Serving carts & mobile bars

Start with what has to fit on the top. A serving trolley is narrow and has two or three tiers: the upper shelf is your work surface, the stock goes underneath. The Bar Professional Mixology serving trolley is built around that, with room for bottles, glasses and tools at the same time. A wine trolley is set up for bottles and decanters instead, and keeps the top free for pouring.

A mobile bar is a step up. You stand behind it, with the guest on the other side, as with the Evolution, the Village and the Cabrio. Check the working height, the width of the top and whether the unit fits through your doorways. Wheels with a brake are no luxury if the floor is not level.

Set the trolley up the way a bartender sets up a station. Spirits and liqueurs on the side of your pouring hand, ice in the middle, garnish and tools within arm's reach. Put the glasses on the bottom tier so the top stays free to work on.

For an evening of cocktails you load up in advance: shaking and stirring tools on top, ice in a bucket beside them, and only the bottles you really need that night. If you are serving wine, do the opposite and keep the top clear for open bottles, glasses and a decanter. Wheel the trolley to the table and pour there, so guests can see the label.

Most trolleys and bars are built from a powder-coated steel or aluminium frame with tops in wood or laminate. Wipe the top down afterwards with a damp cloth and a mild cleaner, because sugar syrup and citrus juice attack the finish once they dry in. Dry the frame so no rings are left behind.

Check the wheels now and then, because hair and dust wind around the axles and steering gets heavy. Release the brakes when the unit stands still for a longer stretch; that saves wear on the rubber.

If a whole piece of furniture is more than you need and you are only after the tools that belong on the top, take a look at the cocktail shakers, the bar spoons and the ice buckets. The overview page with bar tools brings the full range together, including the small accessories that are easy to forget. If you are pouring for larger groups, drink dispensers are handier than individual bottles, and for the glassware that goes on the trolley, head to the cocktail glasses.