If you're a craft spirits enthusiast, a home cooking aficionado, or simply a burgeoning home bartender, you know that the right tools are just as crucial for a killer cocktail as they are for a gourmet meal. But have you truly unlocked the full potential of your home bar? Forget the days of haphazardly guessing measurements and stirring with a dinner spoon. Just like investing in quality cookware for your kitchen, investing in durable, well-designed bar tools will pay dividends. Not only will they last longer, but they will also make the process of crafting cocktails more enjoyable and efficient.
Ultimately, the best bar tools are the ones you'll actually use. Start with the essentials, practice your techniques, and gradually expand your collection as your confidence grows and your palate evolves. Look for bar tools made of stainless steel, with sturdy construction and ergonomic designs.
You might be surprised to learn that many of the most common tools used by bartenders today are strikingly similar to the tools developed in the second half of the 19th century.
The world of cocktails is vast and exciting, and with the right tools in hand, you're well on your way to becoming a true master of your home bar. Are you ready to dive into the essential arsenal for any serious home mixologist? Get ready to shake, stir, and strain your way to cocktail perfection, all while having a blast and learning a thing or two.
The Jigger: Precision Matters
Let's start with the unsung hero of precision: the jigger. In the culinary world, we preach the gospel of exact measurements – a pinch too much salt can ruin a dish. The same applies to cocktails. A well-balanced drink is a symphony of flavors, and even a quarter-ounce deviation can throw the entire composition off-key. A jigger ensures that every drink you make is as good as the last. No more "eyeballing" it and ending up with a watery martini or an overpowering Negroni.
Sure, you could eyeball your pour—but cocktail making is equal parts art and science. While a simple shot glass might seem sufficient, a proper jigger is designed for accuracy and ease of use.
Look for a double-sided jigger with clear markings for various measurements (like ½ oz, ¾ oz, 1 oz, 1½ oz, and 2 oz). This allows for quick and precise pours, ensuring your Old Fashioned isn't too boozy or your Margarita too tart.
The Shaker: Your Cocktail MVP
If you want bright, effervescent, and well-chilled drinks, you need to shake them vigorously with ice. Shaking incorporates air, chills the drink rapidly, and properly dilutes the spirits. And for that, you need a Boston shaker. For shaken cocktails like Margaritas, Daiquiris, and Espresso Martinis, a good shaker is non-negotiable.
A Boston shaker typically consists of two parts: a larger metal tin and a slightly smaller mixing glass or another metal tin that nests inside. We recommend stainless steel Boston Shaker Tins as they are durable, chill quickly, and won't shatter like glass.
The metal-on-metal seal provides an excellent watertight bond, crucial for a spill-free shake.
When shaking, aim for a rhythmic motion that allows the ice to travel from one end of the shaker to the other. And don't be shy – shake it like you mean it! For a truly cold drink, shake until the outside of the shaker is frosted over.
The Cobbler shaker is the three-piece version with a built-in strainer and cap—great for beginners, but it can get stuck if over-shaken.
The Strainer: Keep It Clean
Once you’ve shaken your concoction to frosty perfection, you’ll need a way to separate the liquid from the ice and any muddled ingredients. A strainer ensures a smooth, refined cocktail, free from unwanted solids, like citrus pulp. There are three key types of strainers, each with their own mission:
Hawthorne Strainer: The spring-loaded one that fits over your shaker tin—great for general use. This ingenious tool features a coiled spring that fits snugly over the mouth of your shaker, holding back ice chips and fruit pulp while allowing the liquid to flow freely into your serving glass.
Julep Strainer: A slotted, spoon-like strainer often used with mixing glasses.
- Fine Mesh Strainer: Often used in conjunction with a Hawthorne strainer when employing a technique known as "double straining", a fine mesh strainer catches any tiny ice shards or muddled bits that might slip through, resulting in an exceptionally smooth and visually appealing drink.
The Mixing Glass: The Stirring Stage
While shaking is perfect for cocktails with citrus, dairy, or egg whites, many classic drinks, particularly those that are spirit-forward, require stirring. Stirring is crucial for maintaining the clarity and texture of spirit-forward cocktails like Manhattans, Negronis, and Old Fashioneds. It provides controlled dilution and chilling without adding air bubbles, resulting in a silky-smooth mouthfeel.
While you can technically stir a cocktail in a pint glass or shaker tin, a proper mixing glass adds a touch of class and a whole lot of function.
Look for one with a heavy base and wide mouth, which helps with stability and smooth stirring. Bonus? Mixing glasses are beautiful. Many come etched or cut like vintage crystal—perfect for when you want your home bar to double as décor.
The Stirring Star: The Barspoon
When a cocktail calls for stirring (think Martinis, Manhattans, or Old Fashioneds), a long-handled bar spoon is your best friend. This is where the elegant and elongated barspoon comes into play. A good barspoon is typically long (around 12 inches) with a twisted shaft, allowing for a smooth, continuous stir that chills and slightly dilutes the drink without aerating it too much. The spiral handle helps you stir with a smooth, controlled motion that chills your drink without over-diluting it. Many barspoons also feature a weighted end or a small disk (called a "muddler end") for light muddling, or a trident fork for spearing garnishes.
