An Ode to Bar Carts (and why you need one this holiday season)

Out of all my home decor, I have a special love for my bar cart–and not just because it’s a piece of furniture dedicated to alcohol (because that would be quite the unfair advantage otherwise). No, I’ll give you multiple other reasons why my humble bar cart is my fave, and just try to tell me that you don’t want one by the end of this post.

Still, it spoke to me. I saw its potential and decided to rescue it. Some cleaning, polishing, and several coats of paint later, you wouldn’t even recognize my adorable little bar friend! Don’t get me wrong, no one is confusing it for its fancy West Elm cousins, but its lingering whiff of 1970s tackiness is part of its charm.

.On that note, I hope you’ll indulge me and continue reading as I continue to express my love for all things bar cart.

1. Nostalgia: Bar carts remind us of past eras when entertaining was elegant. Think Mad Men, although obviously that show was a major romanticization of a time that had all kinds of issues (socially acceptable misogyny, racism, that kind of thing).
2. Aesthetics: Bar carts look GOOD! As long as you do them right, of course.
3. Party on wheels: Why leave the party to mix up drinks when you could bring the drinks to the party?
4. Ageless: Ten years ago a bar cart made me feel adult and sophisticated, now it makes me feel young and hip. In ten years, who knows? I’m sure I’ll still love it!

Don’t be daunted by the Pinterest fantasies out there. You–yes, you!–can easily put together a cute and functional bar cart that 100% reflects your personal style. (Actually, bar carts don’t even need to have alcohol on them, although come on now, this is a tequila blog.) Here are the four essential elements to make your perfect bar cart (and a bonus), just in time for all the holiday entertaining we might finally be able to do.

1. The cart itself, doable on any budget. Carts from high end stores are gorgeous, but for smaller budgets, scope out thrift stores.
2. A few attractive bottles, but obviously include what you’ll actually want to drink. Decanters are an easy way to make any spirit look classy.
3. Appropriate glassware based on the types of drinks you expect to make, but it’s ok to also just choose a few that look good. The gorgeous glassware on our 21Seeds bar cart is the artistry of Estelle Glassworks!
4. Accessories for entertaining. Any tools to make drinks are good to have on hand, such as shakers, but also stirrers, toothpicks, snack bowls, whatever you like to entertain with!
5. As a bonus, a little flair! Art, flowers, whatever fits your style–and if you’re a minimalist, that’s cool too.

I’ve previously waxed poetically about the wonders of the deceptively simple Seed & Soda cocktail, but I’ll gladly wax some more. For vast cocktail potential at your fingertips, all you need on your bar cart is 21 Seeds tequila, club soda or seltzer, a splash of your favorite juice, and a slice or two of whatever fruit or aromatic you like best! Take a look at our pictures and cocktail recipes for some inspiration, and apologies in advance if you feel a sudden urge to redecorate.