Home & Garden Blog » Barware

Springs are for flings, but what are falls for? What type of classy affair do you have in the fall, and winter transitional, to make the weather even more delicious? I suggest some high class, parental-only soirees with some throwback martinis. To make the best martini, you really do need the materials, and I’m not just talking about the liquor. Martini shakers, stirrers, and mixers are absolute necessities to make the best tasting drink, so here are some of the top mixers to make your party sparkle:

Dorset Martini Mixer: $99.00

28oz Stainless Steel Cocktail Mixer: $10.81

Shop for more cocktail shakers at Smarter.com.

It’s summertime, and the drinks are sweating more than you are. What do you do to chill off? Consider buying a blender to make some fun fruity drinks that are nutritious and–perhaps?–alcoholic. Fresh margs, pineapple juice, maybe event your own blended beverage for the next pool party or summer grill. You want to make sure you’ve got a solid, working blender, especially with an ice crushing function that is sturdy and reliable–I’ve been there, when the blender breaks, smashing ice in a plastic bag with a sledge hammer in the backyard. It’s fun, but not practical or delicious, especially when you get grass or dirt in the uneven ice chips that scatter across the driveway when the bag breaks (and believe me, it always does!).

Some tips for blender shopping:

1. Ice crushing function. Already been described above.
2. Long cord/ functionality outdoors. You want to be part of the barbeque and picnic! It’s so much more fun than making the drinks in the kitchen while everyone’s outdoors enjoying the fun and the sun.
3. Removeable top pitcher for easy pouring and handling. You want to make sure the bottom is securely fastened, too, or else your yummy beverage is going to fall all over the place!

Some of our top picks for blenders for the summer season:

1. Back to Basics 3-Speed Brushed Chrome Personal Blender Express, BPE3BR: $22.00

The thriftiest of all designs, this is for the college kid on a major budget crunch with a sweet tooth.

2. Oster 14-Speed Blender from Kmart.com: $24.99, marked down from $29.99

Beautiful standard design with many speeds to play around with. Much sturdier top than the Back to Basics blender above.

3. Cuisinart SmartPower Premier 600W Blender: $99.95

With a 600-watt motor, this is the best blender on the market, with the price to match. Buy this if you’re looking for a real lifetime investment in partying and happy drinking.

Shop for through a wide selection of affordable blenders.

I went to the Las Vegas Market recently & for some reason I got drawn to these liquid containers. Maybe because they were filled with tequila or vodka infused with orange and pineapple slices :). The cocktail was my escape from a stressful & tiring week. But back to these containers….

Forgive me for being clueless, I found out they are called a samovar. A samovar is an urn with a spigot or faucet used to boil water for tea. What one showroom did was place them in a round table & each samovar contained a different cocktail. They looked extremely charming & inviting as you can see all the fruit slices floating giving it so much color, perfect for parties or wedding receptions even.

They can get pretty pricey, almost $300 at retail but I think their look is timeless at any event.

Well, you need a perfect cocktail recipe for that samovar. Here’s one for you. Enjoy!

Tequila SeaBreeze

I recently bought this stainless steel  Wine/Champagne bucket for only $6.99! One of the smartest purchases I have done in a long time.

This handsome bucket is polished and classy looking and makes presenting wine and champagne attractive and practical. The stainless steel bucket is easy to clean and ideal for tabletop or even room service situations.

It has a 4 quart capacity and ring-style handles. It also makes a great ice bucket for small parties and get togethers.

If you are interested in the Stainless Steel Wine/Champagne Bucket -  click here!

Check out the great deal at GiftCollector.com for savings of 37% on Mikasa Swirl Smoke Martini stemware.

Raised swirls encircle the base of each stunning piece, and the base is a tinted smoky colored glass.  These are diswasher safe but hand washing is recommended.

Originally $15.00 Now on SALE for $9.50

If you are interested in browsing or buying the Mikasa Swirl Smoke Martini Glasses, click here.

