Our home bars offer the perfect place to unwind after a stressful day while partaking in a few of our favorite beverages.
However, if you’re finding that this section of your home is more suited for collecting dust than an evening of enjoyment, it could probably use some sprucing up.
Whether it’s missing some of the essentials or simply isn’t in good shape, the difference can be amazing when you take the time to make some changes.
Here is how to improve your home bar in ways that make it more functional and pleasing to the eye.
Only Buy What You’ll Drink
The number one mistake that every home bar owner makes is buying more alcohol than they know what to do with.
While it’s great to have an interest in the art of mixing drinks, there’s no point in having stock that you’re never going to use.
Even if you’re only looking to build a collection of some older and rarer brands, buying more than you need will just leave you running low on space.
So, if you want to increase the functionality of your bar and maximize the amount of room you have, try buying only the popular options for the time being.
Keep Essential Mixers On-Hand
That said, you’ll still want to stock up on all your essential mixers if you fancy yourself a connoisseur of cocktails.
There’s no telling what you or your guests will want to try next, so having the necessities available significantly increases your bar’s ability to accommodate your needs.
Some of the most popular mixers to have include club soda, tonic, various juices, and ginger beer.
You may also want to keep white or brown sugars on-hand to mix syrups, and stock bitters for experimenting with flavors.
Replace Any Damaged or Old Bar Tools
Whether it be from over-use or under-use, your cocktail shakers, bottle openers, and mixing glasses can all become less effective with age.
This can make it more difficult to properly prepare drinks when you want to and make the process more frustrating than it needs to be.
Bite the bullet and purchase replacements if you notice that certain things aren’t performing as well as they used to.
Update the Surrounding Lighting
Another way to improve your home bar is by updating the look and scale of the lighting fixtures around it.
Task lighting is particularly valuable to have along your bar because you need to be able to see what you’re doing.
But ambient, or atmospheric, lighting is just as vital to creating the bar feel within your own home.
There are ample creative lighting options for home bars to experiment with, and many of them can establish a cozier and more relaxing setting for you and guests to enjoy yourselves.
Store Your Glassware Properly
You can also enhance the appearance and functionality of your home bar by simply storing your glassware properly.
Having your supply of glassware lying about the area is a sure way to tarnish the bar’s appearance and increase your chances of breaking them. Instead, find a shelving unit or cabinet to provide these fragile pieces with a bit of protection.
Additionally, this setup makes it easier to organize your glasses by type and, ultimately, to find what you’re looking for.