Like a home-cooked meal, there’s nothing quite like a home-mixed drink. You can make it the way you want, prepared with your favorite spirits and ingredients that may not always be available at your local bar. You can stir it just so and serve it in your favorite glass. Top that with the fact that, well, you’re home. You can relax and put your feet up, and pretension is out the door.
When we remodeled the kitchen three years ago, we decided that a bar had to be part of the new configuration. Our friend, Steve Gunderson, designed the bar of our dreams: thick shelves stacked to the ceiling with booze (lots of local, of course), cocktail books, and trinkets from our travels. There’s a long counter for drink prep, a bar sink, an icemaker, a wine fridge, and drawers filled with tools of the trade.
Our home bar got me thinking. Who else in town has an impressive one? We found three in Reno to profile, with bars ranging from lavish to quaint.
Former professional baseball player turned San Francisco Giants announcer Mike Krukow enjoys an expansive bar area in his Caughlin Ranch home with his wife, Jennifer. Krukow was mainly a beer drinker for years, but a move to the wine-rich Bay Area opened his eyes to that beverage. Now he’s a scotch fan, and his five grown children enjoy making cocktails for themselves and their mom when they visit.
Mark Johnson and Alicia Barber’s midcentury-modern home in Southwest Reno features a secret treasure in the basement: a cozy, wood-paneled bar complete with a pool table. The couple took cocktail-making classes and infused a bit of Italy, where they honeymooned, into their spirits collection. They enjoy hosting casual soirées for family members and friends.
Montrêux residents Kevin and Cheryl O’Gorman celebrate Kevin’s Irish heritage in their custom-built bar. It’s a space where the family gathers to share their passion for delicious cocktails.
Also in this issue, learn how best to stock your home bar and discover tea-laced cocktails or mocktails as well as enhanced water products. You’ll also meet a Fallon maltster, siblings who run a successful drink manufacturing and distribution company, and a local woman who is dedicated to creating a thriving wine industry in Nevada. And there’s more, including a Valentine’s Day gift guide and Wedding Guide. We hope you enjoy this annual Drinks edition.
Cheers!
Amanda
About the Cover
Mike and Jennifer Krukow in their Reno home bar. Photo by Jeff Ross
Clarification
In our Winter edition cover story, we reported that Karen Abowd built The Greenhouse project in Carson City. Instead, Manhard Consulting/Mark Rotter and Mark Lopiccolo Construction donated their services to build it. We regret this omission.
