2012 - The Ultimate Home Bar

Basics of Home Bar Survival

Home Bar Designs & Planning, Stocking your home bar

Everyone knows that for any big party you will want a well stocked bar so that you can entertain your guests unless you request them to bring their own booze. Depending on the type of party, being ready for it could be as easy as having a good supply of beer or wine, or as complex as a mixer for every drink you can think of. Either way, you will want to make sure you have a decent supply if you want to have a good time.

Usually when it comes to cocktails, it’s good to have all the staples handy since most cocktails are made of just basic liquor, maybe a mixer and some ice. Vodka, rum, whiskey, gin, scotch, and Bourbon are usually about all you need to get by in terms of liquors, but there are a lot of popular drinks that contain liqueurs as well such as grand mariner, triple sec, amaretto or Irish crème etc. so you may want to think about your guests and what may be necessary. And back to the mixers and ice, you’ll certainly not want to skimp on those, make sure you have enough coke, juice or whatever to get through the night and ice is something that you’ll want to have easily accessible and the more the better. Running out of either of those things can be a real pain!

Another thing to keep in mind is to make sure that you have plenty of the right garnishes for the drinks you plan on serving so you’ll likely have to go shopping before-hand if you may need something like mint, cocktail onions, celery or olives etc. If for any reason you don’t want to or can’t stock up on everything you might need, then you may want to create some kind a menu so people can easily figure out what they want out of what you can serve.

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What’s Worse a Bad Plan or No Plan??

Home Bar Building, Home Bar Designs & Planning

If you love the idea of having a home bar but are not sure how to get started or what kind of bar you can or should be going for, here are some questions to get your gears turning:

How much entertaining or drinking do you like to do?

If you plan to use your bar a lot and it will even replace some nights out at a regular bar then don’t be afraid to spend or budget a little more money because you will be saving money in the long run and besides you’re going to end up loving it.

What kind of bar theme will you be going for?

You should definitely think of the theme you’ll ultimately be going for before you go buy a piece of furniture or something like that and what will look good in your home. If you’re starting from scratch with a basement project than you have a clean canvas to work from, but if you’re home his kind of modern, then maybe contemporary piece of bar furniture is what you should aim for. There’s obviously no rule to this, but something to keep in mind when you’re weighing out price, looks and functionality before you buy.

Do you have a lot of indoor or outdoor space to devote to a bar?

With a lot of space, you really have the ability to do any kind of project you want. You can have a bar with tv’s maybe a pub table, or a pool table or dart board etc. That’s the great thing about having an entire room. However, you’ll definitely have to have the budget to support that type of vision or you will just end up with a half finished project which really defeats the purpose of having a bar if you can’t enjoy it. Make sure you’ll have enough money to stock and accessorize your bar right to set the theme and make it functional. If you can’t do that then the project is sort of a fail…

Do you have the ability to tap into plumbing near a bathroom, kitchen, laundry room etc.?

If there’s an area in your house you can tap into plumbing and would like to have a wet bar, that is something definitely worth considering. Wet bar’s really do add a huge level of convenience especially if it won’t be very close to another water source. Having water right there to clean things up and rinse glasses etc. can really be an awesome feature. It’s just a bit more work to get this accomplished but will likely be well worth the investment! Also, always, always, always figure out your plan for having ice easily accessible. Last thing you need is to be going back and forth to fill up glasses or ice buckets. If you have no close by place for ice, then I highly suggest at least getting a small icemaker.

Do you have a descent budget for obtaining your bar as well as stocking it etc.?

If you do have a large budget then of course you are obviously golden, you just have to figure out what is truly practical for you and your space. If you want to go all out then go all out, but I wouldn’t recommend getting yourself into something you’re not truly prepared for or going to benefit from. If you’re not handy, then maybe you want to consult a general contractor and/or someone good with wood working. The contractor can help with things like planning for plumbing, drainage, electricity, lighting etc. so that is always a good choice. Then depending on what you want maybe, you can find a prebuilt bar that will fit your needs in the area or you can start building one to fit! Great thing about a large budget is you can keep going and shop for all your appliances, accessories and alcohol whenever you want. One thing to note is that if you are going to have any built in appliances, make sure have a space in the bar adequate for any appliance you might get. If you know which ones you want, get the measurements first and then build out your bar accordingly.

