Outdoor Patio Bar Designs
Sunday, August 01, 2010

I am totally a measure twice, cut once guy, so in order to build my poolside bar, I was going to need some outdoor patio bar designs.  Let me clarify that a little bit, I would like to be a measure twice cut once guy and that’s totally the goal.  But things always pop up or interrupt me or somehow make my projects go less than smoothly.  So in reality, I wind up measuring and cutting as many times as it takes to get the job done and I’m fine with that. 

That being said, I always start my projects with the best intentions and that means having some good plans to work from.  A great way to get ideas is to do an image search for Outdoor Patio Bar Designs in Google.  There are people out there with some awesome outdoor bars. The problem is that they almost definitely paid an awesome amount of money for them too.  Since I’m looking for more of a handy man special, I checked out the HGTV, DIYNetwork, Home Depot & Lowes websites.  I needed to find a project that I could do by myself.  When you watch those design makeover shows, they start from zero and create a backyard oasis in 30 minutes. Conveniently off screen is the crew that took a few days to make it happen.

I found what I was looking for at the Lowes Creative Ideas site.  It’s called the Watch and Work Outdoor Kitchen Island and with a few modifications it will become my outdoor patio bar design. 

Outdoor Patio Bar under construction

The first modification is to make it taller.  Average bar height is usually between 41 and 43 inches.  Since this is an outdoor kitchen island, it was too low.  And since the space of my patio could handle a larger structure, I also decided to almost double the length.  What good is a bar if only a few people can enjoy it at a time.  The next change I made to the design was to beef up the slats.  The plans call for 1x6 lumber but I decided to go with deck planking (5/4”) instead. 

There won’t be any running water in this bar and if I need to power the mini fridge that I plan on putting in it, I’ll have to run an extension cord.  Like I mentioned before, my budget isn’t in the awesome category but I think that this bar will do just fine. 

With those changes made to the design and the gung-ho attitude that I always have at the beginning of my projects I was ready to go. 

Posted by Anthony 6:07 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Outdoor Patio Bar

Outdoor Patio Bar
Saturday, July 17, 2010

We're building a bar!  I've already told some of our friends and rightfully so, the news is almost as significant as announcing that you're having a baby.  Well, maybe not that important but it's up there.  With those baby years behind us and the kids are more able to run around and be kids with a lot less supervision, my wife are actually getting our social life back.  The days of bars and clubs are also behind us but we've discovered another stage of adulthood that isn't too well documented.  It's when grade school parents start having get togethers.  The kids play together while the parents have a few cold ones and have some fun.  And what better way to have some fun than to hang out by the pool at my outdoor patio bar.

What set this off was charity dinner for our grade school.  With a few raffle tickets in hand, I surveyed the room full of prizes and decided that the BeerTender Home Beer-Tap System was what I wanted.  You know it's one of those taps that you put a mini Heinken keg into.  I dunked my raffle ticket into my dirty martini to make it feel different than the rest of the tickets in the basket (I've heard that this works pretty well but never tried it before) and hoped for the best.  I almost fell out of my chair when they called our name as the winner.

A friend of ours has a great indoor bar.  It's got the mirrors, the glass racks the sink, the fridge, really it's a full-scale home bar with all the fixings.  It makes for an awesome party and gives everyone a place to hang out besides the kitchen.  We've got some other friends who I hear have great outdoor patio bars but I haven't seen any of them yet.  I just decided that it's time for a nice outdoor bar in my backyard.

When I saw this outdoor kitchen project in my Lowes Weekend Project email, I knew that I found my home bar.  I don't have the cash on hand to hire workers to build it for me so I'll have to do with a handyman special.  With a few changes to the Lowes project like doubling the length of it to 10 feet and making it a little taller so that we can buy taller bar stools, we'd be set.  Really this design is for an outdoor kitchen counter but I can easily modify it into a bar.  Things like running water and electricity will have to wait for another year.  Unfortunately, I’m not made of money.

Right now I'm working on two matching coffee tables to share the pool deck with the bar (and also gaining some valuable building experience in the process) but the construction on my custom outdoor patio bar should begin soon. 

