Outdoor bars are the ultimate way to enjoy the warm summer weather while having your clients safely social distance with a cold cocktail in hand. Adding an outdoor bar to your business or backyard is also a great way to make any party more open and fun, with guests enjoying their drinks and conversation out on the lawn or in your outdoor space instead of being packed inside. If you have an outdoor bar at your venue or are thinking of creating one, here are the must-have outdoor bar accessories you need:
4 Types of Outdoor Bars and Their Uses
Outdoor bars come in all shapes and settings, from weddings to backyard patios. Whether you’re running a business or setting up at home, the right setup makes all the difference. Here are four common uses for outdoor bar areas:
1. Wedding & Event Bars
Outdoor weddings are more popular than ever, and a well-stocked bar is always a crowd favorite. The key is matching your accessories to the vibe of the celebration. For upscale weddings, think polished setups under a tent with professional glassware, cocktail tools, and portable bar stations. For more casual affairs, budget-friendly shatterproof cups, coolers, and folding tables get the job done while keeping things stress-free. No matter the style, efficiency and presentation are top priorities when serving big crowds.
2. Restaurant & Commercial Patio Bars
For restaurants, outdoor bars are usually seasonal—but with a heated tent, you can extend patio season year-round. Accessories here need to hold up to heavy use and unpredictable weather. Durable drinkware, reliable refrigeration, and efficient storage are must-haves. Adding extras like string lighting or glowing accents can create an unforgettable ambiance that keeps guests coming back for special nights out.
3. Backyard & Home Outdoor Bars
At home, outdoor bars are all about personality and comfort. Whether you keep it simple with a portable bar cart or go all out with a built-in bar complete with seating and shade, accessories make the space truly yours. Stylish drinkware, cozy lighting, and practical storage turn a deck or patio into the perfect gathering spot for friends and family.
4. Poolside & Beach Bars
Bars by the water call for accessories that can handle splashes, sand, and sun. Water-resistant and shatterproof options are your best bet. Think insulated drink holders, waterproof speakers, and umbrellas for shade. And if you’re setting up under a tent, make sure it’s made from high-quality domestic vinyl with strong UV resistance—lasting over 3x longer than imports. That way your setup stays sharp and reliable season after season.
Reach Out to Us for Your Next Event Tent
Let our team guide you every step of the way, ensuring your bar setup outside is a success. Contact us today to secure your top-of-the-line tent, complete with comprehensive post-sale support for hassle-free installation. We’d love to help!
1. Provide Ample Seating
Having an outdoor bar is useless if you and your guests don’t have a space to sit and enjoy their drinks. Adding seating to your outdoor area near your bar not only gives you ample space to sit and enjoy the outdoors, but it also allows you to incorporate the theme and style of your indoor venue into the space.
For a natural, boho feeling, think outdoor wicker chairs with earth-tone cushions and decor. Wicker has a super cute look, holds up well in harsh weather conditions, and can easily be updated with cushions and throw pillows. It’s a timeless look that always tops the list of outdoor bar ideas.
If you’re trying to create a high-class, sophisticated outdoor bar area, choose seating more sleek and modern. Metal chairs with sleek, silver, black, or gold accents will pop in any area and make your outdoor bar feel chic.
2. Add Lighting for Ambiance & Visibility
You can’t make amazing drinks in the dark! All great patio bar ideas include making sure to incorporate lighting. Lighting in and around your outdoor bar enables your staff to see what they’re making, and your guests to see each other and your beautiful outdoor patio.
You can use similar ceiling lights to your inside space if you have a covered patio, or differentiate your outdoor space entirely. With dreamy string lights, standing lamps, solar path lights and more, the lighting possibilities for your outdoor space are endless.
3. Outdoor Speakers to Keep the Party Going
Sitting outside and enjoying the natural sounds can be quite relaxing. Who doesn’t love listening to birds chirping, water running, and air rustling the trees? But your clients aren’t camping--they’re at your venue! You’ll need to turn up the excitement by having music. It’s an outdoor bar, after all!
A simple way to take your outdoor bar to the next level and provide an awesome experience for your guests is to add speakers to the space. Having music playing as you drink cocktails and enjoy the outdoors will make it that much better. You don’t have to splurge for this, either! You can spend a little more to have outdoor speakers installed if you’d like, but a simple portable speaker will do just fine.
4. Insulated Beverage/Wine Cooler for Cold Beverages
A beverage/wine cooler is the easiest way to keep your wine chilled, depending on how much space you have available.
If you have no room for a formal cooling system for your drinks, make sure you have a way to keep ice on hand for when you’re enjoying your outdoor space. Having ice storage or even a portable ice bucket will ensure your drinks are cold when they’re served: an essential outside bar idea.
