How to Set Up a Bar For a Cocktail Party, Holiday Celebration or Wedding

More often than not, the bar is a hot spot during any event. Not only do you want the bar to be pleasing to the eye (who doesn’t love a good photo op these days?), but you also want to make sure the drinks flow smoothly without any hiccups that keep guests from their cocktails. We created a step-by-step guide to ensure fantastic bar service for any private party, whether you hired a professional bartender, or you’ll be playing the faux all night.

What is bar service?

First and foremost, bar service means the service of alcohol, liquor and other beverages, while following compliance with liquor licensing. However, it’s so much more than that. If you decide to hire a bartender for your party, bartenders today are quite literally crafting a new definition of hospitality. By combining mixology with over-the-top, genuine service, we are in a new golden era of great service.

Different Types of Bar Services

The five different bar types below play on different kinds of alcohol to keep things fun and festive at your event.

1. Wine Bar

Wine bars can be fairly easy to set up. Grab a broad selection of your favorite wines with a good variety: reds, whites, and blushes. You can set up buckets for chilling, beautiful wine glasses and charcuterie boards to compliment your selection.

2. Bubbles Bar

You could also have a champagne bar, with different bubbly selections throughout. Champagne towers and waterfalls have been a popular trend as of late, or an aesthetic backdrop where guests can come up and hand pick their glass off the wall.

3. Local Brew Bar

With the boom of craft beer, find local brews that are specific to your city. This is a fun way for people to try new beer that’s right in their backyard. It adds a level of intimacy when guests are enjoying it together.

4. Sangria Bar

Sangria bars are a fun way to add bright colors and fresh fruit to the assortment. You can pre-make batches of red sangria, white sangria or sparkling sangria and guests can add their own fruit garnishes. This tends to be a popular choice for guests.

5. Full-Service Bar

You can also have a full cocktail bar service, with a mixology bartender that adds fun and flare to your event. Whether they are torching an orange peel or filling a glass with smoke to add to the depth of flavor, this option is sure to be successful.

How to Set Up a Bar for a Party

1. Is there a theme for the party? Is it a holiday celebration? A wedding event? You’ll want to incorporate colors and décor to tie everything together.

2. How will the rest of the party be set up? You will want to figure out where the bar will be stationed and make sure it fits with the flow of the event.

3. Make sure you have the supplies needed to operate smoothly: ice buckets, shakers, sturdy surfaces and tables, garnishes and so forth.

4. Make sure you have created a drink menu beforehand so guests can choose easily. This can also be a fun way to play up a theme with certain colors or fun cocktail names.

5. Make sure you leave enough time for setup. This way you avoid rushing and can always grab last minute items that you forgot if need be.

6. Finally, don’t forget water. You will want to make sure you have plenty of opportunity for your guests to hydrate throughout the night.

We believe that wedding venue, venue for cocktail party & holiday party event venues that have an event planning team and staff are great for hosting parties or events because it takes out a lot of the leg work for you. We hope this guide helps you as you begin planning your next event. At Piovra Group, we are always more than happy to help our clients with planning and setup to ensure your party is a success.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Q: How do I create a good drink menu?
A: You can always partner with a hired bartender to help you plan out the menu, or you can get creative and play up a theme or color palette you have incorporated into your event.

Q: If I don’t have a lot of room for the bar, what do you suggest?
A: We suggest designing the bar well so that it catches people's attention and maybe selecting a smaller menu for guests to choose from if your bartender doesn’t have a lot of space to work within.

Q: Do you think one type of bar is better than the other?
A: Not necessarily. It really depends on the type of event you are having and what you think your guests would enjoy most.