It’s Time to Revive the Art of the Drinks Trolley

By Jermaine Gallacher

Drinks trolleys, drinks cabinets, drinks shelves, drinks areas: I love them all. Frankly, I just love a drink. There is nothing quite like being served an ice-cold gin Martini freshly whizzed up in someone's living room, or being poured a nice big glass of whisky straight out of a friend's beloved decanter. There's just something about the ceremony and conviviality of it all—plus, of course, the glamour, harking back as it does to the golden age of hosting. Personally, it always reminds me of Abigail's Party, as Beverly slides back the doors of her oh-so-’70s rosewood-veneer drinks cabinet to Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby," cigarette in mouth: "Now, would anyone like a drink?"

If it's a more upmarket point of reference you’re looking for, though, I’d have to point you to the iconic drinks trolley at Dukes Bar in London. I remember my first visit many years ago, watching the waiter wheel over this fabulous mahogany cart with mirror-polished brass handles, piled high with ice and gin, and thinking, I wouldn't mind one of those at home. Of course, it would have looked totally ridiculous in my tiny flat (about as ridiculous as I would have looked wheeling it about in said tiny flat) but ever since I first set eyes on that cart, I’ve dreamed of having one of my own. Every home, big or small, deserves a touch of opulence—and as far as I’m concerned, a piece of furniture, a cupboard, or even a shelf dedicated to frivolity and fun is one of the last bastions of décor decadence.

In reality, I still don't have a drinks trolley or cabinet at home—but I do have one in my office. A friend of mine found it in a junk shop off the Wandsworth Road, but it's actually an Aldo Tura lacquered goatskin affair on wheels; a total find. Technically, I’m meant to be selling it for her, but it's such a great addition to the working environment that I just can't bear to part with it—and where most people tend to place them in their dining rooms or living areas, I’ve learned to like it in more surprising places, like a bedroom or an office.

Because if you’re willing to test your creative skills, pretty much any old cupboard can be turned into a drinks cabinet. Some friends of mine recently turned a redundant tallboy wardrobe into an enormous home bar: not only does it look utterly charming, but it also makes for a pretty serious piece of statement furniture. But you don't have to go big to go boozy, either. In my eyes, there's no better spot for a drinks cabinet than a modest, wall-mounted corner cupboard; something that looks impressive in a home of any size. You might have one already in boring, basic pinewood that is in need of a spruce up, and what better excuse to do so than to transform it into your very own minibar?

At that point, it's time to whip out the gloss—because for me, a drinks cabinet should be shiny and fabulous on both the inside and the outside. When it comes to the interior, I would opt for a silver or aluminum leaf, or even a cheap and cheerful metallic paint: go all out. Think of Elizabeth Taylor, who, let's face it, was the queen of drinking. (Apparently, while filming Boom! she was so drunk she repeatedly mistook the film's set for an actual property and kept asking if she could buy it—but I digress.) Now all you have to do is fill it with your preferred poison, and don't forget the cocktail umbrellas: the kitschier the better.

If you fancy yourself as more of a trolley dolly, I personally love a metal and glass combination for a lighter, more elegant touch. As a rule of thumb, anything on feet—or in this case, on wheels—that you can see underneath makes a room feel larger than it is. (Things that sit solidly on the floor, conversely, make spaces feel smaller: don't ask me why, but it's true.) My ultimate dream of a trolley is anything by Jacques Adnet, who masters the mix of glass and metal beautifully, although you will need a fair few spare quid to own an Ardent original.

So, why not design your very own? If you’re feeling creative, it's definitely worth looking up a local metalworker or welder. Don't worry about providing professional CAD drawings, as a good blacksmith should easily be able to interpret your designs as a drawing or a sketch and will have a selection of metals for you to find that perfect sheen. (Seriously, you should see the state of some of the scraps of paper I’ve handed over to my go-to guy.) For inspiration, I would say try and find something to riff off, but not rip off. Look at one of the big antique sites like 1stDibs, find something you like, and use that as a starting point—whether adding your own twist to it, or paring it back a little. As always, the simplest designs usually look the most refined.

Having something made bespoke can also be surprisingly cost-effective—plus, it allows you to own something that's been designed by your own fair hands, and what could be more charming than that? (I would always suggest using raw steel: it offers high visual impact at an impressively low cost.) To find a good metalworker, though, you will have to do a bit of good old-fashioned detective work. Have a trawl of your local area on Google Maps and then do a bit of digging to see if there are any reviews, or try asking around on a local community social network like Nextdoor. These days, everything is quite literally at our fingertips.

But if—like at my place—space is tight, merely dedicating a shelf to the joys of drinking does the trick just as well. I have a shelf in my kitchen with all my preferred tipples lined up and all my favorite tiny martini glasses. I’ve picked them up in all sorts of places over the years, but specialist glassware dealers will always have the best selections. Camden Passage in London is still home to some fabulous vintage glass shops, while antique dealer Paula Rubenstein's shop on Chrystie St in New York is always great for one-of-a-kind pieces. As Dorothy Parker says: "I like to have a martini, two at the very most; after three I’m under the table, after four I’m under my host." Words to live by.