How to Set Up A Bar Cart Like A Pro.

This post is one that I had been in my queue for a while now, but this reader question (originally meant for the newsletter but I felt it would be too long for that) inspired me to bump it up.

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She wrote in: “One topic I was wondering if you could talk about, is if you have a bar cart or bar area set up, what liquors you always have on hand, the various types of glasses you have on stock and love to use (like the special bird ones!), any special bitters or salts (obsessed with the Red Clay Spicy Margarita Salt!) and anything else you love to use for hosting for cocktail hour/pre-restaurant drinks. You seem like the hostess with the mostest and really enjoying having special things.”

I love my bar cart. I’ve had it for ten years now. I had been going through a bad breakup and Roxy from Society Social offered to give me this. It was before my blog was considered “big,” and I didn’t get very many gifted items (let alone furniture!). At the time I was pretty broke (I’d just drained my savings to move out of my boyfriend’s apartment and into a cozy Murray Hill studio apartment), so I can’t even begin to say how much the gift meant to me. Society Social still has a great assortment of bar carts and this one is basically the same as mine except without the tray on top.

How To Set Up A Bar Cart Like A Pro

Styling your bar cart is so much fun. I really like having a dedicated area for cocktailing. It feels very Mad Men and fun, no? Bar carts are fun and fancy but you don’t have to have a dedicated bar cart to do it… depending on your style of home decor and how much real estate you want to devote to your cocktail space you could use an end table, an entryway table, a wine storage table, etc. I was just at a girlfriend’s house and she had a brilliant idea – she created a bar area by installing a large butcher block over a chest of drawers in her office. It looked so chic and stylish, I wish I snapped a pic.

Also, the second half of her question: my glassware collection. I definitely need to update that post as my glassware has been  keep some martini glasses hanging in my bar cart, but my glassware needed its own special post.

Keep the stuff you use most up top.

I have a gold barware set (I bought mine years ago at CB2 but this one is really really similar and I LOVE this gold martini shaker set!) that I keep on top of the cart. I am constantly reaching for this and it helps having it handy. It’s nice having dedicated bar accessories instead of wondering where that loose shot glass or mixing spoon is. I also keep my most used ingredients on the top shelf. For me, that is always tequila (La Gritona is my fav and they have such a cool brand story – packaging made from recycled coke bottles, female owned and operated), vodka, and red wine.

Invest in some signature fun extras!

It is amazing what a difference a few special extras can make. The Red Clay Margarita Salts are an absolute must (for any marg, but especially this spicy margarita!). I also absolutely LOVE Daisy’s syrups – the vanilla is incredible in this easy but fancy looking Spicy Coconut Margarita. (Note: I have codes for both Red Clay and Daisy on my codes page). This reader had asked me about fancy bitters and I am not a big bitters person but Jack Rudy has some really good ones. I especially like the orange and lavender ones.

Decide on a signature cocktail and premix it ahead!

Be it a pitcher of margaritas or a pre-made bottle of Negronis (the Negroni is a good one to do this with as the proportions are equal, no math). This is the easiest trick when having friends over, that way you can talk and enjoy your friends instead of focusing on making everyone their drinks as guests trickle in.

Always have citrus on hand.

I always make sure I have at least a few lemons and limes, as well as a big orange (for negronis). This, I keep in a big bowl on my kitchen island and not the bar cart, but it’s an important element. If I know margaritas are going to be involved, I fill the whole bowl up with limes. (This is usually when my boyfriend visits: he makes the besssst margaritas, so I fill up the bowl with limes and buy some good tequila. He can take a hint.) Lemons and limes are also fun pops of color.

Make flavored ice cubes to have on hand at the ready.

This tip originated from a reader comment! I freeze olive brine (for vodka drinks as a fun twist), pickle juice (for Bloody Mary’s) and lemon and/or lime juice (for just about everything to be honest) into ice cube trays to pop into cocktails at the ready. This tip is all at once extremely easy, lazy (you do it once and forget about it), and impressive to guests.

Best Bar Cart Ideas

Add some greenery!

Adding a plant to your bar cart is the easiest way to upgrade your bar cart and make it look sophisticated. In perusing Pinterest, plants and greenery (or a big bowl of lemons) seems to be bar cart styling 101. To add a little height, I put mine on top of a cake stand from Estelle.  If a plant isn’t your thing (I get it, I have a black thumb but my mom helps me!) fresh flowers or a vase filled with greenery (I love eucalyptus) work well too.

These are the secondary liqueurs I always have on hand.

I keep these bottles of alcohol down below and think they look really pretty just grouped together. Chambord is probably the fastest way to seem fancy when you are actually not. I love it. It’s a raspberry liqueur and it is delicious. You can use it in so many different things. I love a French Martini or a Kir Royale.

