Please note this post is intended for those 21+ years of age. Enjoy responsibly.
Here you’ll find a handy dandy guide to stocking the Essential Home Bar Tools you’ll need to mix/shake up libations at home.
Looking to put together the essential tools for a home bar? We’ve done the heavy lifting for you and put together a list of the key tools you’ll need to mix , shake up and serve libations. Whether you want to stir up an OLD FASHIONED, shake up a MANHATTAN, open a bottle of ginger beer, having the right tools on hand will make your job a whole lot easier. Life is hard enough, no need to make things harder amiright?
Note – this post covers bar tools only, we’ll cover booze basics in a separate post.
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ESSENTIAL HOME BAR TOOL KIT
Here our what we consider our essential home bar tools. Great news – some items you may even already have in your kitchen. Like, JUICERS for all the citrus you’ll be squeezing and VEGETABLE PEELERS (for garnishes such as citrus peels). You can choose to acquire these tools individually or there are also FULL KITS already put together. These tools come in a variety of price ranges and styles.
TIP: HOME BAR TOOL KITS make great gifts!
WINE KEY – Sometimes called a waiter’s corkscrew, sommelier knife, or waiter’s friend. A wine key is a corkscrew that has a folding body similar to a pocket knife with a bottle cap opener and foil cutter blades as well. A good wine key or corkscrew should be sharp enough to pierce through cork and have a good grip.
JIGGER – Dual sided cocktail measuring cups used to help cut down on over pouring.
COCKTAIL SHAKER – There are FOUR different types of cocktail shakers. The Boston Shaker, Cobbler Shaker, Parisian (or French) Shaker, and the tin-on-tin Shaker. Choose the one that best suits you.
STRAINER – a metal bar accessory that is used to remove ice from a mixed drink as it is poured into the glass. NOTE: some cocktail shakers come with a built in strainer.
MUDDLER – a tool that is used to muddle fruits, herbs and spices in the bottom of a glass to release their flavor.
BAR SPOON – A long-handled spoon used to mix drinks.
HAND HELD JUICER/SQUEEZER – For juicing citrus. You’d be surprised how many drinks call for lemon, lime, orange juice. If you find yourself in a pinch and without one, use a fork.
PEELER – to create the perfect garnish. Can’t locate a peeler in your drawer when you need it? A sharp paring knife will also work in a pinch.
GLASSWARE:
Once you’ve prepared the perfect cocktail you want the proper glassware to serve it in. Here are our basic recommendations, all of which can accommodate a variety of different drinks in case your bar space is at a premium!
COUPE – A coupe glass is a stemmed glass that features a broad, shallow bowl, also known as the Champagne coupe or Champagne saucer. It was, as you may have guessed, originally developed for champagne. Use to to serve a PAPER PLANE, MANHATTAN, SCOFFLAW and more.
HIGH BALL – A highball glass is a glass tumbler used to serve ‘tall’ cocktails as well as other mixed drinks that are poured over ice. Think MOJITOS, TOM COLLINS, DARK AND STORMY, etc.
LOW BALL/OLD FASHIONED GLASS/ ROCKS GLASS – is a short tumbler used to serve certain cocktails, such as the OLD FASHIONED, from which it receives its name. Can also be used for BOULEVARDIERS, NEGRONIS, WHITE RUSSIAN and more.
MARTINI – Is a glass with a v-shaped cup, long stem, and circular base. Use it to serve a MARTINI, GIMLET, GRASSHOPPER, COSMOPOLITAN and more.
(21+) DRINK RECIPES TO TRY
Now that you have all of the tools you’ll need, here are a few of our favorite cocktail recipes.
TIP: If you want to take your cocktails to the next level CLEAR ICE is where it’s at.