How to Style a Bar Cart in 10 Steps — and What to Shop

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.

Because those bottles aren't going to open themselves, there's the Our Table Stainless Steel Bottle Opener ($5). Simple, useful, utterly essential.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.