I also always keep a bottle of Campari (for Negronis, as well as gin and sweet vermouth) and Aperol (for an Aperol Spritz) on hand. And of course, Cointreau (or some other orange liqueur, everyone seems to have opinions on what the best one is; I never notice a difference) for margaritas. Lastly, don’t forget dry vermouth for martinis! As I learned in my younger years, sweet vermouth and dry vermouth are very very different.

And here are a few of my favorite cocktail recipes, just for fun! the Perfect Negroni (my favorite cocktail!), the Spicy Margarita (my second favorite), the Coconut Margarita (a fun and indulgent party trick that is actually quite easy). I have a whole section of cocktails in the navigation, too.

What to put on a bar cart

• A plant! It adds some greenery
• 1-2 bottles of wine or liquor (put the rest on the bottom to keep it from getting cluttered).
• Bottles of mineral water
• A pretty bowl filled with citrus.
• A bar set
• Your bar spoon
• Ice bucket
• Recipe books
• Glassware (depending on the occasion I like to mix this up. Coupe glass for entertainment, martini glasses if that’s what we are doing, cocktail glasses, wine glasses, double old fashioned glasses, etc!)

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photography by Laura Saur.

With holiday hosting and entertaining in full swing, now is the time to break out the cocktail shaker and mix up your favorite festive cocktail recipes . With our comprehensive and expert-recommended list of the best cocktail glasses, your bar cart will be equipped with only the essentials.

Making cocktails at home can be as simple or as complex as you’d like. For some, a small spirits collection with a few staple mixers and a versatile cocktail glass will do. For others, a proud collection of fine spirits, liqueurs, unique mixers, syrups, garnishes, and a wide selection of glassware is the only way to go. This mixologist-recommended roundup of glassware is for home bartenders who love complex cocktails and fine glassware. With everything from classic rocks glasses to more specific glassware like the elegant Nick and Nora, this list covers all of the best cocktail glasses.

Best Nick and Nora Glass

Riedel Nick and Nora Cocktail Glasses

$36 At Amazon

$45 At Walmart

$45 At Wayfair

There’s just something magical about a cocktail served in a dainty and sophisticated Nick and Nora glass. Whatever it is, the Riedel Nick and Nora glass will make your cocktail night at home feel like an outing at a swanky bar, and they are one of our favorites. The thin nature of the egg-shaped bowl and the slight curve inwards at the top of the glass are two subtle but exceptional features that make this glass feel so good on the lips.

Nick and Nora glasses are also extremely versatile. Christian Almonte is the co-owner of Republic Latin Fusion in Brooklyn, New York, and he is in charge of creating new cocktails and specialty beverages at the restaurant. Almonte says, “The upside to a Nick and Nora glass is they can also function as the perfect glass to enjoy cold aperitifs, or chilled spirits neat. The smaller opening allows for one to receive a more direct punch of aroma and also removes the hand from direct contact, in turn, keeping your neat pour colder for longer, cold Sake is perfect for this.”

• Capacity: 5 ounces
• Material: Crystal
• Number of glasses: 2

Best Martini Glass

Schott Zwiesel Martini Glass

$13 At Sur La Table

$13 At Pottery Barn

To find the best martini glasses, we searched high and low to narrow down our favorites. The Universal Classico Martini glass is made by Schott Zwiesel, a well-known glassware maker in the food and drink industry and whose glassware can be found in restaurants and wineries worldwide. As the name suggests, this glass offers classic features with some bonuses. It has a quintessential martini glass shape with a robust stem and durable base; plus, it’s made from chip- and break-resistant crystal.

Cocktail glass shape matters, “especially for drinks like martinis and Manhattans,” says Shiva Thapa, experienced mixologist and head bartender at Miller & Lux. As the head of the cocktail program at Miller & Lux, Thapa also says glassware like this is “important for presentation, too.”

• Capacity: 9 ounces
• Material: Crystal
• Number of glasses: Sold individually

Best Collins Glass

Rona Classic Mix Drink Glass

$47 At Wayfair

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Almonte says, “Rona, just like Riedel, is seen in many upscale dining establishments.” And the clean, sleek design of the glass allows the cocktail to do all the talking. These glasses are simple, sophisticated, and sturdy—everything you need in a Collins glass, which is suitable for favorites like the mojito, Tom Collins, gin & tonic, and Long Island iced tea. The tall, thin style feels great in the hand and its weighty bottom makes it very stable.

These glasses can also be used as beer glasses. Almonte says you can “keep a few in the fridge or freezer, as these can also act as the perfect glass to enjoy a nice cold beer.” And Moore says, “We use Rona glassware at Miller & Lux for all of our cocktails.”

