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4 Easy Steps to Create an Impressive Home Bar
All the essential ingredients, tools, and glassware you need to craft the perfect at-home bar setup so you and your guests can mix, shake and stir up everyone’s favorite cocktails.
This content is powered by: VinePairWords by: Katherine Alex Beaven
- Photos by
- David Chow
You can create a home bar perfect for hosting or a night in! The only thing better than a well-stocked bar with an incredible ambiance is one that operates from the comfort of your own home. This easy hosting guide will walk you through creating an impressive home bar that can whip up cocktails that look as good as they taste. With our recommendations for staple spirits, as well as barware, glassware and all the extras, you’ll be set for any hosting needs, whether you’re pouring drinks for a party or enjoying one yourself after a long day.
Stock the essential spirits
Types of Spirits to Stock Your Home Bar:
Rum: dark or light liquor made from sugar cane or molasses
Vodka: clear spirit made from potatoes or grains
Tequila: dark or light Mexican spirit made from agave plants
Whiskey: dark spirit made from grains and aged in barrels
Gin: clear botanical spirit flavored with juniper
A well-stocked bar cart will have all the classic types of liquor: rum, vodka, tequila, whiskey, and gin. Having these spirits on hand will allow you to make a variety of drinks and please drinkers with different tastes. If you have a passion for hosting, consider expanding your liquor selection with different varieties of the basics: light & dark rum, anejo & blanco tequila, scotch & bourbon & rye whiskies. You can also stock liqueurs and flavored spirits at your home bar for maximum versatility.
Grab the requisite glassware
Types of glassware:
Coupe: a shallow-bowled, stemmed glass with a flared foot for stability
Rocks glass: also called a lowball glass, a short, wide glass with a solid base and wide opening
Highball glass: a tall and narrow glass
Martini glass: a stemmed glass with a cone-shaped bowl
Shot glass: a small glass usually holding 1.5oz of liquid
Pint glass: holds 1 pint of beer, usually with a wide opening that slightly tapers to the base
Wine glass: usually stemmed, bowls can be different sizes, bigger for red wine, smaller for white wine
Champagne flute: a slender, stemmed glass for sparkling wine
Many cocktails are traditionally served in specific glassware. The shape of a cocktail glass can affect the taste and enhance the presentation of a drink. A versatile home bar will have coupe glasses for drinks like champagne and chilled cocktails, rocks glasses for spirits neat or on ice, versatile highball and martini glasses for classic cocktails, and shot, pint & wine glasses for simple serving.
Equip the bar with the necessary bar tools
Take your home bar to the finish line with cocktail accessories, specialty liqueurs and a good selection of sparkling mixers. One of our favorites? Baileys Original Irish Cream Liqueur is a versatile hit that can be served on the rocks, in coffee and in numerous after-dinner or dessert cocktails. Sparkling mixers are top-line choices for making the perfect gin and tonic or vodka soda. If you’re looking for ways to elevate your bar setup, consider adding a decorative dish for storing and displaying fresh cocktail garnishes, a set of reusable cocktail napkins or flaunting your whiskey in a beautiful glass decanter. Serving drinks with decorative glass cocktail picks and stir sticks, whiskey stones or ice made with fancy ice molds will also do the trick!