No matter how many posts I’ve read about home bartending, I must admit I’ve always wondered about what the author actually uses at home. Do they really buy all the obscure tools and liquors that they incorporate into their posts, or are the just blowing smoke?

In what I hope is the first in what will be a regular series, I’m goin’ open kimono with my own home bar… Hopefully I’ll be able to convince my fellow cocktail novices and readers to give us their own home bar tour.

The Scene

Everyone has their own set of living constraints and my home bar fits ours nicely. With a smaller home, space is the biggest constraint and my bar is situated in an enclosed porch adjacent to our kitchen. Best described as a liquor storage cabinet, our home bar requires us to mix drinks a few steps away in the kitchen.

The Bar: Mimi’s Cabinet

Easily my favorite piece of furniture in the entire house, our bar is a unique cabinet that had once belonged to my grandmother. A bureau that features a hinged top that reveals a copper-lined tub, Mimi’s bar has a fair amount of storage and allows us to keep all our go-to booze on top. Frankly it’s the perfect option for us.

Bar Tools & Supplies

Generally I keep the bar tools and supplies to a minimum due to limited space. On the bar we have a Boston Shaker that contains all of our tools including bar spoons, muddler, strainers (s) and muddler. For glassware we have an adjacent cabinet stocked with some classic 1950s glassware and a couple of sweet coupe glasses. Overall it has all the basics and not much more, but I like it.

Conclusion

I love our bar; it looks good, fits in our available space and does everything we need. Better yet, it’s a family heirloom that’s actually functional.