What is a drinks trolley?
A drinks trolley is really a bar on wheels so one could think of it as a type of mobile bar or bar cart. It should be large enough to hold those drink items that you would use in a fixed bar, but of a size that doesn’t take up too much space in your home. If you are going to use it in front of guests it should of course have style and glamour.
What to keep on a drinks trolley
As well as your normal selection of bottles it should at least have enough space to serve drinks and to hold glasses, an ice bucket, bottle openers and a garnish dish. With the fashion for cocktails, a cocktail shaker and a drinks measure also come high up on the list of requirements on a bar cart. If the trolley is large enough a bowl for snacks is useful.
BAR CART LUXURY
Trolley wheels.
One of the main requirements of a trolley is it should have really good quality castor wheels. There is nothing more frustrating if your drinks trolley heads off in a different direction than intended and you hit the door frame instead of gliding effortlessly through the doorway. Large wheels are always a bonus as they can mount a carpet or go over small differences in floor levels. This is especially important if you want to take your bar trolley outside to enjoy an alfresco drink in the summer.
Materials and design
Materials and design are also important when selecting a trolley as they should correlate with your room setting. Gold and silver trolleys will add a little bit of luxe to any interior as well a splash of shagreen.
STYLING A TROLLEY
Styling your trolley is important. Glassware plays a major role in styling as no trolley is complete without it. As well as tumblers and wine glasses also think about beautiful statement decanters. A tall glass vase for flowers adds an elegant touch and a small bouquet of flowers doesn’t take up to much space as well as indicating seasons.
Cocktails on your bar cart
Cocktails are back in fashion and cocktail ingredients are a wonderful way of styling your bar cart. Colourful bottles and an interesting cocktail shaker will of course be the main focus. This can be enhanced by a small bowl of lemons or limes and maybe even a pot or vase of mint which will add a nice blend of freshness and nature enhancing the trolley canvass.
Using both layers of your trolley
It is important to use both the top and bottom shelves of your trolley to balance its décor. Normally the top layer is used for mixing drinks and displaying glassware and maybe a vase holding a small bouquet of flowers. The top tray will also hold the cocktail shaker and other cocktail paraphernalia.
The bottom tray should hold the bottles. It is safer weight wise to put the heavier bottles on the lower level and it means that if one falls over while the trolley is being pushed there will be no damage to the glasses and glassware.
