If you've ever watched a professional bartender make a drink, you'll notice that they use an array of specialized tools to stir, shake, blend, and peel, all of which are designed to ensure the perfect beverage. If you're just starting to learn to make drinks at home, trying to find the names of these tools or even buy them can be daunting. So we've put together this list of seven essential home bartending tools, along with some suggestions on how to replace them with common household items. Let's get started!
Boston shaker
The Boston shaker is probably the most iconic bartending tool, and for good reason! The Boston shaker is an extremely versatile tool that can be used in most cocktail recipes to cool, dilute, blend and brew drinks. If you are planning to purchase a Boston shaker, we recommend the Tin on Tin version because it is easy to use and will not be damaged if accidentally dropped. If you don't have a shaker, use a jam jar with a sealed lid.
Cocktail strainer
Most Boston shakers are equipped with Hawthorne ice spacers. They're great for straining the pulp and ice from a shaken cocktail. No ice trap? Don't worry! Fine screens or other types of filters can be used instead!
Muddler
Rammers are used to mash fruits, berries, herbs, and other ingredients in mixing containers. By mashing the ingredients in the glass or shaker, all essential oils will be released into your drink instead of remaining on the cutting board. If you don't have a rammer handy, use a wooden spoon or rolling pin.
Paring knife
A quality sharp paring knife is essential for your home mixers. It can be used to quickly cut open fruit that needs to be mashed, or to make decorations, such as lemon slices for drinks. Regular kitchen knives are also available, but we like the compact size and ease of handling of the paring knives.
parer
Speaking of decorating, don't forget to invest in a quality peeler for your home bar. The peeler helps you remove the skin like a professional and won't hurt you like a paring knife if you let it go. If you don't have a peeler, use a paring knife. But let's be honest, you're more likely to have a peeler at home than a small knife.
Hot tip: If you're peeling fruit for garnish, do it above the glass. This way, all the aromatic oils can be dropped into the cocktail, rather than left on the countertop.
Shaker spoon
A shaker spoon is a thin spoon used to stir cocktails such as Martini and Old Fashioned. When you stir, you want to move the ice and liquid quickly, but gently enough to prevent any crumbs from peeling off the ice. If you do not have a spoon, use chopsticks to stir and use a tea spoon to scoop.
Mixing device
It is a tall, wide glass with a small mouth for easy pouring. You can also use a jam jar or any wide glass container instead. Just make sure the container is large enough to move the ice cubes around while mixing.
Now that you know what tools you need, you'll need some recipes to try. In the next post, we'll give you 9 common recipes that are easy and tasty to mix.
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