Modern Bar Design

Bar lighting equipment can give off either soft lighting or focused lighting, depending upon the shade that is used. For this motive, the area of usage will decide the exact kind of shade that will suit the function. Bar lighting fixtures are also commonly used in bathrooms. Other areas of the house or the site also value the use of bar lights, but bathrooms are the most popular place of use for them.
Bar lights are a series of small light sources build up on a metal bar. This bar is attached to the wall above the sink or counter top. These lights are very versatile and are usually dressed up with either upward- or downward-facing glass shades. This is done to focus the light from the lamp on to a particular surface if downward facing, and to bounce light off the ceiling if upward facing.
Some bar lighting fixtures fit in more than one shade. This allows one bar lighting fixture to be used for a larger area like a long counter or a double sink. The shades can be chosen to match the bathroom tiles and accentuate the décor of the room. The shades for bar lighting fixtures are generally available in white, frosted, or translucent glass. The metal parts of such fixtures are generally made of shiny chrome, polished brass, nickel, or may even sport an antique finish.
Vanity globes give difference to bar lights. These are round, white, glass globes that completely encase the light bulbs. A stylish and classy accessory, these vanity globes are generally applied to add an element of style to a place that is often on public display. This kind of a light fixture gives off a strong, diffused light. Used above dressing tables it gives off the perfect kind of lighting for dressing. Globes look best over a narrow sink, a dressing table, or in a guest bathroom to convey a classy look.

Getting a bar design and layout is one of the most significant part in opening and renovating a trendy and modernized bars. The bar designs appearance reflects the ambiance of the entire place. Stylish designs such as a wall bar with mirrored superstructure produces the most impressive image with no waste space. A three-sided (or U-shaped) configuration is good for handling 12-15 customers (at 2′ per person) and also limiting cost because of the reduced back bar length which accounts for most of the expense. A 4-sided bar accommodates the most seats with minimum image value. It requires a width of at least 14′ to accept a center island storage and display unit.

Desired trendy bars should be advantageously placed so that it is viewed by as many patrons as possible but is separated from (restaurant) diners by a low partition wall topped by glass sections to keep disturbing noise to a minimum. Building to 8′ x 18′ x 8′, or 2′ shorter in length, seems to provide particularly cost- effective dimensions, seating 14-15 patrons along with a 4′ service area. It is always better to have a smaller crowded (popular-looking) bar than a much larger (and possibly empty-appearing) one that is more expensive to build. Use adjacent free-standing bar height tables to increase capacity at very minimum additional expense. In summary, try to choose aesthetics and serviceability over sheer size and low impact construction. If one is to choose a modernized but elegant bar, a bar crafting applicability mahogany wood stands alone, but western hemisphere availability is rapidly diminishing; now requiring use of other sources. Oak, with its heavy grain and strength, is good for hard use (sports bars) and typical informal or rustic décor.

Get your bar plans and designs here.

Bar accessories are like clothes use for dressing up an outfit to bars and can make a world of difference to a bar look. Bar can wear the simplest bar accessories and yet look like a million bucks, classy, trendy and hip. A wide variety of hand tools and accessories are mostly used in the preparation of drinks so a good bar accessories should be beneficiary to both the guests and the bartender. Buy accessories that would match the chosen style of the brand. These are the must-have bar accessories a bar should not forget to have:

Bar moldings
Bar moldings are traditional arm rest moldings for the front of bar. Modern designs are made from oak and cherry in two lengths.

Brass Rail Hardware
There are easy to install solid brass tubing. To create a unique look, mix and match 2″ diameter polished brass tubing and accessories! Install tubing quickly and easily almost anywhere — perfect for hand, stair and bar railings.

Bar Sink and Faucet
Adding style and sophistication to bar with a bar sink and faucet makes one bar vey unique and modernized! Sink measurement standards are usually 15″ x 15″ overall with bowl measurement of 10″ x 12″ and depth of 6-1/2″.Build also a stainless steel sink into the service counter of the bar and fill it with ice to cool refreshments.

Ultimate Bar Set and Wall-mounted Bottle Openers
To dress up the bar, a complete set of bar should contain a set of 6 one oz Shot Glasses, 24- Stirrers, Box of 1000 5″ Drink Stirrers/Straws, Margarita Glass Rimmer, 12 Black Bottle Pourers, Jigger (1 oz. x 1 1/2 oz.), Stainless Steel Condiment. Wall-mounted bottle openers are traditional bottle openers for the bar.

Overhead Stemware Rack and Wine Rack
The modernized stemware racks are exactly the ones in a local pub. Standard measurement is 18″ deep and 12″ from the ceiling to the very bottom of the rack. Made of solid brass. Available in either 6 or 8 channels for glassware depends on how much glassware that will fit upon what type of glasses hanging.

