Bar Tools
Essential equipment for home bartending — from shakers and jiggers to strainers and muddlers.
Bar Spoon
A long-handled spoon (40-45cm) for stirring cocktails, layering drinks, and measuring small amounts. The twisted handle allows smooth, consistent stirring …
Blender
Required for frozen cocktails like Daiquiris and Pina Coladas. A high-powered blender (1000W+) crushes ice smoothly without leaving chunks.
Bottle Opener
Essential for beers and bottles with crown caps. A waiter's friend (sommelier knife) doubles as a wine opener and foil …
Citrus Juicer
Fresh citrus juice is non-negotiable for quality cocktails. A manual press or electric juicer extracts maximum juice from lemons, limes, …
Cocktail Dropper
Glass pipettes for precise addition of bitters, oils, and specialty liqueurs by the drop. Essential for modern craft cocktail precision.
Cocktail Picks
Skewers for garnishes like olives, cherries, and citrus wheels. Available in metal, bamboo, and decorative styles.
Cocktail Shaker
The most essential bar tool. A cocktail shaker allows you to chill, dilute, and mix ingredients simultaneously. The Boston shaker …
Cocktail Smoker
Adds aromatic smoke to cocktails using wood chips (cherry, hickory, applewood). Creates dramatic presentation and complex flavor layers in Old …
Cocktail Straws
Reusable metal or glass straws for tasting cocktail layers without disturbing presentation. Also used as a tool to sample before …
Dry Ice Tongs
Insulated tongs for safely handling dry ice used in theatrical cocktail presentations.
Fine Mesh Strainer
A small fine-mesh sieve used for double-straining to catch ice shards and pulp. Used in combination with a Hawthorne strainer …
Hawthorne Strainer
The standard strainer for shaken cocktails. The coil spring catches ice and large particles while pouring. Fits over most shaker …
Ice Pick
Used to hand-chip large ice blocks into custom shapes. Artisanal ice dramatically improves the appearance and slow-melt quality of spirit-forward …
Jigger
A double-sided measuring tool for precise spirit portions. Standard sizes: 1 oz / 2 oz (US) or 25ml / 50ml …
Julep Strainer
A perforated bowl-shaped strainer used primarily with mixing glasses for stirred cocktails. Fits inside the glass and holds back ice …
Lewis Bag & Mallet
A canvas bag and wooden mallet for making crushed ice. Essential for Mint Juleps, Swizzles, and Tiki cocktails that require …
Mixing Glass
A heavy-bottomed glass vessel for stirring spirit-forward cocktails like Martinis and Negronis. Typically holds 500-750ml with a pour spout.
Muddler
A pestle-like tool for crushing herbs, fruit, and sugar in the bottom of a glass. Essential for Mojitos, Old Fashioneds, …
Peeler / Channel Knife
A channel knife cuts long citrus twists for garnishes; a Y-peeler creates wide, elegant peel expressos. The oils in citrus …
Wine Key / Corkscrew
The waiter's corkscrew is the industry standard for wine bottles. The double-hinge design provides leverage for smooth cork removal.
Building Your Home Bar
Start with the essentials: a shaker, a jigger for accurate measurements, a strainer, and a bar spoon. These four tools let you make the vast majority of classic cocktails. Add specialised tools like a muddler or citrus press as your repertoire grows.