Build the Bar: Tools

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!