Setting up a
Serve Yourself Home Bar

I usually serve the first drink then show them the bar and let them know it's okay for them to help themselves when they are ready for a refill.

In order to do that, you need to have a well-stocked home bar with everything visible. I have a bar that is up against a wall and we can not stand behind it. All of my recommendations for set up are with that in mind but can easily be altered to suit your own needs.

Quick Jump Links

If you are interested in learning more about any of the recommended home bar accessories below, click on either the image or the link for more information.

Set up and Accessories

Rather than use a tablecloth, I like to use decorative place mats at the back of the bar so that cocktails can be mixed at the front of the bar and spills easily wiped up.

Then, in order to ensure that everything will fit on my bar, I start by setting out the big barware items like beverage tubs, the blender and the ice bucket with tongs. And if I am serving a punch, I also set up the bowl as a place holder.

Because they are the largest items, I usually set a decorative punch bowl at one end of the bar and the beverage tub(s) at the other end.

Speaking of drink tubs, if you don't have room on the bar, this stand alone tub is practical and really classy looking. Designed by Frontgate, this Copper Beverage Tub is substantially sized to keep more bottles chilled for your large indoor or outdoor gatherings. Crafted in Turkey of hand-hammered copper with an antiqued finish. Attached ring handles allow easy portability from group to group. Copper beverage tub sits on a scrolled black wrought iron base. Lower shelf provides a handy place to keep empties. 21" diameter beverage container accommodates 8-10 large wine bottles (and many more beer cans).

After the big stuff is set up, I start filling up the rest of the bar space with the little stuff.

I have a small mirrored tray that I use to hold accessories like stirrers, spoons, bottle opener, the martini shaker and corkscrew.

This corkscrew is an antique replica designed by Charles Chinnock. It is the perfect gift for the holidays or just a fun bar item for the house. In addition to nicely holding all the small stuff, the mirrored tray also serves as a spoon rest when people are mixing their cocktails and keeps everything tidy.

Oh, by the way, do not forget to have some damp towels ready to keep the stickiness at bay or things can get messy very quickly.

Recently I have been using funny cocktail napkins on the bar. I have a little metal holder that I put them in. They are definitely conversation starters!

One of my favorite napkins has a cartoon with a lady holding a cocktail and the caption is, "Whenever I get the urge to do something athletic...I go to a sports bar!"

Another favorite has a black and white picture of a really old lady standing by herself in the middle of a cornfield and the caption is, "Yes...Grandma balked at first, but we haven't seen a crow since." Kind of mean, I know, but I crack up every time I see them.

The last thing I do during setup is to put a cooler full of ice in close proximity. This makes life so much easier when it's time to refill the ice bucket.

Bar Glassware

I find that some people prefer plastic cups, for whatever reason, so make sure you have some of the tall ones on the bar for mixed drinks and the little plastic cups for punch if you are serving it.

Cocktail Garnishes and Stirrers

I have a rectangular, decorative tray that I use for my garnishes. I put maraschino cherries, a couple different kinds of olives and sometimes mint leaves in bowls in the middle of the tray.

Then I surround the bowls with sliced pineapple, lemons, oranges, limes and apples. Just before serving, cut the apples and dunk them in a mixture of lemon juice and water to keep them from browning.

Hey, if you really want to fancy it up, use a cocktail twist maker like this one from Swank Martini Company.

I have some small cocktail forks that I put on the tray to make it easy for my guests to pick up the garnishes. I also set out stirrers and paper umbrellas for an extra special touch. Who doesn't like an umbrella in their cocktail? Check out these home bar accessories from Amazon:

It doesn't matter whether your guests are drinking wine, liquor, soft drinks or cocktails, garnishes make a plain old drink into something spectacular.

Alcohol Wine, Liquor, Beer)

• Wine. I'm not a big wine connoisseur so I tend to stick with the basics. Have a couple of good red wines to choose from, like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Some people like their red wine chilled while others prefer it at room temperature so I try to accommodate both.

  For white wines, I usually have a dry variety, like Chardonnay, and a sweeter choice, like a Riesling or a Piesporter. All white wine is best served chilled.

  I have two drink tubs; one I use for the wine and the other for mixers and soft drinks. Many people have a wine cooler, like a mini fridge, close to their home bar which is especially helpful if you are short on bar space. There are really good ones on the market but some are pretty pricey.

  If you have room for one, I recommend going with a middle-of-the-road 24 Bottle Thermostatic Wine Cellar. You will get the features you need and it will not break the bank.

• Liquor. I set out the bottles of alcohol along the back wall in the middle section of the bar so that the choices are easy to see. I always have the basics. Whiskey, Gin, Tequila, Rum and Vodka. Depending on the kind of party I am having, I might also set out Kahlua, Baileys, Cointreau, Jagermeister, Grand Marnier and Brandy.

  Make sure that the liquor choices are easily visible especially if you want your guests to mix their own drinks. You know your way around your own bar, but your guests do not so make it easy on them.

• Beer. At our parties, beer is usually the most popular drink so we have to be prepared to keep a lot of it cold and make it easily accessible. Over the years, we've had a few keg parties, and have borrowed our friend's kegerator. He constructed his own a few years back and it really makes the rounds among our friends because it's easy to use and keeps the beer really cold.
  