Are you in a hurry to get your bar setup or do you have time to devote to a larger project?

Basically if you’re in a hurry then you’ll pretty much want to shop for some nice home bar furniture pieces. Go to furniture stores and find something that suits your style, space, budget etc. There really are some nice prebuilt home bars out there and probably something nicer than you can build or have built. Even the smaller two or three seater bars can be pretty nice. I would just make sure you have adequate storage and that it has the little things you might want like foot rails and arm rests etc. Those are always important features to me!

Are you handy or know someone who is that can help you design and build a custom bar?

If your handy or have a buddy or two that are handy, then you may enjoy the process of planning and creating your bar from the ground up. Then you can really take pride in ownership of the project. Some really like that, others just want the bar and could care less. Besides not all situations require something custom and many times would be considered overboard. But the point is you may know exactly what you want all the little features and everything that you want your bar to have which may be hard to find in a pre-build. So if that’s the case and you have the ability, going custom is definitely cool. You will have more of a story about it to tell at your bar as well!

Are you short on space, time and money?

If you’re short on space, time and money no worries you can still have a perfectly good home bar you’ll just have to get creative! You may have to just setup more of a makeshift style bar or recycle another piece of furniture or bargain hunt a bit. Maybe you already have some Ikea furniture that you can reuse or some glass shelving that you can make cool with some cheap up lighting for LED lighting or something and then store your glasses and bottles on them. Make sure you check out places like Ebay or Craigslist for deals on furniture pieces, stools, tables or accessories or things you can use for your bar to set the theme. Also the local party store can be helpful as well especially if you’re going for a Tiki theme. The shopping around may take a bit of time but that is the one place that you will sacrifice a bit if possible in order to give yourself a decent place to hang out when short on space and on a tight budget. If you are very short on space, but have a bit of money to buy a nice piece of furniture, you may even opt for a nice pub table with a couple stools and then a complimentary cabinet of some kind for your liquor etc. Even a fold-up custom-built for pre-built bar may be a great option for you.

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If You Build it They Will Come

Home Bar Building

So you fancy yourself a DIYer! Well that must mean you have the time energy, resources, tools and skill set to tackle this challenge. I would say that a least some at least average woodworking skills to pull this off and actually have something you won’t be too embarrassed to show people. If you’re a complete rook when it comes to building things, using tools and working with wood, then I would probably suggest just saving your time and energy and spend a little more money to get a nice pre-built piece of furniture and you’ll be happy you did!

First things first you’ll have to do some space planning and brainstorming to determine what kind of home bar shape you want such as L-shape, U-shape or straight and then do some measuring to determine what will fit. You’ll need at least a couple of feet behind the bar to function and also you’ll need additional space if you plan on having a back bar or any shelving or appliances behind it. Don’t forget to do that planning for where all the electronics, appliances and storage of everything else such as glasses, bottles etc. ahead of time otherwise you can find yourself in a jam later. Also keep in mind where the electrical outlets are and how the wiring will be run.

If you’re very handy with tools and woodworking or know someone that is, then you might just want to draw up your own design and go at it. The other good option for a DIYer of average skill would be to look for some good bar plans online. The plans should be good enough to tell you exactly what lumber you should or can choose and what tools you’ll need for the job. If you go for the lower end lumber such as softwood pine, you can probably build you a decent but not too fancy traditional style bar for around $150-$200 in materials. If you step it up and decide to use a hardwood like maple or oak then you’ll be paying more depending on the quality. You’ll first have to figure out how much of what you’ll need than go to your local lumber store and price out the differences.

