Brits spend £2.2bn building home bars since lockdown began

COVID-19 might have forced everyone indoors, inspiring people to nest, but one interior design trend that’s set to stay post-pandemic is the upgrade of the dusty drinks cabinet into a glitzy home bar as a key household feature. New research from online spirits retailer Clink* reveals 2.7 million households have curated their own home bars since the first national lockdown was introduced in March 2020, an increase of 51% since before restrictions were first imposed. 

Almost a third (28%) of Lockdown Landlords claimed that their first foray into home bar bartending was simply to break the monotony and have a project to focus on, which then developed into something more serious. Over two fifths (44%) say they have now perfected a signature drink for their bar, a fifth (19%) have gone so far as to create an official sign for their home bar, and 12% have even named their bars.  The most popular themes for home bars were modern-style (33%), pub style (21%) and beach bar style (21%).  

The average cost of building

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The average cost of building a bar was £227, with an additional £78 spent on kitting out their bars on equipment to make the perfect cocktail at home, and a further £115 going towards mixers, spirits and other alcohol. 

Interior designer Siobhan Murphy said: “The best thing about designing your own home bar is that you can really have some fun with it. A home bar will become the social hub of your house – a place where you’ll be proud to host friends and family – so it’s important its style reflects your own tastes, style and personality.  

“My advice to anyone looking to put their own bar together would be to take inspiration from your favourite hotels, bars and restaurants. Take that aesthetic and put your own spin out. Think about what you like and create a mood board, it will make the process so much easier when it comes to buying materials and kitting out your bar with all the accessories you want. 

“It might take a while until you perfect it, but when you do the results will pay dividends – not least in the increase in the resale value of your house. When people view houses, they imagine themselves living there, so a bar can really make your home standout on the property market.” 

Trying something new

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Over half (66%) of Lockdown Landlords who installed their home bar since March 2020 said they have tried new drinks in the comfort of their own home that they wouldn’t usually try, and 62% agreed they have been more adventurous with their own drink creations. 

But, like baking, cocktail making is both an art and a science, with flavours, ingredients and notes carefully balanced to create the perfect drink, leading to an increase in demand for advice on cocktail making. Almost three fifths (58%) of people who bought their home bar since March 2020 say they would benefit from advice or guidance on new spirits, with over half (57%) of those saying their preference would be to get information from industry experts. 

Dominic Parfitt, Global Head of e-commerce at William Grant & Sons, commented: “The at home bar trend is clearly here to stay, and we are here to help. With more and more people opting to have a bar at home, there’s also an increase in people looking for new tastes and flavours and to be more adventurous with their drink creations. We’re creating a destination that will help the nation master the art of creating the perfect cocktail at home, with access to recipes, advice and demonstrations from our own distillers and leading mixologists all in one place.” 

To celebrate the launch, Clink* is offering the chance for would-be landlords to win a £5,000 home bar makeover from leading interior designer Siobhan Murphy. To be in with a chance of winning, show off your best cocktail creation by tagging @Clinkspirit on Instagram, outlining what inspired the glorious cocktail concoction. Guilia Cuccurullo, Head Bartender at Artesian at London’s Langham Hotel, voted the World’s Best Bar a record four times, has come on board as the judge alongside Siobhan. 

 

For more information, go to: https://www.clinkspirit.com/competition.list 

 

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