When it comes to home bar essentials, there’s 5 main elements you need.
I’m a HUGE advocate for having a home bar.
When drinking alcohol, there are so many factors you have to keep in mind: being responsible drinker, being in a safe space, money, drinking good quality spirits and more.
Seriously… there are soooo many benefits to having a home bar.
I especially think everyone should know how to make their favorite drink themselves… but that’s a topic for another day 😉.
When creating your personalized home bar, you cannot miss including these items!
Not only are these items aesthetically pleasing to have in the bar, but they are fully functional too.
This post is all about the 5 most necessary items every home bar needs.
Contents
overall tips for home bar essentials
you know yourself best
When it comes to home bar essentials, at the end of the day, only invest in items you know you will use.
Even if I’m recommending something to you in this post, ask yourself, “is this going to fit into my lifestyle?” If the answer is no, then don’t spend your money on that item.
I’m a huge advocate for only spending your hard earned money on items you know you will enjoy, as well as buying only the best quality vs trying to go the cheap route.
If you’re in a point in your life where you don’t know what you like and are open to trying new things. then I think you’ll find this post the most helpful as a guide on where to start when creating your home bar.
What you actually need in your home bar is all up to your ✨preference✨
decorate your home bar with these free printables!
5 items every Home bar needs
bar cart
This may seem like a no duh moment, but you need somewhere to store all your bar materials.
I will say you don’t necessarily need to go out and buy a bar cart, but ultimately you should have an appointed area where you keep all your bartending materials together.
Plus it makes it more fun to have a designated bar if you plan on hosting friends for a cocktail party.
Your home bar could even be as simple as a specific counter in your kitchen. How you want to display your bar items is really up to you and your ✨preference✨
You can literally do whatever you want with a home bar. It’s one of the best ways to showcase your personality in your home.
bartending tools
If you REALLY want to try your hand at bartending, you need to use the bar tools that bartenders use.
Now, how much and which bar tools you need are up to your ✨preference✨
What I mean by this is:
If you ever only drink old fashioneds, you probably don’t need to buy a cocktail shaker and vice versa.
Another tip to keep in mind
You can get around making cocktails without using legit bartending tools.
It may not look the most glamorous 💅🏼 but you can still make some pretty banger cocktails with items you already have.
HOWEVER… I will say once you use real bartending tools to make drinks, there’s no going back.
cocktail books
If you’re going to invest in building a home bar (alcohol can be expensive), I imagine you probably want to try and make a ton of different cocktails, so you need recipes to follow.
As a bartender myself, I’ll be the first to tell you that not all cocktail books are built the same.
I have some book recommendations that are guaranteed to have great cocktail recipes, but at the end of the day you know your ✨preference✨ the best to know what types of cocktails you typically are drawn to.
Some of my favorite books
glassware
I like to compare cocktails and glassware to art in an art gallery.
Think about it… you just created a beautiful handcrafted cocktail. The last thing you want is to pour a gorgeous egg white whiskey sour into a plain pint glass with no character.
Serve your cocktails with a little razzle dazzle, It makes everyday life more fun!
Along with that, using the same example as before, only get glassware for your lifestyle ✨preference✨
If you only drink martinis and only plan on making martinis for you and your friends, then only have martini glasses in your bar.
alcohol
Another no duh item to have in your home BAR.
Out of all the home bar essentials on this list, this is probably the MOST important.
The type of alcohol you should have in your bar is your ✨preference✨ (I know I’m sounding repetitive lol 😝).
You can have all types of alcohol in your home bar or have your bar cart designated to one specific type of spirit.
I’ve seen gin bars, bourbon bars, wine bars, aperol spritz bars, you name it… the world is your oyster.
Heck, you don’t even need alcohol to have a bar cart. I’ve seen hot chocolate bars, coffee bars, tea bars, shirley temple bars.
They’re all essentially the same idea… having a designated area for your favorite type of beverage.
But back to a HOME BAR, at the end of the day you need to have alcoholic ingredients to mix up your favorite drink for yourself and your friends.