shorelines ◦ interiors by gregory ◦
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"The Bar Cart"
Every summer, I venture down to Petite Riviere to visit a terrific antique shop, the Joy of Antiques. A few summers ago, I found one of my favourite “unnecessary essentials” as they tout them. It was a teacart in original condition. Built by a local craftsman sometime between the 1920’s and 1930’s, this teacart is a Nova Scotian version of the Arts and Crafts style. Typically, the teacart would have been constructed of English Oak; however, probably to save money, only the side rails are actually oak. The rest is built of pine and stained dark to resemble the English oak. As nice as a teacart could be for some rooms, I preferred an alternative use for this cart—a moveable bar.
My particular cart has two shelves. On the upper shelf, I have arranged interesting bottles of spirits that are quite fine served straight up. Many manufacturers now know that well-designed packaging is a selling point, so create an artistic display. I have a tequila bottle that is especially decorative with a green glass cactus rising through the liquid from the bottom of the bottle. To make the bottles sparkle, I have replaced some of the cork stoppers with glass stoppers. For liquid display, I keep Nova Scotia’s Glen Breton on hand just to show off to visitors from outside the province. There is also an assortment of liqueurs (like Chartreuse, Pernod, and Poire Williams), sipping spirits (dark rum, whisky, and tequila), and after dinner brandy and cognac. I keep a small antique silver-serving tray to hold bar paraphernalia--turkey/eagle claw ice tongs (also from Joy of Antiques), a corkscrew, a crystal shot glass from university days, and for kitsch, a miniature Eiffel Tower.
On the lower shelf, I have collected pairs of glassware and crystal, ready for serving when friends arrive. For variety, I keep old-fashioneds, double old-fashioneds, liqueur glasses, brandy snifters, port glasses, and a set of single-malt scotch glasses that were a gift to accompany the arrival of the Glen Breton. Collect these items from antique glass shops. Variety makes the bar look better. If your budget allows, begin collecting Nova Scotia crystal barware--their shot glasses make great gifts. My groomsmen each got a shot glass over a bottle of ouzo, but I digress. Don’t forget cocktail napkins, a linen bar towel, and a book of drink recipes. I keep two books on the cart: Cocktail by Wired magazine’s Paul Harrington and The Martini by Barnaby Conrad III, one purchased and one found in a used books shop. Although I don’t make cocktails from this bar, it’s still a great place to store the books.
Make your bar cart visually interesting as well as useful. I’ve told you what I did. Now create one for yourself. If you don’t have a cart available, then a large silver tray with a small selection of the above items will work just as well. You can create a custom bar tray for whatever the occasion. Just remember the bar tray is “tip-y” if you’re tipsy…