Home Bar Enthusiast: Home Bar Ideas

Having a bar at home is not only fantastic looking, but is also very useful. You get to drink for free in a place that’s better than any other bar—your home. Aside from this, you are safer as you don’t need drive home intoxicated. Do you see the benefits? You save on money, and possibly your life, a great investment indeed.

Private drinking establishments, also called home bars, have been around since the 1920s—the era of liquor prohibition. Home bars became popular among those who wanted to drink without having to deal with the authorities. These private drinking bars had a lot of interesting features, including amazing mechanisms that opened to secret passageways, as well as ways to dump the stock to avoid being busted.

Today, people keep private bars in their homes not because they fear of being busted by authorities, but because they want to avoid crazy situations that can occur when someone gets drunk in public. They want to drink in a relaxing atmosphere, a place they are truly comfortable in. They are also free to entertain friends in any way they want.

If you are planning to use your bar for entertaining guests, you have to be aware of what to stock it with. The first thing to consider is the bar equipment. You will need certain things to help you make your drinks as enjoyable and as delicious like that of commercial bars.

Your home bar is never a true bar without drinking glasses. Glasses are needed for serving the drinks, for making them look presentable, and for giving your guests something to remember the party by. You don’t necessarily need to buy every kind of drink glass there is in the market. Having the basics, such as martini glasses, wine glasses, tumblers, and shot glasses, are more than enough. You can also buy beer mugs or highballs if you want more variety.

Other bar equipments you need to buy for your home bar are cocktail shakers, corkscrews, ice tongs, stirrers, a jigger for measuring, strainer, an ice bucket, and a blender. You might also need a drink recipe book, so you can learn how to properly mix those drinks and keep your guests wanting more. Remember, though, that you don’t have to carry the burden of serving up your guests. You can serve them a big punchbowl of alcohol and juice to keep them busy for hours.

Of course, what is a bar without the essential drinks? Same with drink glasses, you don’t need to stock your bar with every existing alcoholic drink in the world. All you have to do is to know what liquors are the most used in preparing cocktails and bar drinks, so you will have an idea on what you should stock your bar with. The best choices for liquor are the following: Bourbon, Brandy, Canadian Whiskey, Dark Rum, Gin, Light Rum, Scotch, Tequila, Vodka, and Rye Whiskey. These drinks are great by themselves, yet even more delicious when combined with mixers. Of course, do not make the mistake of forgetting the most popular of them all: beer.

You also need to ask yourself, what are cocktails without mixers? Mixers are great choices to stock up your bar with, whether or not you mix them in with your ever faithful liquors. The most essential mixers are the following: orange juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, grapefruit juice, tomato juice, sour mix, bitters, lime juice, grenadine, simple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, club soda, tonic, cola or diet cola, lemon-lime soda, ginger ale, milk, coffee, and most importantly, water.

To make your home bar an even bigger success, you also have to consider where to put your bar, as well as the design of your bar. Remember to design it in such a way that best suits you and your preferences. Aside from this, take note that ambiance plays an important role in entertaining your guests. Always keep in mind, though, that a perfectly designed home bar is not only for your the pleasure of your guests, but for yours as well.