What You Need For Your Home Cocktail Bar

What Do You Drink?

Your necessities should be chosen based on your preferred beverage. A muddler is necessary if you prefer traditional drinks. Or how about a martini?
You'll need a shaker or a mixing glass in that situation. Even though no one would blame you, you don't need ALL of the Williams-Sonoma bar equipment. Of course, you might go insane. Depending on your desired level of commitment, you can choose a basics package or purchase individual goods.

A cocktail shaker, mixing glass, jigger, bottle opener, corkscrew, strainer, bar spoon, and ice bucket are among the essential bartending tools. After establishing these fundamentals, you can build a stronger bar. Serrated knife, citrus squeezer, absinthe spoon, citrus stripper, martini pitcher, muddler, Hawthorne strainer, and julep strainer would be added.

Cobbler Shaker or Boston Shaker

The easy-to-use shaker creates the ideal chilled cocktail without thinning it out with melting ice. The two-piece Boston shaker, which is popular among bartenders, is simple to use and clean. The smaller cup fits on top of the larger cup for shaking, but if you want to sift your liquid, you'll need a separate strainer, which isn't pricey. The cups are larger (26 oz) and smaller (160 oz) (I recommend a Hawthorne or julep strainer).

You are probably most familiar with the standard "cobbler" shaker. It is all-in-one, typically made of stainless steel, and has a cup base for liquid and ice, a top that is removable, and a strainer that is integrated into the cap. Whichever one you select, please shake, shake, shake away while paying homage to Tom Cruise in Cocktail.

Bottle Opener

When you go to open a bottle and find that you are without one, you only realize how crucial it is. In a perfect world, you wouldn't want to use your tailgate opener as a bar piece. Purchase a wonderful item to go with your new bar.

A Bar Spoon

A bar spoon is designed specifically for stirring cocktails; it is not just any old spoon from the drawer. This unique and wonderful piece of machinery is long—typically at least 12 inches—and has either a smooth or spiral texture. For various reasons, including not breaking up the ice and silently moving the liquids, it is also lightweight and thin.

This spoon can be used to "layer" liquids in the glass for more experienced users (you'll get there!). For added convenience, some spoons include a muddler at the tip. Last but not least, a bar spoon is a real measurement that equals about 14 ounce.

The ideal cocktail is accurate and well-balanced. A measuring device that ensures consistency in a drink is the jigger. Typically, one side of a two-sided jigger weighs 0.75 oz and the other, 1.5 oz (jigger shot) (pony shot). Choose your own trip from the many sizes and designs, from useful to stylish!

A Mixing Glass

A negroni and other "stirred drinks" go in the mixing glass. This is often a pint glass that holds about 16 ounces, and some of them include a spout on one side so that you can pour the finished mixture into the chosen glass.

You can use your Boston Shaker for this duty or, if you really want to wow your friends, spend money on the exquisite Yari glass. The use of a mixing glass reduces dilution and spillage.

Your Home Bar

A home bar can be in a sophisticated box that is only opened once a week, a cart, a tray, or another container (or once a day). The goal is to display a select few items rather than stuffing the area with everything you own, such as barware, an ice bucket, fashionable bottles, a few glasses, and/or a decanter. Create a wish list for yourself, start with a few recipes, and get mixing. You'll soon find your bartending rhythm, and you just could make better drinks than the establishment you used to visit. All the best, my buddies!

One of my favorite drinks to start your bar is what I'll leave you with.