If you’re anything like me, you’ve become well-acquainted with your home bar over the last few months. You might’ve even exhausted a few of the options therein. And while there’s nothing wrong with tried-and-true, well, a little change of pace sure seems appealing, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s time to shake things up.

Keeping the basics (gin, vodka, whiskey, tequila, rum, brandy) on-hand is certainly a good start. But if you’re looking to seriously elevate your at-home cocktail game, there’s a world of options out there. It’s choose-your-own-adventure.

The risk, of course, is ending up with a stash of dusty, rarely used bottles. So you’re going to need a game plan. Here’s one: Pick a spirit that you already like, and pivot to a similar—but more interesting—alternative.

I rounded up some suggested swaps—or additions, really—that I would consider making. Think of it as a spirited remix. The essential home bar, with a twist.

IF YOU LOVE GIN, TRY... AQUAVIT

At first glance, gin and aquavit, the bracing Nordic spirit, might not have much in common. But try this thought experiment: If gin is a neutral spirit flavored with a mix of botanicals (mostly juniper), and aquavit is a neutral spirit flavored with a mix of botanicals (mostly caraway and dill), then the two are basically kissing cousins. The only caveat here is that aquavit can be made in a wide range of styles, from herbaceous to spicy to oaky, so you should hunt around for an iteration that strikes your fancy. (That’s true for gin, too, by the way.) Yes, you can shout “skal!” and shoot aquavit like the Scandinavians, but don’t be shy about mixing it into cocktails—a simple daiquiri with aquavit as the base will let the flavors of the spirit shine. Check out the bottles on offer from Linie and Aalborg, both award-winning distillers.

IF YOU LOVE TEQUILA, TRY... MEZCAL
Mezcal, tequila’s smoky cousin, has become a sort of shorthand for cool kid cocktails on bar menus. But have you picked up a bottle of the agave-based spirit for your home bar? It will give your standard margaritas and palomas a fresh facelift. If you’re looking for something boozier, go ahead and try a Mezcal Old Fashioned. Here’s the thing about smoky cocktails, though: you either love them or you don’t. I like to hedge when making cocktails that call for Mezcal, using a 50/50 mix of Mezcal and traditional tequila, to achieve the suggestion of smoke rather than a full campfire. Del Maguey Vida and Rey Campero are both producers of note.

IF YOU LIKE CAMPARI, TRY... AMARO NONINO
It probably would have been unthinkable 20 years ago, but even pared-down home bars today often feature a bottle of an aperitif, like Campari or Aperol. You can get more creative: Try one of Italy’s classic bit- tersweet amaros on for size. Lately, I’ve been enjoying Amaro Nonino (a digestif made from bitter orange, chinchona and rhubarb, among other things) in a cocktail called the Paper Plane, made from Aperol, Bourbon, Amaro Nonino and lemon juice. If you’re still swooning for the bright red aperitif, you could search around the United States for a new class of homegrown amaros; renowned Bay Area distillery St. George’s Spirits makes Bruno, a Campari comparable, that’s gaining traction among bartenders.

IF YOU LIKE BOURBON, TRY ... AGED RUM
Bourbon may be the kingpin of the modern-day cocktail empire. For something with a little edge, you could do a little virtual globe-trotting and pick up whiskies from Japan, Canada, or Ireland. Or—and hear me out here—consider these two words: aged rum. Once home to sickly sweet and overly vanilla-ed imitations of barrel-aged spirits, the category has improved exponentially in recent years, and bartenders are swooning. Because there really aren’t any regulations regarding labeling, the category is a bit Wild West; trying to lock down trusted producers can be tough. (A few favorites: The Real McCoy 12-Year, Kō Hana Rum’s Koho and Koa.) At a bare minimum, try to find distillers that actually age the rum in barrels instead of just dumping in the vanilla and caramel flavoring. You’ll know the good stuff when you taste it. A quality aged rum is worth sipping neat to appreciate the nuances, and if you’re in need a cocktail, try a spin on the neo-Tiki classic Jungle Bird, made with aged rum, pineapple juice, Campari and lime juice.