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It won’t cost you anything extra.

Introduction

Many liquor cabinets are open and accessible, often encouraging younger family members or intruders to help themselves to a sample. You certainly don’t need your teenagers stealing all your best Chivas Regal!

Wouldn’t it be so much easier with a lockable liquor cabinet? Having a safe place to store all your valuable bottles of wine, cocktail beverages and other bar accessories can allow you to rest easy.

However, It’s lovely to have all these bottles on display but closing them away after use is the safest thing. Even wine bottles on a lovely open wine rack has its pitfalls as toddlers can pull them off and drop them on a slate or tiled floor. Sorry, but wine bottles don’t bounce! You may keep all your white’s in a wine fridge but your reds need to be secure elsewhere.

Locking bar cabinets are not all that easy to find, I believe the huge majority I’ve looked at don’t provide a locking mechanism, so don’t be too despondent if you struggled to find one. Hopefully I have you covered, but sometimes you may find the products are no longer being crafted, or just unavailable.

Below is a brief buying guide to show you what to look for.

Liquor Cabinet Buying Guide

So, why buy a liquor cabinet in the first place? Sure, it’s so you can entertain your guests with convenience to access your beverages, but it’s also to show off your prized bottles in style. So you may want to choose between a modern or antique style.

A very popular style of liquor cabinet or bar is your old trusty Antique style. There’s a big difference between antique and old, you want antique. Don’t worry, many websites will have a filter for New or Used items.

Antique furniture should be made to look about 100 years old. Styles earlier than this can be labelled Retro or Vintage, but when talking bar furniture, antique is what you are after, and skilled craftsmen can achieve this look beautifully. Just make sure it matches the surrounds of your desired room.

You may have a room where all the wood is of a particular type, such as mahogany. If this is the case, you would be best to look for something that either matches exactly, or is very similar in color.

Alternatively, you could build yourself an underground bunker and use it as a cellar, but that may be a step too far.

Another thing to take into consideration is the size of your home and specifically, the room set aside for this liquor cabinet. Cabinets range in many sizes so, be sure to measure your allocated space first before searching for your ideal liquor cabinet. You really don’t want to make enquiries or get to the checkout stage after having your heart set on a lovely piece, only to find it doesn’t fit. That would be a real downer!

Budget is always going to be a consideration when it comes to purchasing a liquor cabinet. I may have some bad news for you here if you are looking at getting a bar for $300-500. This article is about the BEST locking liquor cabinets, not the cheapest. The lowest price ones are NOT the best. So, start thinking a little more if you want class and quality.

But if you’ve invested a lot of time and/or money on you perfect home bar, you probably want a worthy liquor cabinet.

I’ve also mentioned lockable, and all the following liquor cabinets can be locked and secured. This is not a requirement for many people but if you have thousands of dollars’ worth of expensive liquor, you may well need it hidden away and under lock and key.

Want to lose weight without giving up your favorite snacks and drinks? Simple—put them somewhere you can’t get to them without a key! The Vintiquewise Lockable Wine & Bar Cabinet is the perfect piece of furniture for anyone who needs a little extra willpower between them and the pantry.

With its rustic, vintage-inspired design, this cabinet looks more like an antique piece of furniture than a hiding place for your less-than-healthy decisions. Behind the lockable doors, you’ve got plenty of room to stash wine, spirits, glassware, bar accessories and, importantly, those emergency snacks that somehow always disappear when nobody’s looking.

The compact design makes it a handy addition to a home bar, dining room, living room or man cave, while the distressed finish gives it plenty of old-world character. And there’s something strangely satisfying about locking your booze away and keeping the key somewhere “safe”—although remembering where you put it after a couple of drinks could be the real challenge.

Of course, this isn’t exactly a weight-loss program. But if you’re trying to cut down, having your whisky behind a locked door is certainly more effective than leaving it sitting on the kitchen bench whispering, “Go on, just one more.”

It’s stylish, practical and just restrictive enough to make you think twice before reaching for another drink. Now that’s what I call responsible drinking… with a key.

Your whiskey collection deserves better than hiding in the back of a kitchen cupboard next to the spare Tupperware! This barrel-style storage cabinet gives your bottles a proper home while adding a generous splash of rustic character to your home bar or man cave.

