How to Set Up a Home Bar

If you enjoy a good drink or hosting, a fantastic home bar is something that every grown-up home should have, even if you don’t drink alcohol. Friends will be lining up to visit, and a home bar adds a certain elegance to the home. Cocktails are as popular as ever and with the right bar equipment and the essential ingredients, you’re good to go. 

The following tips are to help you get started:

1. Choose the right location

Setting up a home bar requires some effort; you cannot just stock some shelves and leave it at that. Decide where the bar is going to be —  is it going to be the main event, or just a backdrop? If it is going to be a main feature of your home, you’ll need to spend more time setting it up with various mixers, equipment and tools.

2. Stock it with the essential items

Any home bar must have these six liquors: scotch, vodka, rum, tequila, gin, and whiskey. These are considered the must-have basics for a bar. The larger your selection of flavored liquors such as coconut vodka, campari and bitters, the more freedom you will have when inventing creative cocktails.

3. Variety of mixers

Generally, when we think of a home bar mixers, many only think about a soda, orange juice or cola. These are indeed the most common mixers; however, you should not forget about the variety of sweet, tonic, and sour mixers out there. You can buy a few cans of 7-Up, tonic, ginger ale, and other types of soda, you can also add bitters onto your shopping list. Store these mixers behind the bar so that you can access them easily.

4. The proper bar equipment

Bar equipment includes having a good selection of glassware in different sizes and shapes. Short glass tumblers, tall tumblers, and of course stemware for wine and cocktails. Having the right number of glasses will enable you to serve any surprise guests, as well as cover any inevitable breakages. Other mandatory bar equipment includes a Hoffman strainer, mixing cups, jiggers, straws and serviettes.

5. Garnishes

Garnishes add some fun to cocktails, and fresh fruit is crucial. You should always have plenty of limes and lemons, and it’s good to have cherries, oranges, and other seasonal fruit if you can. Other garnishes include dried fruit, jelly beans, marshmallows and herbs such as mint.

6. Make your menu simple

Don’t stress about making a dozen different cocktails in a night; instead, just pick one simple drink and make it perfectly. There are countless recipes online — experiment until you find your favourites. Apart from mixed drinks, stock your home bar with bottles of wine, beer and cider, so that you’re covered for every request!