What’s the point of a summer party if there is not a proper flow of drinks? And how about if the drinks are served unusually and elegantly? Setting up a cocktail bar at your summer party gives your party a modish look and keeps the guests refreshed.
There are many ways you can set up a bar at your summer party, but you need something convenient, easy to set up, and most importantly, includes a variety of drinking options for the guests. So here’s a tutorial on setting up a one-of-a-kind summer bar for your party in the easiest way possible.
Tips Before You Begin
Before you start setting up the bar, you should think about a few things.
- If it’s your first time setting up a bar, keep it simple. Because, unlike restaurants with an experienced bartender taking care of a lot of things simultaneously, you can’t do the same at your home. It’s not to underestimate your party skills but to give you more time and space to manage other things alongside.
- You should have everything within your reach. Even if you are setting it up at your home, you don’t want to leave the bar to run and grab something from the kitchen at any point during the event.
- Create a perfectly luminated atmosphere for your bar with hanging lights and warm lights.
Here’s a list of things you will need:
Bottles of Drinks
Obviously, you need bottles of drinks, but there’s a thing or two to consider before filling them up. First, have a variety of liquors that you and your guests would like. It’s essential to know about the cocktails you are going to make. So make the cocktails that you have made before. Also, don’t forget to add non-alcoholic options to take care of everybody’s choices.
Sodas
Sodas are an essential item for a cocktail bar. You must have orange juice, lemon juice or lime juice, pineapple juice, ginger ale, and cranberry juice. Having 7up, sprite, or coca-cola cans will also help you make bubbly cocktails.
Bar Caddy
A bar caddy is a convenient, must-have item for your home bar to keep straws, stirrers, and napkins. It serves as an organizer to organize all the small and large straws and stirrers in one place to help you avoid mess.
Garnishing
Garnishes help you decorate the drinks and make them look more elegant. They can be of different types and are used based on the kind of cocktail you’ve made. For example, cocktail garnishes might include cocktail olives, dehydrated lime, orange and strawberries, orange twists, lemon slices, strawberry slices, red cherries, and blueberries.
Remember not to cut too many garnishes. Only cut a certain amount of fruits that you think would be enough. After the party is over, put them in the refrigerator to use later.
Ice Compartment
Have enough ice to fill all the glasses till the end of the event. You don’t want to run out of ice because ice makes the cocktails refreshing. For your convenience, you should have separate baskets for both crushed ice and ice cubes.
Fancy Plastic Drinkware
You should NOT have nice glasses for your home bar. Drinkware is displayed in front of the bar, and they are the first things your guests will see when they come to your bar. Here are the glasses you must have to create an elegant bar for a summer party.
Disposable Champagne Flutes
For those bubbly, sparkling drinks, get champagne flutes for your bar. They enhance the color and aroma of the drink to give the drinker a one-of-a-kind experience.
Fancy Plastic Wine Glasses
Bring some exquisiteness to your party tables with these wine glasses.
Shot Glasses
Take a look at these shot glasses that make your summer party bar look elegant with their perfect durability and size variations.
You need glassware that’s both elegant and durable so no one embarrasses themselves by breaking a glass. The Kaya Collection is your go-to if you are wondering where to get the best disposable drinkware. In addition, we offer a wide range of plastic party cups to help you throw the best parties ever.
Bar Accessories
Next off, you should have a compartment to keep all the bar tools in one place. Keeping the equipment in one spot is always better, so you don’t need to worry about finding something while the guests are waiting for the drink to be made.
Some of the must-have bar tools are:
Jiggers
Jiggers are used as cocktail measuring cups ranging from 05-0.25 oz. The key here is all about holding the jigger correctly.
Strainers
Mainly used for fruit drinks, strainers strain out the liquid and filter the chunks of fruits and their pulp. It can also filter out ice cubes, so they don’t enter the glassware.
Shakers
The mixed cocktails need to be well-mixed and shaken to aerate them and incorporate everything together. For that purpose, your bar should have shakers. But if you don’t have a shaker, that’s fine. A tumbler can be used to shake your cocktail.
Straws and Stirrers
Put colorful straws and stirrers in your bar caddy for a vibrant look. Being a good host, ask your guests what color of straw they want when arriving at the bar for a drink.
Napkins
Another item to put in the bar caddy is napkins. Get colorful napkins for your bar from here.
Muddlers
Bartenders use muddlers to press fruits or herbs to incorporate their taste into the cocktails. They are fine to use if you want a professional bartender feel, but they are a waste of time. So instead, you can do the same with a heavy wooden spoon.
Wine Openers
As its name indicates, it removes the cork from a wine bottle. Use a wine opener that’s already present in your kitchen.
Refrigeration Coolers
Put water bottles and juices for kids inside your house’s refrigerator to serve the kids and other guests that prefer juice and water.