5. Get Organized with an Outdoor Bar Center
An outdoor bar center keeps everything you need within arms reach, usually including things like a sink and faucet, ice bin, condiment holders, a bottle opener, etc. It also adds a convenient little well for you to store your favorite mixers! Bartending is a breeze when you have an outdoor bar center, and your guests will be thrilled by how quickly and perfectly every drink is made.
6. Outdoor Kegerators for Convenience or Self-Serve
99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer - take one down, pass it around - 98 bottles of beer on the wall!
We all know that fun little tune, but what happens when you can’t have beer on the wall of your outdoor bar? Try out an outdoor kegerator! Kegerators are perfect for dispensing beer to your bar guests. You can always fill outdoor kegerators with other beverages as well, depending on your niche, that can be dispensed from a spout--just like tap beer.
7. Keep Items Cool in a Outdoor Refrigerator
Another one of the big backyard must-haves is an outdoor refrigerator. No one wants a warm drink on a hot day outside! Having a way to keep your liquor, beer, and mixers chilled is essential to having an amazing outdoor bar experience. With an outdoor refrigerator or mini-fridge, your guests will have easy access to cold drinks without having to dump a bunch of ice into a warm drink, only for the ice to melt and your drink to get watered down.
8. Outdoor Ice Maker for Chilling Drinks
An ice maker is an outdoor bar essential - for more reasons than one! We all know there’s nothing better than a cold drink on a warm summer day, so don’t let your drink get hot from sitting in the sun; instead, get an outdoor ice maker! That way you can have fresh ice all day long and avoid the hassle of buying large, individual bags of ice that you’ll have to drag outside and dump into a cooler--which can end up melting in the sun anyways with all the opening and closing of the cooler lid throughout the day. Not only will having an ice maker keep your drinks chilled, but it can also be used to cool off your skin by wrapping some ice in a towel and putting it against your neck.
9. A Reliable Outdoor Tent for Shade, Comfort, & Style
Speaking of staying cool, you should think about the options for shade you can provide for your outdoor bar. No matter how cold your drinks are, you and your guests will still be sweating buckets on a hot day with the sun baking everything. You’ll also be subject to weather conditions like surprise rain showers. That is unless you have a bar tent!
You might think more formal, one-off events are the only reason for an event tent, but they’re very versatile. In fact, buying a small tent for your venue could be an amazing way to take your outdoor bar to the next level. Whether it’s hot, cold, or pouring rain, you could still enjoy your outdoor bar when you have a bar tent.
Patio tents can come in any size, so whether you set up a small pop up or a large frame tent for a bigger area, you’ll be able to find the right tent for your space. A tent also makes it easier on you to keep things cool, clean, and away from poor weather. Your guests will be clamouring to come over and enjoy your amazing outdoor bar space.
Your outdoor bar deserves to be the coolest, safest, and most relaxing space in the business. We hope these outdoor bar ideas will help you make your bar an amazing outdoor area to enjoy. And if you need to upgrade your outdoor bar with comfortable high-quality tents, American Tent is always happy to help. Just contact us, and we will provide you with the bar tents that are best for your needs.
Need a Customized Outdoor Tent? Chat with Us
Looking to shelter your outdoor bar area with an dependable tent? Your search ends here! Call us today and let our team guide you to find the perfect canopy that will transform your outdoor area into an inviting space.
Discover the many options we offer by calling us: 920-431-0938
Protecting Your Outdoor Bar from the Weather
No matter where your outdoor bar is set up, at a wedding, restaurant patio, or backyard party, the elements can take a toll if you’re not prepared. Protecting your bar setup keeps it functional, safe, and looking great for longer.
Here are a few key ways to weatherproof your outdoor bar:
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Shelter with a Tent or Canopy: A tent or canopy provides shade from the sun and keeps rain from spoiling the fun. For long-term use, look for commercial-grade tents with UV-resistant, ISO-certified fabric that won’t crack or fade after a season or two.
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Flooring and Coverings: Adding flooring or mats keeps guests from standing on wet grass or slippery surfaces while also protecting your setup from mud or water pooling.
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Heating & Cooling Options: Tent heaters extend your bar season into chilly months, while fans and AC units make hot summer nights more enjoyable.
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Protective Covers: When your bar isn’t in use, invest in covers for equipment, furniture, and storage to keep everything safe from rain, debris, and UV rays.
If your outdoor bar needs shelter, we’ve got you covered. Based in the Midwest, we manufacture our tents locally so they can be delivered quickly—even for last-minute events. With domestically sourced, ISO-certified materials, our tents are built to last, outlasting imports by more than five years.
Looking for something unique? We can create custom frame tent sizes to fit your exact space, along with fabric colors and printing options to showcase your business logo.
We’re here to make sure you’re fully prepared. Not sure where to start? Check out our Tent Purchasing Guide or give our team a call at 920-431-0938. We’ll walk you through the options and help you find the perfect fit.
