Yes, It's Totally Okay To Use Your Bathtub To Chill Drinks For A Party

The ability to throw legendary dinner parties is a talent that simply cannot be taught. If a person has "style," it can take many forms, and the humble dinner party can be a catwalk for all them all, when done right. There's also a certain degree of boldness intrinsic to the equation, which is where off-the-wall ideas come into play — like combining style and utility by filling a bathtub with ice to chill drinks for a party.

It's a killer strategy for apartment-dwelling foodies in particular, who often have tiny (or worse, shared) refrigerators where every inch is precious real estate. An ice-filled tub, stacked with wine bottles, could potentially become a head-turning artistic foray into the avant-garde. True bon vivants will recognize the scene for its greatness; perhaps, it's also an easy way to weed out which friends you actually want to hang out with for the next party. 

If you happen to be the proud owner of a spacious French door refrigerator (good for you), chances are it's already stacked full of prepared dishes for the party. If you have any reservations about the way a bathtub bar "looks," consider the (far worse) alternative — cracking open a tepid beer. No thanks. 

As a rule of thumb, think of this strategy as "enhanced storage." Keeping booze chilled in the bathtub is like storing jarred goods in a basement pantry. It might be wise to transfer those drinks — one armload at a time — to a smaller cooler in the main party area for easy access. This can be an especially useful tip if hosting an outdoor barbecue or picnic. Simply run inside and fetch those chilled drinks, batch by batch.

If the option is available, don't use the tub in the main bathroom that guests will be utilizing during the party. While the plan is ideal if your guests will be using a first-floor powder room and you can stash cans in the master bathroom, sight unseen, if the home is a one-bathroom zone, you'll just need to make the tub look as bar-like as possible. That means hiding everything in the immediate vicinity that says "This is the place where I bathe." Stash the soap bottles and washcloths in your closet. You could even light a few tea candles to help set the scene.

Pro tip: The bathtub strategy also works with a kitchen sink. The drawback here, though, is that using your sink as a bar tub eliminates access to using that sink for the duration of the party. Lastly — and this probably already goes without saying, but just to cover all the bases — definitely be sure to clean your tub first.