• Capacity: 11 ounces
• Material: Crystal
• Number of glasses: 6

Best Highball Glass

Riedel Drink Specific Glassware Highball Glass

$45 At Amazon

$45 At Walmart

$45 At Wayfair

These lanky glasses hold 11 ounces and feature a slightly wider mouth than others in its category; this makes room to use large-format or spherical ice — always a plus in our book. There’s also a 2-ounce pour line feature, which makes crafting carbonated mix drinks a breeze; simply add your chosen spirit to the 2-ounce pour line, fill ice to the top, then top with your carbonated beverage to complete the perfect ratio every time.

This duo of glasses also features the elegant, etched style for which many of Riedel’s cocktail glasses are known. They are sophisticated, well-made, and loved by bartenders across the country. In our long-term testing of the Riedel highball glasses, we liked their weight and overall versatility.

“The highball is one of my personal favorites,” Almonte says. “They're a workhorse behind any bar. The benefit to every highball glass is the tall and narrow design, this allows for any carbonated beverages such as club soda or ginger beer to keep their carbonation for longer as the gas has less room to escape — nothing worse than getting a drink with flat soda.”

• Capacity: 11 ounces
• Material: Crystal
• Number of glasses: 2

Best Rocks Glass

Spiegelau Perfect Serve Glass Set of 4

$33 At Amazon

$41 At Wayfair

For versatile cocktail glasses, the rocks glass wins every time. Form and function combine with a balanced size and weight. The best part about rocks glasses is that “any cocktail looks great it in and it is easy to garnish,” Thapa says. Moore agrees: “The rocks glass is the most versatile. It is a ubiquitous vessel.”

From the Old Fashioned to the ever-popular Negroni, this glass fits the bill with its sleek design and wide mouth for aeration and large-format ice. Almonte says, “The heavy base and elegant design Spiegelau went with here just elevates the entire drinking experience making sipping even the finest of whiskeys even better.”

• Capacity: 10 ounces
• Material: Glass
• Number of glasses: 4

Best Margarita Glass

West Elm Recycled Mexican Drinking Glass Sets

$10 At West Elm

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Thick walls, wide rims, and slight curves make these recycled glass vessels perfect for classic margarita recipes. They are thick in design and offer quite a bit of insulation. They are hand-crafted in Mexico in collaboration with Diego Olivero, a Guatemalan-born industrial designer, and they are made from sustainably sourced, recycled glass. For this reason, each set of margarita glasses is unique and offers an artistic component that most glassware lacks. We have also found that they are a versatile glassware option for everyday pours such as water, juice, iced coffee, and tea.

• Capacity: 12 ounces
• Material: Recycled glass
• Number of glasses: 4
  

Best Double Rocks Glass

Riedel Drink Specific Glassware Double Rocks Glass

$45 At Amazon

View On Riedel.com

The glassware-specific line from Riedel is tried and true, and we reach for these sets often from our home glassware collection. Their crystal construction and etched design give them an elevated look for cocktails at home and their capacity is significant for larger cocktails. The heavy weighted bottom makes them sturdy and very well-made, which should give them a long life in your growing collection of drinking glasses.

"These glasses are ideal for large-format ice,” says Thapa. Large-format ice has been a growing cocktail trend for good reason. “The ice melts at a slower rate and stays colder for a longer period,” Thapa says. And that means less dilution of your carefully crafted cocktail. Almonte adds, “The double rocks can serve so many classic drinks,” making this pick a staple in any barware collection or a great gift for cocktail lovers.

• Capacity: 13 ounces
• Material: Crystal
• Number of glasses: 2
  

Best Whiskey Glass

Glencairn Whisky Glass Set

$30 At Amazon

$18 At Walmart

Grab your whiskey decanter — filled with your finest whiskey, of course — and get ready to fill these fashionable whiskey glasses for an evening of fine sipping. The Glencairn whiskey glass was crafted with whiskey connoisseurs in mind; while the size of the mouth is small, the base is wide, giving this glass excellent aeration and bringing that to the imbiber’s attention when sipping. The size allows for neat sipping only and in small volumes, as should always be the case when enjoying your finest whiskey.

“For all the whiskey heads out there this glass is perfect!” says Almonte. Pro tip: “You never want to pour past the curvature of the glass as the long body keeps the whiskey away from your nose. If you pour too high, you'll get more ethanol fumes from the alcohol than the rich enticing aromas whiskey is known for,” Almonte adds.

• Capacity: 6 ounces
• Material: Glass
• Number of glasses: 2

Best Tumbler

Rona Handy Tumbler Glass

$8 At Wayfair

View On Ronausa.com

If you’re just getting started with your glassware collection, take Almonte’s advice. He says, “Out of all the glasses, this should be a priority as it acts as a jack of all trades.” These glasses are simply designed and highly functional for all kinds of purposes, whether you are making craft cocktails at home or looking for a reliable collection of all-purpose cups.

