Kirsty McLuckie: A bar at home is the must-have trend

Creating a home bar became something of a national obsession during Covid lockdowns.Online drinks retailer Clink estimated that over two million households in the UK curated some type of designated drinks’ area during restrictions in 2020 and 2021, but even after the world opened up again, the trend continued.

The rise in home bars is perhaps a surprising fashion, considering the low esteem in which they were held before the pandemic.

While they were seen as sophisticated in the 1950s and 60s, gradually that James Bond chic eroded, and for a couple of decades for many people they became an undeniable marker of naffness.

By the time Mike Leigh’s play Abigail’s Party opened in 1977, a home bar upon which this drama was based, conjured up images of cheese and pineapple on sticks, garish cocktails and a heavy whiff of suburban loucheness.

A Forest Wooden Garden bar … converting an outside space into a home bar could be cheaper than making other structural changes to your home Image: Forestgarden.co.uk

Three elements which look like fine ingredients for a good night to me, but it seems not everyone agreed.

When I worked as an estate agent in the late 1980s, we would advise sellers to remove a home bar if they didn’t want to put off viewers.

These days it seems there has been a definite shift in the snobbery factor.

However, unlike decades past, the real desirability comes not from bespoke cabinetry with optics and ice buckets in the corner of the sitting room, but by creating a pub in the garden.

Some sources suggest that an outdoors drinking den has become a more enviable feature than a new kitchen, and there are some fantastic examples of what can be achieved.

I’ve seen outbuildings repurposed to resemble the best kind of country boozer, with a roaring fire, shelves of malt and a witty pub sign on display.

And if you don’t have the requisite barn to convert, you can buy an impressive standalone Tiki-bar, delivered fully-formed - but one is likely to set you back thousands.

There’s yet no word on how well these straw creations survive a Scottish winter.

A garden bar doesn’t have to cost an arm and a - legless - leg.

Website MyJobQuote.co.uk suggests various ways to build a bar for less than the price of a night out.

They estimate that an average evening spent in the pub can now cost up to £100 each, so working on a budget for four, you can become your own cut-price mine host.

A bar made out of pallets which flips down from a wall is pretty cheap, as is repurposing a second-hand cabinet.

If you already have a shed, they advise cutting a serving hatch in the side and creating a bar top for service. Inside, add shelves for drinks and glasses, and finish with a couple of bar stools outside.

Stocking the place might be more expensive, depending on your tastes.

And while the trend for garden bars certainly started as a necessity during lockdowns, current socio-economic conditions mean they are likely to remain desirable for some time.

In the midst of a cost of living crisis, home drinking may be the only affordable way to enjoy a sensible tipple for many.

And with the current housing market making it very difficult for first-time buyers, young adults are forced to live with parents for longer.

For family harmony in such circumstances, a separate socialising space outside the house is a key ingredient.

Perhaps we can conclude that the nation’s response to any crisis is to turn to an alfresco drink?

- Kirsty McLuckie is property editor at The Scotsman