Booze Cabinet

[Gadfly]

Now that I'm starting to develop a decent collection of both absinthe and other tasty beverages, I'm curious as to any DIY cabinets, lockers, storage for my collection. Anyone have any ideas or personal expieriences they could share? Thanks in advance.

[Derrick]

I'm fond of glass door bookcases. You can keep your booze on display and the glass doors keep the dust off them. You can get these anywhere and the assemble them yourself ones are cheap.

Edited April 1, 2010 by Derrick

[Bob Tessier]

I did one similar to what Derrick mentions, but I left the doors off. It is just a set of shelves, basically. Yes, I do need to dust regularly.

[Joe Legate]

Cabinet?

The bottles have taken over my house. I think they're procreating while I sleep. Every flat surface is covered in bottles and glasses. We tried to drink them into submission but now, Jules and I have given up trying to find a place for them and we gave up drinking weeks ago. We are surrendering the main floor to the bottles while we take refuge in the basement.

[Brian Robinson]

I'm with you there, Joe.

[Absomphe]

If you're gonna turn into a level five hoarder, that's definitely the way to go!

[buddhasynth]

Cabinet?

The bottles have taken over my house. I think they're procreating while I sleep. Every flat surface is covered in bottles and glasses. We tried to drink them into submission but now, Jules and I have given up trying to find a place for them and we gave up drinking weeks ago. We are surrendering the main floor to the bottles while we take refuge in the basement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sense a glimpse into my future if I don't get a storage space...

[PTAaron]

I was thinking of setting up an "absinthe area" at my new house (that we haven't moved into yet) ... it has a wetbar, and I was planning on putting up some sort of cabinet for my bottles - and some sort of display with a blacklight bulb for my fountain (with uranium glass marbles in the bottom of it) and the uranium glass cups/sugar dish that a co-worker just bought me for my birthday.

[Ron]

I've actually spent a bit of time trying to decide how I want to store my booze. I like the Howard Miller Sonoma Hide-a-bar, but that will only hold a little booze. Instead, I've been looking at wooden door bookcases, like the ones at the Home Decorators Collection. I really like that Heirloom one with wooden doors in cherry. I may just go shop a bunch of local furniture stores when I get back.

 

 

I'm fond of glass door bookcases. You can keep your booze on display and the glass doors keep the dust off them.

I did one similar to what Derrick mentions, but I left the doors off.

 

I love the bookcase idea too, and I'd love to showcase my booze, but the point of me shelving my absinthe is to keep it cool and dark. The glass doors (or no doors) defeat this purpose, for my needs at least.

 

Cabinet?

The bottles have taken over my house.

 

Of all the problems to have, this isn't a bad one.

[Attack Accountant]

My good friend's husband made me a cabinet that just fits under the kitchen cabinet. He's a jewel.

[Joe Legate]

My good friend's husband made me a cabinet that just fits under the kitchen cabinet. He's a Jew.

A carpenter. On Easter weekend. What are the odds?

[Wild Bill Turkey]

Buying good shelving units for this purpose can be harder than you expect sometimes because your shelves should offer about 14 inches of clearance, way more than any normal bookshelves. Yes, most bookcases are built with adjustable-height shelf-hangars, but the number of taller shelves rarely divides nicely into the amount of space in a bookcase built for books and nick-knacks.

 

I've wound up building cheap, nondescript shelving in a closet in the back of my house, where it's dark and cool. I can leave some attractive or collectible bottles out on display, and then leave bulk or especially sensitive bottles in out-of the-way storage.

[Ron]

Yeah, I was thinking it would be tricky. Especially tricky to do without standing in front of the bookshelf to see it. That's why I figured I'd just go look when I get the first chance. I saw some 6 shelf units and figured something like that could work if I drop out one of the shelves. The spacing could work then. But my first concern is the weight. Most of bookcases and shelving units are flatpack pressboard rubbish these days. I'm hoping to find some solid wood pieces, at least where it counts. And I'm not opposed to adding in a little extra reinforcement if necessary.

 

My stuff has lived in a utility closet previously. I've also seen another closet packed to the gills with booze in the manner you describe, and for the same reasons. I'm lucky enough that it's all in a basement right now, but I really just want to find a home for all of my friends.

 

I think the only bottles not with the rest are an open bottle of Edouard and Obsello upstairs in the kitchen.

