Wet Bar or Dry Bar: Which Do You Choose?

If you enjoy entertaining in your man cave, you’ve probably thought about installing a bar. Even non-drinkers think about having their closest friends bellied up to their home bar to enjoy beverages and conversation. When installing a home bar, you have one big choice to make before you start designing: Do you choose a wet bar or dry bar?

When you hear the term “dry bar,” you may think that it means there’s no alcohol. But you’re confusing that with a “dry county” which is a geographical political jurisdiction that doesn’t allow alcohol sales within its borders. A dry bar just means that it doesn’t have a sink with flowing water. A wet bar, on the other hand, includes a sink where you can rinse glasses, wet a towel for cleaning, or do pretty much anything you’d do with a bathroom or kitchen sink.

The decision on whether to install a wet bar or dry bar includes two primary factors: personal needs and cost. Let’s examine those issues.

How Will You Use Your Bar?

Before go hog wild on designing your home bar, think about how you’ll use it. Will you most likely pop open bottled or canned beer for your guests? You may wind up with an excessive bottle cap collection, but there probably won’t be a need for running water. Conversely, you might use your best man cave barware set to mix up some cocktails. In that case, you’ll be glad to have a sink nearby to wash your tools between drinks.

Regarding your home bar’s usage, a wet bar versus a dry bar comes down to one question: Will you need a sink? If so, you should consider a wet bar. If not, a dry bar will be just fine.

Cost Factors for Home Bars

As with any home improvement project, cost is an important consideration. If a dry bar meets your needs, you’re in for a relatively inexpensive project. But if you need a wet bar, you’re in for something most homeowners can’t tackle themselves.

Plumbing work is essential for a wet bar, and electrical work is highly likely. You’ll need to run water to the wet bar and provide a way for that same water to flow into your city’s sewer system. Unless you’re a trained plumber, leave this part of the project to professionals.

Electrical work is also something you shouldn’t do without proper training. If you want a margarita machine or beverage cooler in your wet bar, you’ll need electrical outlets installed. And that is one of the times to hire an electrician for your man cave.

Hiring tradesmen will add to your wet bar build’s budget. But they are absolutely essential costs to having a safe and functioning wet bar.

A Third Option: Bar Cart

Perhaps a home construction project isn’t something you can muster the time or energy to do. There’s a third option that costs a lot less and can be delivered to your front door: a man cave bar cart.

Since a bar cart is just a small dry bar on wheels, you can move it around your man cave based on your needs of the moment. With a built-in bar, you’re stuck in one place. Do you need the bar next to you at the couch? No problem! Do you need it out of the way? It just takes a little push!

And there’s no construction project. You don’t have to break out your circular saw, random orbital sander, or even a tape measure. Depending on how your bar cart is packaged, you might not even need a screwdriver. This is definitely the way to go if a small dry bar will suit your needs and you don’t want to renovate your man cave.

Which Do You Choose?

In the end, the choice of wet bar versus dry bar versus bar cart is a personal one. If you need a wet bar and can afford the construction costs, go for it! But if you can do without running water to your bar, go for a dry bar or bar cart. No matter which option you select, make sure you take the time to enjoy it!