Few things are better than a cold drink with your favorite people in the summertime. When it comes to entertaining, up your game by adding an outdoor bar (it can be portable!). With our collection of best outdoor bar ideas, your backyard will become the go-to hangout for the season.
Create an Outdoor Bar from a Workbench
Kritsada Panichgul
When it comes to creating your own outdoor bar, it pays to get crafty. A workbench-inspired design makes simple work—and plenty of storage space—for all the alfresco cocktail essentials. To elevate the countertop, place vintage-style drink crates on top of the bench supports to provide a boost in height and some stylistic flair, too. A pegboard wall above the outdoor bar allows for plenty of hooks and knobs for hanging and storing drink essentials.
Create a Cocktail Cabinet
Don’t feel left out if your backyard or patio is too small to have a built-in outdoor bar. Instead, add a weatherproof cabinet to your outdoor oasis, and fill it with your favorite summer glassware and utensils. Add an ice bucket and serving essentials to the top when guests are over for easy entertaining.
Extend Your Outdoor Kitchen
Perhaps the easiest way to include an outdoor bar is to sneak in a few extra square feet from an outdoor kitchen. Particularly for expansive built-in versions such as this kitchen, spots for storage, serving, and cooling off drinks are a must. Tubs of ice, glasses, and a variety of beverages will easily fit on this roomy stone bar.
Repurpose a Rolling Cart
Transform a stainless-steel kitchen prep station into a portable drink station. Multiple levels and shelves are perfect for storing and serving. Tubs of ice and drink dispensers make it easy for guests to grab their favorite drink. Add string lights for ambience and simpler serving after dark.
Build an Outdoor Bar
This DIY bar requires just six materials (including inexpensive concrete blocks) and a few hours of working time to complete. The clever design features nooks for napkins and small planters within the base. Sturdy and weather-ready, the DIY outdoor bar works well for informal gatherings, birthday parties, buffets, and more.
Outdoor Bar Shed
Ann Vanderwiel Wilde
For a backyard bar that can be used in any kind of weather, incorporate a garden shed. Roll a cart inside for the perfect spot for mixing drinks or arranging an alfresco buffet. Large windows and a Dutch-style door allow for plenty of airflow. To keep the party going, add overflow space just outside your cocktail shed so guests can find a comfortable spot to relax once they have their drink in hand.
Pay Attention to Details
To blend an outdoor bar into its surroundings, repeat or complement your home’s existing materials. Pops of red tie together multiple areas in this backyard, including a fire pit, seating, grilling station, and outdoor bar. Built-in appliances look intentional by using the same bricks as the house.
Make It Pool-Friendly
Your outdoor bar isn’t limited to the patio. Take it poolside with a bar cart. Ensure your beverage station has wheels for easy transportation, and trade your serving pieces for plastic or melamine drinkware to avoid broken glass on a slippery pool deck. Make a splash by adding some fun decor and snacks.
Incorporate Cocktail Trays
John Granen
You can make an outdoor bar anywhere when you’re set with trays full of cocktail essentials. Simply bring your supplies outside and place them on any available tabletop. Let partygoers, friends, and family mix their own drinks or have a designated bartender in place to hand out refreshments.
Add Elevated Outdoor Bar Decor
Jim Franco
A portable outdoor bar cart doesn’t have to be a low-key affair. Let the interior of your home inspire your outdoor living spaces. Here, a faux bamboo cart in a gold finish elevates the covered deck with style. Plenty of flowers, cocktail tables, and seating make for a space that serves an indoor-outdoor feel.
Built-In Wet Bar
Ed Gohlich
For a showstopping outdoor bar idea, consider built-ins complete with plumbing for a sink and mini fridge. A chalkboard finish on the walls provides a fun and functional backsplash where scores for backyard games, what’s on the menu, and more can take center stage. The ease and convenience of a sink and/or fridge and ice maker can create a destination you never have to leave.
Backyard Bar
Marty Baldwin
Transform your backyard into a bar with a locals-only destination that’s nestled into the trees. Deck flooring, a tin roof, built-in bench seating with plenty of plush pillows, and a high-top bar create a space that no one will be hard-pressed to leave anytime soon. To keep the party moving well into the evening, ensure there’s plenty of light, whether overhead sconces, string lights, or a combination, to add ambience.
Add a Built-In Ice Bucket
Dave Bryce
Here, cocktails take centerpiece status. An ice bucket is built into the center of this outdoor table ensuring cold drinks are always close at hand so no one has to step away from the party prematurely. To discard empties easily and keep the table orderly, place a bin nearby that you can take out at the end of the night.
Outdoor Bar Cart for Last-Minute Entertaining
David Tsay
If you have a large patio or yard and are entertaining outdoors, consider adding a few small bar carts throughout the space to ensure guests have plenty of refreshment opportunities. You can even have one station that’s stocked with nonalcoholic options, another with a signature cocktail, and a third with beer and wine. Whatever your strategy, consider your partygoers, and the scene you’re hoping to create, and plan accordingly.
