Living & Dining: Raise The Bar - Create a Fabulous Drinks Station this Holiday

Take home entertainment to the next level this summer by following these simple tips to style your own bar.
 
Location, Location, Location
Where you set-up your holiday bar is the first step in creating an impactful but practical refreshment station. If you have a pool it’s great to keep the bar close enough to be accessible but not too close for it to become a potential glass hazard. A mobile bar is ideal – our Adelphi Bar Cart is just the right size to conveniently move from area to area as needed. Keep in mind whatever surface you create your bar on, it needs to be out of direct sunlight to keep drinks cold and ice from melting. The perfect balance for location will be somewhere fairly central to the seating area but far away enough so as not to block people’s movement. 
 
The Wow Factor 
It’s surprisingly easy to make a big visual impact when creating a home bar. If you haven’t gone with a theme, combine two pastel colours with a bold shade to create a basic palette. A classic choice which is easy to manage and makes for a chic look is green, white and pale brown. If you have a fair wooden table as your bar you’re already off to a good start – keep it exposed for a raw, natural feel. If not, a crisp white tablecloth creates a great foundation for the other colours. A helium balloon wreath suspended above the table makes a pretty frame, or with a bit more effort a similar effect can be achieved with ivy, wire and flowers from your garden. Now that your structure and palette is ready, you can start to style the table. 
 
Keep it Glassy 
Beautiful glassware is not only functional but adds glamour and sparkle to the bar. Group your flutes, tumblers, goblets and highballs together in diamond shapes across the bar. Large glass jugs filled with sparkling water or even ice cubes set in-between  create an additional layer of interest. Try out exotic glasses for an ooh-la-la moment; our Cassiopea glasses are cut in a geometric design that will look gorgeous and unusual filled with an icy G&T. Changing traditions can often add an exciting spin to the bar service – offer wine in stemless glasses like our Mavis HighBall models or for a modern twist pour cocktails into cups like our Tierra Cuddle Mugs and top them off with biodegradable straws and umbrellas.
 
Garnish Goals 
Make your garnish selection work double time by being functional and decorative. If you’re serving white spirit based cocktails, choose a variety of fresh cut fruit like grapefruits, oranges, berries and grapes. Gather them together in a luscious pile and cover them with a large glass cloche like our 19cm Palm Beach Collection model. This will keep them fresh and give the bar both colour and volume. A fabulous idea for herb extras like Basil, Mint, and Thyme is to buy whole plants for the table. Simply choose a few small planters like our grey Avutto range to house the herbs and add them to the bar to create a wild corner. Now guests can pick their own garnish to add to their drink!

Ensure your holiday party is the talk of the town -– browse our impressive range of glassware, serveware and tableware and play the perfect host.