Bar and Wine Essentials You’ll Want Before the Holidays

We’ve hosted many Christmas celebrations over the years, with plenty of drink in addition to lots of food, entertainment, games and gift exchanges. But sometimes we spend so much time focusing on what we need on our table that we forget about the bar. That being said, there are some great bar and wine essentials to consider before the holidays, whether for your Christmas or other holiday plans, New Years celebrations, or casual gatherings with friends and family.

know which cup is yours
wine glass spell
A problem I often find when groups of friends get together is that everyone puts their glasses down and forgets which is whose. Instead of checking the lipstick marks on the mug, you can grab a set of cute stickers and hang them on the stem of the mug for easy identification. The Signa Silicone Glass Marker clips onto the stem or opposite edge of a mug, and even hooks onto a kid’s drink straw. They come in eight different colors, so you’ll always know which mug is yours.

Golden flower wine stoppers to preserve leftover wine
Leftover booze? What’s that? Jokes aside, sometimes parties take longer than expected and bottles start piling up. If after all the guests say goodbye, you find you have some wine left over, a cork will keep the uncorked wine fresh for the next night or two. This helps keep you from drinking more than you want, or wasting half a bottle of very expensive wine. Celebrate the holidays with a handcrafted wine cork with a golden floral design, which also conveniently doubles as a candle holder.

Ice molds make drinks look and taste cool
If you want your guests to impress with your cold beverages that are refreshing and look great, consider ice molds, which freeze water into shapes other than standard cubes. Sharp Image’s ice molds will provide spherical ice to add a little fun to drinks. Serve one in a whiskey over the rocks or add to a non-alcoholic punch and the kids will love it too.

Another option is whiskey stones, which you can easily put in the freezer and use to chill drinks without watering them down. This Whiskey Gems set comes in 9 cubes, so with two sets, you should have enough cubes for everyone to enjoy whiskey, vodka, or any other special holiday drink.

keep the drink flowing
There’s nothing worse than trying to open a great bottle of wine and not being able to find the corkscrew. Get one with an inner spring so you don’t have to pull the cork as hard to get it out.

Bar & Wine Essentials – Crystal Bohemia Quartet Whiskey 3-Pack Decanter
If your party is less Sex and City and more Mad Men, then you can opt for a two-finger whiskey flow with an elegant decanter, such as the Crystalite Bohemia quadro Three-piece whiskey decanter, which also comes with a matching pair of glasses.

When it comes to playing bartender and whipping up delicious cocktails, a cocktail shaker might come in handy. From a homemade mojito in the summer to a Cinco de Mayo margarita to a rum or shaken martini for the holidays, I love using mine.

Soda machine, add some bubbles
No, I don’t mean champagne, although champagne is also a good choice for toasting. I’m talking about the sparkling water machine, which will quickly become one of your favorite bar accessories. Serve some plain sparkling water to refresh guests and clear their palettes until the next dish (or drink), or liven things up with some fresh fruit, cucumber, mint or flavored drops. For alcoholic beverages, you can also add some homemade sparkling water, like Christmas morning mimosas or warmed sangria. SodaStream is the most well-known brand in this space, and one of these machines would be the perfect bar. I also recently reviewed the Aarke Carbonator 3 Spark Kettle, and while it’s more expensive, I highly recommend it as it’s stylish, easy to use, and convenient to add to a home bar.