Now that the warm weather has finally arrived, you can turn your attention to preparing for the most important part of summer: outdoor entertaining. Of course, setting up the patio furniture, cleaning the backyard and scrubbing the dock may all be on your spring clean-up list, but you shouldn't forget the ever-important preparation of the al fresco bar.
An outdoor bar can range from something as simple as a small side table with some galvanized steel buckets for ice and bottles to a full-fledged built-in bar with ice maker, wine fridge and every other amenity under the sun.
Regardless of what your outdoor bar may include, upgrade your entertaining this summer with some great new accessories that are sure to add extra sparkle to your cocktails and make your bar the coolest on the block.
My two personal favourites include a designer cocktail table and some clever ice accessories for everyday use.
The Cool Bar (below) has one of the most important features you should look for in any entertaining piece: multifunctionalism. Having a single element that can serve several purposes is key to efficient entertaining and this product - currently available at Costco (www.costco.ca) for $84.99 - fits the bill. Think cocktail table and beverage cooler rolled into one; plus it looks great whether in use or not.
Cool Jewels and Cool Shooters, meanwhile, are fun and inexpensive products from the funky shopping and party-supply site Fred (check www.worldwidefred.com for retailers near you). These food-grade ice trays create striking jewel-shaped ice cubes, perfect for making that Mojito stand out from the rest, while the ice shooter moulds are simple to use and can be kept in the freezer, ready for when the impromptu rounds of shooters begin.
Santé!