How to Host Home Bar Basics

Home Bar Basics

All the rage in the 50s and 60s, like everything associated with the mid-century lifestyle that revolved around stylish home entertaining, the home bar, be it an ornate cabinet or an open cart to be wheeled about for easy imbibing, has made a comeback. Stashing your hooch and cocktail apparatus in a corner on the kitchen counter adds nothing to your home décor, but an interesting cabinet or beverage trolley will bring a sense of class and sophistication to cocktail hour.

By Jyl Benson

Set of six hemstitched cocktail napkins by Louisiana artist Hunt Slonem. Hazelnut, 5525 Magazine St., 504-891-2424, hazelnutneworleans.com

Contemporary bartender’s cocktail shaker of stainless steel with a black and grey speckled pattern. Recipes for five popular cocktails are printed on the interior glass cup. The Shop at the Historic New Orleans Collection, Historic New Orleans Collection, 520 Royal St., 504-523-4662, hnoc.org. Circa 1920s wooden home bar cabinet inlaid with bone and finished with brass fixtures. Sterling Provisions. Sterling Provision pop-up market, 917-309-0259, sterlingprov.com.

Channel Greta Garbo as you execute your martinis from this beautifully restored 1930s French chrome and walnut bar cart. Chairish, chairish.com. Stunning Martini set with pitcher in the Pisa design. Made by Culver Ltd., New York 1960s. Vintage 329, 329 Royal St., 504-5252262, vintage329.com.

Etched stainless steel ice bucket featuring a wrought iron fence design by Kate Lacour. The design was inspired by rye, corn and sugar cane. The Sazerac House, 101 Magazine St., 504-9100100, sazerachouse.com

Lucite serving tray by Wearable Art. Little Miss Muffin, 766 Harrison Ave., 504-482-8200, shoplittlemissmuffin.com