Designed to look like an old whiskey barrel, this cabinet is a clever way to store your liquor collection without sacrificing valuable floor space. The interior provides plenty of room for bottles, glassware and other bar essentials, while the compact footprint means it won’t take over the entire room. It’s a particularly handy option if you’ve accumulated enough bottles to qualify as a collector but haven’t quite graduated to owning your own pub.

One of my favorite features is the front latch, which can be locked to keep the cabinet securely closed. That’s useful for keeping curious kids away from the contents, but let’s be honest, it could also come in handy when you’re attempting to convince yourself that you’ve had enough for the evening. Simply lock it up and hide the key somewhere sensible—preferably somewhere you won’t immediately forget.

The barrel design gives this cabinet plenty of personality, making it more than just practical storage. It becomes part of the décor and a conversation starter in its own right.

It’s rustic, functional and gives your liquor collection a dedicated home. Just don’t be surprised if your friends start asking when happy hour begins.

Looking similar in color to the Devino Wine & Bar Console with an Americana Cherry finish, you’ll be thrilled with this cheaper version that can hold a lot more than it looks. Distinctive antique brass knobs with back plates complement the timber doors.

It’s more portable due to it’s size which is a huge benefit. Often, we like to move furniture around for a different look, so this liquor cabinet is more convenient from that point of view. Not that you can see it, but it also comes with castors. However, note that one of the reviews mention that the castors do not roll very well, especially on carpet.

From an outside perspective, you’ll really like the decorative raised panels on the back and front of the cabinet. The front also coming with lock & key to securely hide all your expensive goodies.

However, when you open it up this cabinet really comes to life. With the cabinet doors opening 180 degrees, you will see that it becomes a long bar with the top opening up, sliding left and expanding to 77 inches. This is so imaginative as you’ve now increased your entertaining space by double.

You’ll find an accessory drawer on smooth metal runners which can be used for all your wine and cocktail utensils. Two adjustable stemware racks which can cater for up to 18 large wine glasses are built-in and can also be used as a shelf for other items.

The dimensions of this locking liquor cabinet are more to peoples liking and will fit in most homes. You’ll be looking at a height of 43 inches (109cm) and a width of 38.5 inches (98cm).

If you’re after that classy piece of furniture that won’t break the bank, this could be the liquor cabinet you’ve been searching for.

White glove delivery service is an excellent inclusion. You’ll be proud to show off this one.

Another extremely sleek liquor cabinet with a ‘cherry’ finish, this is a lovely size at 45 inches (109 cm) and opens up to display your collection of beverages.

You’ll notice the stemware hangers front and square to hang multiple wine glasses. You’ll love the look of this as the height of the glasses rack resemble a traditional bar.

There’s a wine rack at the bottom of the cabinet which can hold up to 14 bottles. Personally, I’d prefer a liquor cabinet that holds more than this.

There’s plenty of space for your spirit bottles and other bar equipment. 2 drawers can house your cocktail utensils or stubbie holders. There’s a number of shelves and the inside of the doors can store loads of bottles such as spirits.

A lovely touch is the internal lighting that can be turned on in the evening to make the display accentuated.

The image shows ornaments on top of the cabinet. The picture is misleading as the cabinet does not have a top base so nothing can be stored on top. However, what else is misleading in the picture, is the back. There’s actually a mirror, that’s not the wall you can see.

The cabinet comes lockable to add security which is a must when you own expensive beverages.

For me, I’d prefer a liquor cabinet with more wine storage, but this is a great quality and stylish piece of furniture.

Now when it comes to choosing the right style of liquor cabinet for your home, please take into consideration future movements. This next cabinet is an absolute beauty, in the right environment!

If this is your style then you’ll love what it has to offer. Being fairly dark in appearance, this is due to the rustic hardwood finish. The top of the bar is what sets this cabinet apart from all others. It features a metal top finished in a distressed but polished presentation. Along with the metal corner guards, it’s all given a vintage look from the antique bronze finishing. Very authentic and classic.

Okay, there is another object that sets this apart also. Have you guessed it yet? Yep the cart wheels which are not everyone’s taste but could certainly be yours. You’ll also notice the handles on the side of the liquor cart which make this cabinet so easy to maneuver to a different location. For me, this is the ideal liquor cabinet for a man cave or barn.

With many of the features that the other cabinets have such as a stemware rack for up to 8 wine glasses and a convenient open storage area for additional essentials.