You will need to practice to perfect your stirring technique! Hold the spoon between your thumb and forefinger and rotate your wrist to glide the spoon along the inside of the mixing glass. It's a delicate dance, but mastering it will elevate your stirred drinks. Stir for about 30 seconds or until the outside of your mixing glass feels cold to the touch. Yes, it’s that simple—and that satisfying.
The Muddler: For When You Need to Smash Things
A muddler is essential for crafting cocktails that require fresh herbs, fruits, or sugar to be gently crushed, releasing their aromatic oils and juices. Think Mojitos, Old Fashioneds, or our fan-favorite Strawberry Basil Cooler. The goal is to extract maximum flavor from fresh ingredients, not obliterate the ingredients into mush. Wood or metal? That’s up to you. Just make sure it’s long enough to reach the bottom of your mixing glass without straining your wrist.
The Citrus Press: Fresh is Best
We love a good shortcut as much as anyone, but bottled citrus juice just doesn’t cut it in cocktails. Freshly squeezed juice makes an immeasurable difference in the quality of your cocktails and is essential for balance and brightness. There are numerous ways and tools used to juice citrus fruits. When making drinks for a crowd, or when making a punch or other batched-cocktail recipe, you may find it easier to use a reamer. But, if you're just trying to mix up a cocktail or two at a time, a handheld citrus press makes juicing quick, clean, and easy. Trust us: it’s a game-changer for your Margaritas, Sidecars, and Gimlets.
The Peeler or Channel Knife: Garnish Like a Pro
Garnishes aren’t just pretty—they add aroma and flavor to your drink. A simple Y-peeler helps you make beautiful citrus twists, while a channel knife gives you more precision for garnishing flair. Presentation is half the battle, and a beautifully expressed orange peel can elevate a drink from good to extraordinary. A Y-peeler and a channel knife may both live in your bar kit, but they serve distinctly different purposes when it comes to crafting cocktails with visual appeal and aromatic complexity.
The Y-peeler, named for its shape, is a versatile tool that quickly removes wide, even strips of citrus peel, perfect for expressing essential oils over a finished drink or creating large garnishes like twists or ribbons. It’s especially handy when you want a clean, pith-free peel from lemons, oranges, or grapefruits for classics like an Old Fashioned or Negroni.
On the other hand, the channel knife is a specialized garnish tool that carves long, thin spirals or “channels” from citrus rinds, resulting in elegant, curly garnishes ideal for everything from a Tom Collins to a French 75. It doesn’t remove the entire peel, but instead scrapes a narrow strip, often creating a spiral directly on the fruit. Use it when you want to add a touch of flair or texture to your garnish game without overwhelming the drink with citrus oil. In short: reach for the Y-peeler for bold, functional peels and the channel knife for decorative finesse.
The Ice Game: Bigger is Better
OK, ice isn’t technically a “tool,” but we’d argue it’s just as important. Ice affects dilution, chill, and mouthfeel. Tools specific to making and processing ice for cocktails have been around for almost 200 years. However, this category of barware has modern-day counterparts that are technologically superior to tools of the past.
If you want to up your home bartending game, upgrade from fridge-door cubes to large-format ice molds to make BFCs, "big f---ing cubes," or head to your local Sonic fast food chain and grab a bag of pebble ice for your favorite tropical drinks.
Here's some examples of ice you might want to stock up on:
2-inch cubes for spirit-forward drinks like Old Fashioneds
Spheres for highball or sipping cocktails
Crushed or pebble ice for tropical drinks like Mai Tais and Swizzles
Ice Mold/Tray: Large, dense ice cubes melt slower, meaning less dilution and a colder drink for longer. Consider sphere or large cube molds for your spirit-forward cocktails.
Bonus Tools: The Extras That Elevate
Once you’ve got the basics down, you might want to add a few more fun tools to your setup:
Atomizer or Spray Bottle for misting absinthe or citrus oils
Bitters bottles with dasher tops for cleaner presentation
Pour spouts for your spirit bottles (plus, don't forget the dust caps)
Cocktail picks for skewering olives, cherries, or citrus twists
Bar mat to catch spills and look extra official
Build Your Bar, Your Way
Remember: You don’t need to buy everything at once. Start with the essentials—a good shaker, jigger, strainer, and spoon—and build from there. Pick tools you enjoy using and that match your style. Mixing cocktails should feel fun, not fussy.
And don’t forget the most important ingredient: good spirits. Whether you’re pouring a classic G&T with Portland Dry Gin 33, crafting an Old Fashioned with our Distiller's Workshop Brandy, or exploring cocktails with our Ginger Liqueur or Hot Monkey Pepper Vodka, we’ve got everything you need to stock your bar at the New Deal Bottle Shop.
So mix something up, invite a friend over, and toast to the joy of making craft cocktails at home. Cheers!