Since it’s the Time to be Jolly again, I have curated a collection of drinks trolley and cabinets that will help usher in, if not seriously lubricate, the Season’s Greetings. Some are collectors’ items, some signature designs, and all of them reflect outstanding craftsmanship. So eat, drink, be merry, and let the good times roll!
A true conversation piece – after you forked over $78,650.00 or €68,365.00 – is this uber cool, one-of-a-kind drinks cabinet. The Bomb is a repurposed 1970s Royal Air Force MK1 practice cluster bomb. This imposing 8 feet high, 600 pound creation by Plane Industries gleams with polished aluminum and steel on the outside, while the bespoke interiors are finished with polished brass and lacquered American walnut. A set of custom copper bar accessories are stowed out of sight in a sliding platform below.
This bar from Italian manufacturer Garbarino is 47 1⁄8″ x 47 1⁄8″ x 17 5⁄8 d” with lots of capacity. The full length cocktail tray provides ample work space and is edged with choice of Canaletto Walnut or Makassar Ebony for visual interest. The section above sports a tinted, mirrored interior with LED lighting, houses racks for 16 glasses and wood drawers with leather handles for bar tools; while up to 20 bottles of wine can be stashed below. I particularly like the contrast between the dramatic wood grain against the glossy polyurethane lacquer, which is available in 10 colors.
This stylish but environmentally-friendly Art Deco bar by Normandie Woodworks features an exterior of sustainably harvested palmwood decorated with brass plates of upcycled 30 caliber bullet casings arranged in an overlapping semi-circular pattern. Eight brass rods connect the cabinet to 4 slender legs of palmwood inlaid with brass. The door of this 17” cube drops down to reveal an interior of sycamore with a u-shaped shelf for glassware – a testament to the truism ‘Good things come in small packages’!
This cart, designed by Sebastian Cox for The Glenlivet, is inspired by the wheelbarrows used in traditional malting. To highlight the venerable distillery’s whiskey making heritage, the wheels of the trolley are made of oak staves upcycled from whiskey casks. Artisanal touches abound: they include woven wood panels for the cupboard, hand turned leather-lined rests for the whiskey bottles, and a hand blown double walled ice bucket by glass artist Michael Ruh that is whimsically decorated with wood shavings and a copper spinner. It is £4,200 or abut $6,500 after all… The Glenlivet Nàdurra Dram Tray, designed for 2 glasses and a bottle, is available separately at £120 or $134 each.
While the Giovanni bar cabinet’s color scheme is borrowed from the tiles on the dome of the Templo del Pocito, the exuberant geometric pattern marches to its own contemporary drum. The 31.5” x 31.5” cabinet boasts a gold leaf interior and is supported by a 31.5” carved noble ironwood stand. This will certainly make a colorful statement in any room!
Created by Coleccion Alexandra, this sumptuous Regenta Cocktail Cabinet is a fusion of Asian and Deco influences. The cabinet is available in crackled silver or gold on wood. At 48.82” x 19.69” x 78.74” h, there’s plenty of space for bottles and glasses at your next party!
The Tini Time Cocktail Cabinet from David Linley took its name from the popular drink and the famous Rat Pack Tini Time. Made of American walnut and Santos rosewood, the nickel silver accented cabinet is decorated with a marquetry panel of Makassar ebony, olive ash and satinwood. The push of a button reveals an equally well-appointed interior. Lined with sycamore and brightened up with bronzed glass and lights, special features include a cocktail shaker that comes out at the push of a secret button, and specialty compartments that will serve every mixologist’s needs. Another nice refinement: it has backlighting to create a silhouette for night time drama!