5 Essential Tools for Every Home Bar

Cocktail
sipping season has begun, and that calls for basking in the sun’s glow on
restaurant and bar rooftops, patios and sidewalk cafes. It’s muy caliente and
you’ve put away the Manhattans and rum served neat. Cue the mojitos, mai tais,
gin and tonics, and French 75 cocktails that make the dog days of summer worth
celebrating.

But
you probably won’t just be drinking them. You’ll be whipping them up too, for
friends and family at barbecues and picnics. So in the name of entertaining
well, having your bar dialed up isn’t just recommended. It’s required. Whether
your home bar is a modest shelf in the corner of your casa or a
designated room filled with top shelf libations, here are five essential and
basic tools you need now:

Jigger

Creating
a tasty cocktail is all about balance, which means you have to measure to get it
right. You don’t want to serve yourself or guests a drink that is too sour,
sweet, boozy, or watery. Opt for a jigger with a measure on each end (like an
ounce and one-half ounce) for multipurpose.

Barspoon

Forget
the old finger stirrer. Coming in at about 11 inches long, a barspoon makes
preparing cocktails much easier and efficient, especially in larger
mixing glasses and cocktail shakers.

Cocktail Shaker

To
ensure proper amalgamation of ingredients, you’ll shake, rather than stir, any
cocktails with citrus, juice, or egg whites. Professionals use Boston shakers,
which consist of a metal bottom and pint glass, but a shaker with a metal lid
and built-in strainer is great too. You can use this as a mixing glass for
stirring and chilling ingredients. It’s fun to collect different shapes and
sizes from thrift stores and online auctions, which make interesting
conversational pieces.

Heavy Bottomed Rocks Glasses

Keep a set of four (preferably
six) single or double rocks glasses for when guests come. The heavy bottom keeps
the glass anchored from accidental spills and indicates heft for quality. The
glasses should have a delicate lip and look elegant, like those from Villeroy
& Boch or Spiegelau. They are worth the investment and you can use them
for just about any drink.

Hand Juicer

Cocktails
taste 100 times better when you use fresh ingredients; you just can’t settle
for bottled lime or orange juice. A portable hand juicer costs about $15, and
will get you through several summer seasons. Get one big enough for an orange
so that you can also fit limes and lemons in it.