During our most recent home renovation sprint we decided to include a home bar as part of the makeover and found ourselves asking the inevitable question. “Why do we need a bar at home?” In introspect, we came up with a lot of reasons to take a detour from our spending and invest in a well-stocked bar. For one, it wouldn’t have us worrying over drinking and driving. Also, we would love to boast of our latest collection of the best liquor to an enthusiastic soiree of guests. Not to mention that a bar at home makes for a great place to have fun conversations with guests, as well as serves as your warm and inviting alcove when you want to put your feet up and relax after a trying day at work. Once convinced to opt for a bar at home, we were faced with the next big one. “What goes into stocking a bar?”
Accessories to set up the bar
The best way to begin was to ensure we begin with a Barware set. Instead of collecting things piecemeal we decided to go for a barware set to ensure it matches the bar décor and the theme design looks attractive to our guests. We were amazed by the variety available in the market and soon realized that this would be a daunting task. We zeroed in on an elegant bar set option that included a muddler (bartender’s pestle), a jigger, an opener, a wine key, tongs, and a cruz shaker. That done, we set about understanding the functions that these help with.
Muddler: A muddler helps smash and infuse the best fresh fruit flavours and leafy herbs like mint in a drink.
Jigger: Unlike its conical and small the jigger does the enormous task of keeping a restraint on how much you drink. You guessed it right! It helps to dole out the precise quantity of spirits that is required for a drink. Available in a plethora of options, the jigger is an integral tool in your bar set.
Wine key: A wine key and opener are good to have options and come in handy when you are struggling to open a corked wine bottle.
Shaker: A shaker will be your guide tool to ensure your guests enjoy the outcome of your experiments with various cocktails in Chicago.
Choosing the right glassware
The glasses collection was next on our list of must haves and we went a little overboard splurging on the various types of glasses that a bar should be stocked with. From flute glasses for celebrations, to Nick and Nora glasses, beer mugs, whiskey glasses and the shot glasses the options are endless to choose from. Then came in the Decanter. A decanter is mostly a good bar accessory and chosen purely because of its style and aesthetic appeal. Primarily a decanter helps to separate the sediment to allow crystal clear wine or liquor to be poured into any glass. You can however choose to opt for Whiskey decanters that really spruce up your bar. A wine decanter is also a good option because it allows the wine to breathe, bringing out the sharp flavours of the grape fruit.
There can be continued additions to the bar accessories in the form of various delectable collections. There are multiple options to choose from if you want to improve your bartending skills and ensure your guests are entertained through the evening. Cheers to that thought!
