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Maybe it's my penchant for all things midcentury (and high-ABV), but I find few pieces of furniture more aspirational than a bar cart. It instantly conjures up gin-soaked dinner parties of yesteryear, Hollywood Babylon vignettes as refined as they were debaucherous.
But even for a quiet night in, keeping your bottles on a cart is more convenient – and stylish – than fishing them out of a kitchen cupboard. Plus, with the plethora of DTC retailers that are playing with design references, there's a cart size and silhouette to match any home decor. Below are our eight favorites, each totally distinct in their aesthetic, giving you the full spectrum of the bar cart world to choose from.
So let's raise a glass – to online shopping with a drink in hand.
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Blu Dot describes the Longday as "the stuff of soirees and Wednesdays," and we couldn't agree more. It's quirky enough to feel casual, but a bold statement piece for entertaining, with oversized wheels that give you maximum portability. The aluminum frame is available in both White and dark Carbon, each playing nicely off those striking teak wheels. The shelves fit a cutting board, a nice array of bottles, and maybe even a few snack bowls if your guests play their cards right.
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As one of our favorite purveyors of outdoor furniture, Article naturally makes a bar cart that can stand up to all the elements. Made from solid teak wood and powder-coated aluminum, the Hulst will get you through any backyard bash you throw at it. Bonus points for the handle that doubles as a towel hanger, and the modern, utilitarian finishes on top of it.
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Birch Lane makes several carts in this classic rectangular shape, but it's the elaborate accents on the Algiers cart that make it feel like a real antique. The fluting above the wheels, the ridging in the handles, plus that gorgeous bronze finish make this a knockout centerpiece for any dining room or study. Plus it's got three whole shelves, opening up a world of storage beyond your liquor collection.
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I almost went with the Sava cart here, since its stacked-circle design is a welcome surprise, but the Reiner's removable tray shelves put it over the top. As beautiful as this cart looks all put together, one of its advantages is how modular it is. You can make cocktails on the tray top and then carry them right to your guests – all while leaving that burnished gold frame intact.
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This cart stands out for a few reasons. First, the marble shelves: a welcome departure from wood or glass that makes those drinks feel colder just by looking at it. But it's also a compact little cart, making it a great contender if you're working with less square footage. The brass frame is another standout, all the way down to those four brass caster wheels. It's those details that matter, and we're paying attention.
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Let's finish with the grand dame, shall we? In both shape and price tag, Burke Decor throws down the gauntlet here with an opulent, arched design that's groovily 70s-inspired. The shelves are narrow, which helps with overall footprint, but pack a surprising amount of storage. And that rattan frame brings an almost beachy, tropical element into the mix, which we're never mad about when happy hour rolls around. In fact, I'm looking at the clock right now…