There’s 2 full extension drawers that you will find slides very smoothly on metal rails. They also include removable wine bottle holder trays which you will find very versatile for storing utensils or up to 12 extra wine bottles.

Lock all your liquor away so nobody can get to it.

The only downsides I can see to this amazing piece of furniture, is that the bronze metal top does not have a lip so items may be able to slip off if knocked. Also the wheels cannot be locked in place so you need to have a flat surface.

Otherwise, a lovely piece of work.

Don’t have a huge house, man-cave or entertainment cellar to accommodate a larger liquor cabinet? Not to worry, you can still get a great locking liquor cabinet with as much character and quality, just on a smaller scale.

In fact, some smaller liquor cabinets such as this half moon shaped gem, can be more to your liking, even if you do have space for a pony!

You actually get a two-tone cabinet here with the main doors and panels displaying a distressed Vintage Umber finish whilst the posts that hold the cabinet together, have a Worn Black finish. I love the distressed vintage look and that’s what you’ll get here.

One of the lovely characteristics of this petite piece is the polished black granite top, ideal for serving beverages or tasty foods. The top is also removable which is a huge benefit to you when it comes to cleaning.

There’s two smaller side cabinets that each have a fixed shelf. The front door is a work of art encompassing a curved sheet of glass. You may be able to see in, but unless you smash the glass, you cannot open the lockable cabinet door.

What I really like about this little cabinet is the use of space. The main front area has a wine rack that can accommodate up to 18 bottles of wine. Above the wine rack is the stemware rack for up to 12 wine glasses.

Store your cocktail and wine accessories in the curved center drawer. This drawer features dovetail construction and glides along metal roller guides. Simply lovely.

If you have an uneven surface, then the adjustable levelers under each corner will stabilise the cabinet.

The only downside to this liquor cabinet is the minimal storage space, but that’s being picky because it is a smaller type of cabinet.

You will observe that this liquor cabinet has similar traits to the ‘Lodi Display Cabinet’ in that the top bar folds out to make an extended serving area, perfect for displaying your whiskey decanter. Slightly more expensive in cost, it is almost an exact replica of the ‘Lodi’.

The main differences being color and exterior design. The Brunello Cabinet is finished in Antique black with Red undertones giving it a very distressed authentic feel. It’s a fair bit darker that the ‘Lodi’ so if buying the liquor cabinet, make sure it will complement your existing furniture.

You will also notice that the front door panels are very unusual in that it looks like many small pull out drawers, when in fact they are 2 large doors that open to display your beverage variety.

I won’t go into all the features that this liquor cabinet has, as they are the same as the ‘Lodi’ above. I’ll just reinforce that this is a locking liquor cabinet, so all will be kept safe when locked.

If deciding between the two cabinets, it all comes down to personal taste. To be honest, I’d have a hard time choosing. In the end I think you need to look at your surrounding furniture and see which would suit better.

I’ve saved a special liquor cabinet for second last, which has a special integrated feature that I think you’ll love. I’d really like you to click on the image of this bar. You can then see the inside of this liquor cabinet showing you the unique center door feature. It’s a revolving door that shows off your display of spirits or wines.

When open and spun around, two half-moon fixed shelves appear that are perfect for storing your glasses on top and bottles below. It’s an unusual idea and looks great.

Apart from this, you get three upper drawers for storing all kinds of wine accessories, bar cloths or cocktail shaker or utensils.

You will appreciate the generous room offered inside the front door panels, great for storing your spirit bottles.

The rub on this cabinet is much lighter than most other liquor cabinets reviewed here, as it’s finished in Indian Summer. In my view, this tone will complement almost any room.

It also comes lockable and has adjustable levelers to stabilize the cabinet if on uneven surfacing.

One thing that may be of concern it the lack of a wine rack.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, you want to check the size and space available in your room before looking at any liquor cabinet. Once you know your limitations it comes down to internal storage design and the look of the cabinet itself. Do you require a dark cabinet to match existing features or should you go lighter? These are questions only you can answer.

They all serve a similar purpose, but I would like to share my favorite. For me the ‘Brunello Wine and Bar Storage Cabinet’ stands out for the organized storage and classic look. If you adjust the reversible shelves correctly it’s possible to store up to 20 bottles of wine.

So, there you have it. The choice is entirely yours, choose well.