How To Choose The Perfect Placement For Your Home Bar

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If you love to unwind with a homemade cocktail, and especially if you enjoy entertaining, a home bar is a real treat. Beyond a few basics, they're also incredibly versatile; they can be small and simple or large and abundantly stocked. Glassware and decor reflect your sense of style, while the spirits and other ingredients reveal your flavor preferences. You can build a home bar out of different furniture pieces and develop it any way you like. To guide newbie enthusiasts through such wide open possibilities, we featured 10 tips on how to organize your home bar. The first and foremost consideration is where to actually place it.

The best spot in the house is near your refrigerator. The reason is simple: Ice is paramount to just about every beverage. Whether you serve it on the rocks (over ice) or up (chilled with ice then poured without), ice gets drinks to a cool temperature that's pleasant and showcases flavors well. It dilutes cocktails just enough to blend the flavors of different ingredients. There are even certain types of ice to use in different cocktails. Whatever you're making, chances are it will involve ice, so it's ideal to not have to carry it room to room, especially when having guests might mean multiple trips. Home bars can go right in the kitchen if there's room — you could convert an under-used counter — and they also work in a dining or living room adjacent to the kitchen.

Other bar staples need to be refrigerated, too. Citrus juices and simple syrups need to be kept airtight and cool. Freezer martinis are always a good idea; store pre-batched ones there, or bottles of gin or vodka. Proximity to the refrigerator and freezer is the first priority in home-bar placement. But what if you don't have the space in that part of your home? Get creative. Use vertical storage and add open shelves, hooks, and racks above a bit of counter space you can afford to dedicate to bar fixings. You can also do this in a pantry closet. If you only have a bit of spare space, maybe on the other side of the kitchen wall, turn a bookcase into bar storage, or a small table — shelf organizers and crocks will help keep smaller bottles like bitters and tools like bar spoons tidy and handy.

Failing any of those options, think about other rooms that might have some space where you can incorporate a mini fridge. If you're lucky enough to have a garage, you might be able to build out a dream home bar with its own refrigerator and seating. The last resort is to get a trusty ice bucket, so at least you can fill up at the fridge and have enough ice on hand for a round of cocktails. Make it an accent piece by choosing one that matches your essential home-bar tools.