Generally you will need some combination of the following tools in order to get the job done:

Table saw or Circular saw
Jig saw
Router
Electric drill/screwdriver
Hammer
Gluing clamps

The main basic steps in the building process will be similar to as follows:

You’ll have to first create the frame to fit the appropriate measurements and shape you’re looking for along with any built-in shelving and storage features. You’ll likely be using 2×4 boards for most of the frame, but may opt for something a bit bigger like 4×4 etc. in certain areas for added stability.
Once its framed you’ll then be putting the front and side paneling around it with whatever material you choose such as wood, metal etc. and then your home bar will start to take shape!
Next it’s already time to think about the bar top which is a very important piece so you’ll want to do some thinking about what material you want to use and then factor in the cost to acquire and maintain it and the difficulty to work with. If you’re doing wood then you’ll probably want something decent quality on top. Also figure out before hand if you want an arm rail and if so what kind because that may impact the way your bar top is assembled. However, any good bar plan will tell you exactly what to do.
Last you’ll just be adding the finishing touches such as the foot rail and putting some stain on it etc. Foot rails can be some kind of rail (commonly brass) or even a built-in wood step. They play an important part of the bars look, feel and comfort in my opinion so I highly recommend them!

Lastly, you don’t always even need to start from scratch to have a home bar setup in your place in no time. You can also get creative and modify an existing piece or pieces of furniture and create a bar that way as well. You may already own existing pieces of furniture that can be repurposed to serve as a bar or back bar or shelving, cabinets etc. so you may not need to go out and buy or do as much as you think. There are people that like to shop at places like Ikea to find things that they can sup up and modify for different purposes like creating a home bar or adding to it!

Don’t Be a Bottle Buying Fool!

Stocking your home bar

I’m sure it is no surprise to you if I tell you that the number one question I probably get out of all the potential home bar questions out there is “what is the best way to stock your bar when starting out?” so I figured I’d share a little bit about that here in my blog.

First, just like everything else home bar related, there is no one way to do it. But that’s OK, that’s truly what I love about home bars. Everyone has their own take on it and the more you talk to people the more you pick up.

However, to answer this question, I’m going to put myself back in the shoes of someone who has no bartending experience, limited budget and no real general direction as to what type of drinks they will end up serving the most. This may go against what most people do, but the reason I am going to direct you this way is so you don’t make the mistake of buying things you don’t need and end up with bottles of whatever just taking up space and collecting dust.

The method that I’m referring to is what I call the “evolution method”. Assuming you don’t have any real drink making experience this will be the best foundation for you to build from. First go get yourself a good drink making guide so you can make sure you learn how to make drinks correctly. Next you’ll want to think about what mixed or liquor drinks, mixers, shooters etc. that you like if any and that your friends like. Whatever you see or find people drinking when hanging out at bars or wherever, just start thinking. You’ll want to write some of those down and lookup the ingredients. Try to find a few that contain the same basic ingredients so you don’t have to buy up a bunch of different stuff unless you want to but I’m talking starting small here. If you have a certain theme to your bar like Tiki for example, then of course you may want to learn some tropical drinks for starters.

So imagine this, you buy the ingredients to make just one or two drinks you want to start out with. This way you can practice making this drink and sort of make it your specialty (depending on it’s complexity). Find a way to make it good. Then start branching out to other drinks that use the same ingredients or maybe the same but +1 so you can slowly start branching out. Then just keep going from there. The result will be that you will only spend money on things you know exactly how to use and you become great at making drinks with them.

This is the most practical and efficient way I know to start growing your collection and mastering the art of drink making and growing your drink menu at your bar. I understand it may seem a bit limited to some people at first but that’s OK, it will grow. But until then you will have more of a specialty bar. You can take other peoples suggestions as to what they want and start branching out that way to. Hell, make your bar a BYOB bar in the beginning if they want something you don’t have and just ask to keep the bottle so you will have it for them next time. Before you know it, you’ll have mastered your bottle collection and you’ll have gone from looking like newbie to “alright this guy or gal knows what they’re doing!” FYI – If you’re interested I share several other great methods for stocking a home bar for different situations in my Ultimate Home Bar Setup Guide and Membership site!

