This post is part of Build the Bar series- detailing some of the things I found useful when we were building up our home bar.

While you can technically drink a cocktail in just about any vessel, there’s actually some thought into why certain drinks go into certain glasses. Just like wine, there’s appropriate glassware for different types of drinks.
Taking that first sip of a daiquiri, in a perfectly chilled coupe is a real treat. The frosty glass hits your lips as you smell the lime, rum and sugar.

You don’t need to go all in and buy every single type of cocktail glass under the sun. Shopping for glassware is more of a treasure hunt and we’ve found some of our favorites in unexpected places. One thing you will notice is how comically large most glassware is at big box stores. I have no idea where a 16 oz martini glass was thought to be a good idea. I’ve had good luck at CB2, Crate & Barrel and West Elm— but even then, most of their glassware is on the large side and you’ll have to do some research.

Tip! If it’s not listed on the tag, look up the store’s website to find the volume in the product description. Ideally you want 5-5.5 oz for coupes and 13 oz for double rocks glasses.

The best places to find glassware, in my opinion, are thrift shops and Goodwill. I’ve found some great vintage coupes at our local thrift store. The large volume glassware wasn't really a thing back then. It’s a also a great place to score cheap glasses for parties. We found all of our punch cups at Goodwill and it’s fun adding new finds to the mix.

Here’s my list of of useful and most loved glassware:

Coupe (5-6oz)- great all purpose glass for drinks served up, like the Bee’s Knees or this delightfully bright strawberry daiquiri

Double Rocks (13 oz)- used for anything stirred served over a large ice cube, such as an Old Fashioned
(These ones from CB2 are our work horses for the Penicillin, Negroni, Margarita or a split combo of Rye/Amaro— plus they’re stupid cheap yet well made!)

Nick & Nora (5 oz)- Also great for anything served up- specially stirred drinks. I love this style of glass so much— it’s delicate and makes the drink feel extra special. I also prefer this to a martini glass any day.

Single Rocks (9 oz)- For stirred drinks served neat (without ice), like the Sazerac or your favorite whiskey

Collins/Highball (11 oz)- for drinks served with several 1 inch cubes, like…well…. highballs.

Martini (4-5oz)- I will admit, I do not care for martini glasses— most are way too big and your drink will warm up long before you finish it. If you can find the right volume and you love the shape? Go for it! I’ll just stick with my Nick & Noras, thankyouverymuch.

Other fun glasses out there:
Wine for spritzes! Teacups for shaken drinks served over a large ice cube, tiki mugs to match just about any fandom!

And there’s still more glasses to collect — like Champagne flutes (for your French 75), Julep tins, and pilsner glasses… not to mention all the fun ceramic vessels from tiki bars across the country!

I sincerely hope you find the hunt for good glassware just as fun as I do—- it’s the journey not the destination…. or something like that…

Cheers,
Abby

This post is part of Build the Bar series- detailing some of the things I found useful when we were building up our home bar.

*Note- Glassware will be talked about in a separate post*

After pouring over several cocktail books and scouring reddit threads, we determined we need some tools in order to get this cocktail thing started. Amazon is a blessing and a curse and nearly everything can be found there. 

But! There is a but.

There’s something to be said about purchasing tools from a small independent retailer— one of which is Cocktail Kingdom, run by Greg Boehm. Boehm is largely responsible for shaping the look of modern cocktail culture with his products. If you’ve stepped into a craft cocktail bar in the past 10 years, it was probably full of Cocktail Kingdom goodies. Not only are the tools high-quality, the packaging is delightful. 

Below I’ve listed out the tools (in order) I think are necessary. I’ve given some alternatives to each, if I have them. At the end will be stuff that’s useful but mostly for fun or very specific. All this stuff makes for great birthday, holiday, wedding or house warming gifts.  

Koriko Weighted Shaking Tins (set of 2) (Cocktail Kingdom)
We have two sets of these, and the stainless has held up really well over the years. They also come in a variety of finishes, although we have noticed these show wear much quicker. The tins have a nice weight to them and highly recommend reading or watching a video on how to make sure the tins are secure before you shake.
Atl: you can certainly get away with any other shaker, but for the price, these can’t be beat.

