A man and women sitting at the bar of a pub shed reviewing a beer and talking into a camera, whilst showing as much detail around them about the pub shed. Cool ambient lighting.

Build Your Own Home Bar or Pub Shed Without the Expensive Mistakes

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If you are planning a home bar or a pub shed, the costly mistakes usually happen before any building starts: the wrong space, a layout that does not fit the way you drink and entertain, and kit bought before you know what you need. This site is built around those mistakes. Pick the path below that matches where you are, and you will land on the right post.

A man and women sitting at the bar of a pub shed reviewing a beer and talking into a camera, whilst showing as much detail around them about the pub shed. Cool ambient lighting.

Who is behind this site and why you can trust the advice

This site covers three things: home bars, pub sheds and beer reviews. The advice is practical and written to be used, whether you are measuring up a corner of the living room or weighing up a shed. The same builds and beer reviews appear on the YouTube channel, so you can see the work as well as read about it.

Three kinds of visitor tend to arrive here: first-time home bar builders, people planning a pub shed, and beer fans who want something worth pouring. Each has a route below.

Planning a home bar: start with space, layout and what you really need

Good home bar ideas begin with three questions. How much floor space can you give up? How many people will you usually serve? What will you actually drink and serve? The answers decide almost everything else, from bar length to how much storage you need behind it.

Measure the room before you fall for a design. Leave enough room to walk past a seated guest, and enough room for you to work behind the bar without turning sideways. If the room also needs to hold a game, check the numbers first. The post on whether a pool table will fit in a home bar covers that question.

Not enough room? Small-space and old-furniture bar solutions

A bar does not need a dedicated room. A spare corner, an alcove or the end of a hallway can work if the layout is planned carefully. The guide to fitting a bar into a small space shows how to make a compact footprint do the job.

If the budget is tight, the furniture you already own may be enough. A sideboard, a cabinet or a console table can be converted with a few changes, and you avoid paying for a custom build. Read whether you can use old furniture as a home bar before you buy anything new.

Pub shed builds: what to think about before you pick up a tool

A pub shed is a bigger commitment than a corner bar, so the planning matters more. Settle these points before you buy materials:

  • Rules and permission: Check your local planning and building requirements before you build. They vary by area, and finding out afterwards can be expensive.
  • Power and lighting: Decide where sockets, fridges and lights will go before walls are closed in.
  • Insulation and ventilation: A shed that is too cold, too hot or damp is not somewhere people want to sit.
  • Seating and bar position: Plan the bar and the seating together so people can move around without crowding the person serving.
  • Storage: Allow space for glassware, bottles, kegs or cans, and cleaning supplies, so the bar does not get cluttered.

Walk through the shed in your head as a guest and as the person pouring. The problems tend to show up on paper much more cheaply than they do once the build is finished.

Essential bar kit: glassware, measures, mats and cleaning

You can spend a lot on bar equipment that rarely gets used. Buy the items that match what you pour, then add more later.

Glassware comes first. The right glass changes how a drink looks and is served, and it is worth knowing whether you can drink beer out of any glass before filling a cupboard. You will also want a sensible way to store them, and a way to clean them properly.

Measures are the next item. If you pour spirits, it helps to understand what a single shot measure is so your drinks come out consistent. Bar mats are a common purchase, and the post asking whether bar mats work helps you decide if you need one.

Beer reviews: pale ales, IPAs and lagers worth pouring

For beer fans, the reviews are the place to start. Each one covers a single beer, so you can pick the style you like and see what is on offer:

There are more reviews on the site, including ales with a bit of character, and each one is also a good excuse to stock the bar with something new.

Watch the builds and tastings on YouTube

Some things are easier to see than to read. The YouTube channel shows the home bar and pub shed builds and the beer tastings on video, so you can follow how a project comes together and see a beer poured before you buy it. The written posts on this site and the videos cover the same ground in different ways, so use whichever suits you.

Festive drinks and gift ideas for your home bar

A home bar comes into its own around the holidays. For things to pour when guests arrive, see home bar festive drinks. If you want ideas for decorating and hosting, the post on festive ideas for a home bar covers that. And if you are shopping for someone who already has a bar, the gift ideas for a home bar post gives you a place to start.

Watch the latest build or beer review on the YouTube channel and subscribe so you don’t miss the next one.

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