What Is a Wet Bar?

People have been drinking socially for a long time. But sometimes heading off to the local pub for happy hour after work just seems like too much trouble. It was with this in mind that the wet bar was created. Wet bars, models of efficiency within a confined space, are the easiest way to bring the bar home and can provide homeowners and guests alike with a means of letting a difficult day pass by gently.

Definition

A wet bar is a small bar that has a sink with running water usually found in the home. The wet bar is a step up from a liquor cabinet in that it offers a minimalist version of a full bar. Most wet bars will include liquor, mixers, a mixing glass, bar tools such as a bottle opener, corkscrew and paring knife, as well as an assortment of high and low ball, martini and shot glasses. More advanced versions might contain blenders, refrigerators and quick-pour spouts for liquor bottles.

Types

Wet bars come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and there is no specific design that is seen across the board. Sometimes wet bars are built into nooks in a room and other times they are constructed to the size of small pub bar. Materials often are stainless steel, wood or tile. They include a sink with a high-neck faucet--so bottles and mixing glasses can be filled easily underneath them--and storage space, often under the sink, or in the case of larger wet bars, underneath the counter top.

Location

The most common place for a wet bar is in the home. Many suburban track home projects are designed with a modest wet bar in the living room or den. Occasionally, they can be found in bedrooms and are often built in basements as part of a homeowner's renovation of the area into an entertainment room. Many hotel rooms will come with some type of wet bar, usually with a refrigerator with high-priced mini-bottles of liquor. Even the president of the United States has a wet bar in the White House.

Themes

Though wet bars are quite common as a part of the design of most new homes, many homeowners renovate their wet bars with a theme in mind to give the space some flair. Examples would include an ultra chic wet bar where counters and shelving are composed of polished stainless steel or a Western bar theme where the bar top and stools are all made from wood with worn leather padding for seat tops. Pictures can be hung to enhance these themes. Patio wet bars can have a tiki bar theme.

Benefits

The are two main benefits of having a wet bar at home. The first is that when guests arrive, there is no need to run back and forth between the kitchen and the wet bar to fill a pitcher with ice or water. Everything can be done in one place, which means a more relaxing night. Secondly, adding a wet bar to the home, if built with some level of skill, can increase the value of a home.