Japanese Jigger 1oz / 2oz (Cocktail Kingdom)
Japanese Jigger 1/2 oz / 3/4 oz
While there’s several different jigger shapes to choose from, I find these the easiest to use without spilling. Plus they just look really good. It’s incredibly important to measure accurately, as over/under pouring can change the overall balance of a drink, specially when dealing with small measures, like the 1/4 oz.
Atl: OXO Steel Angled Measuring Jigger (Amazon)

Oxo Steel Cocktail Strainer (Amazon)
You’ll need one of these guys to strain your drinks once you’re done shaking. I like this particular one because it’s easy to clean. The spring slides off for when you’ve got a real messy situation (read: egg whites).
Coco Strainer (Cocktail Kingdom)
For most shaken drinks it’s recommend to double strain using this and the strainer above. This ensures no pulpy fruit bits end up in your well-crafted drink.

Mixing Glass (Crate & Barrel)
This mixing glass is a great “starter” glass— if you find that you really love stirred drinks (or know someone who does) and you know you’ll be making a ton— I’d get the upgrade below:

Yarai Mixing Glass (Cocktail Kingdom)
This is a beautiful piece and I swear it makes the drink taste better. I’m a big fan of all things stirred, so this was a lovely gift for my birthday one year.

Bar Spoon (Sur la Table)
A decent spoon that gets the job done and still feels good. It has a great length and it’s reasonable.
Upgrade: Cocktail Kingdom Barspoon- If you’re upgrading your mixing glass, I’d splurge on an awesome barspoon too. I have the pineapple one as well as a longer spoon and I love them both. If you’re in Manhattan and want to be extra, go visit Cocktail Kingdom and pick out your spoon in person!

Julep Strainer (Cocktail Kingdom)
For straining those perfectly stirred cocktails into their final vessel. Honestly you can just get one of these on Amazon, but I do love the crown cut-out in the handle.

Hand Held Juicer (Amazon)
Yes, this one is painfully expensive BUT it hasn’t rusted yet, so it’s a winner.

Ice Cube Trays 2 in (Amazon)
As you’ll discover, ice is incredibly important in drink making. These large format cubes are great for slow sipping drinks such as an Old-Fashioned. They can also be used in various ways for mixing shaken or stirred drinks. Throw one of these bad boys into the shaker when a drink calls for egg white— the larger cube yields a nice foam.

Ice Cube Trays 1.25 in (Amazon)
Not as critical as the larger cubes above, but I really like this size for Margaritas or to mix with.

The tools listed below aren’t crucial for getting started ….. or you really don’t need them at all. But what’s the fun in that? He who dies with the most unnecessary kitchen gadgets, wins. Is that how the saying goes?

Muddler (Amazon)
You probably have one of these lying around somewhere, I know we did! I do prefer a wooden one and without teeth on the bottom— you could very easily over-muddle (making the drink taste bitter or bruise delicate mint)

Lewis bag / hammer (Cocktail Kingdom)
Ok. Pull up a chair and let me explain why this is a really good thing to have. I thought I could get away with crushing ice in a ziploc bag. Like, how much will I really be crushing ice?

Y’all.

After numerous attempts to crush ice without A) busting a hole in the bag and B) melting half the ice resulting in puddles everywhere— Ben finally ordered a Lewis bag and hammer. No more holes, no more wet counter. It’s remarkable how well you’re able to pound a bunch of ice and have it not melt everywhere. The heavy canvas is a great insulator. Ours is still in great shape, even after 2+ years of beating on it. Since ice can absorb smells, make sure the bag dries properly and do not store the ice in the bag itself for long periods.

ice scoop (Amazon)
While we’re on the ice train, grab an ice scoop— your grubby hands don’t have to touch it and it helps get all that crushed ice into tiki mugs and tall pilsner glasses with less spillage.

Cocktail Picks (Cocktail Kingdom- a good, classic example)
For all those garnishes! Stainless steel picks are great and you’ll keep them forever — I’ve had fun collecting unique picks over the years.

Tiny microplane (Amazon, or kitchen shop)
Perfect for grating whole nutmeg over drinks. We keep this as a “nutmeg only” microplane to keep unwanted flavors from ending up in our drinks.

Metal Straws:
Short- perfect for drinks in double rocks, short mugs, julep cups- also great for tasting a drink before pouring into glassware.
Long- for drinks in tall collins glasses and tiki mugs

Swizzle Stick (Cocktail Kingdom)
Also known as a “boi lele”….. it comes from a particular tree and is carved in such a way that you end up with this perfect stick to swizzle drinks. There are quite a few swizzle drink recipes out there, and you need this thing to make them. It was a no-brainer in our household —The Twenty Seventy Swizzle is one of my all-time favorite rum drinks.

Bitter bottles (Cocktail Kingdom)
I love these guys! They are visually a delight on the shelf and are more accurate than the bottle the bitters come in. Since bitters are measured in dashes in cocktail recipes, it makes a difference having a precise drop.

