Whether you’re making your first Margarita or something more sophisticated, these are the tools to guarantee mixology mastery.
Once you start getting into spirits, whether you drink a lot of them or not, it’s almost certain you’re going to start accumulating more bottles than you know what to do with. You could, of course, give them away, or drink them by themselves – neither of which are particularly fun options. For many people, this is where they come to embrace their inner mixologist.
So, where do you start if the bottles in your drinks cart, cabinet, or space above your kitchen cupboard are staring back at you, begging to be combined into something delicious? A decent cocktail kit is a must. Here are the seven essential cocktail-making tools you need to start your journey. Who knows? You could end up running the next Maybe Sammy.
Undoubtedly the most iconic piece of bartending kit, shakers also serve a vital purpose in creating many cocktails – they simply won’t come together without it. While shaking and stirring is sometimes interchangeable, shaking is widely regarded as vital for drinks with citrus and egg whites (or, as a rule of thumb, anything non-alcoholic) because it chills, incorporates air and ensures an even distribution of ingredients all at once. The result is a better-tasting, better-textured drink every time.
Shakers come in two varieties – a Boston shaker, made up of two similarly sized cups you smash together to create a vacuum, and a cobbler shaker, a three-piece bit of equipment with a removable lid and built-in strainer. Neither is particularly better than the other when it comes to the final product, but if you need help choosing, there are a few things to consider. The Boston shaker is the one you’ll see in most bars – it has a bigger capacity, tends to mix faster and is easier to clean – but for the newbie, it can be hard to master separating the cups after mixing and you’ll need a separate strainer, too. Cobbler shakers, on the other hand, are super beginner-friendly – with everything built in, they’re very easy to use. Japanese bartenders favour the cobbler kind, but we lean towards the Boston for our own kits.
The only other truly non-negotiable when it comes to creating cocktails, the jigger is the number one measuring tool and it’s crucial if you want your cocktail recipes to taste right. Double-sided jiggers are made to be flexible, with a large 30mL end and a smaller 15mL end, and many cocktail recipes are designed with these measurements in mind. If you want even more control, you can also invest in a larger single-sided jigger with measurement lines.
Our pick: Bar Station Double Jigger
So, with all that said, when do you stir? As a general rule, stirring is called for whenever your recipe contains only alcoholic ingredients, be it in a Martini, Old Fashioned, Negroni or Manhattan. For single serves, you can stir in the same glass you’re serving it in, but to ensure consistency when making bigger batches, a proper mixing glass is a must. They come in all different sizes, so pick yours based on how many cocktails you’d like to be able to make at once.
Our pick: Barware Oritsu Tall Mixing Glass
Almost certainly the quickest way to look fancy when making an Old Fashioned, bar spoons do have function to match the form. Their long, narrow shape (most are around 30 to 40cm) and spooned end allows them to get to the very bottom of ice-filled mixing glasses, so they’re essential for making a decent Highball, or even a proper Gin and Tonic. Mastering the art of dilution is half the battle when it comes to cocktails, so don’t skimp on the spoon. If you’re picking up a cocktail kit, the spoon will usually come with it. But if you’re after something ritzier, they come in all manner of styles.
Our pick: Viski Stainless Steel Weighted Bar Spoon
If fruity cocktails are your jam, a muddler should be top of your shopping list. The tool is almost primitive in that its main function is crushing up berries and fruits to release their juices, but they’re also super useful for bruising herbs to release their oils, as well as muddling together sugar and aromatics.
Our pick: Bar Station Platinum Cocktail Muddler
Leaving stray shards of ice or flecks of fruit in your drink is the quickest way to take the look and texture of your cocktail from an A+ to a D-, which is where a strainer comes in. There are three key types. Julep strainers are the most basic – essentially a wide spoon with small holes to let the liquid pass through. Hawthorne strainers are by far the most popular, and if you’re only picking one then go for this style; the coil around its edge makes it much easier to pour and better at trapping pulp and ice. Finally, a fine mesh strainer might be called for in cocktails that require a super velvety finish, but you’ll need to use this in tandem with a Hawthorne or Julep, so it’s more of an extra bit of kit than a total essential. Remember, if you’re using a cobbler shaker, it’ll have a basic strainer already built in.
Our pick: Viski Gunmetal Black Hawthorne Strainer
You may not believe there’s an entire school of geekery devoted to specialty ice, but there is. And while we’re not suggesting you have to venture down that route, if you want to get serious about your cocktails, the standard ice tray in your freezer probably isn’t going to cut it. Smaller ice cubes are fine for crushing and shaking up quick fixes, but for highballs and short cocktails, they melt too quickly, diluting your drink before you’ve had the chance to enjoy it.
A simple silicon ice tray that allows you to make bigger cubes and easily pop them out is a must for lovers of Negronis, Old Fashioneds and the like. And if you’re going to be putting in a shift at the kitchen bench, an ice bucket can come in handy, too.
Our pick: Bar Station Extra Large Ice Cube Tray
If you want it all and you want it now, go for a cocktail kit. There are millions to choose from – some with just the bare essentials, others that come with the whole kit and caboodle. They range from super affordable to a week’s rent, so pick what works for you. Our suggestion? Go for a smaller kit of decent quality (you won’t use everything in those massive all-in-one kits), and cherry-pick the extras that you need for the types of drinks you like to make.
Our pick: Bar Station Platinum Deluxe Cocktail Set