[Bob Tessier]

I love the bookcase idea too, and I'd love to showcase my booze, but the point of me shelving my absinthe is to keep it cool and dark. The glass doors (or no doors) defeat this purpose, for my needs at least.

 

Fortunately, I have my shelf unit placed in such a way that there is no direct light shining on the bottles. Is that enough, or is indirect lighting an issue as well? I also wonder about the doors: do they cause a decrease, or increase, in temperature inside the cabinet?

[thegreenimp]

I bought a 1930s liquor cabinet for my storage, you can find them fairly easy with a little looking, and if one is handy you can revise the internal shelving.

 

Since these are generally common pieces of inexpensive 1930s furniture, you can pick up a bar cabinet as a project that may need a bit of refinishing, and re-work it with out feeling like you are messing up a E.J. Ruhlmann cabinet.

[jcbphd]

My basement is a traditional 1940's rathskeller style with knotty pine paneling, so my daddy is building a 5 shelf booze rack out of more knotty pine to mount behind the bar. I think it should hold about 100 bottles standing up, with the top shelf open to fit odd-sized bottles. I will post some pics once he gets it installed this Summer.

[Ken Hallenius]

My bride and I managed to find an ikea entertainment center that has shelves that were just right to hold the tallest bottles of booze (I'm looking at you, St. Germain and Bouloud Calvados...). We modified it a bit by leaving out two vertical shelf dividers to attach some wine glass hangers, and in the central hole where the TV would go, we store the presentation bottles. All in all, a great solution for our house, made even better by the fact that we found it on craigslist for $40.

[PTAaron]

My bride and I managed to find an ikea entertainment center that has shelves that were just right to hold the tallest bottles of booze (I'm looking at you, St. Germain and Bouloud Calvados...). We modified it a bit by leaving out two vertical shelf dividers to attach some wine glass hangers, and in the central hole where the TV would go, we store the presentation bottles. All in all, a great solution for our house, made even better by the fact that we found it on craigslist for $40.

Do you have any photos of the finished product?

[Ken Hallenius]

Ask and ye shall receive (sorry for the poor quality, 'tis a cellphone pic):

 

Just a note, I found that while the side shelves are indeed tall enough for the tallest normal bottles (Pacifique, Marteau, PF1901, for example), I do have a few bottles that are just slightly too tall to fit in the side shelves: Leyenda del Milagro tequila and Luxardo Maraschino come to mind. These do fit nicely into the central well (where the TV would've sat), however. As you can kind of see in the pic, I have most of my display collection sitting in the central well, along with some bartending books alongside, and then below the central well are some dessert wines.

[PTAaron]

That looks excellent! Thank you for sharing.

[sardonix]

I store my bottles in a recessed liquor/glass cabinet built into the wall of my dining room-turned-study. It's got 3 upper shelves where I keep assorted glassware, and a lower cabinet where my stash is kept. Nothing fancy, really, and no fountain (yet), but it does the job. (I had to find a new place for our china...)

[Retrogarde]

I was storing my absinthe in the bottom of my vintage Victrola (there's a pic of it around here someplace), and that was working splendidly until my two-year-old discovered he could open the doors and play with daddy's bottles.

No harm done to either my son or my collection, but until I can get him to stop I've had to stick the absithe in the back of my closet.

 

Because children never play in the backs of closets, only wardrobes...

[brennivin]

Count me a bookshelfer.

 

Ikea Billy (full height/width) in white with frosted glass doors.

 

The top shelf is glass and the top two shelves hold smaller glasses/shots as well as shakers, and books. There's a small light at the very top so we can light up the sparkly bits. But none get's to the liquor on the shelves below. Which are full of nothing but booze and booze enhancers (bitters, simple, etc)

[jcbphd]

I've just got to brag on my most awesome daddy for building me this to store all of my non-absinthe...

 

[Ron]

I see you've got the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch down there.

[OMG_Bill]

Pretty nice Doc!

 

It'll probably take him a bit longer for your absinthe cabinet.

 

[jcbphd]

Good eye, Ron.

 

Bill, the next project is the wine cellar. He works slowly and methodically, but his creations are impeccable.

[Bob Tessier]

That is an awesome unit! Absolutely beautiful!

[jcbphd]

I thank you for the compliment on behalf of Ted The Cabinet Builder.

[techdiver]

I see you've got the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch down there.

Just had to check! I still have mine.