Short answer: A Whiskey Barrel bar is made from an actual oak barrel. The barrel is the base, and a round top makes it a standing-height table. A door in the side can make it a cabinet. Oak Wood Wine Barrels builds its bars from Bordeaux-type Wine Barrels. The Bistro Pub Set (from $1,404) is the simplest: a finished closed barrel, a 35.4-inch round top and a steel foot rail.
Prices as of October 6, 2026; each link shows live stock.
What is a barrel bar?
A full-size barrel makes up the body of a barrel bar. The barrel keeps its staves, hoops and heads, so it still looks like a barrel. It's been cleaned, sanded and sealed, and a wider top goes on so people can set down a glass.
Three things that make it different from a normal bar or pub table:
- Real oak with a past. Each barrel held wine or spirits before it was furniture, and no two are the same.
- A round shape. Guests sit or stand all around it, so no one faces a wall.
- A small footprint. The barrel itself is about 27 inches across, small enough for rooms that have no space for a built-in bar.
Is a Whiskey Barrel bar always made from a Whiskey Barrel?
Not necessarily. "Whiskey Barrel bar" is a generic term for any barrel bar, so ask what barrel the bar was made from. The two most common sizes:
- Standard American Whiskey Barrel: about 53 gallons.
- Bordeaux-type Wine Barrel (barrique): about 225 liters or 59 gallons, enough for some 300 bottles of wine.
Oak Wood Wine Barrels sells finished bars made from Bordeaux-type Wine Barrels. The two barrels are not the same size, so it has two versions of its foot rails and DIY kit: one for 59-gallon Wine Barrels and one for bourbon and Whiskey Barrels.
What types of barrel bars are there?
Five. And each one serves a different need.
- Closed barrel pub table. The barrel is whole; a round top and a foot rail make it a table to stand at. For example, the Bistro Pub Set sells for $1,404 without stools, $2,079 with two stools and $2,754 with four.
- Cabinet bar. A side door and an inside shelf. For example, the Bar Set (from $1,615.50) is a cabinet barrel with two or four stools, made with a flat shelf or a stemware shelf.
- Multi-use bar. Space inside to lay wine bottles down, hang stemware and store spirits. Example: the Multi-Use Bar ($1,237.50).
- Double bar. Two barrels, two tops and up to eight stools for larger groups. Example: the Double Bar Set, starting at $2,808.
- DIY kit. A round top and foot rail for a barrel you already own. Example: the DIY Bistro Kit (from $801); barrel not included.
Our recommendation: if the bar will be in the open with guests surrounding it, opt for a closed barrel; if it must hold the bottles, choose a cabinet or a multi-use bar.
How big is a barrel bar?
Below are the sizes of the Oak Wood Wine Barrels pieces, taken from the product pages (±5–10%):
| Part | Size |
|---|---|
| Barrel, closed or cabinet | about 27.4 in across, 37 to 38.6 in tall |
| Round top | 35.4 in across, 2 in thick |
| Cabinet bar with round top | 35.4 in across, 38.6 in tall |
| Foot rail, 59-gallon Wine Barrel | 37 × 37 in outside, 25.5 in between supports |
| Foot rail, bourbon or Whiskey Barrel | 34.5 × 34.5 in outside, 24 in between supports |
| Barrel stool | 18.9 × 18.9 in, 27.6 in tall |
The round top is 8 inches wider than the barrel, so it extends out about 4 inches all around: room for a plate, a phone or an elbow. The four-stool sets are built so four stools fit around one top.
How is a barrel bar built?
This is how the pieces in the Oak Wood Wine Barrels catalog fit together:
- The barrel. Oak staves held by metal hoops, with a head at each end and a bung hole in the side.
- The finish. The barrel is cleaned, sanded, and finished with a spar varnish for protection.
- The cabinet (if any). A door is cut into the side, with a flat or stemware shelf inside.
- The top. A wood top, wire-brushed and 35.4 inches across, most often with a glass center. It is completely removable and can be attached to the barrel by using angle brackets.
- The foot rail (closed barrels only). A steel rail that screws into the barrel; it's meant for barrels without doors.
Would you rather do the work yourself? How to Build a Whiskey Barrel Bar Step-by-Step walks you through it. Considering a commercial space or a bar set into a wall instead? See Working With Architects on Built-In Barrel Bar Installations.
Where can you buy barrel bars?
From barrel furniture makers who sell finished bars, or wineries and distilleries if you want a raw barrel to build with. Four questions to ask before you buy from anyone: What barrel was it built from? Is the top included? Does it have storage or a foot rail? How is it delivered?
Oak Wood Wine Barrels, a Houston, Texas-based family business, had its barrel furniture featured in the Netflix series Mo. It offers finished bars for sale online and ships them for free within the continental U.S. Most items are in stock and ship within 5 business days, and bar sets are delivered by appointment. In Houston it delivers anywhere in town, and pickup is by appointment at (832) 933-8787. Barrel Bars has every bar and set.
Frequently asked questions
How tall is a barrel bar with a top?
A cabinet barrel bar is 38.6 inches high with its round top, which has a 35.4-inch diameter. The Bar Cabinet and Multi-Use Bar are 37 inches tall without a top, and the barrel in the Bistro Pub Set is 37.2 inches tall.
Can I turn my own barrel into a bar?
Yes. The DIY Bistro Kit (from $801) adds a round top and a foot rail sized for a 59-gallon Wine Barrel or bourbon barrel. Add two or four stools if you want them.
Does a barrel bar need assembly?
A little bit. The round top can be fastened to the barrel with angle brackets, and the foot rail screws into the barrel. The Bistro Pub Sets include the #8 screws for the rail but not the brackets. The stand-alone Foot Rail also comes with its screws.
Is a barrel bar the same as a pub table?
A closed barrel with a round top is one: a round, standing-height table for stools. Inside, a cabinet barrel bar adds storage.