Set your home bar to a higher standard with all the essential pieces for your bar tool set
Finding the best craft spirits to stock your home bar was the easy part. That’s not to say making remarkable cocktails needs to be difficult. But without the proper bar tools, stirring, shaking, and mixing up terrific tipples becomes a tad bit trickier.
Having the right bar tool set on hand is just as important as having a great whiskey, exceptional gin, or crisp vodka at the ready. Because without proper bar tools how are you going to follow the cocktail recipe?
Plus, unless you’re a mind reader, it’s impossible to anticipate every guests’ drink order. So, it’s best to have all of the essential bartender tools to be prepared for every cocktail request.
But knowing exactly what bar tools you’ll need to get the job done can be confusing. Is a cocktail shaker set sufficient? Do you need a bar spoon? Are you really going to use a muddler?
Our guide has all the answers to your bar tool set questions. It’s time to build you a better home bar.
THE COCKTAIL SHAKER
Many of the most popular cocktail recipes in the world call for drinks to be shaken before they’re enjoyed. So having a cocktail shaker for your home bar is an absolute must.
When it comes to shopping for cocktail shaker sets, you’re going to want to stick to one of two classic designs. The Boston-style shaker or the Cobbler shaker.
One of two styles of shakers, the Boston-style shaker fits two separate cups together.
The Boston-style shaker, like the one featured in our 7-Piece Barware Set by True, is made by fitting two separate cups together that form a tight seal preventing the liquids inside from splashing out. They’re fast, easy to reuse and clean.
Not only does it shape unforgettable cocktails, the Cobbler shaker is easy on the eyes.
The Cobbler shaker, like the ones featured in our Fortify Barware Sets by True, are smaller and easier to hold than their Bostonian counterpart. And they come in black, copper, and silver! Perfect to match to your home bar. A Cobbler shaker is a three-piece design that consists of a base cup, lid, and built-in cocktail strainer.
No matter what style cocktail shaker you choose, your home bar will still look sharp. And with that, you’re already on your way to cocktail greatness.
THE COCKTAIL STRAINER
Placed over the mouth of your shaker or mixing glass, cocktail strainers keep ice and other unwanted ingredients from ending up in your finished cocktail.
The cocktail strainer prevents any unwanted ingredients from floating around your cocktail.
Depending on which style cocktail shaker you decided to go with, a cocktail strainer may or may not be required hardware. But, having one in your home bar completes that professional look you’re going for.
Typically, most home bar tool sets come with a strainer. So, regardless of the style that comes in your cocktail shaker set, you’ll likely get a cocktail strainer too.
THE MIXING GLASS
For every cocktail that calls for a nice, hard shake, there’s a cocktail that requires a gentle stir. The rule of thumb when it comes to stirring versus shaking says if a cocktail contains ingredients like juice or dairy, shake it. Shaking oxygenates the cocktail, which, in turn, gives it a pleasing, frothy finish.
Whether you’re making cocktails for one, or something batched, you’ll want a mixing glass.
But when a cocktail recipe calls strictly for spirits, stirring is generally preferred. When stirring, there is less chance of over-diluting the cocktail or changing its texture.
When it’s time to stir, you’ll want to have a mixing glass or beaker handy. These large glass vessels, like the ones in Viski’s Mixologist Barware Set or in the 7-Piece Barware Set by True, are particularly useful when you’re making multiple drinks, or big batch recipes for a handful of friends at once.
THE BAR SPOON
Speaking of mixing, the bar spoon is an integral part of any bar tool set. After all, those cocktails aren’t going to mix themselves.
A good bar spoon should have a little weight to it without being overly bulky. Typically, a bar spoon has a twisted shaft that makes the circular stirring movements smooth and steady.
Every feature of the bar spoon is designed to help you craft a better cocktail.
Best case scenario, you can find a spoon with additional useful features. A spoon with a deep bowel makes it easy to measure out a level teaspoon. The Fortify bar tool sets come equipped with a bar spoon with a flat end that serves as a muddler too, perfect for crushing sugar cubes, fruits, and herbs.
THE MUDDLER
If your bar spoon does have a muddler built in, great! If it doesn’t, then you’re going to want to put a cocktail muddler on the shopping list, or get True’s 7-Piece Barware Set. Because if you don’t have one, delicious cocktails like mojitos and mint juleps are off the menu.
Crush, pulverize, and pound yourself a better cocktail with the essential muddler.
The cocktail muddler is one of those bartender tools that gets used in all the most delicious fruity cocktails. A good muddler will help pummel any number of cocktail ingredients like fruit, herbs, or spices.
Grip it from the top, rest the end of the muddler against your palm, use your whole hand and start smashing!
THE JIGGER
There’s just as much science behind the technique of mixing cocktails as there is artistry. Cocktail recipes call for perfect pours every time. A jigger is the bar tool that makes the perfect pour simple.
Every pour is the perfect pour when you measure it out properly with a sleek jigger.
Jiggers are the measuring cups of the cocktail world. They take the guesswork out of mixology, letting you know exactly how much of each craft spirit, or other liquid ingredients, you’re adding to the drink.
Some of the most popular jigger varieties, like the ones in our bar tool sets, feature a two-ounce side and a one-ounce side. Some even have quarter, half, or three-quarter ounce lines etched into them, so you can make perfectly balanced cocktails. Every single time.
All the best bartender tools in one place
Craft spirits, check. Mixers, check. Cocktail syrups, check. Now all you need at the perfect bar tools to unleash your inner mixologist and start crafting extraordinary cocktails.
Pick out the bar tool set that best suits your needs. Whether that’s the 7-Piece Barware Set from True or the 4-Piece Mixologist Barware Set from Viski, there is no wrong answer.
You want to know why?
Because when you build the perfect home bar with Spirit Hub, the only thing that’s left is to enjoy uncommonly flavorful craft cocktails with friends and family.
We’ll drink to that.