  Eventually we hope that he will start selling his kegerators on this site but until then, I recommend this Full Size Edgestar Kegerator. It's value-priced and offers features usually reserved for commercial kegerators. The refrigerator compartment is specially designed to fit the most popular keg sizes (no small converted dorm fridge here), while all beer line components are US-made and NSF approved for commercial use. You get the benefits (and low price) of a home kegerator with the performance, durability, and safety provided by fully commercial draft components. You can also get an Avanti 5-Lt Kegerator which holds 1 mini keg like the ones made by Heineken. What's nice about this one is that it's small enough to fit on a bar or kitchen counter and it's lightweight making it easily transportable. With both AC and DC power adapters standard, it can be taken anywhere. For smaller parties, a Table Top Beer Cooler works really well. The removable inner ice chamber keeps the beverage cool and prevents dilution due to melting ice. The beverage container holds up to 80 oz., more than an average 60-oz. pitcher and there's an internal lighting system in the base which illuminates the ice and beverage to create an awesome effect.
  
  Most of our parties require a cooling system somewhere in between the kegerator and the tabletop cooler. Space is limited on top of the bar so to keep the beer cold, we usually use a combination of our bar fridge, drink tubs and the old standby...a plain old Coleman cooler. Throw in the beer and ice 'em down.

What kind of beer to serve?

My husband and son like to have a variety of beer so they usually pick up a few cases of domestic (regular and lite) and supplement with a few cases of imported beer.

Occasionally, we will serve one of my son's favorite beers from New Belgium Brewery located in Colorado called "Fat Tire."

Here's how the company describes this beer: "Like the ageless delight of pedaling a bicycle, Fat Tire Amber Ale’s appeal is in its feat of balance: Toasty malt flavors (sorta like biscuits just pulled from the oven) coasting in equilibrium with crisp hoppiness. Delicious stability - in the world of sometimes-precarious beer flavors."

A lot of words, I know, but you get the point. Good beer.

Bottom line: Have a variety of beer available and keep it icey cold! Pretty simple, right?

Mixers and Soft Drinks

• Lemon-Lime soda
• Cola
• Tonic
• Soda Water
• Bottled Water
• Gingerale
• A variety of fruit juices
• Non-carbonated like lemonade or tea

Special Cocktails and Warm Drinks

• Special Cocktails.

  In addition to wine, beer, liquor and soft drinks, I like to offer a couple of special drinks. Mix up some Pina Coladas, Margaritas or whatever you like and put them in a Frozen Drink Machine so your guests can get their own refills. I use the Barcardi frozen mixers that come in a can like orange juice.

  A Fruited Brandy Punch is always is good choice too. Serve it in a punch bowl or check out the newest craze.
  

  These drink fountains are showing up at more and more home parties lately. They work great for punches, just hold the fruit.

  Martinis are always popular. How about Cosmos or Pomegranate Blueberry Martinis?

  If you are having a theme party, choose your cocktails to match your theme. Maybe Chocolate Covered Cherry Martinis for Valentines Day or Green Apple Martinis for St. Patricks Day?

  For other ideas, check out this Martini Recipe Book. Everybody needs one of these little books on their home bar.

  You can buy buckets of drink mixes at places like Bed, Bath and Beyond and Linens and Things. I have bought the Margarita, Rum Runner and Cosmo buckets and they were all very popular (the Mojito, not so much). These are really convenient because all you have to do is add the liquor and stick the bucket in the freezer then serve using an ice cream scoop.

• During the colder months, I set up a Warm Drink Bar in my kitchen. I have a couple of Bunn Airpots that I use. One for decaf coffee and the other for hot water. Then I set out some great coffee mugs and a bunch of mix-ins including:
  • Flavored syrups, like Raspberry and Vanilla
  • Hot Chocolate, Chai Tea and Spiced Cider dry mixes
  • Spray Whipped Cream
  • Half and Half
  • Sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Cocoa
  • Kahlua
  • Baileys
  • Peppermint Schnapps

  Rather than using the dry Spiced Cider mix, I sometimes make my own Warm Spiced Cider from scratch and put it in a Bunn Airpot or a Rival Crock Pot. Simmering Warm Spiced Cider in a Crock Pot makes your home smell heavenly!

  The Bunn Airpot and the Rival Crock Pot are shown below.

  If you are going to invest in an Airpot, make sure you buy a name brand, like Bunn. I have been very disappointed with off-brand airpots in the past. The pump mechanism on one of them broke after a couple of uses and the glass insert on another one shattered when I filled it with ice. I have not had a single problem with my Bunn Airpots.

  The Rival Crock Pot shown below is the latest version and is getting great reviews mainly because you can brown right in the crock instead of having to dirty a separate pan.

  My favorite warm drinks are Hot Chocolate with a shot of Peppermint Schnapps and Chai Tea topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon. Yum!

Setting up a serve-yourself home bar with all the right beverages and barware is just as important as the food you serve. Hopefully I have given you several useful tips to help you set up a home bar for your next party.