How to Style a Bar Cart
How to Style a Bar Cart in 10 Steps — and What to Shop
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If you love a well-mixed cocktail, you may be wondering how to style a bar cart. Truth is, it's not as simple as shoving some spirits and glasses onto a cart; it requires a little more (but, fortunately, not *too* much more) effort. First things first: Do you have your spirits and mixers? Great. Next up, what about the tools and equipment you'll need to shake up a dry martini or bring an Old Fashioned to life? And finally, is your bar cart aesthetically appealing to you?
To help you answer yes to those questions, we've identified 10 items that will make your bar cart look super-stylish — while being useful to you whether you're mixing drinks for a large or small gathering. Sourcing from Bed Bath & Beyond (because, obviously, that place has *everything*), we've come up with ideas and products to enhance your cocktail hour. Keep reading, and be ready to have the best-looking bar cart on the block.
Build Your Kit
Any home bartender needs a few drink-making tools: a shaker, muddler, beaker, jigger, strainer, and stirrer. The Our Table Preston 6-Piece Mixologist Set ($10, originally $30) has it all — and at a very good value, no less. With these items at your hand, there's no cocktail (or mocktail!) you cannot create.
Be Prepared
Because those bottles aren't going to open themselves, there's the Our Table Stainless Steel Bottle Opener ($5). Simple, useful, utterly essential.
Keep Napkins on Hand
If you're going to take 10 minutes to make a phenomenal drink, then take one little extra moment to present it with some flair. This set of 12 Saro Lifestyle Swiss Dot Napkins ($30) has classic charm without being fussy, and it's the sort of detail your guests will notice and appreciate.
Show Off Your Spirits
Know what looks a whole lot nicer than a collection of liquor bottles bunched together? Your favorite spirits, elegantly presented in a collection of glass vessels. This Olivia & Oliver Whiskey Decanter ($48, originally $60), for instance, elevates the look of any such liquor. Even if it's not the most expensive whiskey around, it'll *look* top-shelf.
Improve Your Ice
When you go to a $15-per-drink cocktail bar, the mixologists most definitely don't toss any old ice cube in your drink. Nope, they pull out all the stops with a slow-melting sculptural ice cube — and with this Our Table Ice Mold Set ($15), you can do the same at home. When you're ready to make your drinks, place the ice in a cute chiller bucket (more on that next), and place it on your cart. It'll look so cool — no pun intended.
Find Your Chill
Speaking of ice, you need a bucket. Not a chintzy plastic one, either — go for a high-quality stainless steel bucket that will last a lifetime. The double-walled Our Table Preston Hammered Ice Bucket ($10, originally $50) fits the bill nicely. It won't rust or tarnish, but it will keep your ice cold and contained in style.
Display Fresh Flowers
A bouquet of fresh flowers instantly makes a bar cart look prettier; putting the blooms in a crystal vase takes things to Gorgeoustown. This Marquis by Waterford Brady Vase ($100) has vertical cuts and a timeless design that complements the glassware elsewhere on your bar cart.
Choose Your Glasses
You certainly don't need a cocktail bar's worth of glasses to make drinks, but it's worth investing in coupe glasses for straight-up classic drinks like a Bee's Knees. This set of four Our Table Coupe Glasses ($20) is charming, photogenic, and cute enough to leave on display between cocktail parties.
Prepare Small Snacks
When entertaining, it's thoughtful to leave some little nibbles — almonds, dried cherries, and so forth — on the cart for grazing guests. These Our Table Simply White Rim Square Appetizer Plates ($4) take up little room on a bar cart and can also be used to hold lime wedges and other drink garnishes.
Have a Recipe Book
If you're going to mix some drinks, you're going to need a reference. Each of the 60 cocktail recipes in Free the Tipple ($9) pays tribute to an impressive and iconic woman. So if you've ever wanted to raise a glass to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Zaha Hadid, Virginia Woolf, or Rihanna, know that these easy-to-mix drinks are highly enjoyable. For extra points, try making them with spirits from woman-owned distilleries.