When winter time comes, most of the bar customers choose to stay home for winter drinks than grabbing a beer and sitting in the bar patio which they mostly do during summertime. Here are tips for trendy bars to keep bar customers stay and regularly visit the bar even if winter has chilled bar customers.

Heat up the space
But just because it’s about ready to snow doesn’t mean it’s time for boozing hibernation, have to look a little harder. With the help of heaters, warm drinks and a little creativity, drinking outdoors all the way ’til springtime will still goes on. A fire pit with room for a good 15 or so people to gather around — who needs heaters may be best for making bar customers warm. The heated space can be even having a retractable roof in case for rainy evenings. Adding glass walls also in the winter may help so that it will make it not quite outside anymore.  A warm and inviting bar with a tucked-in-a-townhouse kind of feel where there’s a fireplace and instead of wood, light is maybe given off by a tight bunch of tall pillar candles.

Seasonal Winter  drinks
Winter signals the addition of a specialty drink to the limited but creative cocktail list. Here are unique cocktail drinks that can make winter chills warmer:

Cocoa Chanel
This is a pure dark-chocolate indulgence par excellence, with the burnt-sugar kick of aged agave. The ingredients:  Valrhona hot chocolate mixed with Herradura reposado tequila and served with a floater of loosely whipped cinnamon cream Temperature should be just below the boil

Hot Spiced Winefull-
This drink has a full body relaxation. The ingredients: A heavy-bodied red wine heated with cardamom, star anise, apple juice and orange zest, then topped with slivered almonds and raisins. The temperature should be 150–160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nor-Eastern
This is a hot toddy–ish, but with a double spike of spice thanks to the rye and the ginger; the ultimate cure for the common cold. The ingredients: Fresh ginger and lemon juices, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur and rye whiskey, served in handmade pottery mugs you can paint yourself on Tuesday nights. The temperature should be 120 degrees Fahrenheit

Red Hot Ale
This is the most cutting-edge hot cocktail; a rustic fizz of citrus and caramel. The ingredients: Cognac, lemon juice and orange bitters mixed with Ommegang Abbey Ale, heated and frothed with molecular mixologist Dave Arnold’s “red hot poker” heating element (inspired by colonial-era wrought-iron pokers used to quickly boil water).The temperature of this drinks should be: While the “poker” cranks up to around 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit, the drink clocks in at a (relatively) cool 158.

Few bar business owners rush into the application process pretending to know how to obtain a bar liquor license. However, once the process begins, in the middle there is actually a lot more to it than getting what the target is. There are city permits that need approval plus providing the government department with detailed personal and financial information before one can get the permit needed to sell alcohol. A lot of time and effort is needed to complete the application correctly. For someone who does not understand the process, it can literally mean many extra months to complete the process of application for bar license.

Nature of processing the liquor license

So knowing how to get a bar liquor license -involves much more than just filling out all of the necessary paperwork. The information needed by the state is unbelievably extensive and one mistake could cause big delays. Many applicants never even finish the bar liquor license application process due to the amount of work involved. This bar license application process is really frustrating to business owners who just want to get the permit they need so they can start generating revenue.

What is the best thing to do?

Get an expert liquor license consultant
The best source to ask about how to get a bar liquor license is to have an experienced bar liquor license consultant. If a business owner just doesn’t have the time to deal with all of the details involved in getting a license application filed, then paying the right consultant can be a life saver.

With the right bar liquor license application consultant aiding out, a business owner is able to relax and wait for the permit to come in, instead of worrying about every detail of the bar liquor license application. The important thing to consider is choosing a company knowledgeable in the bar liquor license process and who has a great reputation for customer service and reliability.

The right bar liquor license consultant knows how to get a liquor license and fill out the necessary city and state paperwork. In addition, a good agent knows where to get a liquor license at a fair market price.

And while price is always a major consideration, another important point to consider is the quality of customer service. This can generally be determined by doing a background check with the Better Business Bureau.

Those who attempt the process on their own often times make costly mistakes. When an application is not accepted the first time, a business is out both time and money.

When making a bar financial plan, there is a need in understanding of the cost of starting up the bar business before a cent of revenue comes in. Here are the things one needs to think about.

Property under lease Renovation

Renovation of the space rented or leased, termed as fixtures and additions to the space made by the tenant, can be an important cost, especially if the space was not previously used as a bar. Lighting fixtures, sound equipment, booths, the bar itself, and storage spaces are all incorporated in this category. Before starting the lengthy process of talking to all of the required contractors to do the needed work, consider talking to someone who has opened the same business, such as a bar or restaurant, to get a whole view of what the costs may amount to.

