How to stock a Mid-Century cocktail bar for the summer

Mary-Frances O'Dea

More posts by this author

It’s summer and this long winter we seem to have depleted our bar selection, so it’s time to stock up!  So, what do you need to stock the perfect Mid-Century Bar?

scotchnbourbon

The Alcohol Selection:

Gin
Vodka
Rum
Bourbon
Scotch
Tequila
Sweet vermouth
Dry vermouth
Cointreau

For the non-mixed drink crowd:

White wine
Red wine
Beer

Essential Mixers and garnishes:

Cranberry
Orange
Tomato
Cola
Lemon-lime
Ginger ale
Tonic
Seltzer
Margarita mixer (frankly I find it’s easier to buy it than make it)
Green pitted olives
Lemons and Limes: Slice them up beforehand to save time when company arrives.

cocktailsetFabulous Accessories: (this is where you can bust out the 50’s fashion!)

Ice bucket
Tongs
Cocktail Shaker
Hawthorne strainer
Cocktail napkins
Jiggers
Multipurpose opener
Corkscrew
Bar spoons and drink stirrers
Wood muddler (for crushing herbs, sugar, etc. — mojito, anyone?)

Glasses:
Highball
Lowball
Martini
White wine
Red Wine
Beer Glasses
Shot glasses

So what have we missed? Are there essentials you think need to be in every mid-century bar?

share this:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Visit our
travel site:

More articles:

The Ultimate in Mid-Century cool – a cold war bomb shelter!

Need to get away from it all?   Wish we could all be transported back to the days of “duck and cover”? Here’s a way to own your very own Cold War Era Atomic Bomb Shelter in Fort Pierce, Florida. The structure, built in 1967, was built during the Cold War, to “withstand the big blast” and operated as a former AT&T communications Bunker. It’s construction was prompted by the Cuban Missile Crisis and the telephone

Read More

New Mexico Mid Century Motels?

We’re in the throws of planning a trip to New Mexico over spring break – mainly to see the Trinity Site (which is only open 2x a year). So, we’ll be staying in Socorro and Santa Fe. I already have a cool Mid Century Motel booked in Alamogordo – anyone have suggestions for Socorro and/or Santa Fe? Kid friendly is great, a pool would be awesome! The Belair Inn (picture to the right) is the

Read More

Route 66 – Around the Web

In another one of our attempts to save you looking for all the best resources. I thought I’d give you links to my new (or at least newly renewed) passion of Route 66. Because of publicity, movies like “Cars” and other ways of generating awareness, Route 66 is one of the best “known” preservation efforts centered around mid-Century. From Wikipedia: U.S. Route 66 (also known as the Will Rogers Highway and colloquially known as the

Read More