Wishing everyone a happy Memorial Day as we remember the many heroes who have served our country.

Adding a bar cart to your home enables you to make fancy cocktails for your guests and adds a bit of vintage charm to any room. If you have the bar cart but don’t have the supplies to go on it, this list of home bar essentials can help.

• Cocktail shaker. Invest in a high quality cocktail shaker made of a durable material like stainless steel. This will help you to mix drinks thoroughly and to pour them without spills.
• Bottle opener and corkscrew. If you or your guests prefer wine and beer to a complex cocktail, these basic tools will come in handy.
• Wine glasses, martini glasses, highballs, and tumblers. These are the necessary glasses for just about any drink you’ll make.
• Blender. It’s not possible to make an icy margarita without a high quality blender, so be sure to keep one stored under your bar cart.
• Cocktail strainer. These tools strain out pulp, ice, and other solids from cocktails while letting your booze pass easily into a glass.
• Cutting board and knives. If you frequently garnish drinks with lemons, limes, and other fruits, keep an arsenal of sharp knives and a reliable cutting board on hand.
• Coasters. You’ll never worry about guests ruining your wooden furniture when you have a supply of coasters in your bar cart.

The Guide to A Well-Stocked Wet Bar [Esquire]
25 Essentials for a Legit Home Bar [Complex]
10 Things You Should Have in Your Home Bar [Buzzle]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/Quinn Dombrowski

Austin is known for its live music venues, but Maverick’s Country Rock shows off the city’s dance moves, as well. If you love to kick up your heels to upbeat country music, Maverick’s spacious dance floor and some of the area’s best DJs will ensure that you have a rocking good time.

The dance floor isn’t just your usual open space, however: Here, a 5,000-square-foot dance floor features state-of-the-art lights and sound and a number of multimedia projectors that work in time with the music. Outside, Maverick’s 3,000-square-foot deck area features lots of outdoor seating and another full bar to service those who wish to enjoy the Texas evening. The bar also makes a fun place to dance the night away.

Maverick’s is open 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Maverick’s Country Rock
1700 Grand Ave Parkway
Pflugerville, TX 78660
(512) 514-5650
www.maverickscountryrock.com
www.yelp.com/biz/mavericks-country-rock-pflugerville

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/carlota