When Mad Men aired in 2007, it introduced a new generation of TV viewers to old-fashioned cocktails like manhattans and martinis, gimlets and sidecars. I remember seeing Mad Men for the first time and instantly falling madly in love with the concept of the at-home bar (and especially at-office bar).
Building your own personalized home bar is a very serious and individual matter. It can be anything from a serving tray on the mantel with your 3 favorite bottles to a fully equipped bar stashed away behind a bookshelf. Non the less, it captivates the owner and his (or her) preferences.
After having been in some sort of hibernation from the regular frequentation at the favorite bar or restaurant for almost a year, for me the build of a proper home bar became an essential part of the covid-survival-protocol. As some of you might have observed, I like to surround myself with heirlooms and fun little items, and my at-home bar is no exception – a shaker from my grandfather, a 2 cl measuring cup from my wife’s grandmother, pullout tables from the house of my grandparents, Martini low balls found second hand and so on.
Like many other things in our lives, it is a journey, the bottles on the table change accordingly as your personal taste evolve, the hunt is always on for new acquisitions and additions. But at some point, we settle with a carefully selected few, to which we turn, that always feels “home”, in our bar; our home bar.
No matter the “level” you are on, few things beat the feeling of pulling off the perfect drink at home – stars align, you aced the measurements, the bottle(s) had just the right temperature and the drink is just right. There is nothing like leaning back and enjoying that moment where you nailed it.
As I am sitting in my living room, writing this article, I had just this moment where the measurement of Campari, vintage Martini and Monkey47 added up – I nailed it; so to quote Don Draper “Just finished a drink. Perfect time for a Drink”.
Cheers, gents!
Originally posted as part of the Gents Cafe Newsletter, a bite-sized read about men’s lifestyle to enjoy over a coffee or a nice cocktail. Join now!