Their simplicity makes them ideal for dinner and cocktail parties where other decorations are going to be front and center — think holiday feasts with beautiful wintery centerpieces and elegant holiday serveware. You can’t go wrong with these affordable, well-made tumblers. “You can use it for everything,” Almonte says.

• Capacity: 11 ounces
• Material: Crystal
• Number of glasses: 6

Best Moscow Mule Mug

Advanced Mixology Moscow Mule Copper Mugs

$38 At Amazon

$58 At Wayfair

This is a great starter set of four Moscow Mule mugs and accessories if you’re a fan of the cocktail. With the cups, straws, a shot glass for measuring, coasters, and a copper-cleaning brush, this set has everything you need to throw that Moscow mule party about which you’ve been dreaming. They’re sturdy and stylish with their dappled design. Copper tarnishes, so you’ll want to hand wash and dry these cups after use, and clean them frequently to keep the copper shining.

“The copper helps conduct the cold and keep the Mule extremely cold and that in turn helps mellow out that pungency of the ginger,” Almonte says. “You can't go wrong with what advanced mixology has done with their design, a classic through and through.”

• Capacity: 19 ounces
• Material: Copper
• Number of glasses: 4

Viski Angled Crystal Hurricane Glasses

$28 At Amazon

$28 At Walmart

$28 At Wayfair

This hurricane glass is a must-have for every tropical cocktail lover. Because tropical cocktails include a ton of ingredients (just take a look at the namesake hurricane or zombie cocktails), hurricane glasses have a large liquid capacity. They have plenty of room for multiple spirits, juices, and syrups. Their slim design and flared-lip style give the shape a desirable edge, and they’re tall enough to add a lengthy straw from which to sip — always a plus when you’re sipping a delicious, fruity cocktail.

“I like how Viski designed the top lip here, giving you more room to go all out on garnish as most tropical drinks are known for,” Almonte says. Classic garnishes for tropical cocktails are typically over-the-top with pineapple fronds, orange wheels, edible flowers, and paper umbrellas.

• Capacity: 14 ounces
• Material: Glass
• Number of glasses: 2
  

Best Julep Cup

Barfly Julep Cup

$21 At Amazon

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View On Barflybymercer.com

Simply put, this Julep cup is fun. It’s a completely different shape and material than most other glassware, and because of its stainless steel construction, it’s highly unbreakable. “Barfly makes some of the best bar tools known today,” Almonte says. The ribbon-style design at the top and bottom of the cup, as well as the subtly tiered base, are nice touches, giving this Julep cup an overall chic look.

“In a world where most cocktails are typically presented in glassware, this cup adds a unique touch to the drink's presentation,” says Jon Bamonte, head bartender at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia's Vernick Fish. “I believe that cocktails with a larger volume shine when served in this cup, especially when paired with crushed ice and a fresh garnish as a julep should be served.”

• Capacity: 12 ounces
• Material: Stainless steel
• Number of glasses: Sold individually

Best Shot Glass

JoyJolt 10-Pack Heavy Base Shot Glass Set

$18 At Amazon

$25 At Wayfair

$18 At Walmart

These are the kind of shot glasses that can take a hard set down after a robust shot of your favorite spirit—they’re strong with a heavily weighted bottom and thick walls. The design here is simple and classic. These shot glasses are dishwasher safe and are sure to jumpstart your fete.

“What would a party be without shots?” Almonte asks. “The 2oz square-base design of this one gives you just enough room to leave a lime on edge for those doing tequila shots. Or even better a mixed shot like a green tea shot or lemon drop. This 2-ounce shot glass has all the room you need to get the party started.”

• Capacity: 2 ounces
• Material: Glass
• Number of glasses: 6

Best Punch Cup

Falcon Enamelware Tumbler

View On Falconenamelware.com

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Who can resist a party punch? And there’s no better way to serve punch than in large volumes. Forget the old-school plastic cups and reach for these enamelware tumblers from Falcon Enamelware instead. When ready to enjoy, fill the tumblers about halfway, then add ice cubes — it makes serving 10 guests at once fashionable and uncomplicated. The enamelware is smooth to the touch, highly durable, and keeps drinks cold.

We recommend purchasing the matching jug, too. This set nicely balances sophistication and playfulness, as it’s well-made, sleek, and comes in an impressive rainbow of 16 vibrant colors. “I find these to be a playful and quirky choice for presenting punch, with the jug making it ideal for a charming table-side cocktail pour,” Bamonte says. (It's definitely hard to resist colorful glassware of any kind!)

• Capacity: 10.5 ounces
• Material: Enamelware
• Number of glasses: Tumblers sold individually

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