Most of us don’t have a built-in bar at home, but we do like to throw parties. Right? Here’s how to style the perfect bar cart for any party whether it’s year round entertaining or a holiday. A chic bar cart is the “co-host” of the party for serving drinks to finger foods to dessert and when not in use it can be a stylish side table.
How To Style The Perfect Bar Cart For Any Party
The Perfect Party Host
Be your own bartender by setting up a chic bar cart with a few essentials. Don’t break the bank to fill your cart with what you think you should have, instead think about what you like to drink and serve. For your first party, keep it simple and come up with two to three recipes that require only a few ingredients so you don’t have to man the cart all night.
First – Get a cool bar cart
Clockwise starting from top left: 1- Safavieh Dane Bar Cart from Bed, Bath & Beyond, 2- Sterling Industries Mirrored Bar Cart from Bed, Bath & Beyond, 3- Madison Park Lauren Antique Gold Bar Cart, 4- Sunpan Avondale Unique Bar Cart from Overstock, 5- Harper Blvd Mattox Stylish Bar Cart from Overstock, 6- Sterling Industries Retro Bar Cart, 7- Hip Vintage Bar Cart in Black and Silver Stainless Steel
Stock it with the essentials for just about any drink you or your guests would enjoy from vodka, tequila, whisky bourbon, various liquors, etc
On our bar cart:
Crystal Head Vodka (CrystalHeadVodka.com) – from comedian/actor Dan Aykroyd and John Alexander it’s blended with pristine water from Newfoundland, Canada and filtered through layers of semi-precious crystals, it has no additives, no sugars
Four Roses Bourbon (FourRosesBourbon.com) – Award winning brand that’s known for its mellow flavor. My husband likes a good bourbon or whiskey.
Somrus (Somrus.com)- an Indian cream liqueur that’s gluten-free and some say is better than Bailey’s – perfect to addition to coffee and chai latte to end the night or even create a whiskey cocktail.
Drink Recipes
Print up two of your favorite recipes and frame them so it adds to the chic appeal. Swap out recipes for each party.
More Of
How To Style The Perfect Bar Cart For Any Party
More bar carts we love.
The three photos above are courtesy of @SocietySocial.
Don’t overpack your cart. Part of the appeal of serving cocktails from a bar cart is to keep it visually appealing and manageable.
Cloth cocktail napkins are a small touch that can go a long way. These Kate Spade cocktail napkins at a bit of whimsy to your cocktails.
Send guests home with a little gift. Get mini versions of the main alcohol ingredient and tie the drink recipe to it with a bow.
Here are some basic tools and glassware essentials to have handy:
Tools: Shaker, Jigger, Ice Bucket, Strainer, Muddler, Juicer, Bottle Opener, Corkscrew
Glassware: Highball, Lowball, Champagne Flute, White Wine Glass, Red Wine Glass, Cordial Glasses, Pilsner. If you like Moscow Mules then get some copper mugs as well.
Skip The Sit Down Dinner – Have an App (Appetizer) Party
Use a bar cart as your food hosting station to get people out of the kitchen. You save on prep and cooking and get to spend more time with your guests. Set up the cart with a variety of small dishes, finger foods, snacks and treats. When it’s time for dessert, just wheel it back into the kitchen and swap the savory snacks for sweets. I love having a drinks and dessert party set up in our living room where we play games like Celebrity, Match Game (I’ve created an at-home version) and Pictionary where we use a large dry erase board on an easel.
Voilà, less fuss in the kitchen and more time with your friends. 
If you don’t want to use it 24/7 as a bar cart it can be just as stylish as a side table. (courtesy of @societysocial)