The Expert-Recommended Bartending Tools Every Beginner Needs
Having a cocktail out with friends is an unbeatable experience. The smell of a fresh bar and the sound of ice smashing into pleasant flakes against the shaker make a drink taste better somehow. But, let's be honest, the experience can get pricey. The good news is that outside of some of the higher-echelon cocktails that require a centrifuge, you can make most of your favorite drinks at home with some basic tools.
Rob Krueger, the beverage director at Smith & Mills Rockefeller Center, identifies eight tools that every budding home bartender needs: a cocktail shaker, bar spoon, Hawthorne strainer, fine strainer, jigger, juicer, vegetable peeler, and a paring knife. These eight items will help you make all the basic drinks. If you decide to get more serious, you can add Krueger's "second-tier" items like a mixing glass, julep strainer, clear ice molds, a scale, and an instant-read thermometer or Thermapen to your arsenal.
Eight home-bar essentials everyone needs
Every home bar needs a good cocktail shaker set and Rob Krueger prefers a weighted one. "They stand up more easily as you build drinks and you can practice flipping them around like a flairtender," he says. His favorites are Cocktail Kingdom's Koriko and those from Barfly. Krueger also heads to Cocktail Kingdom or Barfly for his bar spoon — those long, thin, twisted spoons — and Hawthorne strainer, the coiled one that fits into a cocktail shaker.
In terms of a jigger, a double-sided conical measuring tool that helps you measure ingredients, Krueger says Cocktail Kingdom is another good spot to get one. However, OXO's products "may be easier for a novice." A fine strainer is also a must to remove those tiny pieces of ice, says Krueger.
The last three bar-musts might already be in your kitchen: a hand-held citrus juicer, a vegetable peeler, and a paring knife. However, Krueger notes that some products are better than others. If you want a great set of peelers, he says to go for the Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler 3-Pack, which comes with red, green, and yellow peelers — but beware of imitations. "Don't buy the knockoff!" warns Krueger.
Other items to boost your home bar set up
If you've got all the essentials and want to expand and fine-tune aesthetics, think of adding Rob Krueger's "second tier" items — but again, shoot for quality. While you could stir a cocktail in any large glass, a modern mixing glass is heavier to prevent tipping and typically has a spout for easy pouring. Plus, says Krueger, it will "add a little class to your stirred cocktails." He recommends getting one that is at least 22 ounces if you plan on mixing a few drinks at a time. If you're pouring from a mixing glass, you should also consider buying a julep strainer, a concave metal strainer with little holes. It's "better for straining from [a] mixing glass and for some shaken drinks," says Krueger.
Other items to upgrade your drinks include clear ice molds. While these make drinks served on the rocks look better, they also have another olfactory-based benefit. "Since the ice is clear it doesn't have any air bubbles inside which smells like whatever else is in your freezer or refrigerator," says Krueger. Small details matter with cocktails, which is why he also recommends an instant-read thermometer — or a more fine-tuned Thermapen — to achieve the optimal serving temperature and dilution level. Cocktails are said to be best served between 28 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Finally, a scale will ensure that other items like syrups are well prepared. Krueger calls them "essential for accuracy."