Move over ostentatious décor. A well-stocked home bar that gets the good vibes—and even better drinks—flowing is the new flex.

While setting up a functional yet fancy beverage station takes a discerning eye, a relaxed budget and considerable effort, the concept has garnered widespread popularity in the present context. Mirroring the trend was the rip-roaring success of the Vault Home Bar, a weekend fest held in Mumbai in February this year, which reportedly featured 100 spirits, masterclasses and cocktails from the best bars the world over.

Allow your home bar to introduce you

Wondering where to start? Experts suggest working around building a home bar as a constant-evolving aesthetic piece that says a lot about who you are as people, a couple, or a family is key.

“It can be beautiful, fun and energetic, or something that’s even a little rustic or even something that’s very functional. A bar allows you to do that when you build it on your own. It’s not a one-off thing—you can continuously add to it and it’s always evolving. The way I look at it, you need to have stories around a bar. It’s not about getting yourself the most expensive drink. Because, when you pour yourself a drink, you are done with it. In my opinion, a home bar is a conversation starter, all the conversations happen around the bar. The ingredients and the liquor you have, can be that,” begins Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Vivas Nandakumar, founder of Ruskle, further adding, “A good friend recently got me a gin-infusion kit. It has so many ingredients in it, we started speaking about tastes, what you like, how can we make new cocktails and drinks out of it and spend hours around it, while probably just having one or two drinks. I also think there’s an opportunity with a home bar to showcase who you are, so don’t get very expensive alcohol at a city store, but rather when you travel to get the local alcohol from where you’re travelled to.”

Insiders’ take on what drinks to buy

While you ideally shouldn’t be going by any rulebook—other than your instincts and preferences—when setting up a home bar, alcobev insiders suggest beginners stick to basic straight drinks to truly understand the nuances of that particular drink. “For daytime drinking sessions, stock up on carbonated drinks like beer, sparkling wine and white spirit cocktails/savoury cocktails. For after-hours, choose something that might compliment the meal like an aged whiskey or smokey single malt and red wines. You always need to have a decent range of wines,” opines Jittin Suresh Merani, partner at Glenwalk. Amongst red wines, recommended basics are the Merlots, Cabernet Sauvignons, Sangiovese and Pinot Noirs from around the world. For white wines, it’s ideal to keep a selection of the basic Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Grigios and Chardonnays.

“Some complex wines from Tuscany, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and NZ Pinot Noirs are great options to appease the guests with a finer taste and then add-in a bottle or two of a Torrentes, Gewurztraminer and Riesling followed by some more complex wines like Gavi, Chablis and Pouilly Fuisse. Don’t forget to include some NZ Sauvignon Blancs,” he says.

On that note, we’d like to remind you that, much like the kitchen, a home bar comes with a mandate of essentials it never can run out of— Campari, bitters, simple syrup, espresso coffee, vermouth (dry/Bianco, and sweet), some freshly squeezed lemon juice and mint leaves. “These ingredients are commonly used in cocktails—Campari is great for your negronis and boulevardiers and coffee goes well in espresso martinis,” believes Miraat Rajguru, founder of Lucid Vodka.

Keep it classy, yet convenient

If you aren’t planning on roping in a décor expert to help you with a home bar, heeding these aspects while setting up will stand you in good stead: easy access to the kitchen, enough space for the bartender to stand between the back bar and bar counter, overhead racks for stem glasses is a plus, and built-in ice bin keeps the bar decluttered. “You can also buy a customised bar unit from companies like The Bar Collective,” suggests Merani.

Equipments to invest in for your home bar

A cocktail shaker: I’d suggest a Boston shaker over any other since that’s the easiest to use.
Some nice ice trays/moulds
A zester
A jigger – so you can measure everything before it goes into a glass
A bar spoon

—Inputs by  Miraat Rajguru, founder of Lucid Vodka

Initial investments to factor in 

As we’d mentioned at the start, home bars are a fancy ye value-add accouterment, ranging anywhere from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 5,00,000. “Pro tip: It’s advisable to buy expensive drinks during international trips or states like Haryana where Taxation is low,” avers Merani.

On that note, the verdict is finally out: new age homeowners are increasingly shifting toward building spaces that are not merely reflective of a lifestyle, but also help family and close folks feel at ease—over a glass of well-made whiskey or a flute of fine champagne, you decide. “It’s really important for your bar to have stories of its own, which is really what a bar is about,” concludes Nandakumar.