Basic Bar Tool Must-Haves
The bar tools you actually need for making cocktails at home.
If you asked us if we are beer or wine people, we’d say liquor. While we love and appreciate both wine and beer, if we are having a glass of something, it’s a cocktail or rye on the rocks. We’ve always loved cocktails and in fact our first food photography job was in fact seasonal cocktails for a major sparkling wine company. And here we are with our first cookbook that has a cocktail chapter.
What I’m getting at is we know our way around a bar. It will be no surprise to you that we’ve tried to figure out the best tools for our bar situation amidst a sea of unnecessary items. Every time I see a “gifts for the cocktail enthusiast” listicle I cry a few salty tears of consumerism stupidity. There is so much in the barware world you do not need because it simply does not work well. Or you have to hand-wash everything and the finish comes off after the second beverage cycle.
Whether you’re building your bar from scratch, or having a moment of stripping down to minimalism in your kitchen, here are our favorite barware items that have stood the test of time. And many drinks.
When buying products consider…
Metal and glass > plastic and trendy finishes (buy trendy pieces second- not as your primary)
Dishwasher safe
Will it fit in your cabinet/drawer/bar cart?
Essential Barware items
Jigger: You need a jigger. Even experienced bartenders sometimes need jiggers to re-train their measurement skills for accurate pours. This is such a workhorse classic. And yes, it comes in copper/gold/etc which is fun for parties but if we aren’t entertaining we just like a good stainless steel option.
Boston shaker/Tin on Tin shaker: In our opinion, a much better shaker than a cobbler style shaker. You can also use the large tin for stirring cocktails together. It may make you uneasy at first, but truly, it does form a seal to keep the liquid in!
Mixing Glass: While we rarely use a mixing glass (see above), a mixing glass is indeed a basic item.
Bar spoon: For cocktails that get stirred, not shaken, you need a great bar spoon. If you’re going to stir cocktails, challenge yourself to learn how to stir ‘properly’ with a bar spoon. It takes practice!
Hawthorne strainer: This strainer keeps ice in your shaker when you’re pouring your drink from a shaking tin. If you have a restaurant supply store nearby, this is something you can pick up there.
Julep Strainer: A julep strainer is used if you’re pouring from a mixing glass into your service glass. The julep strainer fits nicely on top of a glass, making an easy pour.
Peeler: While you’re welcome to use a standard peeler, we’ve found using a “Y” peeler is better for good for garnishes. Be ultra careful with this style peeler. It gives you nice wide strips, but it also will take a chunk out of the palm of your hand.
Juicer: We prefer a citrus press over a citrus reamer. A press extracts a better proportion of juice instead of pulp.
Muddler: A muddler is used to mash fruit, herbs, spices, etc at the bottom of a glass to extract flavor. Many muddlers on the market are wood, but to be honest, I like this one which is dishwasher safe.
Paring knife: We love this knife! It’s great for sharp quick slices of citrus or precise cuts for garnishes.
Large format ice cube tray: Somewhere along the line we turned into ice snobs. Large ice keeps a drink cold without watering it down. Clear, large ice would be the best since it melts more slowly, but large ice is better than small ice period when it comes to spirit forward drinks :
Container for simple syrup (squeeze bottle): We keep several squeeze bottles in the fridge including a honey syrup, citric acid solution, and simple syrup. It helps you squeeze into a jigger for measuring without the mess.
Fine mesh sieve: To remove fruit solids or other things that shouldn’t enter the final drink product.
Additional thoughts
The other most important feature for your home bar is glassware (and bitters and booze). I didn’t include specifics as ‘essentials’ because if you only like martinis, I don’t think you should waste your space on five other basic types of glassware.
In general, having a rocks glass, up glass or couple glass, Collins, champagne flute, retro cocktail/nick and nora glass are great starting points.
When you start to get into garnishing, we also recommend cocktail picks. We have these picks in multiple metals.
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