Posted by Anthony 7:21 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Outdoor Patio Bar

Metrokane Bullet Cocktail Shaker
Wednesday, August 19, 2009

An important tool that should be in every home mixologist's bar is a cocktail shaker. But just because everyone has one doesn't mean there isn't any room for individuality. In fact there are lots of different cocktail shaker styles to match your decor, your mood or your personality. One of my favorites is the Metrokane Bullet Cocktail Shaker

When I shop for a cocktail shaker the first thing I look for is practicality. Does the shaker drip all over the place when I pour a drink? Is it easy to clean and reuse quickly? The answer for the Metrokane Bullet shaker is yes on both counts.

Now once I know that the cocktail will do the job that I'm buying it for, then it's time for some style. The Metrokane Bullet Cocktail Shaker is made from stainless steel and looks looks just like a big shiny silver bullet. Unless you're a werewolf, you'll think this is the coolest looking shaker around.

It also holds 28 ounces and that's enough for lots of drinks. It's perfect for when a bunch of your guests ask you for a martini. Just load it up, give it a nice shake and start pouring.

Picking out a cocktail shaker for your home bar says a lot about the type of mixologist that you are. And if sleek design and smooth lines appeal to you, then you really should check out a Metrokane Bullet Cocktail Shaker.

Posted by Anthony 5:36 AM 0 comments  

Labels: cocktail shaker

Ice Mold Shot Glasses
Monday, August 17, 2009

Here's a fun way to get people talking about your next cocktail party. Ice Mold Shot Glasses.

Now how many times have you said to yourself, I wish I had shot glasses that were made out of ice? If the answer is zero then you're parties must be pretty dull. These molds are made by my favorite novelty company, Fred. They're made from food grade silicon and that also makes them easy to peal the shot glasses out of the mold.

Don't ever buy any hard plastic ice molds because you'll have to crack them to get the ice out. And when you're going to use the ice as a drinking container, that's not a good idea.

And not old can you make Ice Mold Shot Glasses from regular water but you can also freeze juice or other liquids. How about a shot of vodka in an frozen orange juice shooter glass? It's a screwdriver for the new millennium.

I even know of people who are using a double boiler to melt hard candies down into liquids and then using these molds to make candy shot glasses. A peppermint schnapps in a frozen candy cane shot glass sounds perfect for the holidays. You are only limited by your imagination.

At well under $10 for a set of four ice molds, this is one novelty item that won't break the bank. Even if you buy two or three for a total of eight or twelve molds, you won't be sorry. You really can't have too many Ice Mold Shot Glasses.

Posted by Anthony 5:01 PM 0 comments  

Labels: mixology tools

New Bacardi Mojito Commercial
Monday, July 06, 2009

Hmmm, since I posted the Bacardi Mojito Ad video the other day it has come to my attention that there's a new commercial now.

It's pretty good but I think I still like the old commercial better. The beat of the music with and the muddling of the drinks just seems a lot cooler to me than this feel good video.

Posted by Anthony 8:34 AM 0 comments  

Labels: bacardi, video

Bacardi Mojito Commercial
Saturday, July 04, 2009

It's summertime and that means that it's mojito time. Now if this Bacardi video doesn't make you want a mojito then you had better check your pulse.

Just one comment about the bartender. The poor guy has to sit there and muddle all of those mint leaves to make mojitos for everyone and that just doesn't seem fair to me. Give the guy a break and order a beer every once in a while.

Posted by Anthony 8:24 AM 0 comments  

Labels: bacardi, video

Bombay Sapphire Ginger Mint
Sunday, November 30, 2008

You know I've had a bottle of Bombay Sapphire in the house for a long time and never had to urge to open it, until now. I think it was a gift that someone brought over at some point. But now that I've found the Bombay Sapphire YouTube Channel, I think I'll be cracking that bottle open.

Here's a really simple drink that sounds tasty. A Bombay Sapphire Ginger Mint. You start with some mint leaves in the bottom of your glass, then pour in 1 part Bombay Sapphire and 2 parts ginger ale. Nice and easy. I like this because not every drink that you make needs to involve a blender or 9 different ingredients.

Posted by Anthony 4:41 PM 1 comments  

Labels: cocktail recipes