Ice Tapper (Cocktail Kingdom)
Great for cracking ice (different than crushing!), you can also use the back of a metal ice scoop as well. The packaging however, is a winner (and I’ve kept mine all these years).

Spill mat (Amazon)
If we’re preparing a lot of drinks, the spill mat comes in handy. It keeps the drippy bits off the counter, my hands and the bottom of bottles. It’s a pain to clean and I only get it out I know the mess will outweigh the washing.

Speed pourers (Amazon)
Again, helps with being less drippy and makes for a nice smooth, even pour.

Tools you probably have:
Peeler (Amazon) -The only one you’ll ever need.
Small paring knife
Cutting board— is handy instead of a spill mat. Keeps liquid off your counters/everything else.
Digital Scale- for weighing ingredients for syrups.

Whew! Glad you stuck with me on this one— it seems overwhelming, but you’ll probably have a lot of these items for many years. Nice tools are a pleasure to work with and make the whole experience that much more fun!

Cheers, enjoy!

This post is part of Build the Bar series- detailing some of the things I found useful when we were building up our home bar.

The best way to get started building out your very own bar collection is to cozy up with a few books. Over the last 10 years we've been lucky enough to get books published by many of the world's leading cocktail bars. Some focus on recipes, some on the nuisances of bartending, and others on a little bit of everything. 

I thought long and hard about which books to recommend and why. Something to give you a broad overview but still had recipes and bits of knowledge that I find invaluable. It also has to be well designed and contain gorgeous photos. What's the fun of owning something that's not lovely to display? 

There are two books that I recommend equally and they both come from the owners of Death & Co (sorry not sorry).

Cocktail Codex: Fundamentals, Formulas, Evolutions by Alex Day, David Kaplan and Nick Fauchald. 
I cannot sing the praises of this book enough. It’s a great primer on cocktail basics plus the hows and whys of what makes a great drink. The book is a nice mix between info, recipes (drinks/syrups) and photos. It breaks down the 6 classic cocktail structures and then goes more in depth with recipe variations. The intro to the book could have been written by me, just replace Little Branch with Death & Co. 

If you buy this book on amazon, there’s usually a deal to buy their other book:

Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails by David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald  and Alex Day. 
This book came out in 2014 and was a genre game-changer. Cocktail Codex feels like a tighter version, this book goes into more detail about every aspect of a bar. I particularly like the “Day in the Life” of Death & Co. and have read it many many times along with the intro to this book. Our copy is FULL of little tabs marking recipes and syrups. I did not recommend this book first because I think it can be overwhelming when building your home bar. There’s SO many recipes and it’s a bit hard to plow through it all and decide what to buy.  It’s crammed with techniques, gorgeous illustrations and lovely photos highlighting the staff and interior of the bar itself. 

From here you can pretty much add books based on areas of interest, here are my recs and why:

The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique by Jeffery Morgenthaler 
Additional info on techniques, recipes and it has a great sense of humor. Morgenthaler is known for taking traditionally awful cocktails— think the Grasshopper or the Amaretto Sour- and tweaking the recipe to make a truly delicious drink. He also has some of the most delightful youtube videos. 

Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki by Martin Cate
An essential guide on all things Tiki— history, recipes for drinks and all the unique syrup/modifier blends unique to tiki style drinks. 

If you’re in the weeds and really want to get nerdy—

Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail By Dave Arnold
A *deep* dive into the science behind making a cocktail.  Everything from making clear ice to adjusting the acidity in citrus juice. 

Meehan's Bartender Manual by Jim Meehan
Covers history, starting and running a bar as well as Meehan’s advice for service and making the perfect drink. There’s also sections on bar design, menu design and the distillation process for different types of spirits. 

Regarding Cocktails by Sasha Petraske / Georgette Moger-Petraske
This book was compiled from the notes and musings of the late Sasha Petraske who was one of the original bartenders to really kickstart the revival of the craft cocktail. He opened a revolutionary bar called Milk & Honey where he trained his staff with this new approach. We owe it to Sasha for ice programs, the wide-spread use of fresh juice and elevating the modern bar experience.

The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart
Part biology part history book, this one takes a closer look at the plants and how they influence the liquors we love.

Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas by Brad Thomas Parsons
This book gives a comprehensive overview of Amari- from history to recipes to little blurbs on how various folks like to drink it. The author gives the history and flavor profile for nearly every amaro you could get your hands on. I’ve even taken this book with me to a specialty liquor stores so I could read the tasting notes before buying a new bottle. 

Like I mentioned earlier— it’s a great time for excellent cocktail/bar books with new releases happening every few months. I know there’s a few I can’t wait to get my hands on! Seasoned cocktail nerds out there- do you have any books you found particularly useful?

