A tiki bar kit is generally quite basic, giving you room to outfit the bar or surrounding walls or yard with other tiki bar decor, including tropical lights, tiki torches, custom signs, paddle, tiki statue, or other furniture that sets your tiki bar apart from others.  The bar itself is just one component of creating a cool tiki bar setup at home.

Of course, if you have some solid woodworking skills, there are plenty of tiki bar plans available that you can use or customize to fit your needs.  There are tons of great ideas out there that you can use to modify a basic tiki bar.  Adding a kegerator or old school black and white television are just a couple of ways you can add a unique touch to your custom tiki bar.

This Lowe’s guide comes quarterly and often features some really nice designs for a variety of items for around the house.  It may not be too late to snag the Spring/Summer 2009 issue featuring the Tiki Bar plans, so call them at 877-569-3702 or subscribe from their website.  The subscription is free.

If you missed the boat on this opportunity, you can always check out our listings of tiki bar plans.  We might have exactly what you are looking for.

The author recommends a few brands for each alcohol category.  The suggestions stay away from some of the more expensive, top-shelf brands and focus instead on less pricey alternatives.  Please note that there are several types of rum you will want to buy if you plan to mix a lot of tiki drinks, but the rest will provide you with a solid foundation to keep a broad range of guests satisfied.

Gin: Beefeater, Hendrick’s, Martin Miller’s, Plymouth

Bourbon: Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare 10 Yr., Evan Williams, Woodford Reserve

Rye: Jim Beam, Old Overholt, Rittenhouse 100

Vodka: Belvedere, Blue Ice, Skyy, Sobieski

White rum: Bacardi, Flor de Caña 4 Yr., Mt. Gay Eclipse

Aged rum: Appleton Estate, Bacardi 8, Flor de Caña 12 Yr.

Reposado tequila: Cazadores, Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Milagro

In addition to the brand recommendations, the article does have a few other interesting tips on how to save some dough while getting your alcohol shopping done right.  A well-stocked tiki bar does not have to cost you a fortune!

Best Buys (Imbibe Magazine)

As with anything else, staying within a budget requires planning.  The Herald-Mail has a few suggestions on keeping your costs down when stocking your home bar.  The author suggests limiting your spend on mixers and using fresh ingredients to save a few bucks.  Of course, it is important to focus on liquors you really need when stocking your bar.  Pick out a few recipes with some common ingredients before hitting the liquor store.  The last thing you need when walking in is a credit card and great imagination.

One tip referenced in a previous post was to pick up one bottle of liquor with each paycheck.  This will keep some variety in your bar and help prevent you from walking out with $300 in booze.

Any other ideas on how to save money when stocking your home bar?  Sound off in the comments.

If you are thinking about building your own tiki bar at home, there are a few things to consider before you get started.

Where to build – chances are, you’ve already decided where to construct your home bar.  Whether you have an unfinished basement, vacant dining room, or poolside patio to work with, get your available dimensions in order so you can plan properly.

Materials to use – are you looking for a bamboo tiki bar?  Two by fours?  Railroad ties?  Consider the types of materials you have available, the space you’ll be working in, and how you’d like the finished product to look.

Bar kit or custom build – Depending on how much time and money you are looking to spend on your tiki bar, you will need to decide between a tiki bar kit or custom build.  If you opt to build it yourself, there are some excellent tiki bar plans available.

Cool bar mods – You may want to modify your design to work in nifty features.  A tiki god, cool lighting, flatscreen television, or a kegerator can all add a defining touch to your home bar and make it worth adjusting your design.

Photo by spudz64.

There are a lot of incredible designs in this thread, but this one is probably my favorite.

For furniture and accessories to outfit your own tiki bar at home, check out the tiki bar shop.  There you can find many of the basic supplies you will need to design and build a tiki bar.

If you are looking for more inspiration on indoor or outdoor tiki bars, check our our tiki bar plans.  These plans can walk you through the necessary steps to build a cheap and easy tiki bar or a state-of-the-art outdoor tiki bar at home.