Related Articles
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
If you’re the type who likes to entertain at home, there’s no good reason not to invest in a home bar. There’s no need for remodeling and you don’t even need a great deal of space. A small piece of furniture with enough storage to fit a variety of liquor, wine, glassware, and tools, the best home bars even include a tabletop surface area to mix your drinks from. Home bar setups vary in size, style, and functionality, ranging from decorative living room pieces to more functional tables for professional bartenders or marketing displays.
What to Look for In a Home Bar
The best bar carts are multi-functional, with wheels or extra storage compartments that can be used in a variety of settings (think as a serving cart for food, decor piece, or bookshelf). Other bars are made specifically for amateur mixologists and frequent hosts who like to play bartender for friends and family often. Here are things we look for.
Design: Decide what you need on a scale of function to style. Pieces that are going to become a permanent part of your home furnishings should be attractive and cohesive with your established style. In general, we gravitate toward slender and minimal pieces made of materials like glass and iron, as this modern aesthetic works in most spaces, and doesn’t take up much room. More functionally-minded bars offer less in terms of elegance but are often more portable and versatile.
Size and Shape: Your bar obviously needs to fit in the space you have available, including space needed for a person to serve drinks from behind it. Creatively shaped bar designs, wheels for easy mobility, collapsable frames, and even clever furniture arrangement can provide you with more space than you think you have.
Storage Capacity: This is a home bar, not a glorified liquor cabinet, so it should have enough capacity for all your wines, liquors, mixers, tools, and glassware. Most, unfortunately, do not come with a mini-fridge included so don’t forget space for an ice bucket to keep beer, sodas, white wines, and garnishes cool, too.