Cheers, enjoy!
-Abby

Whenever we have someone new in our house, at some point their eyes will travel over our liquor collection. It’s always amusing to watch because they see it, look away and then immediately do a double-take.  Our nearly 85-ish bottle collection does attract some attention. We’ll explain that, like cooking, making a really delicious cocktail is actually a great skill to have and we enjoy visiting bars all over the US and sharing our finds/knowledge with friends.  Then we get asked how this even all started….

It started with a quest to make a better cocktail than our local P.F. Chang’s. 

I know, not a high bar. Let me back up a bit…

While this blog is written by me (Abby) everything here also includes my husband, Ben. One of the things we first bonded over was cooking. Around 2014 we found ourselves in New York for work trips about twice a year. While we were in the city we would hit up all the trending restaurants and fun little eateries we could find. We were big fans of David Chang, Christina Tossi and Anthony Bourdain.

Fast forward to early spring 2016. I told Ben I wanted to go to a bar…  sit there, have a nice drink and just hang out. It’s always sounded appealing to me, but I had never really been to a proper bar. I didn’t drink much because I had no idea what I liked. And the few cocktails I had were horribly sweet or I just hated the way they tasted… they probably contained vodka. 

Since we had zero tolerance for alcohol we needed to find some place we could walk to. And that happened to be our local P.F. Chang’s. For the first few visits I would get a glass  of wine and Ben got something called a “Twisted Whiskey Sour”. I don’t know what was twisted about it, but each time I would take a sip and discovered I liked this bourbon/fruit juice thing more and more. On one of the trips I got the nerve to order my own drink and it was really awful—a coconut mojito— (its still on the menu and makes me shudder just thinking about it).

On our way home that night we decided there has got to be some books out there (just like all the cookbooks we own) on how to make a good drink. Ben went down the reddit rabbit-hole and a few days later some books arrived at our doorstep. 

Death & Co. : Modern Classic Cocktails

The Craft of the Cocktail by Dale DeGroff 

The PDT Cocktail Book

I will say, at this point, this was mostly all Ben. I remember him reading the D&C book, making notes and soon some cocktail making supplies arrived and we made a trip to the liquor store. I don’t remember our first purchases, but I do know the first recipe we “figured” out on our own was that Twisted Whiskey Sour. Our version was infinitely better— probably because we added a bar spoon of Booker’s on top.

From here we started slowly adding the bottles, bitters and syrups from recipes found in the D&C book. Some were instant hits and others not so much. In August of 2016 we were in NYC again for work and we gathered our courage and went to Death & Co. for the very first time. We had read that the bar is first come, first serve so we got there right when it opened. I could write an entire post about this bar (and maybe I will….) but this one experience changed us forever. We sat down and instantly fell in love—

“This is it” we whispered after we ordered our first drinks. There was something about the whole atmosphere, the way the space was designed, the attention to detail, the gorgeous menus, the way the bar smelled… everything was just right. Till this day it remains very close to our hearts and is responsible for really launching this hobby of ours. 

Since then we’ve dived deeper into creating good drinks. Everything from ice, shaking techniques, adjusting citrus acidity and the importance of accurate measuring. I love learning about how to build out and run a bar. Every time we visit a major city, we seek out the interesting bars. In New York, we used to plan our nights around what restaurant we wanted to go to, now it’s which bar. We usually only go to one bar a night, so we’re able to spend quality time there, enjoying the space and community. Over time we’ve formed delightful relationships with some of the bartenders at our favorite spots and always make a point to come see them while we’re in town. 

I began to keep a journal— documenting every visit, to every bar and every drink that was consumed (ingredients included). I’m so glad I started this! It’s been fun trying to recreate some of our favorite drinks at home with varying degrees of success. 

Since 2016 we've collected coasters, stories, recipes, tips and helpful tricks that I hope to get out of my brain and on to this blog. A place I can point people to when they ask "How do I build a home bar?" There's a lot of info out there and I want to share what's worked for us. 

One of the best parts of this whole thing is taking the bits that resonate with you and adding them to your knowledge pool. There's an amusing video from Jeffery Morgenthaler detailing how to (not) make a cocktail video. At the end he mentions you should always say "cheers or enjoy". We found this to be pretty funny and we'll add "cheers enjoy" when we serve a drink. It's a nod to someone we learned a lot from, had the pleasure of meeting and to not take this whole thing too seriously. In the end, it's all about creating something tasty to share with the company you're with. 

On that note, thanks for reading! 

Cheers, enjoy, 

-Abby