Liquor license

The liquor license can be a big cost, but the process of getting this license can raise this cost even more. It may be sensible to hire a legal agent to deal with the local and state government application process. Beyond the liquor license, there will be a payment for the incorporation and a general business license, and probably a certificate from the state or local department of health which oversees the safe service of food and beverages. Again, speaking with someone who has gone through the process before can give a brief estimate of these costs.

Equipment

Bar supplies and equipment is also an important sum on glassware, bar tools, and furniture to anticipate spending with. Kitchen equipment will depend on the types of food planned to serve alongside drinks. Creating an atmosphere through the choice of specific glasses or furniture will costs higher. Receive catalogs from distributors of bar equipment to estimate these costs.

POS System

The POS or point-of-sale system makes the service process fast by allowing bartenders to use the software to select drinks, find the price, and make change. While not every bar has a POS system, it does create a control on bar transactions by recording the sales and creating a double-check system for inventory.

Advertising Costs

Advertising the bar is one way of marketing efforts and legwork before opening the doors which should be included in start up costs. Putting the right amount of cash into successful marketing tactics before opening will put the bar in the right position to hit the ground running when opening. Look at the costs of each method depending on the scale one wish to achieve.

Working Capital

Working capital is an additional defense of money which sees the bar through to the point where the incoming money from sales is greater than the money going out for all operating expenses. Only by creating a cash flow statement for the first year can estimate how much working capital needed to show a healthy bank balance at all times. If running out of cash and are late in paying vendors, risks of being black-listed by liquor distributors will happen and instead they will required to get paid by cash on delivery.

The most basic tool for stirring a drink today is the bar spoon which has generally not changed for over 100 years. The bar spoon in simply a long handled spoon used for mixing, retrieval, and measurement. Yet, as is the case with most things, there are many variations on this basic concept. There are three parts to a bar spoon: the spoon bowl, the handle shaft, and the handle end; the variations on each part have resulted in many different spoons.

Silver plated bar spoon can be around 100USD but what is important is a good stainless steel spoon that has the three basic parts. The basic spoon should have a spoon bowl, which should be deep enough to scoop up any cherry or olive you might need. Generally, the standard size is sufficient and can be used to measure the common portion of “a bar spoon” found in many old cocktail manuals and books. This generally means that the spoon bowl should be about ¼ oz. The handle shaft can be twisted or solid, depending on your technique. Spoons can be a simple, plastic end, but what is really is a nice heavy rounded end cap.

Techniques

There are two schools of thought when it comes to stirring; spoon side and end side. The twisted shaft spoons are meant to be plunged spoon side first into a drink and then stirred by rubbing your thumb and fore finger over the twisted part of the shaft. This method works but is not the best; it’s useful when stirring two drinks at once because it allows the cocktail bartender to use one hand at a time but the end side method is much more effective. To perform this method, grasp the bottom of the mixing glass with the left hand. Holding the spoon in the right hand, plunge the end into the drink. Stir the drink clockwise. This method allows the most movement of the ice in the shortest possible time while adding the right amount of water without introducing any excess air.

RED ENDED BAR SPOON

The red ended spoon gets high marks because it is available almost everywhere and can be used in both the spoon side or end side method. It looses points due to the fact that the red plastic thing likes to fall off in a drink, and once missing, the spoon is far less effective in the end side stirring method.

DISC-ENDED SPOON

The disc ended spoon is very useful in the spoon side method, the twisted shaft is nice, but the disc might not appear as user friendly. You can’t just plunge the disc in to a drink without sending the ice and half the drink across the bar. The disc end is, however, very useful in layering a pousse café, yet it seems somewhat unneeded when the back of the spoon bowl for layering is applied.

STRAIT SHAFTED SPOON

Lastly is the strait shafted spoon. The large heavy end is great for the end side method. The other end to layer of retrieve olives and cherries can be used. The perfect spoon would be the strait shafted spoon with a twist. Don’t be fooled when advertisements claim that drinks can be stirred and muddled with these spoons.

With home bar top remodels being one of the most expensive undertakings any home bar owner can consider, it makes good financial sense to think about options for materials very carefully. Along with bathroom and kitchen models, the bar is one of the rooms that can add a great deal of value to home after a well done remodel. There is no escape without considering the type of countertops for the home bar. Many people are deciding the choice to add stainless steel countertops in their home bars. Like many of the other countertop choices, stainless steel looks best and lasts the longest when it is installed by a professional. Experience and knowledge go a long way. Before choosing any decision, it’s important to be on top of the pros and cons of any material. Take a look at some of the common advantages and disadvantages of stainless steel countertops.

