Enjoying an outdoor entertaining experience is one of the most popular reasons for adding a summerhouse or garden building to your property. A dedicated fun space away from the house that combines the benefits of indoor and outdoor living is perfect way to enjoy your garden with friends and family. We are always fascinated by the ways in which our customers adapt Scotts’ summerhouses into quirky, fun and elegant settings to host parties and gatherings. In this blog, we provide some inspiration with sone thoughts on creating your very own garden gin bar.
Drinking gin became popular after the Glorious Revolution that saw King William of Orange accede to the English throne. With its heyday during the gin craze of 1695-1735, gin started life as a medicinal drink. The oldest brand of gin, Nicholsons was made in London for the first time in 1736 and remains available today. Made with herbs, its flavours became increasingly popular and in the 21st century the spirit has seen a resurgence in popularity with the rise of smaller craft distilleries and fruit-flavoured varieties.
Your garden gin bar project
Before sitting down with a glass of your favourite tipple, there is work to be done. First, choose a plot for your garden gin bar that is close enough to the house if you need more ice, and far enough away from your neighbours if you plan to party into the night. While you should not need planning permission to set up a bar in your summerhouse, it is always worth double-checking any planning restrictions that may apply to your property or in your locality. Keep neighbours informed of your plans even if your gin-drinking soirees are intended to be relaxed and sophisticated.
All garden buildings need a firm, level base, away from encroaching trees and bushes, or over-hanging vegetation. Think about the light in your garden whether its faces north or south or all points in between. You may wish to benefit from the sun’s warmth in the evenings so check its trajectory across your lawn.
The size of your garden is no barrier to setting up a gin palace. Even Scotts smallest summerhouse model, the Balmoral, has plenty of room for a glass or two, and you can always spill out onto the decking or patio if you are hosting a large cocktail party.
Summerhouse size and shape
Scotts’ models lend themselves perfectly to a garden gin bar with their classic, timeless lines, high quality finishes and decorative features. Choose a cedar shingle roof with elegant copper finial and a cream fabric roof lining, decorative leaded glass, tongue and groove effect wall lining, and brass or chrome window and door fittings. For the ultimate gin bar experience that will wow your friends, why not introduce a little movement, and install a summerhouse with a rotating base? An ingenious piece of engineering, discreetly hidden by a timber skirt, you can turn your summerhouse through 360 degrees using a smart handle, ensuring that you will always have the best view no matter what time of day it is. A rotating base can be fitted to Scotts octagonal summerhouse models.
For a garden gin bar on a permanently firm footing, you might be interested in a corner summerhouse such as our Newhaven model, or really spread out in our Sun Ray Garden Room. Scotts summerhouses start at 2m and go up to 4.4m in width so choose a model that will comfortably accommodate all your guests.
Create a warm welcome
Inside your garden gin bar, you will need to consider where to store and serve the drinks. In a larger garden building, you might want to install a bar, but space-saving furniture can create an equally attractive setting with a drinks cabinet or trolley.
Ensure that there are plenty of seats for everyone, both inside and out on the deck or patio. Funky bar stools can save space when tucked under an overhanging worktop. Or you can opt for Scotts’ modular seating option that hugs the inside walls and provides integral storage under lidded seat pads. For additional space, choose the Scotts bay shelf feature and you will always have somewhere to rest your glass.
Free-standing furniture can bring a touch of luxury with chairs and footstools reflecting the current velvet trend. Or change up your interior design to suit the occasion with interchangeable rugs and throws, or Kirsty Allsopp’s ‘cushionscape’ ideas.
You could even team up your upholstery style with your favourite flavour of gin. Our Williams Morris Strawberry Thief fabric is complemented perfectly by this Strawberry Gin Infused liqueur. This Fig, Vanilla and Cardamom Gin is perfect with Honeysuckle Fig cushion option. And if you have chosen our Sanderson Jackfruit Olive fabric, you get to relax with a perfect martini made with gin and dry vermouth and garnished with olives.
Glass half full
Gin is best sipped from a voluminous balloon glass also known as a Copa glass. Waterford crystal produce an elegant model, and there is a wide range of gin glasses at John Lewis. There are some ingenious ways to store glasses when you have limited space like this gin rack with space to suspend the stems upside down. Serve your drinks on a mirrored tray for some 1920s Art Deco glamour and add any number of cocktail stirrers and swizzle sticks.
Light up your bar with strings of LEDs or one of these cunning gin bottle lamps. Scotts offer a solar-powered lighting solution so you can maintain a festive atmosphere in your own eco-friendly gin bar.
How does your garden grow?
Bring your garden gin bar to life by growing your own aromatic ingredients to flavour plain gin or create attractive garnishes. Herbs such as coriander, rosemary, and mint work well so make sure you plant some near to your summerhouse in a raised bed or in pots that you can suspend from the walls. Check recipes online to find out how long herbs should steep to deliver the optimum flavour bearing in mind that some are much stronger than others.
Fruit flavoured gins can easily be re-created by adding sloes, elderflower berries or blackberries that you have foraged from the hedgerows or your own garden. Whatever brand of gin you are drinking, keep fresh garnishes such as cucumber, lemon, and berries on hand to bring your drinks menu to life.
Once your garden gin bar is complete, you could hang up a sign to let all your friends know that you are open for business and let the fun begin!
Start your gin bar journey here
If you are intrigued by the idea of a gin palace or garden bar for your home, talk to Scotts about the possible options. We can supply the ideal summerhouse structure that meets your needs and advise on additional features to deliver a truly luxurious experience. Contact us via our web form or get in touch by phone on 01832 732366.