a Johnny Walker Black for a hard drink, plus it?s easy to make it into a cocktail with a little 7-Up or tonic. ? Jim Araneta, triathlete and Beermeister (distributor of imported beer). Leica R. Carpo

Bacchus Epicerie, R-1, 147 Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Poblacion, Makati City. Tel. 896-0364. E-mail: info@bacchusworld.com