Among the advantages of stainless steel countertops, one of the most required after benefits is its strength. This material is extremely heat resistant. Even placing pans from the oven or pots from the stove directly on the surface of these countertops won’t hurt a thing. Laminates and ceramic countertops are prone to staining. Anything from tomato sauce to berries can create long lasting or even permanent staining on many countertop materials. Expect stainless steel to never stain or show age. Finally, keeping stainless steel clean is a breeze and this metal is known for its anti bacterial properties.

As hard as they try, there are still no materials that are perfect in every way. Stainless steel countertops often can have scratches and dents more readily than some of the other materials. If they are installed incorrectly and not provided with a strong base, stainless steel countertops can also be very noisy. All in all though, these countertops can provide years of service and look attractive doing it as long as they are properly installed and cared for.

When one has decided to choose a cocktail bar whether for the home cocktail bar or commercial cocktail bar, there has to be cocktail accessories which are very important for the preparation of the cocktail drinks.

Trendy Cocktail accessories:

Cocktail Strainers

Take the strain! Choose fantastic range of strainers with high quality brushed or polished stainless steel. A cocktail strainer, or wire strainer, is a stainless steel bar accessory used to strain ice from a mixed drink. Strainers are used to cover the mouth of a cocktail shaker after it has been shaken. They have holes or slits small enough that only liquid can be poured out, and spiral rings that create a tight fit to the sides of your shaker.

Cocktail Bar Spoons

Add a quality bar spoon to the bar tending tools. Choose quality spoons, from the flat end bar spoon to the muddler bar spoon. There are 3 parts to a barspoon: the spoon bowl, the handle shaft, and the handle end; the variations on each part has resulted in many different spoons. The basic spoon should have a spoon bowl, which should be deep enough to scoop up any cherry or olive you might need. Generally, the standard size is sufficient and can be used to measure the common portion of “a barspoon” found in many old cocktail manuals and books. This generally means that the spoon bowl should be about ¼ oz. The handle shaft can be twisted or solid, depending on your technique. You can get spoons that have a simple, plastic end, but what you really want is a nice heavy rounded end cap.

Cocktail Muddlers

Muddle those ingredients…..There are Cocktail Store which has a fantastic range of high quality cocktail muddlers ranging from the small lime masher to the extra large XL beech wood muddler. When stocking a bar it is ideal to have both a traditional wood muddler and a plastic toothed muddler. Use the wood muddler for herbs, such as mint, for Mojitos and Mint Juleps. Use the newer designs like Shawn Soole’s Viva Stick, for fruits and other thick ingredients.

Cocktail Jiggers / Measures

Whether it’s the classic bar measure need or the double sided cocktail jigger, choose which has a great range of liquor measures.

Pourers

Select and collect from wide designs of liquor pourers. It can be blinking, LED activated illuminated designs or just a simple but elegant styles.

Ice Tongs & Ice Crushers

Cool that cocktail! Complement cocktail making kit with ice tongs from  small to extra large tongs and what better way to make the best cocktails than with crushed ice made from very own ice crusher.

Knives, Peelers & Graters

Choose a high quality, stainless steel bar knives and bar peeler to complete the set for that final flourish… The must have tool to make those citrus twist garnishes.

Drink Accessories

Enhance cocktail with the essential ingredients such as straws, picks and stirrers. These are a must for any cocktail.

Citrus Juicers

Juice it up! The world’s best cocktails need that pure juice of a lemon or lime.

Putting up an own wet bar is a great way to add another interesting touch to the home. Whether for entertain now or a plan for the future, with wet bar floor plans, there is creation of a dream hang out area in the basement or main floor. Here are some ideas for creating a wet bar that really adds price to homes as well as to lives. These wet bar floor plans are going to make one want to be the host every time there’s a celebration.

The key to wet bar floor plans is that to know what one will be using the bar for primarily. For example, it’s a given that the wet bar is for making drinks, but if one is more on a wine drinker than a liquor drinker, having a plenty of wine storage space as well is needed. Think too about the number of people sitting around the area so that there is enough sitting space along the bar itself.

Good wet bar floor plans will have plenty room for a variety of glasses as well as liquors and ice. When planning on using the bar regularly, installs a refrigerator space that will make ice or just store it when necessary. Have enough mixing instruments to help fix any kind of drink for the guests as well as a drinks manual in order to make drinks which is unfamiliar with.

Modern wet bar floor plans will also include some sort of entertainment portion for guests to enjoy while their drink is being made. For example, a flat screen TV is a good addition behind the bar as is a space to play cards or some other game. Of course, this will depend on the uses for the bar itself in terms of what will be included for entertainment.