Have you been to most of your city’s bar options and are looking for something new? Would you prefer to have your moments of alcoholic leisure feel closer to home?
A home bar might be right up your alley. Setting up a home bar can give you a customised collection of wines and spirits tweaked to your desire. It also gives you a place in your home where you and your guests can enjoy themselves.
If you’re looking to get started, go ahead and buy wine with Grays for a premium collection of alcoholic beverages. Here are seven steps to setting up your own home bar.
1) Find the perfect space for your bar setup
You don’t have to install and renovate a countertop to make a home bar for yourself. You can make use of the places and items you have at home already.
A good first step is finding out the motivation behind the construction of your home bar. Are you looking to build your home bar to accommodate and entertain your guests? Or are you keeping it as a personal showcase of your personal spirits collection?
Whatever the case, figure out the need for the home bar. If you’re not expecting tonnes of guests, a small tray on top of the counter would suffice. If you’re adamant about creating an actual bar space, you may consider a home-built bar for you and your guests. See what works for you and go at it.
2) Gather your spirits and wines
As you set up your home bar, stock up on your favourite spirits and wines to make up your collection. Your guests will hold a keener interest in hearing the passionate knowledge of your favourite drinks over knowing you own some fancy new liquor you barely know about.
That being said, it wouldn’t hurt trying out cool new flavours to introduce a new, refreshing profile on your taste buds. As an example, a Sochu, Blanc Brut or a Pinot Grigio may suit your fancy over the tried and true Chardonnay.
3) Grab your favourite mixers
Unless you’re not a fan of cocktails, grab some mixers that’ll go well with your selection of spirits. If you love gin and tonic, for example, head over to your local supermarket and grab some tonic water. You can also find some sources of inspiration online to enjoy a new twist of your liquor. You can add interesting ingredients like pineapple syrup, lime, or another liquor like Dark Rum to elevate the flavours a little better, for example.
While it’s fine to have a little bit in stock, you shouldn’t be expected to be fully loaded with mixers all the time. You wouldn’t want to throw away rotten citrus or expired syrups before your next party starts. So, buy a reasonable amount of ingredients for your next party.
4) Accessorise your home bar
Any home bar owner should have jigglers, muddlers, strainers, and shakers to unlock more liquor options for their guests to enjoy. If you’re a wine connoisseur, don’t skimp out on buying advanced products like spring strainers or torches that’ll help you create more impressive concoctions, like the Negroni Flip.
The great thing is you can buy these tools in bulk from most retailers and specialty stores. Once you get the hang of handling the basics, you can level up your bartending skills and make even more cocktails with the accessories you have at hand.
One recommendation: a citrus juicer is a great addition to give a sharp, citric kick in common, beloved cocktails like gin.
5) Spruce up even further with a bar cart
If you’re using a countertop as a makeshift home bar, a bar cart is a great addition if you’re running out of space to put new liquor bottles. Not only can it provide more room, but you can also mix drinks and organize your bottles the way you want them.
It also adds a unique aesthetic touch to the area while exuding an inviting and comfortable aura for your guests. Simply put, a bar cart is a great decorative statement for all gatherings and occasions.
6) Don’t forget your glassware!
It can be overwhelming sourcing all the glassware you’d need for your home bar. This can include whiskey glasses, martini glasses, margarita glasses, and shot glasses—and we’re not even covering half of it! Nonetheless, these are important components for your home bar and should be taken care of as early as possible.
Aside from the aforementioned glasses, get glassware for highballs, wines, and whisky to round off your list.
7) Keep your eyes on the ice
A cocktail party without any ice is a disaster waiting to happen. You wouldn’t want your ice supplies running out mid-party, forcing you to go to the store to find new ones with guests at home.
If you’re starting out, consider using some giant ice cubes. They’re versatile and you can always smash them if you need them to be smaller. If you don’t want the whiskey to dilute, consider getting whiskey rocks as an odourless and tasteless alternative to chill your drink.
