Mix Up a Low Carb Cocktail From Your Own Fab Home Bar
When someone tells you they have a full bar at home, you might picture a basement with 1970s recycled shag rug carpeting, green billiard lamps and a smoky mirror inset behind the bar. The stools are mismatched and the glassware is chipped and yellowing. The only reason your head goes here is because you haven’t seen a home bar equipped with modern bar stools, sleek cocktail mixers or artisan glassware.
If you enjoy a good cocktail and like playing host, furnishing your home with a fashionable home bar is a good investment, not an outdated eyesore; you just need to know how to accessorize. Here are five items every home bar needs to help you entertain guests and serve up a stiff one:
Spirits
You don’t have a bar if you aren’t serving an assortment of alcohol. For the newly minted spirits connoisseur looking to up their game and impress their friends as host, mixologist Eben Freeman recommends starting with two base alcohols, choosing from vodka, rum, whiskey, gin or tequila. After selecting your base spirits, you can (and should) build your alcohol collection so that you are able to make whatever a guest should ask for at the bar.
On top of maintaining a selection of spirits, your bar should also boast liqueurs, bitters and garnishments. What fun is a drink without a little showmanship?
Glassware
Part of the experience of a good drink is the way the glass holds in your hand and aerates the alcohol. Without the right glassware, your sinfully delicious martini could be left with barely a sip taken from it, all because the presentation fell flat.
Your bar should be equipped with the following glassware sets, organized by type of drink:
Beer
American Pint
Snifter
Stein
Wine
Flute
Red Wine Glass
Tulip Wine Glass
Liquor
Martini Glass
Lowball
Highball
You may be asking why the glassware matters, after all, if you’re going to the trouble of making the cocktail, you’ll make sure to drink it. According to David Cianco, “the container you pour your beverage into can help maximize the aromas and body of the drink to optimize flavor.” See, science tells us that drinking alcohol out of these glasses will make for a better drinking experience.
Serving Tray
If you’re hosting a party, you’re not going to want to be stuck behind the bar all night serving drinks. As the host, you will want to mingle with your guests and make sure everyone is comfortable and enjoying themselves. Bringing the mixed drinks to your friends on a serving tray will get you out from behind the bar and in on the conversation. You can even make a pitcher of a particular mixed drink (let’s say sangria) to carry on the tray and top your guests’ drinks off!
Bar Stools
No bar is truly a bar without a set of modern bar stools. The stools should be comfortable and aesthetically pleasing to the space. Before buying your bar stools, you will need to consider its height to the counter bar and the amount of leg room required for the sitter. Adjustable bar stools offer the most versatility, as your guest can raise or lower the stool to their specifications.
Bartending Accouterments
What’s a full bar with cocktail mixing tools? To do your home bar right, Martha Stewart suggests having these six nifty devices:
- Corkscrew
- Sharp Paring Knife
- Shaker
- Lemon Zester
- Jigger Measures
- Blender
With just these six mixing instruments you can making anything from an Old Fashioned to a Margarita! Now go on and get to mixin’! What to mix you say?
The options are endless but if you’re looking for a low carb cocktail, I’ve got you covered!
Low Carb Cocktail One: The Low Carb Mojito
My favorite low carb cocktail recipe comes straight from Atkins! Their Low Carb Mojito is super simple to make and tastes fantastic! The combination of lime and peppermint is so refreshing. Click the photo to get the recipe!
Low Carb Cocktail Two: The Low Carb Mio Spritzer
This has got to be the easiest low carb cocktail to make and customize to your favorite flavors. Mio is a sugar free water enhancer/ flavoring that comes in a variety of flavors! Just mix up 1 oz of vodka or your favorite base alcohol with 4-5 ounces of ice water and add one squeeze of Mio to the mix. Try Cherry Blackberry Mio with Vodka or Sweet Tea Mio with Whiskey! The possibilities are endless with this low carb cocktail recipe!
Low Carb Cocktail Three: The Low Carb Margarita
It’s the middle of January but I like to pretend spring is right around the corner. Either way, you don’t have to wait for Cynco de Mayo to indulge in this yummy low carb cocktail! If you’ve been low carb for a while you’ve probably run into Carolyn over at All Day I Dream About Food. Her low carb recipes are top notch from appetizers, to soups, desserts, casseroles and yes, she’s got a low carb cocktail or two up her skinny sleeve! Click the picture below to get her Low Carb Margarita recipe – you won’t be sorry!
Do you have a favorite low carb cocktail? Tell me about it in a comment!
