Themed bars are my favourite corners to set up when hosting a party. Aside from the functional benefit of having a designated area for thirsty guests, it’s such a fun decor addition to amp up our event.
For previous parties, I’ve dressed up our kitchen bar in taco theme and mermaid theme, so when Christmas comes around, I don’t hold back in sprucing up our bar in wintery flare.
You can get creative with Christmas-themed bars: you can set-up a Mulled Wine bar, a Moscow Mule bar and even a Hot Buttered Rum bar. My personal favourite has been creating a Hot Chocolate Bar.
Hot chocolate bars are easy and inexpensive to set-up, and they are playfully inviting. And who doesn’t love hot chocolate?! You can provide your guests with as many toppings and flavours as you want, and step it up to adult mode with Holiday-appropriate liqueur.
As toppings for your guests to embellish their hot cup of cocoa, I generally include the standard Chrismassy delights: candy cane, marshmallows and wafer rolls.
For a splash of boozy flavour, we love these Rumchata Minichatas that are packaged like creamers. The cinnamon and vanilla flavours of this creamy rum go so well with hot chocolate, and it goes down so easily. Maybe a little too easily.
For the base, use whichever neutral-flavoured hot chocolate you like. I usually get this GODIVA Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa – it’s so luxuriously delicious.
If you’re feeling extra crafty, you can create labels for your toppings using black scrapbook paper and a white Sharpie. The labels will visually pop against the festive white and red treats peaking from behind clear mason jars.
Naturally, a bar isn’t complete without a bar sign. There are so many ways to create a sign that make your guests know that “drinks are here”, so the choice is up to you. I went for a rustic chalkboard design that I printed off from MA Design, and I created a makeshift frame with craft paper that looked like wood panel.
I felt like the sign needed a boost of winter coziness, so I added a mitten garland that I made with white fleece mittens and clothespins clipped on a burlap string. So easy, so inexpensive, and so cute.
For small decorative touches, I kept it minimal since the bar sign and mitten garland is the main feature. I added a little tin house and festive mugs to complete the full hot chocolate bar ensemble.
Now you and your guests are all set to enjoy, pairing your rum-infused marshmallowy hot chocolate with ginger molasses cookies or warm apple crumble. Cheers!
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