Antique Liquor Cabinet

When you're checking out an antique liquor cabinet you want to make sure that it's large enough to hold the amount of liquor that you need. If you only intend to have a crystal decanter with brandy, a side table would almost fit the bill. But if you want to store several kinds of whiskey and brandy then you'll need a larger cabinet.

As you can see from looking at the very English liquor cabinet above, generally the top half opens up to reveal the bar crystal and serving space. Most antique liquor cabinets have very ornate bar areas, so that you can really make a good impression when serving your guests. I know that my husband often leaves the serving area open and displays a beautiful crystal ships decanter with a fine brandy in it.

Matt is self-employed and we've started to have to entertain clients. Some of them are extremely conservative and don't believe in drinking. In that case, the brandy decanter goes on the shelf underneath and we shut and lock (no need taking chances) it, so it doesn't open.

The picture of the antique oak liquor cabinet shown above really drives home the point that you have to know your liquor storage needs. There's room for three bottles of liquor on the bottom shelf. The doors are dedicated to glasses and the top shelf has a humidor (that's the white compartment) for the storage of cigars. The top is flat and when it opens there is a milk glass insert. The two antique liquor cabinets featured in this article are small and really intended for serving small parties. I see businessmen cutting a deal, our Founding Fathers crafting their state constitutions, or even ghosts tapping on the inside to let the Victorians know that someone showed up at their seance.

The world has changed in many ways since these antique liquor cabinets were new. Primarily the men no longer leave the women and retire to the study for a drink and cigars. Now we all hang out together. It's not uncommon for "us girls" to play a game of pool (and even win some times). In fact sometimes, in the late afternoon, we have cocktails. I really think the end of the cocktail hour, whenever it was, was a sad thing. It doesn't hurt to have a dedicated time to unwind from the day. Then we cook dinner and I must say our digestion is much better!