The Art of the Bar
We know how to have a good time in South Mississippi. Every hamlet along our Coast has its favorite hangouts offering cold libations that tickle the taste buds, live music to get the toes tapping, and new friends who do not even need to know your name to enjoy your company. You can let your hair down and just enjoy being here.
Unlike the days where one bar tended to look like any other bar and the menu at each was practically the same, we have entered a whole new world. The art of the cocktail is taking us far beyond the basics of a good stiff drink and someone to listen to us while we consume it. Bartenders are now mixologists gaining celebrity-like status in a new age of premium ingredients and unique flavors, with enticing names to match. Smokey speakeasy lounges of the past have gotten a makeover and there does not seem to be a limit to the imagination and creativity in today’s bar scene.
The same trend of updating and expanding the flexibility of a bar is happening at home too. Decades ago, bars were often built into the kitchen or the living area. They were typically cabinets that matched the other millwork in the home, often with open shelving, and were very practical for storing bottles and accessories. It was common to find a small sink and refrigerator integrated into the layout. Today, we still see built in bars—particularly in newly-constructed homes—but with more sophisticated, high end design elements. We are also seeing homeowners opting for creating a bar that is more adaptable to their needs and less permanent.
A bar can function as a mini kitchen, or it can simply be a unique spot for displaying and storing essentials. Furniture specifically designed to function as a bar can work well. There are a lot of options and it should be easy to find a piece that will fit every homeowner’s space. But often folks already own something that can be fashioned into a unique bar, such as interesting bookshelves, sideboards, carts, and small chests just to name a few.
Coastal style pieces made from rattan or woods with unique grains can capture the essence of living in a tropical climate. If there is room to add a tall, extraordinary lamp and a piece of captivating art, do it! If there is not enough space for a lamp and not enough light, a very thin spotlight in the ceiling called a puck light might be the answer. A bar becomes a focal point, so it needs to capture your personality and your lifestyle.
Once you have created a bar, stock it with your favorite spirits or wines, bartending tools, beautiful glasses, trays, and cocktail napkins. Set out an inherited decanter or a set of shot glasses that has been collected over the years. If new rock glasses are on the wish list, remember that traditionally the bar is considered the gentleman’s domain so if you monogram the glasses or bar towels, it is his monogram that goes on those items.
It is officially fall and while we are never quite sure here in South Mississippi when the cooler weather will arrive, we can dream about crisp air and colorful leaves. We know what fall can look like—we have seen it in pictures. This month we can pull out a jacket or a sweater, talking ourselves into believing we really might get chilly while we grill outside. Throw some meat on the fire, pour a glass, and sit and watch the smoke rise into the evening air.
If it is a cocktail you enjoy, instead of mixing your regular, try a little something different like our Fabulous Fig cocktail. Discover a new fall favorite by savoring the flavors of a very Southern summer fruit mingled with the smooth warmth of a good brandy. If you made fig preserves this past summer, you are in for a real treat. Sip, enjoy, and welcome fall—whenever it shows up.
Fabulous Fig
Ingredients Per Serving
- Rounded teaspoon of fig jam
- 2 ounces of Brandy
- 1 ounce of Amaretto
- Dash of bitters
- Orange twist
Directions
- Add ice to cocktail shaker.
- Add a dollop of fig jam.
- Add Brandy and Amaretto.
- Add a dash of bitters.
- Shake until icy cold.
- Strain into glass over large cube.
- Garnish with an orange twist.
Holly Harrison has been a licensed interior designer for over 40 years. Shannon Stage has spent nearly 25 years in the giftware industry. Together they own Sassy Bird Interiors in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Sassy Bird Interiors
211 Main St. Bay St. Louis
228.344.3181
www.sassybirdinteriors.com
