With New Years Eve right around the corner, entertaining at home is a big part of all the celebrations. Hosting at home has become increasingly more popular lately and for good reason. I love to have parties because there is just something so special about having people over and putting your own special touch on things. When we built our small bar I started with a simple home bar setup to begin with and it is really all you need to have a great party.
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The ground work
We had a small amount of extra wall space where we added extra cabinets and created a small flex space that we use as our home bar. If you don’t have this option a bar cart is another great option because you can literally set it up anywhere. Or if you have extra counter space you can put everything out and create a bar space right in the kitchen. Here are some great bar cart options that won’t break the bank. For a great inexpensive option this Ikea one is the perfect option!
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The Essentials
There are so many different types of glasses for a bar that it can be overwhelming. My outlook is to not take yourself too seriously. Start with the essentials and it will take you a long way. One item that can serve so many purposes is a nice rocks glass. You can use this for almost any type of beverage alcoholic or non alcoholic and also think outside the box like margaritas. The other glass you want to have on hand is a wine glass. Stemless wine glasses are a great choice when starting out your bar because they are great for budgets and space. You can use these basic ones or you can get separate red wine and white wine ones. Just these two types will get you going and you can fill in the gaps with your current glasses in the meantime.
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The Accessories
A few other must have items are the extra accessories for putting things together. A cocktail shaker is definitely a must have. If you get one with a straining top thats one less thing you need to get. A wine opener is another key essential to have. I love having an electric one but some people prefer to have an easy manual one. Lastly a bar spoon with a muddler on the end will tackle so many different drink recipes and is a great price! If you want a fun extra check out the wine glass markers.
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Now all you need to do is add drinks to your simple home bar setup and you are ready to go!