Kegs, Parties and Problems

Parties & Entertaining

Nothing worse than having your boys over or even worse the ladies that love beer and your kegorator is dead set on spitting foam! Pour rest, pour rest, pour rest is what your life is turning into, and all of a sudden that old bottle of bud light is looking much more appealing!

Next, you check the pressure…same as before…you check the temperature – it’s good. What gives?? Who the hell knows, sometimes the beer gods just aren’t with you! All you can do is just make sure you have a backup plan in the form of beer in some other kind of container. Please never get caught with nothing! I don’t care if you have to keep a Heineken mini keg in the bottom of your fridge, you’ll be glad you did.

However, before you abandon ship, do your routine checks. You may need to just shut of the CO2 and let it chill for a min and try it again with a much lower pressure. You may get a slow pour out of your tap, but that may prove to be better than a crap load of foam which usually = wasting beer. Maybe try and cool the keg down a bit more with some ice or something if you suspect temperature may be the problem.

I also realize there’s a lot of DIYers out there and they may have constructed their own kegorator contraption of some sort and don’t really know if it’s setup right. A couple of things that help are to ensure you use tubing that’s 3/16 inside diameter which gives about 2psi per foot of pressure which is most ideal to prevent foaming.

If you’re having temperature problems make sure your cold plate or coils aren’t too iced up or anything because that actually acts like an insulator and your system is not working correctly or efficiently. Also if you are having cooling issues make sure everything is sealed properly. If needed put some kind of light inside of it and then inspect it in a dark room to see if there is light seeping out anywhere. If you do find gaps do what you can to seal them and see how it goes from there.

Lastly, just do your best to maintain everything properly and keep your lines and taps clean. Make sure you do some kind of routine checks if you’re not using it regularly and for the love of god make sure you know how its working at least a day or so before any big parties your planning. Last thing you want to be doing is screwing with your kegorator and struggling to pour a beer while the parties going on around you!

With a little bit of common sense, preventative maintenance and routine checks you will hopefully not end up being that guy or gal with a crappy keg…leave that to the amateurs!!

The Speaker Dilema

Audio, Home Bar Designs & Planning

OK, so as you probably realize, at any bar whether it’s public or your home bar, music is usually one of the main staples of entertainment besides drinks and people. One question that I hear come up a lot when people are in the planning stages of their home bar or even after the fact sometimes, is where is the best place to put my speakers and what kind should I get?? Well unfortunately there’s not one answer for everybody because, no person, home and bar combination are ever going to be exactly the same.

So you will have to evaluate what’s important to you and what kind of entertaining you plan to be doing. For example, if you picture that you’re likely going to be watching a lot of movies or sporting events where good surround sound is key or cranking up the music and getting down with your bad self, then you probably want to use find a receiver with some decent surround sound capabilities in the form of floor standing or bookshelf speakers etc. to strategically place them in your bar or entertainment area.

This may sound obvious, but a lot of people seem to want to get these built in speakers above the bar in the ceiling or in the walls etc, but the problem is that it’s more work, you often have to pay someone to install those, and once they’re in, they are a pain to deal with if they aren’t living up to your standards. In addition, they usually get placed in a place that is less than optimum for watching sports or dancing and people’s conversations start getting drowned out. Not to mention, I’ve heard from many people that once they are cranked up, they often sound like crap up in the ceiling for some reason.

I agree it’s cool to have built in sound, I’m not saying it’s not, but you just have to make sure you understand it’s limitations and better purpose. I think if you just want to have some lower level music playing in the background or just a bit of extra sound for watching sports at your bar, then it may be a perfect solution. Especially if space is a concern! You could also go with some kind of floor standing or bookshelf speakers in the front and then have the rear speakers in the ceiling. But still the ceiling speakers unless somewhat high end are likely to not perform as well.

So with all that being said, all I can really offer is the obvious…make sure you think through what you want and analyze your situation to the fullest, don’t be one of those people that just go with what you think is cool without really knowing how it will work!

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