Fully-Stocked Outdoor Kitchen
Kathryn Gamble
If you love to entertain outdoors and live in a climate where you can host outdoors throughout the year, a fully-stocked outdoor kitchen is for you. Add a built-in grill, a fully stocked beverage fridge, an ice maker, and sink, or make it as simple as a grill and smoker with a bar cart pulled up alongside. Consider your time and cost constraints to create an outdoor bar you’ll enjoy all season long.
Colorful Cocktail Cart
Annie Schlechter
When it comes to outdoor bar ideas, the more fun, the better. Here, a bubblegum-pink bar cart is stocked with all the essentials, including bagged snacks, mixers, lots of citrus, and patterned paper straws. When setting up your bar cart, use interesting vessels to hold all of your must-haves, then add some greenery, candles, and punchy baskets to create a scene deserving of the spotlight.
Sideboard Star
Dave Bryce
While you might consider a sideboard prime real estate for a casual buffet, it can also transform into a bar with minimal effort. Use lower shelves to house extra drinks, glasses, and dishes, while the tabletop provides a spot for your signature cocktail or a full range of drinks and snacks.
Establish Multiple Bar Zones
An outdoor bar can include more than just a countertop and mini-fridge. Encourage people to spill over to different spots throughout your yard for more relaxed, intimate conversations. Supply interconnected spaces that shift in layout or material to indicate a different function. Sit at the bar, sip wine at the dining table, or cozy up to a fire in this multi-functional space.
Cocktails on the Move
Victoria Pearson
An outdoor cocktail bar doesn’t have to be a static display. Moveable furnishings, lighting, and more can create a highly functional space that’s easy to position from party to party. String lights overhead brighten the space once the sun goes down.
Keep It Casual
Sure, outdoor bars can be as ornate as you’d like, but they also work equally well in a simple setup. This one has all the necessary elements—seating, storage, and serving. The long concrete slab bar is perfect for entertaining large gatherings by the fire. Plus, it’s easy to clean and can handle almost any type of weather.
Invest in Built-Ins
Even in small, budget-smart outdoor bars, a built-in might make sense, especially if your entertaining area serves multiple purposes. A fridge works well for this cooking-bar combo setup, with space for both drinks and often-used condiments. If you have two separate areas, locate the bar’s fridge in a central spot for easy access.
Create a Covered Outdoor Bar
Some home outdoor bars are covered, which helps to increase their usability even if the weather takes a turn for the worse. One way to capture the sunlight without sacrificing overhead protection is a pergola. It offers pretty rays and natural light for both the bar and the adjacent conversation area.
Create a Bar Cart Station
If you don’t have a need for a permanent outdoor bar, rolling racks outfitted with serveware can be a great solution. Here, removable trays help items move from cart to table, and baskets carry items from inside to out in just seconds. Baskets with handles help tidy drinks and make them easy to carry.
Backyard Tavern
Ed Gohlich
A tavern on wheels with a pergola treatment on top gives pedal-bar vibes but with backyard appeal. Bar stools hit the right height for the elevated bar top, but can easily be removed or used in another area to create more flexibility within the space. The sleek finish of the table provides superior wipe-ability for easy cleanup.
Consider Flexible Amenities
While built-ins are nice in an outdoor bar, they aren’t necessary and can be cost-prohibitive. Fortunately, there are outdoor bar options that offer both portability and function. Here, a cleverly disguised chest cooler sits inside a large movable cart. The cart also offers extra storage with a few open shelves.
Cold-Weather Outdoor Bar
Rebekah Molloy
Who says outdoor bars are strictly warm-weather winners? Even a snowy locale can provide the perfect respite for an après ski moment. Just make sure your bar is stocked with hot beverages (hot cocoa, anyone?) and plenty of blankets for cuddling up.
Set a Theme
An outdoor bar is a great chance to put your personality or entertaining style on display. This exuberant setup follows a tropical theme, complete with a grass skirt around the buffet table. Small decor items like vibrant plants and leis boost the decorating theme.
Build a DIY Bar Cabinet
Karla Conrad
Creating an outdoor bar can be as simple and straightforward as building a tucked-away cabinet cubby to house outdoor cocktail essentials. When in use, a shelf lowers down to create more space for glasses and other accoutrements. Utilize the top of the cubby for a bit of decor and a few crowd-pleasing bar snacks.
Add in Extras
There are so many options for updating outdoor bar spaces to make them more enjoyable. Ceiling fans, lights, and outdoor heaters are just a few; all are available in weather-safe options and in a multitude of styles. In addition, exterior drapes made from weather-resistant fabric can help shield family and friends from intense summer rays.
Start Small
An expansive outdoor bar might be in your home’s master plan, but if you don’t have the budget or space for it just yet, consider portable, less permanent options. Repurpose a small kitchen cart with a few decorative touches as well as practical updates (a plastic wine rack, buckets for bar tools, and a cutting board). Move the bar indoors during the colder months.