To shop for more discount martini glasses, click here.

What would you say? Write us your caption and post them in our comments!

It has come to my attention that I need to purchase some decent wine glasses. Yesterday was the 5th time in less than a month that I have had visitors who brought wine as a courtesy only to find that I had to dispense the delicious beverage in regular ol’ drink glasses. Pretty much kills the classy ambiance chugging wine out of cups.

Well I found this great deal on Waterford Lismore Essence Crystal Wine Glasses.

Yeah it’s safe to say when I put my mind to something I tend to go for the best. Plus I did some shopping around and these glasses are quite pricey ordinarily so this truly is a great deal if you are interested.

“Host sparkling soirees with Waterford crystal. Acclaimed the world over for excellence in quality and design since 1783, Waterford promises to keep every stemware pattern in production forever. The popular Lismore pattern is substantial and traditional, in brilliantly-cut clear crystal. ” - Waterford

Plus HomeClick.com is having a Labor Day Sale and are offering FREE shipping and 5% off your purchase if you spend more than $199!

Enter coupon code: LABORDAYHC at checkout to receive the Free Shipping and 5% Off (expires midnight, Monday 9/1/08)

Here comes the pricing:

Lismore Essence Flute Champagne 8 oz.
Retail Price: $79.50
Our Price: Priced From: $58.95

Lismore Essence Iced Beverage 19 oz.
Retail Price: $79.50
Our Price: Priced From: $63.60

Lismore Essence Balloon Wine - Set of 2
Retail Price: $150.00
Our Price: Priced From: $149.95

Lismore Essence Balloon Wine 18 oz.
Retail Price: $79.50
Our Price: Priced From: $63.60

Lismore Essence Port 5 oz.
Retail Price: $60.00
Our Price: Priced From: $48.00

Lismore Essence Red Wine/Goblet 19 oz.
Retail Price: $79.50
Our Price: Priced From: $58.95

Lismore Essence Saucer Champagne 14 oz.
Retail Price: $79.50
Our Price: Priced From: $63.60

Lismore Essence Sherry 6 oz.
Retail Price: $60.00
Our Price: Priced From: $48.00

Lismore Essence White Wine 14 oz.
Retail Price: $79.50
Our Price: Priced From: $58.95

Hope this helps you out!

There’s nothing quite like the fragrant aroma and taste of warmed Brandy or Cognac. Cradle the snifter over the gentle flame and unlock the hidden character and full flavor of your favorite Brandy or Cognac. Includes warmer stand, replaceable tea-light, and 9oz glass Brandy snifter.

On Sale - $21.99

If you are interested in purchasing or looking at the Brandy Sifter & Warmer, click here.

I need a new wine rack. It’s a simple statement because it’s a simple request. My current wine rack is this $15 dollar number from a yard sale a few years back. The little sucker is standing on it’s last legs, constructed of thrift wood it only holds 4 bottles and is very rickity at this point.

Suffice to say I am more of a wine drinker now than I was in my youth. I use to fill my little wine rack with bottles of Smirnoff and Kettle One. Ha! I’ve had to slow down a bit, doctor’s orders, so now I relish a nice Merlot when I need to smooth out the edges.

Cue the Chrome 6 Bottle Under Cabinet Wine Rack with Glass Holder offered by EveryHomeBar.com!

Well the fact that you have to install it into the cabinet concerns me a bit. Only because with my novice handy man skills I can easily envision the whole thing crashing down. So I shall have one of my man friends install it properly. I do live in an apartment with limited kitchen counter space so the idea of freeing up counter space appeals to me.

The chrome wine rack holds six bottles of wine and 6 wine glasses. For my entertaining purposes, this is the perfect amount. If you need more space click here to shop for more versions of discount wine racks.

The Chrome 6 Bottle Wine Rack costs:

$39.00 (orginally)

$23.49 (sale price)

$15.51 (you save 40%)

Want to buy the chrome 6 bottle wine rack? Click here.