Bee And Willow Bar Cart (2024)

FAQs

How to create the perfect bar cart? ›

For this budget I recommend investing in three different base spirits (choose your favorites from Whiskey, Vodka, Tequila, Gin and Rum). If you aren't sure what you like yet, google some of your favorite co*cktails to see what they are made with. I also recommend one bottle of bitters.

Bar carts are expensive for a variety of reasons from the brand to the quality of the material. The right bar carts don't skimp on any of the essentials. The best brands are sure to source the highest quality brass or acrylic. The manufacturing process drives a big portion of the costs.

The bar cart can hold everything from drinks and ice to extra towels and sunscreen. And if it starts to rain, you can easily move it from the poolside to a porch or indoors.

Priced anywhere from $150 to $300 in regular retail stores, we built one with reclaimed materials for under $30! All you need are some drawers, shelves, casters, and time.

These carts usually stand anywhere from 3 to 4 feet tall with a width of 28 to 48 inches. If the product comes with removable trays, you can make the bar cart look smaller by removing the top or bottom tray. Tall handles and a large wheel will make your bar cart larger as well.

“When styling a bar cart, I always like to include fresh flowers, a variety of spirits, an ice bucket, linen embroidered co*cktail napkins, limes or lemons for garnish and a pop of color, and glassware or stemware,” she says.

Display your nice glasses on the top shelf and the actual alcohol on the bottom: The top shelf of any bar cart is going to be the first thing people see. You want it to look stylish and draw peoples' attention to it. If you're having an actual party, you can keep a bottle or two of alcohol on top for functionality.

Keeping the cart organized is important

"Keep your liqueurs in the back, spirits in the front, and bitters and tools on the side or in the very front of your bar cart," Reznikov says. He says he keeps glasses away from the cart, "unless it's a large bar cart or solely a whiskey cart."

Credenza: A credenza is perfect for a makeshift bar cart because of its storage and placement in your home. You can store just about every mixer and glass type in a credenza. You may even want to use it more than a traditional bar cart! Side table: You can always use a side table, too.

When did bar carts become popular? ›

The bar cart is the sleeker, more daring descendant of the nineteenth-century tea cart, and gained mass appeal in the United States in the booming 1950s. After Prohibition, the Depression, and World War II, Americans were ready to bring the party straight into their living rooms.

A wheeled bar cart makes it easy to reposition and restock the cart. This wheeled style of bar cart was particularly popular in the 50's and 60's (think Mad Men) and were useful for prepping refreshments in the kitchen and then wheeling them out to the entertaining areas.

A bar cart is a must-have in any entertainer's living room—and can double as functional decor in your entryway, or office (hello, double-height storage!), but it turns out it works just as well as bedroom decor–especially when you don't often use what's on it.

I placed some pretty glasses along with a stack of coasters, cans of our favorite soda water and a bowl of limes on the top shelf. Below, a potted plant, some hand dyed napkins and some more fizzy water. You could add a bucket of ice for guests to add to their drink glass too.

Use a tray

This simple wooden tray keeps my random assortment of shot glasses, wine glasses and mini liquor bottles looking organized. It corrals everything together, so items stay put.