Are you new to making Craft Cocktails at home? If so, do you have bar tools that can make your life easier, and your cocktails tasty? If you’re building up your home bar, there are a few essential tools that will not break the budget that you should consider investing in.
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Tools 101: These are the basic bar tools I think every home mixologist should have…
Cocktail Shaker: A device used to mix beverages by shaking. When ice is put in the shaker this allows for a quicker cooling of the drink before serving.
Jigger: A cocktail jigger is a shot or cocktail measuring cup ranging in sizes of 0.5-2.5 oz. For ease of use, many jiggers have fill lines on the inside or outside for comment cocktail measurements.
Knife: Use the knife for cutting fresh fruit for juices or fresh herbs, edible flowers, etc., for garnishes.
Hand Juicer: A tool used to extract juice from fruits, herbs, leafy greens and other types of vegetables in a process called juicing. It crushes, grinds, and/or squeezes the juice out of the pulp.
Cocktail Sticks: A utensil used to hold garnishes for cocktails such as cherries or pineapple wedges. Can be wooden or stainless steel.
Muddler: A tool, used like a pestle to mash—or muddle—fruits, herbs and spices in the bottom of a glass to release their flavor.
Ice Molds: Ice molds allow you to add flair to your cocktails and uniform ice makes makes for a great presentation of a cocktail. If drinking whiskey, cube or sphere ice molds allow the drink to be chilled without much dilution.
Ice Bucket: Make a great addition to any bar setup, especially when you’re entertaining guests.
Fresh Herbs /Fruit: While not really a tool, fresh fruits and herbs make all the difference when making cocktails. Fresh ingredients will make your cocktails really stand out and taste fantastic.
If you do not have all of these, don’t worry, you can always add to your setup over time. Just start using what you have and bring out your inner mixologist!
A few tools can go a long way? What are your go-to bar tools? Let us know below!
I’m always getting new ice molds and glassware, so would love to know if you have any “must-have” items to add to my list.
Cheers!
