History

• Watch an old TV show from almost any era, and you'll see most households with fairly well-stocked home bars. From a full range of whiskeys and bourbons on shows like "Bonanza"...depicting the Wild West era to diminutive silver trays with pretty decanters on daytime and prime time TV in the late '60s and early '70s...home bars were a popular component in households portrayed on TV. Soap opera stars often sipped cocktails made from their own fancy bar setups.
  
  Fast forward to the 1990s and turn-of-the century television, when government agencies and numerous educators urged TV producers to make drinking alcohol less prevalent on TV shows that children and young adults frequently view.
  
  

Types

• Today's home bars vary from a simple set-up of bottles and glasses on a decorative tray to a fully functioning liquor cabinet and physical bar for sitting at and enjoying drinks. Some homes have bars incorporated into their design plans. Some homeowners design and build their own bars to meet their personal needs and wants. Still others purchase pre-made bars and barstools to create a setting within their home to mimic a bar in a public establishment.
  
  

Function

• A home bar can be as simple as some decanters and glasses arranged on a tray.
  
  Home bars create a designated area of sorts at which to enjoy alcoholic beverages. Highly functional bars are built with their own refrigeration units and sinks for washing bar glasses and utensils. Some even have dishwashers. Others serve to create a drinking area, with shelving underneath for bottles of liquor. Water, ice and refrigeration must come from a nearby kitchen within the home.
  
  

Features

• A fully stocked home bar will include some....if not all...of the following products: vodka, tequila, gin, rum, triple sec, Kahlua, whiskey and Scotch, in addition to mixers like club soda, ginger ale, juices, water, milk or cream and ice. Additions like citrus fruits, cherries, pearl onions, olives and swizzle sticks add extra appeal.
  
  Some people like their home bars stocked with their favorite beers and arrange to have refrigerated taps installed or bring in kegs for parties or special events.
  
  Many people also enjoy a selection of red and white wines on hand in their home bar.
  
  

Warning

• Home bar owners must understand that they may potentially be held responsible if a person drinking in their home leaves and is involved in a motor vehicle accident. It is up to the homeowners to decide how much alcohol they will serve their guests, and if and when it is safe to allow a guest who has been drinking to leave.
  
  It is advisable to serve food when serving alcoholic beverages, as this tends to cause people to drink more slowly and helps in the absorption of alcohol.
  
  

Benefits

• On the other hand, when home bars are utilized responsibly, they allow for the enjoyment of alcoholic beverages without the need for leaving home, and can significantly cut down on the number of incidents involving drunken drivers. Talk with your family and friends and agree that when you opt to use your home bar, that all parties involved will stay in the home for a number of hours past the time you begin drinking. When these decisions are made ahead of time it is far less likely that guests will drink and drive.
  
  Enjoy the convenience of having a home bar, regardless of which type you stock in your home. Use common sense and drink responsibly so you can continue such enjoyment for many years to come.