For the chic modernist, living the midcentury lifestyle most likely includes a good meal, good conversation and, of course, a good drink. If you like hosting friends at your atomic pad, there’s one essential piece you need in your home and that’s a bar cart.
So how do you load up your cart? Here are our top 6 bar cart essentials for a cocktail party that would make Don Draper proud.
- Ice bucket. A good drink is a cold drink, and a cold drink needs ice. Stop running back and forth to the freezer and keep your cubes on hand with a double-lined ice bucket and tongs. These are all the rage at antique stores and flea markets, so finding a beautiful chrome piece should be easy enough to acquire.
- Bar tools. From the long bar spoon for stirring your hi-ball drinks to the double-sided shot glass (or “jigger”), you need some good bar tools to make those drinks happen. Make sure you have a strainer (we prefer the Hawthorne style), a sharp knife for garnishing and a cocktail shaker. For that extra Mad Men touch, track down a set of Bakelite bar tools!
- Basic booze. There are tons of alcohols you may want to keep stocked, but there are four bottles you should always have on hand: gin, vodka, whiskey and rum. From there, extra cordials, liqueurs and specialty alcohols are always a plus, especially for the burgeoning mixologist.
- Mixers and Garnishes. While some garnishes need to be kept in the fridge, it’s always nice to keep a few limes, lemons and cherries on hand, even if it’s just for the duration of the party. Keep some lemon-lime soda, tonic water, cola and other cocktail mixers within reach as well for ready-to-go bartending!
- Napkins and coasters. OK, so it’s not that glamorous, but you want to make sure those well-mixed, icy cold cocktails don’t sweat all over your beautiful midcentury furniture pieces! The good news is that there are plenty of amazing atomic-style options for the perfect accompaniment to your home décor, so you can protect your pieces in style!
So where are you going to put all of those tools, booze bottles and garnishes? In an incredible bar cart, of course! For style and ease, you can get a simple, two-tiered open cart, but we recommend something a little more functional and midcentury for all of your supplies.
BDI’s elegant standalone Corridor Bar is a stylish piece of furniture and a functional center for entertaining. Finished in either Walnut or White Oak and equipped with louvered double doors, the bar provides easy access to all your drinks, glassware, and bar accessories. A horizontal storage rack holds 12 wine bottles, a wooden stemware rack holds wine glasses, and storage space on the doors and shelves holds liquor and canned beverages. A drawer keeps your utensils organized. The cabinet is 41”H X 35”W X 18.5”D, a convenient height for drink mixing on its black micro-etched glass top.
