CREATING A HOME BAR - OUR HOME BAR ESSENTIALS

Our Guide To Creating Your Home Bar

We all dream of our very own home bar so why don’t we all have one?

Maybe you think you might need a live in bartender to come with it? Or you just don’t know where to begin? Well, now you can let all your fears wash away as we bring you the know how and ideas of how to create your very own home bar!

THE BAR!

Firstly, decide where you want your bar. You want a space with good ambience so think about a cosy corner in your dining room or maybe an unused kitchen counter top? Or if, like us, you live in London and extra work space isn’t a luxury you have, then why not treat yourself to a drinks trolley? (Here are some of our favourites)

Tuscany Drinks Trolley

The Tuscany Drinks Trolley is stylish, glamorous and practical. The trolley is perfect for keeping drinks near and on hand, allowing you to move the drinks to the party, keeping you in the loop at all times.

Vintage Style Trolley

A vintage Style Trolley is great for a more rustic feeling drinks bars. Moving away from the glamorous and moving towards classy and cool places to mix drinks.

Gold Circular Drinks Trolley

The Gold Circular Drinks Trolleys bring in an Art Deco style to your bar. If you want that 'Great Gatsby' style of bar, then this is perfect for you.

The History of the Bar

Bars have been around for a very long time, we mean, Ancient Greek old. But the home bar, well that's a different kettle of fish. The concept of the home bar is thought to have come from the United States in the 1940's. 

Post war, home bars made their way across the Atlantic and to the UK and became popular amongst the wealthier group during the 50's and 60's. Home bars haven't changed much since then, but have grown in popularity.

SPIRITS AND LIQUEURS

Next we need to decide on the spirits and liqueurs you would like. Try to select alcohol varieties that you have tasted and enjoyed – whilst keeping in mind the tastes of any guests (if you’re prepared to share). A great place to start is with the ingredients of your favourite cocktail. Gin is also a great staple spirit to have, it is the most used spirit in cocktails!

SPIRITS AND LIQUEURS

Next we need to decide on the spirits and liqueurs you would like. Try to select alcohol varieties that you have tasted and enjoyed – whilst keeping in mind the tastes of any guests (if you’re prepared to share). A great place to start is with the ingredients of your favourite cocktail. Gin is also a great staple spirit to have, it is the most used spirit in cocktails!

Some of our favourite cocktails include a Bloody Mary, Moscow Mule and Gin and Tonic, many of these can be found in our cocktail recipe section here.

Vodka

A staple of many classic cocktails, it's pure, strong and very mixable.

Gin

A classic spirit that serves up a classic, the Gin and Tonic. View our blog about Gin here.

Tequila

Tequila Tequila, we love tequila! It makes some of the best cocktails out there. Pure, straight and tasty, tequila is a must have in any bar.

Rum

Dark rum, spiced rum and white rum, all of these are a must have for crafting cocktails.

And don’t forget liqueurs…..why not try Triple Sec for your party-time Margaritas, Kahlua for your pick-me-up Espresso Martinis and Vermouth for your relaxation-time Manhattans. Sounds delicious, right?

Something to consider when buying alcohol is that different alcohol types require varied storage methods but all types of alcohol are best when not exposed too much sunlight.

ESSENTIAL BAR EQUIPMENT

The equipment you need will depend on your very own bar and how creative you want to get with your cocktails but some items which we regularly use include :

Shaker/Boston Tins

The cocktail shaker or Boston Tin is a must have bar tool. It's typically a combination of a 16 oz mixing glass and a 28 oz metal shaker tin.

Hawthorn strainer

A hawthorn strainer is made up of a flat disc with a coiled spring along the outside. It's used to filter out larger chunks such as ice and large fruits from the cocktail glass.

Bar spoon

A bar spoon is used in almost every cocktail, for mixing, measuring and crushing. A typical bar spoon has a spoon on one end and a muddler on the other end.

Jigger

The jigger is used for measuring shots, with one shot on one side and two shots on the other. For quick and easy measurements a Jigger is a must have.

A Muddler

A muddler, which can also be found on the end of a bar spoon, is used for crushing. We'd recommend getting a proper muddler, as they're typically large and strong, useful for making drinks such as mojitos.

Speed pourers

If you want to look like a pro in your home bar, a speed pourer is a must have. They're used to pour liquids faster by allowing air into the bottle preventing a slow pour.

Wondering where to find all of this? Here are some bar kits you might want to treat yourself too (pretty and functional)

Oliver Bonas white marble bar set

John Lewis stainless steal set

Von Chef Matt Black Bar equipment

And if you really want to impress your guests then investing in some fun glassware is always a good idea…think Martini Glasses, Champagne Flutes and Coupettes. We love to have a look in old vintage shops and charity shops to hunt down those really quirky glasses.

Some of our favourite places to get beautiful glassware are:

• Anthropologie
• LSA
• SOHO HOME

MUST HAVE MIXERS

From Soda water to ginger beer, mixers come in many different forms and are a must have for any budding cocktail maker. Here is our list of the essential cocktail mixers and additions.

Tonic Water

Tonic water is an iconic taste in many cocktails, but its most famous and also tastiest cocktail is the gin and tonic. View our tonic water here.

Ginger Beer

Spicy and strong, ginger beer is a great flavour to spice up any cocktail and should always be close to your home bar. View our ginger beer here.

Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits like Lemon and Lime should always be on hand when making cocktails. The citrus flavour cuts through any alcohol and gives a clean clear finish to any drink.

Syrup

Syrup, as in a simple syrup, is used in a lot of cocktails, especially Summery ones as they add a sweet flavour to enhance the flavour.

There are so many other additions that you should have on hand in your home bar. To view more of the iconic and must have mixers, view our drinks section.

 

For more tips and tricks follow us on our social channels or drop us a message. Here’s another great article. And if you’re ready to go and just need some cocktail inspiration then head over to our recipe page.

From our hearts to your glasses

Joyce & Raissa