Photos: Chris Emeott
Vintage connoisseurs offer their expertise on how to assemble the perfect bar for chic New Year’s cocktails.
Lisa Clark Balke and Susan Blankenship have been curating unique vintage and new home decor treasures at Victory Vintage, their 44th Street shop in Minneapolis, for over 10 years. Beyond selling to the public, Clark Balke and Blankenship offer their expertise to style houses and offices, blending one-of-a-kind finds with fresh pieces to create spaces that truly stand out.
We turned to these vintage-style experts for their advice on setting up a bar for New Year’s Eve cocktails, using classic vintage glassware and barware. No matter how small the space they’re styling—whether it’s a bar cart in a study or a full kitchen island—Clark Balke and Blankenship take a thoughtful, design-forward approach that doesn’t skimp on details.
Lisa Clark Balke and Susan Blankenship, co-owners of Victory Vintage.
Old School Cool
For a bar setting that’s right out of a wood-paneled library or a country club, Clark Balke and Blankenship would start with a shiny silver or brass tray topped with a decanter and lowball glasses—those are the shorter, straight-sided glasses usually intended for scotch or Old Fashioneds.
Next, add a few details that will make your bar feel finished, like vintage swizzle sticks—some sterling silver—and liquor callers, those little labels that tell you what’s in a decanter. “My favorite piece for this setup is a Lucite, golf-ball-shaped ice bucket. It’s very mid-century modern,” Blankenship says. “If you golf, it’s fun to put that out with vintage glasses that have golfers on them.” Feel free to mix themes to match the interests of your guests: “If someone’s a big tennis player, we also have vintage glasses with tennis rackets in gold and black.”
If your vibe is more English country manor, check out an unusual bar piece like stirrup cups, which feature animal heads, like foxes or deer. “They were given to guests before going on a hunt while they had their feet in leather stirrups,” Blankenship says, hence the name. The butler or footman would bring out a tray of the pewter or silver cups and pour each guest a few sips before they departed.
Gatsby Glitz
If your image of a chic New Year’s Eve party leans to the Roaring Twenties, go all in, says Blankenship. “Try a big stack of Champagne glasses,” arranged like a pyramid. “Our favorites are the coupes.” Coupes are shallow, saucer-shaped stemware designed so the Champagne or sparkling wine flows down into the stem. Vintage ones made by Murano are popular. “We’d also have a big, vintage Champagne bottle as a decoration, maybe one that was a liquor store display. Then, add a vintage Champagne cooler in a sparkly metal.” After you stack the glasses, pour the Champagne starting at the top glass, and watch it waterfall into the coupes below for a real pièce de résistance.
Mix and Match
Blankenship and Clark Balke say your cocktail bar setup should be eclectic and personal. The shelves at Victory Vintage feature everything from candles, coffee table books, furniture, gifts and napkins to barware, blue and white chinoiserie, jewelry and purses. You might find a piece that’s not barware but that complements your theme to accessorize the space. “A big bouquet of flowers or greenery, a disco ball for New Year’s or even a figurine holding a little tray for nuts,” Blankenship says. Candles add warmth and ambiance but should be used cautiously around alcohol.
A set of 4 Culver Valencia lowball glasses.
Mixing silver-plated Champagne buckets with crystal glasses or pairing a vintage picture frame or trophy filled with toothpicks is all part of the art. “We don’t often have matching decanters and glasses,” Clark Balke says. “It’s muscle memory. If it looks good, it works.” When hosting, Clark Balke often sets out a variety of glasses and lets guests pick their favorite. “That way you can display it all and actually use it,” she says.
After all, beautiful glassware should be used. Other than handwashing your vintage glass, the best thing you can do is enjoy it, says Clark Balke. “You can’t be worried if someone breaks it,” she says.
The Thrill of Discovery
For those looking to start their own vintage barware collection, Blankenship advises hunting for recognizable brands like Dorothy Thorpe, George Briard, Libby, Moser and Waterford. “Look for labels, and get your magnifying glass out. You can tell quality by how it feels in your hand,” she says. “Some Libby glassware even has 22-carat gold accents. Just remember: no dishwasher.”
A cherished set of vintage Minneapolis-themed glasses, once given to new bank customers, features gold accents and illustrations of local landmarks.
Among Blankenship and Clark Balke’s prized pieces is a full set of Minneapolis-themed glasses, which had been handed out decades ago with new bank accounts. “They have gold accents and feature landmarks like the Northrop Auditorium and the old Guthrie [Theater]. I always use them as my water glasses at the table,” Blankenship says.
Mid-Century Mixology
Consider the flow of guests around your bar at a large gathering. “For New Year’s, I’d have drinks ready to go, like Champagne or one signature cocktail on hand, so you’re not running around making drinks when you should be with your company,” Susan Blankenship says. “Then have a self-serve setup with wine and nonalcoholic options.”
We asked Blankenship and Lisa Clark Balke to share some inspiration for a couple of signature cocktails, perfect for New Year’s Eve. For a Vintage Old Fashioned, use rye whiskey, Grand Marnier cherries and bitters, and serve in a lowball glass with an oversized ice cube. Or, try a Dark Rum Southside, with dark rum, simple syrup, sparkling water, lime and mint leaves. Pair this one with 1950s-style glasses, like the sterling-topped ones by beloved California designer Dorothy Thorpe.
A bar cart complete with a midcentury modern Lucite ice bucket.
Victory Vintage
Instagram: @victoryvintage44
