The Deluxe Canopy bar is an impressive wooden bar complete with stools and a canopy to hold your glassware.
Are you getting ready for a big house party? Do you just want to be ready for the next time family or friends drop by? Or maybe you just want to have a well-stocked wooden bar with stools for regular use. Whatever the reason, setting up and stocking a home bar takes time and money, but once you have all of the ingredients, it’s easy to maintain and you can sit back and enjoy a nice beverage without paying double the price and leaving a tip, like you would at a regular bar. Follow these steps to set up your home bar and you’ll be having fun in no time.
First, figure out what kind of bar you want. We suggest you choose a wooden bar with matching stools because they look nice and are very sturdy. Decide what kind of look you are going for. Do you want a more straight forward, simple look, like the Classic bar, a bar that folds out like the Preston or Lexington folding bars? Or do you want an elaborate design complete with a canopy to hold your glasses like the Deluxe Canopy bar? The wooden bar and stool set you choose will depend on how much space you have in your home, how much money you’re willing to spend and what style will look best with your home decor.
Once you’ve purchased your wooden bar complete with matching stools, it’s time to stock up on the beverages. Main spirits to include in your bar include rum, vodka, gin, tequila, Canadian whiskey, bourbon, scotch and brandy. Get 750 ml bottles of each. Additional spirits you might want to get for your bar include sweet and dry vermouth, aperitif, coffee liqueur and Irish cream. Get two bottles each of red and white wine as well as a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne.
Next you will need to get some mixers for your alcoholic beverages (also good for non-alcoholic drinks too). Common mixers include diet and regular cola, ginger ale, lemon lime soda, club soda, tonic water and a variety of juices (orange, lemon, tomato, pineapple, cranberry, grapefruit, lime are common mixers).
Now that you have plenty of mixers added to your wooden bar and stool set, you’ll want garnishes to decorate and add taste to your drinks. Have these garnishes readily available in your bar: sugar, maraschino cherries, salt, olives, pepper, orange wedges, Tabasco sauce, lemon wedges, celery stalks and cinnamon.
Now that you have the drinks, you’ll need the tools required to make them. Ideally your home bar should include these tools to make your bartending experience easier: bottle opener, corkscrew, a mixing glass or strainer (shaker), a paring knife for the fruit, stir sticks, a blender, a large pitcher, measuring spoons, shot glasses, a cutting board and knife, ice and an ice bucket.
Last but not least, in order to finish off your bar, you’ll need the proper glassware to serve your drinks. There are a lot of glassware options but to make it simple these are the most common. If you only have two or three of these glasses you’ll be all set: cocktail, highball, shot, wine glasses (both red and white wine glasses), collins, Irish coffee cup, old fashioned, and brandy sniffers.
Now that your new wooden bar and stools are set up and ready to go, make yourself a drink, invite some friends over and enjoy yourselves.
July 28, 2010 at 11:47 am
[...] Let’s start with the bar section. Choose how large you want your bar to be. If you have a small basement, a smaller classic style bar will be perfect. Purchase your home bar from a wholesale retailer to save money. If you have a large space for the bar, think about getting something more elaborate like this deluxe canopy bar. Your friends will be so impressed you’ll stop going out to bars and just bring the party to your own basement. To find out how to stock your home bar, read our previous blog post. [...]
October 7, 2010 at 7:34 am
[...] The other essential element of the man cave is the home bar. Choosing your bar can be difficult, but it’s important to keep in mind two things: how much space you have, and how much you want to spend. If you find yourself with limited funds and space, you’ll want to go with a wooden bar like the Classic style or Cottage style. You could also get a folding bar like the Preston or the Lexington if you are short on space. If you are looking for a more extravagant bar the beautiful Deluxe Canopy set up is for you. Once you have your bar all set up, it’s time to stock it with all the essential liquors and mixers. [...]